Not long after Fallout 76 launched, the game’s online community was a bit of a ghost town. While there was certainly excitement over yet another game in the franchise, this particular installment didn’t scratch the itch.
One of the biggest drawbacks to the launch version of the game was that there were no NPCs. That, in turn, led to the world feeling quite empty, depending on when a player went online. Eventually, even Bethesda’s Todd Howard admitted Fallout 76 was a bit of a letdown. However, the development team didn’t give up working to improve it. Bethesda didn’t simply move onto other projects. The developers brought updates and new content, as well as new story missions. Now the game looks quite a bit different than it did, and despite competition from newer games, Fallout 76 is still worth a try for this interested in this kind of setting.
It’s somewhat surprising to remember that Fallout 76 was first released back in 2018. It launched to such a negative performance that the game reportedly led to Bethesda delaying Doom Eternal. The company apparently wanted to make sure the reception to the next game starring the Doom Slayer didn’t mirror that of Fallout 76. At the same time, the company was also apparently working on bringing the latest installment in the Fallout series up to a standard the fans expected.
In 2019, Bethesda announced the update that had been missing from the game since launch. Wastelanders got an official unveiling at E3 2019 and landed in early 2020. Among new story missions and other updates that improved the game, the development team finally added NPCs. While the landscape still wasn’t replete with characters or overflowing with people wandering here and there, that’s never been what made the Fallout series great. After all, the stories in these games are supposed to take place in the aftermath of nuclear attacks. These titles should never make players feel like they’re bumping into someone every 10 feet.
However, the franchise is at its best when there are plenty of colorful characters to interact with. That isn’t to say NPCs are the only thing that can or did make the game better from it’s launch state. Bethesda seemed to understand that, even after backlash from some fans, the title did have a loyal following. In an attempt to reward those who stuck with the game, the development team made small improvements alongside the bigger, flashier ones. That included adding little quality of life improvements, like the ability for Fallout 76 players to use wheelchairs in-game, if they so chose. That particular tweak came directly from a fan request.
After taking steps in the right direction, Bethesda apparently didn’t rest on its laurels. The only tried and true way to hold onto a fanbase is to keeping updating a game. That’s especially the case when talking about a game like Fallout 76, since it’s entirely online. While the world in this game is plenty big, there are still those who are going to feel like they’ve seen and done everything the game has to offer. The development team apparently recognized this as they announced another expansion in 2020, known as Steel Dawn.
When talking about whether or not Fallout 76 is something worth playing in 2021, it helps that its last big update came just before the new year. Even better than Steel Dawn bringing new missions and stories to play out, it also brought the first official on-screen appearance of a group steeped in the series’ mythology. The Brotherhood of Steel and Fallout are synonymous with one another, however the group was nothing but the subject of conversation up until now. The latest update finally allows players to meet some characters they might have heard of in past installments.
Now that the calendar has turned to 2021, Fallout 76 is inching towards its third birthday. With Bethesda focusing on a host of other titles in the wake of the Microsoft acquisition, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the development team would slowly wane off in size and ambition in favor of other projects. However, it’s pretty clear the developers have plans for the game throughout 2021 and beyond. That should be the number one factor in determining if a game is worth playing in the long run, returning to after a hiatus, or picking up for the first time long after its original release.
Perhaps wanting to make sure people understand that Steel Dawn is not the end of the line, Bethesda has been clear in saying there are plenty of updates planned for Fallout 76 in 2021. That may not mean players are going to see a content or story update, nor is it a requirement for there to be one. At the moment, it appears the game has gotten by with little tweaks here and there. The team has promised a future patch is going to bring big inventory changes to the game. That’s the kind of adjustment that can lure someone in who might have stepped away because they didn’t like certain gameplay aspects of Fallout 76.
The big question for fans of the Fallout series is whether or not this game can scratch an itch until the next big game is finally here. Fallout 5 is likely several years off, assuming it’s coming at all. Until then, players that want to explore a world that isn’t really depicted to the same level of detail as this series manages are in good hands. There is plenty of competition for attention out there these days. The more 2021 rolls on, the more games are going to launch that are specifically built for the Xbox Series X/S and the PS5. Other games might look smoother, but Fallout 76 has managed to carve out its niche.
Fallout 76 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply