Fallout 76 - Review in Progress @ Gamespot

Gamespot checked out the online RPG Fallout 76:

Fallout 76: Early Review Impressions

Well, war has certainly changed. Fallout, the RPG series with a 20-year legacy, finds its latest entry taking another chance at braving a new direction: online multiplayer. It puts a major focus on cooperating with other people in a world with perpetual activities that seek to sustain your engagement indefinitely. It's an enormous game and there's a lot to see. Because of its online nature, GameSpot staff got access to the full version of Fallout 76 on the day of its general release, so we've been playing alongside you and everyone else.

At the time of writing, I've spent three modest days with Fallout 76, leisurely soaking in the world, churning through quests, and cooperating with both friends and strangers to do quests, participate in public events, and explore. I'm a series-long Fallout fan who's enjoyed every mainline entry and avoided 76's beta tests with the intent of making sure my first taste was of the launch product. I'm compiling my early thoughts here and will be updating my opinion with a finalized review once I've taken enough time to dive deeper and see the breadth of what Fallout 76 has to offer.

[…]

Fallout 76 attempts to pull off some significantly new ideas for the series, but with few exceptions, they notably diminish many aspects of the game. Multiplayer is fun, but it's not an ideal way to enjoy questing, and the shooting mechanics aren't strong enough to make combat-heavy activities enjoyable for long periods. Things feel better as a solo experience, but the lack of in-universe characters makes becoming emotionally invested in the world and your goals difficult.

I'll continue to play the game with the intention of finishing the campaign, a good portion of the side quests, and getting involved in end-game content. This review will be updated and finalized when all that happens. But at this early stage, I feel like the only reason I'm enjoying the game as much as I am is because of an existing fondness for the Fallout series, not because of anything that can be distinctly attributed to Fallout 76.

More information.

A surprisingly honest review from Gamespot thus far. I barely ever visit that site these days since they typically gloss over the glaring problems of any game whose publisher paid them.

But at this early stage, I feel like the only reason I'm enjoying the game as much as I am is because of an existing fondness for the Fallout series, not because of anything that can be distinctly attributed to Fallout 76.

That was me in Fallout 4. The franchise is dead to me now, but I do so love to watch the pyre.

While Fallout is certainly not "dead to me", the fact that I enjoyed building bases more than anything else in Fallout 4 is telling. Since I like beating a dead horse, I'll say that Fallout has certainly lost its edge since New Vegas.

Wow, even mainstream media (partly) recognizes how awful this game is?

Originally Posted by TheSHEEEP
Wow, even mainstream media (partly) recognizes how awful this game is?

Check out Metacritic, all 3 versions(PC/X1/PS4) are being massacred by people… Lolz.

Originally Posted by ChaosTheory
While Fallout is certainly not "dead to me", the fact that I enjoyed building bases more than anything else in Fallout 4 is telling.

Me to but I like using a few settlement mods that automate it.

Link - https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/21096919

As it got boring quickly rebuilding the same settlements every play through.

You know it's bad when your paid reviews can't even give it a pass.

Yeahhhh, this was a mistake. Kind of "Emperor has no clothes" moment for Bethesda.

Reason people like their games is that sense of "live in another world", that no one quite does, at least not in the same style as they do.

NPCs, quests, story, progression, combat, performance, etc, etc are all ( very) poor..but they add a mixing, addictive loop to it.

Remove it and you can't really ignore how clunky, shallow and pointless gameplay really is.

Really, did anyone ever suspect that this thing would even remotely be a success? It's still early but I think we've not heard the worst of it yet.

The game was in a position of having to prove itself from the outset and then as soon as they announced no npc's it was guaranteed to be garbage. I really don't know what they were thinking with that decision.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
Really, did anyone ever suspect that this thing would even remotely be a success? It's still early but I think we've not heard the worst of it yet.

I'm sure it'll be successful from a profit standpoint - really, how much money did they really invest into this recycled garbage anyway?

The question is whether it'll be successful in the eyes of the bean counters that expect 20 million sold units as their standard. I doubt there's *that* many completely blind Beth fanboys with their head in the sand - but one never knows.

Because 'Oblivion with guns' had worn out its welcome as a moniker, we now have 'Fallout with Dragons'.

Seems like this holiday season will be remembered as the year of of clusterfuck rpg releases. Too bad. I’m still backlogged and playing blood borne and POE1 so I’m good…

Having watched some of the gameplay videos, there still seems to be some elements of the usual gameplay, I'm talking fallout 4 (which I did enjoy). Ill no doubt pick this up at some point before Christmas, it wont be the first xx amount wasted on a game and it certainly wont be the last.

Wow this thing is completely shattering all records for low critic scores of a game from Bethesda. Critic reviews on Metacritic, across all platforms, so far: 30, 50, 56, 60, 65, 76. If those scores had all been submitted for a single platform, the game would now be sporting a 56 on Metacritic, which is shovelware territory. ME:A was poorly-received enough to get a studio closed down, and it ended up in the low 70's. Will be interesting to see how they spin this disaster. With any luck, many heads roll.

Seems like a lazy and failed attempt to retrofit a tired old engine with netcode, compounded by not even bothering to add meaningful content.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Me to but I like using a few settlement mods that automate it.

Link - https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/21096919

As it got boring quickly rebuilding the same settlements every play through.

There's also this mod to transfer your own settlements you like from some older character or some other builds from other people to your game: https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/22442

I don't play online games anyway, so my interest in this is limited. I was following the footage though, and it looks like Fallout 4 more or less, just more boring. I'm not even sure this is targeted at Fallout fans that much. The survival game crowd seems to be mostly turned off though.

I'm not sure why some of those people who loved the building aspect in Fallout 4 seem to think this is a good replacement. As this is an online game, the build limit is quite brutal. I guess YouTubers have to look at their bottom lines and transfer to the new game to keep their viewer base happy.

They are not floating in any market so have very few people/organizations to convince. And they are probably launching that as a first ride, a beta test before their space game, a new Elder Scroll and so on. Probably been presented as this internally.

It is not like if it was the first time they have shown they do not give a flying shit, most of their game have only been supported by the community for years. Now they have shut down that possibility, it is only them and it shows.

I agree, it looks like a marketing test. They sell power armor skins for $18 within this game, and other inconsequential stuff for lots of real money. There's also the, as yet unused, event tab in the store. In Fallout 4, they already sold a game mode for $9 on the Creation Club (attracting and beating waves of enemies while winning "trophies").

And now for something different. An opinion from someone who has actually played the game. Someone who doesn't do hysterical Youtube videos for a living, with names like Angry Joe, Terrible Timmothy the Tantrum Throwing Toddler, or Screaming Lord Byron. How can anyone even stand to watch those clowns?

Metacritic? What is a Metacritic? There's this old fashioned concept where people actually do their own research and decide if they want to try something or not. I guess it's not too popular these days.

The game is a lot of fun, period. Nearly all of the people I know who actually play the game, like it. It seems most of the people who have jumped on the hate train, have never played the game. Figures.

Don't like PvP? Don't engage in it. Don't like microtransactions? Don't go looking for them, because if you don't, you will not see them. 50+ hours in, never been attacked by anyone, never seen a microtransaction. It's Fallout, it's fun. All of the hate is totally uncalled for.