It’s safe to say that Fallout 76 didn’t have the reception that Bethesda was hoping for. The game was nearly universally panned when it launched, not just because it was an often buggy mess, but also because it lacked many of the things that made Fallout games fun to play. Replacing NPC humans characters with actual human beings murdered the sort of storytelling that Fallout is known for, making it a bland experience for most fans of the franchise.
Speaking on IGN’s unfiltered, Bethesda creative boss Todd Howard said that the team expected the middling reception the game received, acknowledging that it wasn’t the sort of game that reviewed well.
“This is not gonna be a high Metacritic game. This is not what this is,” Howard admitted.
“We knew we were going to have a lot of bumps,” he said, when asked if Bethesda was prepared for the negative reaction. “We were ready for…we knew this is not the type of game that people are used to from us, and we’re going to get some criticism on it, and lot of that [is] very well-deserved criticism.”
Howard also admitted that Bethesda could, and should have done more live testing before releasing the thin. This could have been through an extended live beta, or even by using the Early Access model.
“The main takeaway we had was you’ve got to let it bake with a large live audience for longer than we did. There are just certain things you can never see until it’s running 24/7 for a number of months.”
Howard does, however, feel that the team behind Fallout 76 has done a good job of turning the game around. And, by all reports, he’s right. Those who’re still playing the game are largely happy with the continued updates and the stream of content that’s come to Fallout 76.
“We felt strongly this is a game we want to play, this is something we really want to do, and all of the games like this…there’s a [difficult] period when you launch. It’s not how you launch, it’s what it becomes, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team that’s worked on it.”
Last Updated: June 3, 2019
Kromas
June 3, 2019 at 08:47
Love it or hate it but fallout 76 has fixed bugs that have been around since fallout 3 and if they are going to use said engine for fallout 5 then we are all better for it.
Also I stopped playing Division 2 cause it got boring fast yet I play 76 almost daily at this point thanks to all the new content and bug fixing.
For the Emperor!
June 3, 2019 at 09:28
I heard some of those bugs were fixed by Modders more than once, yet they failed to fix it themselves. Do you truly think they will remember to incorporate said fixes into the next game? I hope so. Glad you enjoying the game though.
Kromas
June 3, 2019 at 09:40
Those are engine fixes so yeah it will be in the next game in fact some of these fixes solves some Skyrim issues as well.
For the Emperor!
June 3, 2019 at 09:40
Good to hear they finally made the fixes in the engine itself. Hmmm, perhaps I will check out the next Elder scrolls game then. Last one I played was Oblivion.
For the Emperor!
June 3, 2019 at 09:28
“It’s not how you launch, it’s what it becomes” – he doesn’t really believe that nonsense, does he? The initial launch means a whole f’ing lot! I was slightly tempted until launch and then it got a hard pass into perpetuity because of how shit it was! And no amount of updates will change my mind!
G8crasha
June 3, 2019 at 09:28
I want to want it, but I just can’t bring myself to investing in the game. I love Fallout, but this just left a sour taste in my mouth, and when people say it has improved, I think to myself, do they even know what they are talking about.
For the Emperor!
June 3, 2019 at 09:28
Yeah, is a 10% better turd not still just a turd? Or as Major Payne said: “You’re still a turd sandwich, you’re just not a sloppy one” 🙂 https://media2.giphy.com/media/DOId45m6FAEUw/giphy.gif
Kromas
June 3, 2019 at 09:53
Been playing a lot and yes it has improved but there is one immutable fact that will put most people off. It isn’t Fallout 5. You don’t get conversation wheels and there are no human npcs.
If that is why you played Fallout 3-4 exclusively then don’t bother. If like me you finished the campaign and continued playing farming new weapons and building a cool base and exploring every nook and cranny then you should think about buying this game.
G8crasha
June 3, 2019 at 10:06
Well, I buried over 300 hours into Conan Exiles primarily because of base building (the gameplay is mediocre at best), so if Fallout has as robust a system as Conan Exiles, then I might give it a go.
Kromas
June 3, 2019 at 10:30
Actually I have a mule account if you wanna test it out. PC ofc.
G8crasha
June 3, 2019 at 09:28
I want to want it, but I just can’t bring myself to investing in the game. I love Fallout, but this just left a sour taste in my mouth, and when people say it has improved, I think to myself, do they even know what they are talking about.
Captain JJ
June 3, 2019 at 12:51
Good for you Bethesda, it’s not every company that would be happy about releasing garbage. But you hold that garbage dear, you cherish it. It’s YOUR garbage.