Fallout 76: Enough with the hatred! The real review.

OK I know what you're thinking. This is just another review that is going to throw around taglines like, Fallout is dead, Fallout 76 is a lie, Don't waste your money!

If you've come here looking for that, sorry to disappoint. today I want to point out the features good and bad and what does Fallout 76 need to do to fulfill The Tod's dream of a long surviving online experience.


The Story.

Fallout 76 is a prequel to every other Fallout game ever. Vault 76 is the first to open letting its dwellers out into the wasteland. It is up to you to blaze a trail through the wasteland along with your fellow vault dwellers.
While there is a thinly veiled story to begin your journey, there isn't much to go on, but the setup is the important thing to remember. You are the first vault to open making you the sole group of survivors on the surface.
Unfortunately the decision to remove all NPC's means you miss out on the meaningful interactions. Instead you are chasing voices of the long dead via holo tapes and minimal interactions with robots who really just speak at you not too you.


The main story is told by following markers point to point and reading journal notes to progress to the next marker.
Fallout 76 is more aimed towards a cooperative PVE game. The single player campaign is borderline boring on your own and playing with a group is where it shines.

Other Players.

So far in my time in the wastelands my interactions with other players has been minimal. Only in the first stages of the story has anyone wanted to group up, outside of that my style of play has me on a much different track to other players at my level. the world however does suffer from a sense of emptiness. More players in the same server would be a bonus especially given the size of the map.
PVP is near on non-existent it's there but the only way to initiate it is if both parties agree via an in game PVP request. Damage dealt to another player without agreeing to PVP is so small it is almost pointless.
Overall interaction with other players has been pretty positive without the usual griefing that can be a staple in online only games.


Gameplay and Visuals.

Visual there is not really any difference than Fallout 4. Other than a different colour pallet you're not going to be blown away. The staples are still there, a beautiful array of lighting and a varying landscape just ripe for exploration.
Gameplay is as you would expect from a Fallout title. First person or third person is available and it works well enough in either.
The usual glitches still seem to be there, walking on air, glitching and hitboxes out of whack, nothing game breaking, just the usual.
Game breaking though are the noticeable frame rate dips and freezes. Lag is forever present and sometimes bad enough to freeze the game and boot you altogether.
Enemies respawn way to quickly, sometimes in front of your eyes, meaning you are forever killing the same things over and over again just to loot a town.
Camp building is about as frustrating as can be with a controller and each time you log in requires you to re-build. It is really there for those that enjoy the building from Fallout 4 and given it is now portable and able to be built just about anywhere.


The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. makes a return with a twist. Leveling up gives you a pack of random perk cards to assign. The new system is flexible not locking you into a specific build type. This will be frustrating for some as the perks you receive are completely random.

Overall.

If you're looking for something new or Fallout 5 you need to look elsewhere, but that doesn't mean Fallout 76 isn't a good game, in fact far from it.

Remember Fallout 76 is all about the exploration, after all you are the first vault to open after the bombs drop. Team up with friends and explore together, take risks and just have fun. Without this teamwork the true soul of Fallout just isn't here.
Unfortunately my time in the wasteland hasn't grabbed me enough to put Fallout 76 in front of other titles for a piece of my time. I'll check in now and again, but it won't be nearly often enough.

For Fallout 76 to survive the world needs to evolve with the player base. There is no point if 12 months down the track we are still wandering around a wasteland devoid of any life. If Bethesda are serious about this being a long term Fallout experience then as we explore and liberate areas, settlers need to move in. I can see Fallout 76 becoming something similar to ESO but with nukes.

Fallout 76 is a great base for what can grow into a great online gaming experience. I just hope that it does.

Snoogs.

Xbox One S used for review.

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