Fallout 76 is the game people love to hate right now, and objectively, there’s good reason for that. Bethesda’s AAA offering is riddled with bugs that range from silly to game-breaking, and with an unsatisfying and unreliable roadmap of future updates, it’s unclear when and what will be fixed. And, if that’s not bad enough, Bethesda keeps shooting itself in the foot with rocky patch rollouts and embarrassing PR blunders.
However, as this article seeks to highlight, there are diamonds in the rough. There are things that don’t suck about Fallout 76. It’s just hard to appreciate these things sometimes because they’re mired by an overwhelming amount of dysfunction, unrealized potential, and a hate-train that Bethesda keeps inadvertently fueling.
Things About Fallout 76 That Aren’t Terrible
The New Creatures
While previous entries in the Fallout series also drew upon the local landscape for inspiration, Fallout 76 draws from Americana itself to inform is myriad of new creatures. The addition of fascinating “cryptids” specific to West Virginian lore works perfectly with the Fallout series’ atmosphere of post-war mystery and misinformation.
Whether these new creatures appeared as a side-effect of nuclear radiation or were simply waiting for humans to die out, the Mothman, Flatwoods Monster, and even the mega sloths feel right at home in the wastes of Appalachia.
The roster of creatures in Fallout 76 feels more complete than other Fallout titles, with all different size and difficulty categories seeing new additions. Even new passive enemies have been added that can be used in the survival aspects of the game (mmm… cat steak).
It’s also exciting how the creatures all feel like they’re part of the same world (thanks to the large map size). While technically confined to their zone of the map, the beats of Fallout 76 have the illusion of intermingling in one big Appalachian eco-system.
