Fallout 76 Test: Readers from MeinMMO evaluate it

Fallout 76 had a rough start. A week after the launch, we asked you, the readers of MeinMMO, for feedback in a test. Now we draw the conclusion. This is how you assess Fallout 76.

The launch of Fallout 76 was under a difficult star. After a beta that had many issues, the game was released on November 14. However, the launch did not go smoothly either.

• Due to technical shortcomings
• and because many fans had different expectations,

disappointed players vented their frustration on Metacritic by bombing the game with poor ratings.

But what about the community of Mein-MMO.de? In our survey about the review we wanted to know from you what rating from 1-10 you would give Fallout 76. 470 participants voted.

The majority tends to a surprisingly mild rating. Your criticism is more positive than is usually read.

Fallout 76 Review: West Virginia Has Its Charms

The game world invites exploration: The complete map of Fallout 76 is many times larger than the Commonwealth of Fallout 4. The wasteland of West Virginia appeals to most players. User Cribers writes:

A big plus for Bethesda, known for breathtaking environments. I can explore this world at my leisure! I can collect and build! I can do this alone or with friends! Awesome! No matter where I am, I’m impressed every time.

The map apparently offers enough space and variety. Those who liked the previous worlds of Bethesda games will likely be very satisfied with Appalachia.

This is also true after several hours of gameplay, as Mein-MMO reader Irrelephant writes: “I think the world that Bethesda built in Fallout 76 is just crazy good. Even after ~30-40 hours since I crawled out of the bunker, the post-apocalyptic atmosphere immediately grabs me…”

Fallout with Multiplayer – Something Many Have Been Waiting For

Playing with friends is well received: Fallout 76 is an online game. Fans should be able to have the typical Fallout experience with friends. For most of our readers, the game seems to fulfill this purpose. Playing with friends is apparently a lot of fun.

Particularly, the joint completion of quests is positively emphasized by Mein-MMO readers. User Derric had to be convinced to buy it by a friend, but now reports positively:

I couldn’t look fast enough and I just felt at home, first in the Vault, then in the wasteland – and how cool it was that my friend was standing next to me in a Fallout. That was a huge feeling for me. We walked through the first house ruins together, did an event and a few quests. I couldn’t look fast enough and we were level 10.

Many Fallout fans had their wish fulfilled with multiplayer. Accordingly, they are now excited.

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This is how you assess the new community of Fallout 76: The majority have mainly experienced helpful players who trade with each other and assist at events. Unintentional PvP battles seem to occur rather rarely, as Irrelephant also reports:

I found the community to be very friendly, especially at events where you often help each other in a loose alliance, without even having to form a team. I’ve also had some nice random encounters, with whom I spent the entire evening in voice chat. I haven’t participated in player fights so far, at most I took on a bounty. I have never been involuntarily involved in player fights.

Inconsistent Quest Quality and Missing NPCs

While the game world and multiplayer are well received, the quests are rather mixed. This relates to one of the biggest criticisms of Fallout 76: the lack of human NPCs.

Mixed Storytelling: Although there are also many cool stories and quests in Fallout 76, many already miss the variety.

For most, this is directly linked to the missing human NPCs. Holotapes and notes apparently aren’t enough. Cribers criticizes:

The quests can engage you and then end up putting you to sleep. Almost always the same. “Collect this, go there, listen to that, and so on.” The worst part, no human NPCs. You’re always chasing the dead.

Thus, our readers agree that the environmental storytelling of Fallout 76 has its advantages and good moments. Nevertheless, many miss the human NPCs and dialogues.

Over time, reading and listening will likely become boring. Quests usually follow the same pattern. Many fans hope that Bethesda will deliver human NPCs through DLCs.

The Main Issue: Technology and Bugs

A large part of the criticism focuses on the technology of Fallout 76. The list of technical issues and areas for improvement is quite long. Our readers are particularly bothered by

• the implementation of controls on PC. The menu navigation of the Pip-Boy was hardly adjusted. For an online game, the controls are just too fiddly and far too slow in threatening situations. In particular, the menu navigation with C and Z instead of arrow keys is criticized.
• the base building. Although you can set up your camp almost anywhere, it often disappears after logging out. Replacing it often doesn’t work properly.
• the lack of optimization. There is no support for 21:9 monitors, which is supposed to be added later.

Critiques such as graphics and performance, which are a major topic in other reviews, are not as severe for our users. The optics don’t seem to bother our readers too much. Bethesda titles were never popular because of their graphics.

Reader Irrelephant still has some points that he criticizes:

In my opinion, they really overdid the depth of field, you just want to constantly clean your glasses. Luckily, you can disable that in the configuration file. Additionally, some textures are blurry, they look terrible even in 1080p.

Almost all players can report bugs. Bugs don’t seem to impact gameplay as significantly as the technical aspects. Apparently, the last patch has already brought improvements. Many hope that with enough support, the problems will quickly disappear.

The Community Says: Better Than Expected After Shitstorm

The evaluation of our survey shows that you rate Fallout 76 significantly more optimistically than a large part of the rest of the world. Despite the massive criticism that has been echoed online since release, you’re having fun with the online Fallout. While you agree with many points, the fun clearly seems to outweigh them.

• Average rating of the survey: 6.87 out of a maximum of 10 points. At the time of evaluation, 475 users participated in the survey. 6% of them indicated that they did not buy the game and were therefore not included in the rating.

About 7 out of 10 points are quite solid, considering the current shitstorm surrounding Fallout 76. In most cases, personal preference can be cited as the reason. While the technical shortcomings of Fallout 76 are a definite no-go for many, they don’t seem to bother you as much.

Is Fallout 76 Worth It for Me?

Fallout 76 is your game if…

• you like dystopian, post-apocalyptic scenarios and want to explore a post-war world.
• you enjoy quirky humor that can be found everywhere.
• you like to discover your surroundings.
• occasional grinding for improvements doesn’t bother you.

Fallout 76 is not for you if…

• you are mainly looking for PvP content.
• you want to play a game that is up to date in graphics.
• you don’t want to wait for updates that improve performance or features.
• you are hoping for a classic single-player experience like the other Fallout titles offer.

Conclusion: Mixed, Fun, and Room for Improvement