Welcome back to the wasteland! Today we will be looking at Fallout 76 since we last ventured out during the beta. I’m not entirely sure what feedback Bethesda got back from its stress tests, but I can say there has been some give and take since its retail release.
Since this is not a stress test, the gameplay was not as wonky. It ran a lot smoother than when I first sprinted from the vault in the beta. The majority of my play time ran very well on my Xbox, but some of the textures had issues when loading. Certain characters, buildings, and foliage also seemed to suddenly appear as I engaged with the world. Enemies also had the tendency to spawn on top of me as I walked through areas with higher player activity.
Even with every character being a player, the game still feels incredibly empty due to the lack of any settlements full of NPC’s other than terminals and robots. I don’t really know what to make of the storyline either. I don’t like the bread crumb trail style that almost every quest uses via holotapes. The story at large follows the same principle. Find survivor stories a la holotapes. But these survivors and volunteers appear to all be dead. I just don’t really see a point in doing errands and handing in items at some repository aside from loot and caps. Even then, I’d rather just go off on my own and go dungeoneering in a nuka cola factory.
I did not fully realize this at first, but we cannot respec our characters as we unlock perks for our characters. I don’t think I could possibly possess the foresight regarding how I want to level up. The cards are an interesting idea. I hope they keep that the same in the updates to come. It just might be a little too early to say whether these cards help the gaming experience or if it was better in Fallout 4.
Speaking of its predecessor, Fallout 76 has most of the enemy types from the Boston Commonwealth and some new additions. I like the enemy compositions. I have heard that the enemies can spaz out and lose their animations, but I have not seen it yet. I personally miss bandits as opposed to the feral ghouls with guns. I am currently excited about the sloth from the trailer and the live action commercial, and I hope I can find it in my upcoming adventures. I also know there is a dragon out there somewhere, so there is a lot to look forward to if you are into hunting strange beasts.
I know some people are not okay with the way they changed V.A.T.S., but I still like it. You essentially target the whole enemy and you can see what the likelihood is that you will hit your target. It also does a lot of damage, so it can be effective. Everything is in real time, including reading notes, picking locks, and hacking terminals. So, if you don’t like hot keying items or saving items to your favorites, then maybe you would prefer the earlier Fallout games. This experience can very well be solo, but you cannot pause and plan.
Even if you want the solo experience, the game feels kind of empty or lonely. I just really don’t understand that part of the development plan. Bethesda had the opportunity to create these interesting characters who are interacting with the new world of postwar America, but instead we have holotapes, journals, and letters. Our impact on the world just feels small and inconsequential. Even when nukes fall from the sky, the fallout fades so quickly as if nothing had happened at all.
Before I forget: there is an in-game shop where you can make microtransactions for hairstyles and paint for your power armor. I don’t really like that at all, but it’s nothing new to the online experience. It doesn’t seem like a pay to play type of thing, just cosmetics. I wonder if they will do seasonal items, or limited time promotions.
Maybe I sound disappointed, but I do have high hopes for where this title is heading. It won’t be overnight, but this can definitely be a fun experience among friends right now. I think I personally would prefer a more private experience with my group of friends in a world similar to Fallout 4 or Elder Scrolls Online where we can see the consequences of our actions in quests. I’ve been ranting about the holotapes, and I think it’s because they get old so fast. They’re engaging at first, but sometimes I lose track of what they’re saying because they can get boring. Overall, I think a fair rating for this title is a 7.6 out of 10.
Check Out the Fallout 76 Live Action Trailer:
Fallout 76 is available now worldwide digitally and at retail for $59.99.
Xbox One Review
I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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