So, here it is. The game that ended the Fallout franchise once and for all.
Well, not really, but for a lot of people, this game was or is the straw that broke the brahmin's back for those remaining loyal to the franchise any further.
It's hard to really blame them either; 76 is such a radical departure in many ways from its predecessors, not just in its MMO-lite gameplay style but also in its reconfiguration of previously established lore by having it be the earliest setting in the timeline thus far.
That being said, though, as a fan of Bethesda's take on the Fallout universe and (most of the time) their gameplay style, I was both surprised and unsurprised by how much I truly enjoyed Fallout 76, despite the intimidating multiplayer packaging.
There are a lot of QOL additions here that could very well make it hard to return to Fallout 4 without mods that add said features, such as equipping a new item without going into your inventory every time you pick something up and a 'favorites' wheel. However, for every new addition and improvement, compromises are made for a 'seamless multiplayer experience.'
VATS, for one, is next to pointless. I used it maybe half a dozen times during my entire 60+ hour playthrough. I understand that it's a staple of the series and taking it out entirely would cause more uproar than otherwise, but I feel like more could have been done to make it more applicable to an online-only game rather than the same system as in Fallout 4 but in real-time.
I should say that, like the shameless consumer I am, I did pay for a month of Fallout 1st in order to use the private server, but it's unfortunate that it had to come to that. Playing on public servers has its pros and cons, sure, but to get that authentic single-player Fallout experience, or as close to it as possible, $13 monthly is the literal price you have to pay.
So why the rating despite my clear qualms with 76? Because despite all its setbacks, Fallout 76 delivers probably the best setting in the entire series. Appalachia, even in its more hideous regions, is never not stunning to look at. Seeing distant locales from across the map and making note of them to explore later, or just happening upon a bizarre-looking town and wondering what stories you'll uncover there—it all adds up to being the best of the one-of-a-kind Bethesda charm Todd's always talking about.
While the main quest is not much to write home about, even compared to the previous game, where 76 truly excels is in the smaller stories—the ones you happen upon while exploring or the little diversions that spin off into a multiple-hour odyssey with their own cast of characters and narrative arcs.
More than anything else, that's the carrot on the stick that made the 60+ hours worthwhile for me.
While there are obvious setbacks from it being an online-only game that keep it from quite reaching Fallout 4 for me, it honestly wouldn't take too much extra for this to become my new favorite of the Bethesda Fallouts. While many disagree with me on this, I do truly believe 76 to be worthy of the Fallout name. It has all the soul, darkly comic wit, tonal depth, and retro-futuristic charm you've come to expect from the series, despite how it all may look from the outside.
Them country roads sure took me home.
7.5/10
Well, not really, but for a lot of people, this game was or is the straw that broke the brahmin's back for those remaining loyal to the franchise any further.
It's hard to really blame them either; 76 is such a radical departure in many ways from its predecessors, not just in its MMO-lite gameplay style but also in its reconfiguration of previously established lore by having it be the earliest setting in the timeline thus far.
That being said, though, as a fan of Bethesda's take on the Fallout universe and (most of the time) their gameplay style, I was both surprised and unsurprised by how much I truly enjoyed Fallout 76, despite the intimidating multiplayer packaging.
There are a lot of QOL additions here that could very well make it hard to return to Fallout 4 without mods that add said features, such as equipping a new item without going into your inventory every time you pick something up and a 'favorites' wheel. However, for every new addition and improvement, compromises are made for a 'seamless multiplayer experience.'
VATS, for one, is next to pointless. I used it maybe half a dozen times during my entire 60+ hour playthrough. I understand that it's a staple of the series and taking it out entirely would cause more uproar than otherwise, but I feel like more could have been done to make it more applicable to an online-only game rather than the same system as in Fallout 4 but in real-time.
I should say that, like the shameless consumer I am, I did pay for a month of Fallout 1st in order to use the private server, but it's unfortunate that it had to come to that. Playing on public servers has its pros and cons, sure, but to get that authentic single-player Fallout experience, or as close to it as possible, $13 monthly is the literal price you have to pay.
So why the rating despite my clear qualms with 76? Because despite all its setbacks, Fallout 76 delivers probably the best setting in the entire series. Appalachia, even in its more hideous regions, is never not stunning to look at. Seeing distant locales from across the map and making note of them to explore later, or just happening upon a bizarre-looking town and wondering what stories you'll uncover there—it all adds up to being the best of the one-of-a-kind Bethesda charm Todd's always talking about.
While the main quest is not much to write home about, even compared to the previous game, where 76 truly excels is in the smaller stories—the ones you happen upon while exploring or the little diversions that spin off into a multiple-hour odyssey with their own cast of characters and narrative arcs.
More than anything else, that's the carrot on the stick that made the 60+ hours worthwhile for me.
While there are obvious setbacks from it being an online-only game that keep it from quite reaching Fallout 4 for me, it honestly wouldn't take too much extra for this to become my new favorite of the Bethesda Fallouts. While many disagree with me on this, I do truly believe 76 to be worthy of the Fallout name. It has all the soul, darkly comic wit, tonal depth, and retro-futuristic charm you've come to expect from the series, despite how it all may look from the outside.
Them country roads sure took me home.
7.5/10