Fallout 76

 

Having graduated and now currently in the process of job hunting, I have been spending quite a lot of time with Fallout 76.


This game is fantastic, and frustrating.

THE GOOD

When it fires at all, let alone on all cylinders, it provides a huge open, hostile world to tame. If you crave long walks through sun-dappled forests then this is your game. I don't know how the size compares to other open-world games, but the map feels expansive. The terrain is incredibly varied. There is so much to collect and so many unique assets.

The creation of this fictionalized West Virginia feels like a labor of love. Just look at @nuka_queen's #25DaysofAppalachia on Twitter and read about the real-world locations to get a glimpse of the level of detail poured into this game.

I like the politics of the game. When you delve into the regional lore you read about everything getting automated, from mining to resorts. You read about striking workers, people doing anything to keep their jobs. Then there is the mistrust from fears of Communist infiltration, everything foreign is suspect. It feels incredibly relevant.

I love the photomode. Finding and setting up good shots is great.

 

THE BAD

This game is janky. All of the strange little problems of previous Bethesda titles exist here and are compounded by the online functionality.  

IF you can stay connected, there is an amazing game to play. That IF means you will NOT stay connected. There are pauses when you load into new locations that leave you vulnerable to enemies. There is pop-in and fade-in. I have outrun the geometry before into invisible collision volumes. The interface, while much improved from previous iterations, still needs work.  Quick-swapping weapons causes a hitch. You can be hit-stunned.

The economy is garbage. Everything is too insanely expensive, and it doesn't look like player vendors can undercut the prices. In a way I'm complaining that they aren't nickel-and-diming enough. Instead, things in-game and in the game store cost way too much for what little you get.

S.P.E.C.I.A.L. seems all over the place. I have a 7 Agility and am a sneak master, yet at a full 10 Strength I can carry all of 210 pounds.  

I have no idea how long it would take to unlock all the C.A.M.P. items but it is most likely an insane amount of time. I haven't found a new C.A.M.P. plan for at least 15 levels if not more. The ones at vendors typically cost 300-1000 caps. Caps are in short supply, and since they're used for Fast Travel, a necessity.  

For some reason you can't share your photomode shots directly to twitter. I'm guessing this is a Sony requirement or legal limitation but it is a minor annoyance.

And the disconnects. Oh the disconnects. Nearly finish a quest inside a dungeon and  you just have to make it to the exit? Hope you don't disconnect, because if you do you have to begin the quest all over again. I have spent several hours on a quest that's meant to take 20-30 minutes.

THE UGLY

Fallout 1st.

Private Servers that don't seem to be much more stable than the public ones. And you can't alter anything about the game. The two major benefits of a private server.

The other benefits are convenience items, including one that lets you hold unlimited scrap, which really should be base functionality.

The cosmetic items are apparently big "kill me" flags to online players without Fallout 1st.

It costs 13 dollars a month.

You also get Atoms for the store, which as noted previously, has its prices set too high.