Fallout 76 is still considered by many to be a complete and utter failure and a continued example of Bethesda's mishandling of the franchise. It's another example of a game that hasn't been able to shake the public stigma, similar to games like no man's sky and cyberpunk the damage has already been done and no matter how much extra work goes into fixing the game people will always hate this and almost rightfully so, this game had a complete disaster of a launch and has dropped most of what makes fallout fallout.

I hated this game, I tried 4 times before to get into it but found it to be horrible. It wasn't until recently my dad and brother (who've both being playing since launch and are also massive fallout fans) shared with me stories of their adventures and the incredible interactions they've had with the community, as someone who's always struggled to find a mp game and stick with it I decided I'd give it a go, I've been playing nonstop for the past 2 weeks only taking a break to play RE4, I'm in love with this game and might be climbing up my list of favourite mp games, I can't stop thinking about it.

To preface this I am a massive fallout fan, I've played all the games repeatedly and enjoy all of them. I did start with 3 at the tender age of 14 so I'm someone who really enjoys the perspective change to fps from isometric turn based rpg and tends to forgive some of the more questionable changes to lore but I'm also not blind to the changes Bethesda has made, I completely get people hating the franchise because it's no longer a deep rpg. In fact at my height of fallout hate I played the wasteland games and feel in love all over again. I mention this because despite my love for the franchise I'm not blind to the changes but I can still enjoy fallout for what it is, a sandbox looter shooter with some choices sprinkled in and some light character building.

So to actually talk about 76 you need to change your expectations, I love looter shooters and this is essentially what fallout 76 is now, it still keeps the token features like vats, special, npc dialogue (not at launch but it's in now and special stats can affect conversations.), and perks. But as this is an online mp games loot and build are king and this game has a deep emphasis on character build than telling a deep story. But if you're someone who's always enjoyed the game play loop or just a fallout fan desperate for more then this is 100% worth your time.

Positives
- the map is really fun to explore and has a lot of diverse biomes, it's a massive step up from fallout 4 and has a significantly better map

- look combat is jank but it's still so fun. Weapons are varied and can be customised and modded, power armour is still badass and we have a wide variety of enemies to turn into spaghetti

- the leveling system whilst more in line with a looter shooter is still deep enough and fun to explore with so many broken meta builds. I'm running a power armour build with a chainsaw which is so common but so much fun.

- base building is back and it's something that I think both fits the universe well and is so much fun. Whilst my builds suck in comparison to others I still get satisfaction from making them. Being able to show them off to others players is also amazing.

- the role playing elements actually feel better in this game compared to fallout 4, no more voiced protagonist or ♥♥♥♥♥♥ conversation wheel. We can fully get immersed in our character and certain stats affect dialogue choices.

- I never thought I'd want a mp fallout game but now that we have it I'd really miss it in the next game, doing events, trading and going on expeditions with others is amazing.

Negatives
Most of the negatives do come down to this being a mp game so we have restrictions on certain things, such as;

- cant sell ammo

- dead npcs can't be looted for the gear they are carrying

- fast travel has a cap restriction

- storage is limited

- vendors have a daily cap limit and you cannot hop to another vendor as they share the same caps

- other players can take recipes meaning you need to either play private or sever hop

- microtransactions and the disgusting subscription service

- several different currencies for different factions and vendors, thank god them didn't make them into microtransactions but the grind is real endgame

And I'm sure many more.

Conclusion

Look I know nobody wanted this game and I'm sure you may still be on the fence but trust me it's worth playing if you even just like fallout. I'm so glad I picked it up and now its been patched and updated so it's no longer a joke. This is a massive game and the amount of content is staggering, it may be different but at it's core it's the same fallout we all love, you could say that war, war never changes.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an excellent game. This is a comment that would be seen with mockery and disbelief after what was admittingly possibly the worst launch of any game ever (until BF2042 that is). The damage may already be done, this game might not be saved but 10 years from now I can see this being highly regarded as a cult classic and the talk of a disastrous launch will slowly taper away.

To paraphrase a now famous youtube video this game overpromised and underdelivered. The key to enjoying this game is to appreciated it for what it is and not hate it for what it is not, if this was 15 years ago cyberpunk would be on the cover of every gaming magazine and labelled as a GTA killer. I do believe the general public saw this game as a new evolution of open world gaming with multiple intrinsic systems, deep customisation and many many dynamic open world events (think Red Dead Redemption 2) that would make night city feel like a never ending living breathing world, what we got was essentially a Deus Ex/Mass Effect hybrid with an open world not dissimilar to a Ubisoft game and all the bugs and glitches of a Bethesda game.

To talk personally I bought this game on my PS5 but was not massively swayed by the hype. What I was greeted with when I first booted up the game was something that looked worse than a switch game, I then refunded the game and bought it on PC only to find my RX 580 was incapable of getting the best out of the game, rather than refund I shelved it for another day, a few years late I came back.

Cons -
Weak loot system akin to Borderlands, the game has unique weapons and armour but also has tiered loot which bogs your inventory down with stat sticks.

Bugs and glitches still present however my experience with them was minimal.

Gigs (type of side quest) are very repetitive and are very similar to the fluff found in most open world games.

The games open world is just set dressing albeit a very pretty one, you won't find any organic encounters in the open world, all the cool stuff is limited to side quests.

customisation of character appearance on surface looks cool but is quite limited, clothes also come with an armour rating which can impact fashion, if you want the best stats you usual ended up looking like you've been dumpster diving.

I don't like male V's voice.


Pros -
The story is actually really interesting with lots of cool twist and turns, the game has multiple endings and I found all of them to be very profound and some were quite thought provoking. The stories of all the characters you meet on your journey are all very compelling.

The characters are the stars of the show, they are all so richly complex with individual motives, goals, opinions and fears. They all feel like real people who have all been burned by night city at one point. My favourite part of the game was getting to know these characters more, whether it be the arguing between Panam and Saul over how the Aldecaldos should be run. Making a budding friendship with River Ward after experience some disturbing circumstances together or just playing a gig with old friends. These moments are what elevate this game from standard open world guff into something special.

Johnny Silverhand. He get's his own pro spot because Keanu Reeves brings so much life to this character, what I was expecting to be a phoned in performance from an actor who didn't care was actually in fact one of the best and most tragic character arcs I've seen in a game recently. Without spoilers the journey this character goes on is a story of revenge, maturity and tragedy and it is way better than it has any right to be.

The city. It may just be set dressing but it is the best set dressing I have seen in a long time. The attention to detail is so incredible you cannot help being sucked into this world, the constant advertising, news reports and police presence in this shiny futuristic world is a mirror to our own reality and you cannot help but be completed immersed in this world. What truly makes this shine is how claustrophobic the city feels, it's almost like you are being suffocated by the sheer magnitude and weight of the sins of the city, and it's awesome.

Combat is punchy and satisfying and whilst it might not be very deep you can build a number of different characters, I had a male V proficient in katanas and bleed (too much Elden Ring) but was also a dab hand at hacking, but then I also had a stealth pistol build for a female V. In short the game gives you so many ways to approach a situation it feels like some of the best immersive sim games. Do you level up body and use strength to rip open doors and smash through soldiers, or do you use your tech abilities to open hatches and utilise stealth, the game openly encourages exploration of the combat mechanics and that isn't even taking into account cyber upgrades (double jump and mantis blades are still a must).

The OST slaps harder than when I slapped Kerry on the boat. Should be amongst the best and should be a part of any conversation when discussing music in games, it's that's good. You like Doom Eternal's music? imagine that with more synth.


Conclusion -
In short I could go on and on about the charters and the world building, this game was clearly crafted with love and if you are curious now is the best time to play. Just make sure you have a capable rig. Without a doubt if you like games like skyrim, fallout, deus ex, system shock, bioshock, mass effect, prey or even the witcher games you cannot do much wrong by giving this game a look. Ignore the hate and get playing, you won't be disappointed samurai.