I’ve played a few hours of Fallout 76 over the years since it launched. A brief bit back when it was barebones in its initial state, a little more after the Wastelanders update in the early days of the pandemic, and a final attempt when the Fallout TV show aired.
Each time, I’ve enjoyed it enough in terms of gameplay – it is, after all, basically a copy-paste of Fallout 4 as far as assets and mechanics go. However, I’ve always played it purely on my own. Sure, it’s a multiplayer game that can be played solo in its entirety, but that doesn’t mean it should be the only way you play it.
So now, in 2025, I’ve decided to give it another try – only this time, I’ve got some friends joining me in West Virginia, and it makes all the difference.
Uranium Fever Has Gone And Got Me Down
Suddenly, I’m hooked. I’m finding myself eager to jump back into the wasteland and take on quests, work on my base, or just wander around aimlessly with friends, shooting monsters as we loot the scraps of the world. It’s great to have other people along for the ride, and despite it being an online game, I’ve just never played it in this way – I was clearly missing out.
And even when my friends aren’t playing with me, when I loaded up the game on my own for the first time, a stranger spent over an hour helping me out. They crafted me some gear, had me follow them to a few locations while we fought things, showing me the best spots to loot some junk, and even welcomed me into their base while they grabbed a few more things for me.
Though it was 5 am and I wanted to sleep, it felt impolite just to leave when they were going out of their way to help me.
The World Feels Shared, Even When I Am Solo
It’s not quite a full, standard Fallout game, but it is a Fallout game with other players. Compared to the other times I’ve tried the game out on my own, however, I suddenly feel that shared world more than ever. The fact that it exists with my friends, that we have made ground in it together, suddenly makes it feel more real. When they’re not around, it’s still the same world, and I’m left with the same feeling of something bigger than just myself and how I play.
Quest progression isn’t shared, however, which means every team member needs to do each quest individually, which, for the most part, is fine. It’d be nice to have the choice to just leave it up to the party leader, but all in all, it’s best to play the game without too much thought, so doing quests over doesn’t take too much of a toll.
Regardless, I didn’t expect I’d be getting into Fallout 76 almost seven years after its launch, after multiple attempts at playing it in the past, but I’m so glad to finally be playing it, and I want to keep playing it. I want to build up my base, explore West Virginia, and enjoy the charm of Fallout alongside some friends.
Fallout 76
- Released
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November 14, 2018
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Engine
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Creation
