When Bethesda revealed Fallout 76 in 2018, the game was met with immediate backlash. Fans were apprehensive about a series like Fallout having a multiplayer-centric game. Traditionally, Fallout had been a solo experience, and a lot of the appeal from the series comes from being alone in each game's respective wasteland. Many players felt the idea of teaming up with other players and going through typical live service motions went against what makes Fallout Fallout.
Many players' fears for the game were met when Fallout 76 was released in November 2018. The game was panned by critics and fans alike. Many fans going as far as to calling it the worst Fallout ever created. Despite this, Fallout 76 has built up a large community of passionate players that are often considered some of the least toxic in all of online gaming. Bethesda has put a lot of effort into fully realizing the potential of Fallout 76. However, there are still areas where the game needs to improve.
10 Improved: Fallout 76 Brings in Human NPCs And Brings Back The Old Dialogue System
The most significant updates Fallout 76 has received is through its story. Previously, the main story was told through audio logs. At first, this was by design as Bethesda originally intended every person you met to be another player. This was met with immediate backlash as players felt Appalachia, post-apocalyptic West Virginia, felt empty and lifeless.
With its Wastelanders update, Appalachia became filled with NPC characters even being integrated into the game's original story. These NPC characters were also equipped with dialogue options and skill checks similar to Fallout games before Fallout 4, which is welcome news to those who were not a fan of how Fallout 4 handled dialogue options. Players also have dialogue options based on their past story decisions and progression.
9 Needs Improving: The Game Still Has Its Technical Problems
Like previous Fallout and The Elder Scrolls entries, Fallout 76 is riddled with bugs and glitches. Some bugs and glitches can be hilarious, but more often than not, they frustrate. Add in the game's online component, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Bethesda has gone a long way to squashing these bugs and ensuring players come across minimal issues. However there are still bugs that remain, and more will get introduced with every major update. One of the most impactful ways to win players over is by limiting these bugs and fixing the ones that do show up as quickly as possible.
8 Improved: Wastelanders And Steel Reign Brings Amazing Stories To Fallout 76
With the Wastelanders update, Fallout 76 introduced NPC characters. That gave Bethesda the opportunity to create large story expansions that feel like they were made for a single-player Fallout. The first of these tells the story of two rival factions, Raiders and Settlers, in pursuit of a hidden stash of treasure. Players can choose which faction to support and build up their reputation with each.
The second expansion, Steel Reign, brings the Brotherhood of Steel to Appalachia. Players can join the Brotherhood and ultimately decide how the Brotherhood should be lead. Both expansions are available as free updates and boast great writing and characters. These expansions, and the ones to come, go a long way to giving fans a true Fallout experience.
7 Needs Improving: Private Worlds Should Be Accessible To All
Many players looking for that true Fallout experience likely find themselves hesitant to give Fallout 76 a shot because of its lack of a true solo experience. With a world as big as Appalachia, it is easy to go hours without running into another player, but the thought of running into one is enough to turn some off.
There are private worlds available in Fallout 76, but those are a part of the Fallout 1st subscription service. This could very well be a logistical or technical nightmare for Bethesda, but having these private worlds available to all players for free can make the game much more appealing for hesitant players, and give them enough incentive to pick it up. This would also give Bethesda the opportunity to create more value in its Fallout 1st subscription without withholding a potential game dealbreaker like private worlds.
6 Improved: Public Teams Makes Meeting Players Much Easier
For players who are perfectly fine playing the game online, it may have been tough to find other players to play with. Bethesda has since alleviated that with the introduction of Public Teams.
Players can now open up a group for any player to join. These can be set up with a central goal such as Building, Exploration, Events, and even Roleplay. Each of these includes a shared bonus such as a higher stat bonus or more experience. These bonuses are increased even more once players have spent enough time with each other. Public Teams are a great way to experience Fallout 76 and even make new friends.
5 Needs Improving: Not Enough To Do In The Postgame
Despite all the new story updates and expansions, these stories do come to an end. With the inability to replay missions, players are left to find ways to remain invested during the postgame. While this may be easier for those with a dedicated group to play with, it can get boring for those playing solo. There are numerous events throughout Appalachia as well as Daily Quests, challenges, C.A.M.P. building, and so on, but these aren't as abundant and varied. Introducing a steady stream of new content, even minor, can make the postgame feel much more lively and organic.
4 Improved: One Appalachia Puts Players On An Even Playing Field
In September 2020, Bethesda implemented a new update titled "One Appalachia." Similar to the "One Tamriel" update for The Elder Scrolls Online, this update adjusts the game's enemies and rewards to each respective player. Enemy levels throughout the map will adjust to the player's level. The experience and rewards earned scale to that enemy as well.
This makes Appalachia easier to explore for newcomers while also increasing the difficulty for veterans. This also adjusts even when in a group of varied-level players, allowing low-level players a chance to team up with high-leveled players without being overwhelmed by powerful enemies.
3 Needs Improving: Players Have To Start From Scratch With Secondary Characters
One of many things Fallout 76 can draw from MMOs is the ability to quickly scale up a second character. In Fallout 76, when you create a new character, they start from scratch. Since the new story expansions require players to be at a certain level to access, this means spending hours leveling up that new character just to access that content. This is especially frustrating as the Wastelanders story branches off with one side of the story being locked out after making a specific choice.
The ability to create a new character and immediately start them off at a certain level can add plenty of replayability while giving players an excuse to experience the story again.
2 Improved: Fallout 76 Has Had Numerous Quality Of Life Updates
Beyond major expansions and bug fixes, Bethesda has also introduced many quality of life updates. One of the most significant being an increase in stash size. Before, players were limited to 800 pounds in their stash making it difficult to juggle around items. An unlimited scrapebox space is available through Fallout 1st, but Bethesda has since increased the stash size to 1,200 pounds for all players.
Other quality of life updates include the ability to construct multiple C.A.M.P., a more organized Pipboy, constructing and deconstructing legendary weapons, Perk loadouts, and Legendary Perks.
1 Needs Improving: A.I. Companions To Journey Across Appalachia With
A.I. companions are one of the hallmarks of the Fallout series. Each brings a colorful personality and useful abilities in battle. Fallout 76 does bring companions to an extent in the form of allies. Each ally has a string of optional sidequests, which they occasionally tag along with. Once you finish their individual storylines, allies only hang out at the player's C.A.M.P. Players can't bring them across the Appalachia, and only one hangs out at a player's C.A.M.P. at a time.
While Bethesda does plan on introducing pets as companions in an upcoming update, it would be a lot of fun to have other forms of companions, such as secondary created characters controlled by A.I. or the ability to create companions in general.