Fallout 76 Reviews
The much-feared online multiplayer is, surprisingly, almost a non-factor. But the tidal wave of glitches and technical hitches? Deal-breaker
Fallout 76 attempts to take the series into the world of always online multiplayer, but it may have left too much of the original franchise trademarks behind.
Fallout 76 is sure to be a divisive game. I'm confident that most people won't be able to forgive its many flaws, especially those going into it expecting a solo experience similar to Fallout 4, but I also think that those looking for a multiplayer Fallout experience will get a kick out of Fallout 76, particularly once Bethesda patches some of the game's most glaring bugs. As much as I'd like to be able to tell you that this title is terrible or amazing, the truth is that it's just okay.
If you enjoy multiplayer games of this type and are willing to overlook the engine anomalies, you may find yourself rapidly addicted to the game's exploration density and loot systems. If you're easily frustrated by bugs and issues, you may want to sit tight a bit to see what Bethesda does to polish things up, cus oh boy, it could use a bit right now. If you're a fan of the single player, branching narrative the series is known for, you'll want to wait for Fallout 5.
On the dawn of Reclamation Day I left Vault 76, weary eyed and slightly optimistic about the journey that laid ahead of me in West Virginia.
Half-baked conflict ideas and witless quests to unearth the dead – this soulless sequel is perfect if you enjoy picking up rubbish in a wasteland
Post-apocalyptic West Virginia is described as a “wasteland,” and this term paints an inadvertent but accurate picture of what Fallout 76 is right now.
Maybe they can turn this game around. Maybe they can fix the bugs, add some actual life into the world, and make it to where playing with friends is more than just a co-op buddy. They did a lot for Elder Scrolls Online, maybe they can do it here, but I’ll be the first to tell you to wait until that happens before taking these country roads home.
The bottom line is that Fallout 76 was an experiment that was created on an outdated engine incapable of implementing the vision Bethesda has for it. This has led the game into a full blown identity crisis, as it doesn't really play well as a single-player game, sucks at PvP, with its only saving grace being its multiplayer experience, specifically with friends. Sometimes it's better to be great at one thing than good (or not so good) at many things. Promised updates in the future may eventually get the game where it needs to be, but as of today, it's not what fans wanted or expected.
While I applaud taking a chance on a crazy idea, Fallout 76 would undoubtedly have been a better and more engaging experience as a traditional open world RPG. As it stands, this is a broken, unfun, and repetitive title that I can’t recommend. And that hurts me to say.
Fallout 76 just barely fulfills its promise of the ability to experience Fallout with friends. However, an overall lack of content and polish will wear down even the most ardent Fallout fans.
The best thing about Fallout 76 is the huge detailed wilderness to explore. If you're a Fallout fan there are definitely things to see and you'll be familiar enough with the story and mechanics to enjoy it. However if this is your first foray or you are expecting a game like Fallout 4 then you might want to wait until a few updates have been released and hope that they fill out the world a bit more with personality and story.
Fallout 76 lacks the heart and soul of what is a Bethesda RPG. The exclusion of NPC's and, in general, decent quest givers makes an emotional (or any) connection to the world near-on impossible and manages to shatter any immersion. The inclusion of other humans does nothing to remedy the fact that these core elements are missing. What it does do right, though, is having built by far the most varied and engaging Map yet, which is a pleasure to look at and explore - even if it looks dated up close. Furthermore, teaming up with other people to take on high-end creatures, particularly after the launch of a nuke, makes for compelling gameplay. As can be expected from a Bethesda title, it's riddled with bugs and glitches, many are game breaking, though Bethesda is already working on fixing them. What Fallout 76 really needs is an infusion of NPC's, even if only at a single hub, to give the game purpose.
Fallout 76 requires serious rework. Strange decisions of game designers make it difficult to comfortably explore an interesting world of the game. Interaction with other players is minimal and absolutely unjustified for an online project. Sometimes it feels that there is no online at all. New mechanics do not look as impressive as we were promised during the early presentations, and the lack of optimization, ton of bugs and a terrible economy spoil the experience. Bethesda needs to rethink its production process, do serious work on all the errors, add normal PvP and full-fledged quests with NPCs.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Putting aside the many technical issues, Fallout 76 offers an empty world in which, paradoxically, there are many things to do, but everything appears to be an end in itself. There is something good in this game, but it's crippled by a bland world design and a non-existent plot. This is a game that may be able to entertain, but boredom is always dangerously around the corner.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fallout 76 is a seriously shoddy attempt at trying to cash in on the multiplayer survival market. Fallout with friends is an intriguing concept on paper, but we can't think of many more ways that Bethesda could have screwed it up.
Fallout 76 is a blast to play. It's easily my favorite Fallout title to date. Fallout 76 has it's fair share of problems but they don't make the game unplayable. Fallout 76 isn't for everyone but for those who stick with it will definitely find what it has to offer.
Ultimately, therefore, Fallout 76 is in no way an indispensable title or suitable for all palates, but it can still prove to be a surprisingly rich and enjoyable experience, especially in the company of a friend.
Review in Italian | Read full review