Fallout 76 Review (Enzevil)
Even though Fallout 76 is not perfect, I can finally recommend this game. It had a rough start, but I can say it's worth it now. It's often 75% off, so I recommend waiting to get it then.
This review is for the current version of Fallout 76, not the crap it was at launch. It has improved in major ways, but there are still some flaws. So let's go over both the good and bad things about this game.
What I like now are the quests with NPCs that have been added, since the original questline was boring. The new main quest, where you interact with actual NPCs, is mostly fun. It does get boring after a while since you have to do a lot of fetch quests for a robot called Rose that doesn’t seem to stop, but afterward, it opens up and gets really good in my opinion.
I also like that it introduces more RPG elements than in Fallout 4. Some dialogue choices are locked behind skill checks that aren’t just charisma-based. Sometimes, you also have different choices that lead to different outcomes for a quest. There aren't a lot of these choices, but when they appear, they’re good.
One of the best things is that the map, environments, and dungeons are great. It really looks beautiful, every location feels different from each other, and the map is quite varied. And, of course, this is a Fallout you can play online with others and with friends. The community is really kind and helps out new players.
There are also some limitations due to being online. Enemies respawn frequently because other people need to kill them as well. But that means if you're traveling back to deliver a quest, you have to clear out the same enemies again. Another frustration is not being able to pause; VATS doesn’t slow down time, but I can accept these things since they come with the online experience.
Then, the game can get a little stale. It isn't as in-depth as a single-player Fallout game. There are some major quests that give this experience, but it isn’t always like this. Of course, this is meant as an experience you can play forever, so there are also daily quests and challenges, but sometimes it's more quantity over quality. Not that there’s no quality to be found, but you sometimes have to look for it.
Another flaw is the pricing model of this game. While the game is worth it, there is an in-game store filled with microtransactions, and there’s even an optional subscription. Some of these microtransactions are also locked behind the subscription itself. It kind of feels like a free-to-play game at times because of this. The only upside of this model is that the updates and expansions are totally free. For example, the NPC and Brotherhood of Steel updates don’t require payment at all.
So, all in all, I recommend Fallout 76 as a whole. It has improved in major ways, and some quests (and their choices) are quite good. You can play this both as a single-player experience or with others. And yes, while it isn't the same as a single-player Fallout game, you can still treat the game as such. Just ignore the dailies and events, and complete the main questline. I recommend getting it on sale, but also to ignore the in-game store and the optional subscription, as those aren't worth it in my opinion.