Fallout 76: Should You Play in 2021?

Should you play Fallout 76 in 2021? Did Fallout 76 get any better?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Well, read on because I’m about to dive headfirst into Bethesda’s first foray into a multiplayer Fallout title and why you should boot it up this summer.

Server Stability Concerns

Let’s begin with what I would consider one of the single greatest annoyances of Fallout 76 in 2021. Despite the countless updates, the cash coming in from Atom sales, and the increased player count since the game’s Steam release, Bethesda has yet to truly fix the server stability concerns.

Now, hear me out. They have improved. Significantly. When I first played Fallout 76 during the beta event, server stability was a massive checkmark in the negatives column.

Today, when the Mrs. and I play, we still endure desync, rubber-banding, frame drops, and the occasional crash.

Three Cs: Crafting, Combat, and Customization

I’ve chosen to combine these features into a single section for brevity’s sake.

These three Cs (Crafting, Combat, and Customization) are what I would consider focal points of Fallout 76, alongside exploration and group play, but we’ll discuss those further down.

Crafting

I genuinely enjoy the crafting system in Fallout 76. The ability to unlock new customization components for your weapons and armor by breaking down items is, in my opinion, an excellent system. I don’t mind losing out on a .44 revolver or pump-action shotgun because I know, down the road, the one I keep will be better off with the attachments I unlock.

The only downside to crafting is scrap. Man, that stuff is heavy. Prepare to invest a lot of stat points in Strength of crafting ever-stronger backpacks.

Combat

At times, due to the aforementioned desync and server lag, combat proves troublesome. You can strike a Scorched five times, but he’ll have died on the second strike.

That’s not always the case, though. Generally speaking, combat is responsive, fun, and flavorful. I find wielding a sledgehammer to be overly satisfied, as the telltale thud of my weapon hitting a head never grows old.

Customization

I would argue that Fallout 76 features more player customization than any other entry in the franchise. At least, if you’re willing to invest in a few Atoms along the way.

Truth be told, there are a lot of customization options already in-game. You can alter the appearance of your weapons, with new attachments and skins, your armor, clothing, hairstyles, player profiles, emotes, etc. It’s a lot to swallow.

But when you spend a little cash on Atoms to buy items or skins from the store, you’ll unlock a breadth of new customization options that I personally find fun. New C.A.M.P. items are a personal favorite, as are power armor skins, and I find these items to be worth my hard-earned money.

Better Together

A lot of folks call Fallout 76 an MMO, and I would wholeheartedly disagree. At any given time, there are only 24 players in a single server. It’s not a lot when you consider the size of the game world. Unless you’re hanging around a high-traffic zone, or an early-game quest location, it’s rare to stumble upon another player in the wild.

That being said, group player is where Fallout 76 genuinely shines. Of course, though. Bethesda made a multiplayer game out of a single-player franchise, after all.

I’ll be honest with you, when I play games like this, even large MMOs like World of Warcraft, I tend to solo. I prefer the one-man experience as I quest to the top. But in Fallout 76, joining a group with some friends or grinding quests with my spouse, I find myself having way more fun.

We quest together, kill together, and level up together. When it comes time for endgame content, we drop nukes together. It’s an experience that Fallout fans never had until now. A chance to share the post-apocalypse with others.

Are you enjoying this look at Fallout 76 in 2021? Here are a few other articles on the game we think you might enjoy:

Exploring the Game World

Like all other games in the franchise, Fallout 76 excels in crafting a believable, post-apocalyptic landscape filled with unique and interesting landmarks to explore. I can’t help but investigate every dilapidated building, wander through the ruins of a forgotten town, and delve into pre-war vaults left behind by forsaken inhabitants.

A big part of the fun of Fallout comes from the emergent storytelling of a pair of skeletons left holding each other as the bombs fell. Or of the numerous paper notes left behind by survivors who came before us. It’s immensely fun to piece together the final days of humanity.

Wrapping Up Fallout 76 in 2021

By now, if you’ve stuck with me this far, you can see it’s obvious that I thoroughly enjoy Fallout 76 in 2021, and I highly recommend you pick it up. Even if you opt to wait for a sale, the first multiplayer Fallout game is worth the investment nowadays.