Fallout 76 – Four Months On

Fallout 76 is an online multiplayer game published by Bethesda Studios.

It’s safe to say that Fallout 76 launched with a rather loud thud, compared to the fanfare and confetti that Bethesda wanted it to have. And its also safe to say that since its release Fallout 76 has improved dramatically and is even adding new content. But, is it enough? Have Bethesda fixed the game in the few months since its release?

One of the key criticisms of Fallout 76 when it first launched was the carry/storage capacity and this has largely been addressed. Whilst your carry capacity is still linked to your level and what perk cards you have, the storage capacity has been upgraded from 400kg to 800kg. This is a big step due to the fact that a lot of Fallout 76 relies on storing resources and equipment to build new things as well as leveling up your weapons and gear. So, whilst this storage capacity may seem like a trivial issue, it is something that was causing a lot of players hassle, and turned a few off from the game entirely.

Fallout 76’s storage capacity was limited to 400kg for a long time after launch.

Another criticism for the game was the server issues, whether it be lag, failing to load in items or just kicking you out of one entirely and this has, largely, been fixed. I played for quite a while yesterday and didn’t experience any server issues bar a few laggy areas, but I believe that was more down to my wi-fi than to the game servers themselves. However, it should be noted that because this is a consistently online game, there will always be some minor server issues due to the amount of people that might want to be online at one time, but this is something Bethesda will be constantly working on.

Fallout 76 players would often receive this message during the early days of the game.

The third biggest issue that has since been resolved, since launch for Fallout 76, was AI responses. In the early days of the game, enemies would often not notice you, run away from you or you wouldn’t be able to hit them despite being up-close to them. Thankfully, this has been mostly fixed with enemies now running towards you when you’re noticed by them and your hits are registered on them dealing the damage that it should. But, as with the other criticisms, these issues can still crop up every now and then, especially the hit registers, during my previous gameplay I did experience a few occasions when my hits weren’t registered on the enemy which led to me being damaged more than I should.

Players would experience a variety of AI bugs.

But what about new additions? Well, since the original release, Bethesda have now released their first set of DLC. This, and all up-coming DLC, will be free to players of the game and will include a lot of content. For example, the first load of content will run between March and April and will feature new drinks and methods of creating drinks, centring on a brewing system to make alcoholic beverages that will have additional bonuses. During this DLC release window, there will also be a new ‘Survival’ game mode launched and some new Vaults being opened and ready to be explored.

Fallout 76’s current DLC roadmap for 2019

It’s safe to say that Fallout 76 has made some big strides towards the game it should have been when it was first released, but it might still have a long way to go before the game, and the publishing company, can regain the trust of a lot of fans who were considered hurt by the games launch. That being said, if you do have a copy of Fallout 76, be sure to drop big in soon and experience all that has changed, and if you don’t have a copy – but would like to get one – then a lot of game shops and Amazon are currently selling the game at an extremely reduced cost, so it might be worth picking up.