No other video game has damaged Bethesda’s reputation as much as Fallout 76. Considered by many a buggy disaster plagued with marketing mishaps, this game was considered irredeemable among most gamers and especially Fallout fans.
Bethesda didn’t give up on the game, though. Instead, they spent a whole year improving and updating the game for those who wanted to see Fallout 76 grow. That work and effort has culminated in the Wastelanders update, a DLC-sized update that adds NPCs and full factions into Fallout 76. Overall, the Wastelanders update is a massive leap in the right direction, but Fallout 76 still has a ways to go. Here are the 5 best and worst things about Fallout 76’s Wastelanders update.
10 Best: It’s A Free Update
Owners of Fallout 76 can install the Wastelanders update for free, although the update makes the game take a whopping 70 GB of space.
The game has also released on Steam. As long as you owned Fallout 76 on your Bethesda.net account before April 28th, you can obtain a Steam copy for free. For an update that practically overhauls the game, releasing it for free was a great idea by Bethesda to build back fan trust.
9 Worst: Performance Hiccups
Wastelanders fixed many bugs and glitches that could ruin the experience at times, but the dated Gamebryo engine has taken its toll with Fallout 76.
It runs much better now than it did at launch, but framerate stutters and drops are still common. Without the modding community to fix these issues, those who are sensitive to slight performance dips will get frustrated playing Fallout 76. These problems are further exasperated with server lag and long load times, which are thankfully much less common now than at launch.
8 Best: Community
For an online game, having a great community is critical for the game to survive and prosper. Thankfully, Fallout 76 has one of the nicest and most welcoming communities you can find in any game.
High-leveled players will frequently drop weapons and materials to make the early game much easier for newer players. Some will accompany you on quests or even set up a C.A.M.P.—Fallout 76’s take on settlements from Fallout 4—for you to store your supplies and rest in. Even if you are a diehard single-player fan, embrace the Fallout 76 community and consider adventuring with them.
7 Worst: Review Bombing
While not an issue with the update itself, Fallout 76’s Wastelanders update has been filled with review bombing, a practice where people will overwhelmingly review a game negatively without actually playing it.
Fallout 76’s launch was unquestionably one of the worst AAA launches ever seen in the video game industry, but that bad first impression has stuck with many. As a result, finding legitimate reviews of Wastelanders is much more difficult than with any other Fallout game. If you are considering picking up Fallout 76 for the Wastelanders update, read more reviews than you typically would and be skeptical of negative reviews that only talk about the game’s launch instead of its current state.
6 Best: Lighting Enhancements
Bethesda has overhauled much of Fallout 76’s lighting with this patch. While it doesn’t live up to Todd Howard’s “16 times the detail” quote, it does look much better than it did at launch.
Light reflects off of shiny surfaces now, and dark areas seem much darker than before. Interiors and caves have never felt so eerie in Fallout 76 as they do now. Night-time looks much better now as well, although it is still bright enough to see where you are going. Even with these changes, the game runs better than it did previously.
5 Worst: Difficult Dialogue Checks
Dialogue is a critical part of any main Fallout title, which is why many were confused when Bethesda decided to omit human NPCs from Fallout 76 at launch.
It’s back now, although many of the dialogue checks are incredibly high. Veteran players will have no trouble as they have high S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats and unique dialogue options from the campaign. New players, however, might have to rely on drugs or stat-boosting items to complete some of these dialogue checks. It isn’t uncommon for a check to be 5, 6, or even 8 in a particular stat. If you don’t specialize, you might have to fight your way out of every situation and, in turn, make every quest feel much more similar than they really are.
4 Best: Dialogue Options
With the balance of dialogue checks aside, dialogue options are finally back! Those who hated Fallout 4’s system will be pleased to know that Fallout 76 takes more from Fallout 3 and New Vegas than 4.
You aren’t limited to an arbitrary amount of options and your character is not voiced. Role-playing is an actual option with how many choices you can make, and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. checks are extremely common. Unique options unlock based on faction reputation, campaign progress, or even your level if you vastly outlevel an NPC. If you want to roleplay as the smooth-talking gunslinger, spec for Charisma and Agility and options will open up in dialogue to reflect that. It’s classic Fallout dialogue that works surprisingly well in an online setting.
3 Worst: Wastelander’s Requirements
To experience the new story missions with the Raider and Settler factions, you will have to complete some of Fallout 76’s base game content.
Starting the new DLC is easy, as you just need to talk to two NPCs outside of Vault 76 to get started. To truly dive into the DLC’s questline, things get slightly more irritating. You will need to be level 20 and complete parts of the main game’s insufferable campaign to get going. Getting to level 20 is easy, but finding holotapes and completing the core game’s campaign is not nearly as engaging as Wastelanders‘ content is.
2 Best: Living World
Random encounters are in full swing, new Public Events have been added, and NPCs will interact and talk to each other. The Bethesda magic that immersed players back in Fallout 3 and 4 is finally back.
Characters will mention the weapons and armor you use, what you’ve done for them, and the general state of Appalachia. NPCs will even play music or interact with objects when they are in your C.A.M.P. or a settlement. The lonely feeling Fallout 76 gave at launch has finally been remedied and it feels fantastic.
1 Worst: Reputation Grind
Unfortunately, the largest issue this update has is the grind. Much of Wastelanders‘ new content is locked behind one of the two new factions.
This might not sound bad on its own, but earning faction reputation is a slow and arduous process. Completing every quest for a faction and finishing daily missions are a necessity to see all Wastelanders has to offer. A new currency, Gold Bullions, has also been introduced and is needed to purchase the update’s new content. Thing is, Gold Bullions have a daily earning cap that can’t be influenced. If you hated how grindy Fallout 4’s settlement and crafting systems could get, this update might not be for you.
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