Fallout 76 Hands-On: 8 Reasons You Should Be Worried

Fallout 76 is... not having an easy go.

First announced to a cacophony of "... what?!", the online-only spin-off is going down the furtive narrative route of showing what the first group of Vault-Tec survivors were up to... in an MMO framework. That means no NPCs as all quests are doled out through mission boards and found items in the world, a progression that factors in microtransactions, and an emphasis on squad-based gameplay. Even the main portions of what are usually Fallout-themed story sequences are pushed to the back of the experience.

Now, there are some notable positives. Exploring the wasteland with your friends is a neat way to fulfil the escapism of literally being the first humans to do so in the lore, and Bethesda have peppered the landscape with tons of beasts to seek out and take down.

At time of writing, a variety of outlets have gone hands-on with code only a month out from release, and sadly, it's pretty clear Fallout 76 is struggling to make ends meet; ticking boxes in a variety of camps, but not coalescing into something worth a premium price.

Here's to Bethesda turning everything around, because right now? Eeesh...