Free-To-Play Fallout 76 Is Finally Winning Over Players
Few games have had quite as dramatic a u-turn as Fallout 76. Up there with Cyberpunk 2077, Bethesda's 2018 online action RPG has managed to claw itself from the depths of critical panning.
Despite its place at the very start of the Fallout franchise giving Fallout 76 plenty of promise, it's launch as a wholly multiplayer experience without the series' beloved NPCs did it no favours. Still, Bethesda stayed strong and recently laid out its plans for the next five years of Fallout 76.
Is Fallout 76 Free-To-Play?
There might be some complaints that PlayStation Plus lives in the shadows of Microsoft's Game Pass, but with a bumper January that offers Fallout 76 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, 2023 is off to a flying start.
As pointed out by ComicBook.com, new players have flocked to Reddit to shower Fallout 76 with praise. "Based on reviews I wasn't expecting much from Fallout 76," says one new gamer.
They continued, "But now I'm hooked, it's like Fallout 5! Looks great, plays great, excellent voice cast so far, and interesting goals on quests. I don't get the hate at all. I'm just starting out but so far it's an easy 8/10."
Someone replied to this and pointed out, "Well, you are starting out four years into a live service game. Every main issue has been ironed out, but the general public lives on first impressions."
It's true that four years after release, you'd hope a game is in its final form. Still, that hasn't stopped Bethesda rolling out a steady stream of content. In particular, 2020's Wastelanders update was a turning point as it finally added NPCs.
What's Next For Fallout 76?
It's been a rocky road to get here, but Fallout 76 is a game on the rise. In its 2022 retrospective, Bethesda said, "Fallout 76 has grown significantly over the past year, with players worldwide experiencing all sort of happenings across Appalachia from travelling roadshows to extraterrestrial invasions!".
There are now 13.5 million players, which is thanks to the ongoing success of Game Pass and its recent arrival on PS Plus.
Things are on an upward trajectory, although there was a worrying report that shed light on Fallout 76's reportedly chaotic development process. In turn, this has been linked to the delays of Starfield and Redfall.
Fallout 76's newfound fanbase is also great news for Microsoft, as Sony's PS Plus offerings give players a taste of what Bethesda can do - possibly luring them to try out Starfield.
If you haven't given Fallout 76 a go, it could be time to give it a spin. At least it'll give you something to play until Fallout 5 comes out.
