Fallout and Bethesda carry major weight around my household and with all of the contributors of That Nerd Show. The MMO experiment Fallout edition was just as polarizing among us as it was with the rest of the world. How could they deliver on such a respected franchise when they have failed so hard in the past? Elder Scrolls Online was a critical fail at launch. As with many online games of late, ESO did eventually get better and the reviews have gradually gotten better. I was one of those fools who had a lot of blind loyalty to Bethesda and trusted Fallout 76 was going to be an experiment that worked out for the best. There’s still a ton of potential, but as it stands, 76 has a lot to go. Especially if you’re playing alone.
Online-only rubs a lot of gamers
the wrong way; rightfully so. Combining that with the reliance on playing multiplayer is twice as daunting. Players can play 76 alone, but it’s rough going in the Wasteland when you don’t have anyone to watch your back. The creators made it seem like the game could accommodate to a single-player experience and that just simply isn’t true. It’s a lonely world in a post-apocalyptic land. The number of enemies won’t lower for a lone wanderer and when you come across a squad of players ready to pounce, you’re pretty much caught with your pants down.
For the unfamiliar few, players (Lone Wanderers) have been selected as the first candidates to exit the vaults around 20 years after the nuclear apocalypse. Vault 76 gives you all you need to step out and explore the Wasteland. Soon you’ll find though, that being the first means there are no other humans to talk to; well, until you meet other actual people who are playing and exploring the vast West Virginia region. If you decide to reach out to one of these players, you’ll find yourself in a much more favorable position. The game is meant to be played as a multiplayer and the benefits multiply as you fill out your squad up to the allotted amount of 4 per team.
The most unique and fun feature aside from roaming the countryside with your pals is the new S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system introduced in this installment. This time around, you earn and choose Perk Cards that boost a huge array of aspects of your game. You can choose to become a specialist, contributing to your team with high powered offenses like melee or sniper abilities; or you could become a support character, healing your team when the going gets tough. Alternatively, you could have an all-around build; a Jack-of-All-Trades of sorts.
As any Bethesda fan knows, the game comes with a ton of glitches. Glitches that will drive you insane and push you to the point of not wanting to play ever again every single time you play. The developers have communicated about and worked on the game tirelessly, and they have already begun to roll out important changes. Unfortunately, it’s probably too little too late for most of their fan base. Most of the problems fixed in the first patch should’ve been handled between the BETA and launch.
The problems far outweigh the joys for most. I am in the lucky position to play it in the same room as my wife who has her own Xbox. As for most players, you probably won’t enjoy the Fallout 76 experience. As is evident by a $25 price drop just a week after release, fans are turning their backs to 76. It’s going to take major changes to reach the potential of the game. Until those changes are fully realized it’s probably not worth your money. Only invest your energy if you have a squad and time to waste, as you’ll be wandering around over-encumbered for countless hours.
