The beta phases of Fallout 76 have begun, two have already taken place. Our author Tarek used these to get an impression of the game, especially as a solo player. Whether he liked it, you will find out in this preview report.
Finally back to Fallout! That was how I felt when I installed the beta of Fallout 76 on the Xbox One. I was quite curious about how the game performs, especially since there were many controversies and discussions beforehand about what it actually wants to be.
Does it work without human NPCs? How are the story and atmosphere? How does it play solo? These are my impressions so far.
Note: This is a beta. The impressions do not reflect the quality of the release version of Fallout 76. The article may also contain minor spoilers.
The game world is huge and full of exciting places
It shouldn’t surprise anyone, but Bethesda has succeeded with the world of Appalachia in West Virginia. I have only explored a small part so far, but I can already say that it is one of the greatest strengths of Fallout 76 for me.
How big is the map of Fallout 76? The complete map of Appalachia shows just how enormous Fallout 76 is. Overall, it is said to be four times larger than the world of Fallout 4.
Even though it is huge, interesting places are never too far apart. There is always a yard, a house, or some location where it is worth making a detour.
The world is also beautifully designed, without hiding the terrible consequences of the war and the time afterwards. It has that typically beautifully terrible quality that you also know from the other Fallout parts.
Of course, the Fallout humor is also present. Already upon leaving Vault 76, you are greeted by it. A cardboard cutout you encounter on your way out bears the inscription “Get a Job” up high. Thank you, VaultTec!
Fallout 76 continues to focus on quests, the emphasis is on the world
Despite the absence of human NPCs and factions, I really liked the way Fallout 76 tells its stories.
This is how Fallout 76 wants to convey its stories: The focus is now, even more than before, on environmental storytelling. Stories are primarily told through the surroundings of the game world.
Whether through holotapes, notes, books, or terminals, you mainly receive your quests through such recordings.
This may not appeal to everyone, but for me, it hits the mark. While exploring the world, I repeatedly came across messages, audio recordings, and hiding places of people who are long gone.
I haven’t been able to complete many quests yet, but the few that I’ve done have been enjoyable. Whether the level remains consistent throughout the game, I cannot yet say.
There are also many stories that are not specifically addressed in quests. You experience them simply by exploring the world. For example, I came across an abandoned camp of protestors in front of a power plant.
There were protest signs everywhere, and a terminal in a tent reveals what happened. Suddenly, a horde of ghouls charged in, armed with these very signs. Former demonstrators?
People who quickly get annoyed by environmental storytelling are likely to have their issues with it sooner or later. For me, it’s just right and adds to the atmosphere.
The connection between story and game world creates a dense atmosphere
It is difficult to separate this point from the story since both are generated through the environment.
Does the emptiness of the game world only harm it? Regardless of whether Fallout 76 would be a better game with survivors, the absence of people also creates a new atmosphere of discomfort.
I felt a constant oppressive feeling when listening to or reading messages from hopeful, angry, sad, and desperate people fighting for their survival. This was not the case in previous installments, as there were people around every corner.
In Appalachia, the effects of the war are more palpable, despite all its beauty. You can find charred, frozen corpses from the war everywhere, as well as plenty of people who died just a few months or years ago. The game world makes it abundantly clear that there were many survivors for a long time.
Why is no one left? This question pops up in my head after every holotape; you have the feeling that someone was in this room just a few hours ago.
I have only felt a similar sensation while playing Metro: 2033 and Metro: Last Light, which also have a post-apocalyptic setting. For me, the atmosphere comes close to those two shooters at times, especially in the segments on the surface.
As for the main story itself, I can’t say much yet. It involves the overseer of Vault 76, who has also disappeared and left you a trail of camps and audiologs to follow. What it leads to, the chief may have already revealed.
Gameplay has been optimized compared to Fallout 4
Fallout 76 is often compared to Fallout 4, and that is quite accurate. The controls are identical, but there are a few improvements.
What has improved? Compared to its predecessor, weapons feel more impactful, and the hit feedback has been optimized. Bethesda has improved the gunplay; in Fallout 4, weapons often felt strangely powerless to me.
Also, the operation of the building system in C.A.M.P. has improved compared to Fallout 4; placing walls and so on is easier. This is important because building your own settlement is one of the main features in Fallout 76.
The perk system is quite simple. You open the corresponding menu and have your special attributes at the top of the screen. Below are the slots for the cards you can freely place or remove. This is done without much effort.
Overall, everything is easy to handle (on the Xbox).
I haven’t been able to get a comprehensive impression of the RPG elements yet, as I have been unlucky so far and am still traveling without mutations, of which there are a total of 16.
What about graphics and performance?
Both concern me. Fallout 76 currently has quite a few issues with both.
These are the problems with performance: Whether the game is poorly technically optimized or simply the servers were overloaded at the time, I cannot say, but Fallout 76 struggles with stutters and lags.
It ran so poorly at times that it negatively affected the gaming experience in certain situations. Just ammunition suffers when you miss shots due to stutters.
These are the problems with graphics: While the game generally made a solid impression visually, the lighting effects (the biggest plus point compared to Fallout 4) and art design make up for a lot, there were still severe issues with texture loading at times.
Many textures only loaded after you were right in front of a house, tree, or hill. This severely tarnishes the overall appearance repeatedly.
I am not someone who places immense value on graphics. Not every game needs to look like Red Dead Redemption 2 or God of War 4, especially since Bethesda’s games have never been at the peak of graphic highlights.
But at times, Fallout 76 simply did not look good. It may be better on the Xbox One X; I was on the standard Xbox. One can only hope that the technical aspects will be significantly improved before the release.
My impressions as a solo player
I purposely played alone to get an impression of whether one can survive alone in Fallout 76.
Can one manage alone? Yes, you can definitely play solo. In certain aspects, it is harder, but it is feasible. Opponents die quickly, behave relatively stupidly, and can be easily outsmarted.
I occasionally had a shortage of stimpaks, but when you explore the areas, you automatically find enough resources to survive. And if not, you just respawn and retrieve your stuff.
Do the survival elements annoy? On the contrary, they positively contribute to the gameplay for me. All items you can now find have a purpose. Even trash is valuable! It can be recycled, and its components can be used for building.
Food has significance, so everything you can find is relevant for the player and not just decoration. Moreover, eating and drinking never bothered me.
If you are currently playing Red Dead Redemption 2: You can compare these survival elements to that.
Do other players annoy? No. You hardly encounter them. There are always events that players from the surrounding area attend. So far, such encounters have gone peacefully; everyone is doing their thing. I am curious to see how players will behave when Fallout 76 is released.
Does PvP even play a role? I have not experienced any PvP battles so far. I also doubt that PvP will ever play a real role in Fallout 76 (under the current conditions). The rewards are too meager; players die too slowly.
However, I believe that many Fallout fans will be quite satisfied with this because PvP was probably the greatest concern for fans beforehand.
My interim conclusion on Fallout 76
Overall, my impressions are more positive than negative. My biggest points of criticism, graphics and performance, are technical issues and can hopefully be improved before the release on November 14.
Otherwise, Fallout 76 fulfills what I expect from a Fallout.
- An interesting, diverse game world in the Fallout universe that invites exploration
- Quests that tell exciting stories,
- RPG elements that support different playstyles (It can only be said after more gameplay whether they are actually good),
- and a wide range of equipment that can be modified.
Normally, of course, this includes the survivors and different factions for me. Personally, it is a pity that they are missing, but I can live with it.
I am very curious to see which direction Fallout 76 will take and how players will behave. Will they really build settlements? Will a separate economy emerge in Appalachia, in which players trade? Will players stay engaged, or will the servers quickly become empty?
If Fallout 76 manages to resolve its technical issues, I am initially optimistic. Additionally, I am curious about how Fallout 76 plays in a fixed group.
The beta starts on Tuesday, October 30, finally also on PS4 and PC. This is how you register for the beta.
