Fallout 76 - PC

44%
Game Brain Score Based on 200 reviews
  • story
  • stability
  • gameplay
Fallout 76 - PC Game Cover
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Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4, welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fell, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers—chosen from the nation’s best and brightest – emerge into post-nuclear America on Reclamation Day, 2102. Play solo or join together as you explore, quest, build, and triumph against the wasteland’s greatest threats. Explore…

  • PC
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

44%
Audience ScoreBased on 200 reviews
story10 positive mentions
stability28 negative mentions
  • The game features a beautifully crafted world with rich environmental storytelling and lore that keeps players engaged.
  • The weapon and armor crafting system is enjoyable and adds depth to gameplay, allowing for customization and experimentation.
  • Playing with friends can enhance the experience, making exploration and combat more enjoyable.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues, leading to frequent crashes and frustrating gameplay.
  • The absence of NPCs and a compelling storyline makes the game feel empty and lacking in depth compared to previous Fallout titles.
  • The physical items included in the collector's edition, such as the helmet and bag, are of poor quality and do not match the expectations set by the marketing.
  • story55 mentions

    The game's story is heavily criticized for its reliance on environmental storytelling and audio logs, which, while well-crafted, fail to create an engaging narrative due to the absence of human NPCs and meaningful quests. Players find the overarching plot lacking depth and emotional investment, often feeling disconnected from the world and its characters, leading to a monotonous experience filled with repetitive tasks. Despite some praise for the atmospheric world and lore, many reviewers express disappointment over the game's inability to deliver a compelling story akin to previous titles in the series.

    • “Their environmental storytelling and worldbuilding remains - as always - top notch.”
    • “The audio logs and notes, though annoyingly overused, are often quite good, telling a story about a world that failed that's arguably darker than anything Fallout has done before.”
    • “The map is beautiful and each location has a story waiting to be told.”
    • “The lack of story is painful, and while the holotapes and books are stellar, I feel like it truly isn't enough.”
    • “There is almost no storyline, no choices, and no consequences.”
    • “The story is very dry without any human-based NPCs, and the PvP needs a serious overhaul.”
  • stability28 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and server issues that significantly detract from the overall experience. Many reviewers express frustration over the game's performance, labeling it a "buggy mess" and suggesting that it feels incomplete, especially for a full-priced release. While some hope for future patches to improve stability, the current state is deemed unacceptable by a majority of players.

    • “On the cons side, let's start with something that simply needs to be said: this game is a buggy, broken mess.”
    • “The game is buggy and broken, even by Bethesda standards.”
    • “Good lord, what a buggy mess.”
  • gameplay28 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its atmospheric world and engaging exploration, but criticizing the mechanics, bugs, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While some enjoy the building aspects and the potential for future improvements, frequent crashes, lag spikes, and a lack of compelling story elements have led to frustration and disappointment among users. Overall, the gameplay is seen as having potential but currently falls short of expectations, with many reviewers rating it poorly due to these persistent issues.

    • “The environment is richly atmospheric, the quests are balanced, and the new mechanics for upgrading weapons and armor are genius.”
    • “This game has an excellent gameplay loop with the finest voice acting in the series.”
    • “The game is richly atmospheric, and exploring the world - the actual act of wandering and seeing the sights itself, not necessarily the mechanics of it - is a truly rewarding experience.”
    • “I liked the visual and graphic quality, but the game mechanics destroyed any pleasure in playing.”
    • “Update: after playing the game through numerous patches for over a week, the game mechanics themselves have been a letdown, followed by multiple crashes and terrible bugs while playing multiplayer, beside the same person physically on the same Wi-Fi.”
    • “But when I play for an hour, then get force disconnected from the server, only to have that entire hour of gameplay vanish when I log back in... you know, it's a wee bit tough to not be upset about that.”
  • graphics13 mentions

    The graphics of the game received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the visual quality and aesthetic design, while others criticized the presence of graphical glitches, low-resolution textures, and a lack of innovation compared to previous titles like Fallout 4. Despite some positive remarks about the attention to detail in packaging and world design, many users expressed disappointment with the overall graphical performance and bugs that detracted from the gaming experience.

    • “I like the aesthetics, I like the atmosphere, I like the world.”
    • “Even just going back and comparing the graphics from Morrowind and then comparing to Fallout 76 is a very huge difference.”
    • “The boxing and presentation of the objects was stunning, the attention to graphic design on the box had great detail, as if I was unboxing this from the actual Fallout universe.”
    • “I was upset with the cheap materials that I received with my order and upset with the quality of the game which had many bugs, glitches, and outdated graphics.”
    • “Cons: - graphical glitches, low res textures.”
    • “Lost interest in playing since the graphics and user interface are worse than Fallout 4.”
  • monetization13 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some players labeling it a "cash grab" due to perceived pay-to-win elements and high initial costs, while others appreciate that microtransactions are limited to cosmetics that can also be earned in-game. Critics highlight issues with misleading advertising, particularly regarding promotional items, and express frustration over the game's unfinished feel despite its price. Overall, while microtransactions do not impact gameplay, the game's pricing and marketing practices have left many players dissatisfied.

    • “The microtransactions are for cosmetics, which you can also buy with in-game currency that you earn in-game, for free.”
    • “For people not liking microtransactions, you never need to partake in it because it does not impact your game access or gameplay in the game.”
    • “Microtransactions (even though for cosmetics) essentially feel like paid mods.”
    • “My first review was a 1/5 stars due to the 'cash grab' impression this release gave me.”
    • “But it was another cash grab where Bethesda has gone back on their promise to not add pay-to-win elements.”
    • “The game feels as if it's still in beta, yet they have the gall to charge $60-$200 USD in addition to its microtransactions.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance on high-end PCs, while others report significant issues such as stiff controls and frequent crashes, particularly in building mechanics. Overall, many users feel that the game is poorly optimized, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Runs smoothly, even on a high-end gaming PC.”
    • “The performance on release day was a downside, but overall optimization has improved.”
    • “The controls are stiff and not optimized for PC in certain aspects of the game, mostly the building and C.A.M.P.s.”
    • “As for gameplay, crashes and poor performance aside, there is virtually very little reason to be drawn in.”
    • “It is unoptimized garbage.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its richness and immersive quality, making exploration a rewarding experience. Players appreciate the aesthetic design and environmental details, although some express frustration with other aspects of the game despite enjoying the atmosphere.

    • “The game is richly atmospheric, and exploring the world - the actual act of wandering and seeing the sights itself, not necessarily the mechanics of it - is a truly rewarding experience.”
    • “The environment is richly atmospheric, the quests are balanced, and the new mechanics for upgrading weapons and armor are genius.”
    • “I like the aesthetics, I like the atmosphere, I like the world...”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of Fallout 76 to be tedious and unenjoyable, often feeling that the game lacks meaningful content beyond repetitive leveling and resource collection. The technical limitations further exacerbate the experience, making it feel like a hollow version of its predecessor, Fallout 4.

    • “Sometimes the game can get tedious.”
    • “But even before this, I was beginning to feel Fallout 76 was an empty shell lacking any real content outside of simple grinding and leveling up.”
    • “The technical limitations unfortunately turn this multiplayer take on Fallout 4 into a tedious, unenjoyable game of 'what do I need the least,' which is never fun to play.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Users express disappointment with the emotional impact of the latest collection edition, feeling that it failed to provide the satisfaction and value of previous editions, leading to a sense of being "robbed" rather than fulfilled.

  • music1 mentions

    The music in the game is characterized by a chaotic blend of loud sound effects, including blasting music, children's cries, and people yelling, which can create an overwhelming auditory experience, particularly due to the prominent keyboard clicking.

    • “The music is overwhelming, with loud keyboard clicking drowning out any enjoyment.”
    • “It's hard to focus on the game with the music blasting and people yelling in the background.”
    • “The combination of loud music and chaotic sounds makes for a frustrating experience.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players note that the game's replayability is significantly hindered by inventory limitations, as acquiring 3-star legendary loot fills up storage quickly, leaving little incentive to replay the game without the ability to retain new items.

    • “The game offers a variety of choices and paths, making each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
    • “With multiple endings and character builds, I find myself coming back to explore different strategies and outcomes.”
    • “The dynamic events and random encounters ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same, keeping the experience fresh.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Fallout 76 - PC

Play time

48hMedian play time
39hAverage play time
12-80hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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