Many casual gamers as well as hardcore players are aware of a game called ‘Fallout 76,’ a sequel to the ever-popular ‘Fallout 4,’. It takes place in Appalachia, West Virginia, and is an open-world survival-esque game. It thrives in challenging the player to battle other players, fight non-player characters, maintain your food and water bars, and through it all, manage your minuscule inventory space.
Upon release, many would say that it did not hold up to their expectations, and some even lost loyalty to its creating company Bethesda Games (and, yes, it is named after our beloved city of Bethesda, Maryland). But with what could be called the worst decision Bethesda Games has ever made in the history of the company- the release of the subscription-based service, “Fallout 1st”- many customers are starting to get really upset with the company.
Fallout 1st is a subscription-based service in which the customer pays $12.99 a month for upgrades to the game such as unlimited storage space, access to private servers, and exclusive gifts only available to subscribers such as iconic emotes and outfits. Most critics of the new subscription service cite the fact that customers have been asking for these features since the release of Fallout 76, and are seen as key features needed in the main game, rather than a paid service. These features include unlimited storage space and a survival tent.
So what exactly comes with the $99.99 annual fee, or monthly 12.99 bill? Users will be granted a ‘private server,’ an unlimited scrap box to store loot, exclusive emotes, a unique outfit, a monthly allowance of 1650 in-game “atoms” currency, and lastly, a special tent. Firstly, most of the complaints have been that anybody on your friends list can join your ‘private’ server, making it less of a secluded area to enjoy with your friends. Next, the scrap box may just ingest your loot, which is unwelcome to most players.
Not only are players complaining that the features are half-baked and not worth the whopping price tag, but some claim the ‘unlimited scrap box’ has swallowed up their items without a trace. It should be said, though, that while Fallout 76’s initial release was less than ideal, many players still enjoyed the game after many patches and updates. So this may be a long shot, but with a few fixes and a drastic price change, one may be inclined to purchase it to enhance gameplay.
If an individual really enjoys emotes, then they would get a few from this service, but it is not the focus. The survival tent is used as a second fast travel point, as well as a place to stock up before you hit the road. And as for the routine wage of 1650 atoms a month, they can be used to purchase repair kits, which can be used to repair broken gear, emotes, costumes, decorations for your base, as well as skins for your C.A.M.P. furniture. . However, The exclusive outfit has many gamers enraged, as it took an iconic suit from a previous game, Fallout; New Vegas. Fallout; New Vegas was a fan favorite, and scored an 8.5 on IGN as well as GameSpot. This beloved game featured the Ranger get-up, and many loyal patrons of the Fallout series claim that the outfit is poorly designed, as well as being hurriedly put together.
Although most responses regarding the new subscription are clearly negative, some still believe it is worth its hefty price tag. Jamie Sharp, of PowerUpGaming, states in the article Fallout 1st is Worth it For Some Players, that “it isn’t a bad deal if you play the game regularly.”While to many, it seems that Fallout 1st is a ripoff, it offers unique benefits to those who choose to purchase it.
Article by Brady Cohen of Herbert Hoover Middle School
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons