Hi All, I need to start this post by stating that I was given a code for Fallout 76 by a friend who works at Bethesda.
I will also add to this that, I was not planning on picking up the game and had very little interest in it as it originally looked like a Sea of Thieves style game.
So a friend an I have been playing this together. He is a big Fallout fan and has played every game since Fallout 3, whilst I only played Fallout 3 briefly and though enjoying it, never finished it.
When we first loaded up 76, I was bewildered.
The control system is baffling, it is far from intuitive and I am still trying to learn bindings. On top of that, if you have a controller plugged into your pc then you cannot use the keyboard or mouse.
The menus and online social system are clumsy and prone to issues. One day my friend and I after googling for 30 minutes had to restart our pcs just to join each other's games. Also the fact that the voice option auto's to always on and does not remember my setting drives me mad.
As for the core game, I was not underwhelmed, as much as confused. Playing other Bethesda games, I was expecting a rich tapestry of quests that would send me around the world to open up quests and let me adventure. Instead, the early game feels like a big tutorial and even though I have found some interesting quests, I have such a lack of investment in characters that a lot of the time the highs are too short and quickly forgotten.
So why do I like Fallout 76?
I am not really playing the game solo as I will admit it I get no satisfaction from what feels like continuous grinding. What I am really enjoying, is adventuring throughout the world with my friend. As a duo going through the quests and puzzle solving is scratching a similar itch that Minecraft used to. Learning the mechanics and collecting resources in a group is enjoyable. We often get distracted with side events and hijinks ensue. It feels like an open world where you can mess around and have your own fun. This is not a conventional Fallout game and actually feels like an open world, make your own adventure game. This works for me as a go online play for a couple hours and drop off style game. The low commitment factor plays a big part.
So after a couple weeks of playing, I am happy with my experience so far. I did come in with no expectations and that may be playing a big part. I can see why people who paid for a 76 and wanted a fully fleshed out Fallout experience would be bitterly disappointed. This is far from that. What it is, is a Fallout-themed Minecraft Survival game in its earliest form. I'm enjoying the post-apocalyptic setting and even though the story is thin, there is just enough of it keeping me engaged. Let us see if a free battle royal mode is added and it becomes the next big thing. But the base game has potential and as someone who has got over the initial (large) hurdle, I can see myself spending more time with 76 and exploring its world with friends.
Love to see if anyone else agrees with my opinion.
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