Bethesda has gotten a lot of sh*t for its disastrous launch of Fallout 76 last year, but during E3 2019 the company unveiled a roadmap of content to get the game back on its feet.
Along with a battle royale mode and a host of new updates, Nuclear War is the new mode that’s hoped to save the game. However, Bethesda’s claims of improving the game have been pretty much dismissed by everyone – except those who’ve played the new content.
Over on Reddit, a user by the name of Aten_Ra shared a lengthy post about their experience with Nuclear War, after Bethesda invited them and a small group to get their feedback and criticisms.
Interesting, Aten_Ra claims they were selected to do this with Bethesda because they’d been very vocal about the issues with the game, and Bethesda wanted to make it right.
“Bethesda is listening to the community, they care, and I personally know because after being a ‘bit of a pest’ they called me directly and it resulted in some play time with Nuclear Winter,” says the poster, who says they have both a day job and work as a MOD author for Fallout 4.
It’s then claimed that Bethesda reached out to 10 people in the Fallout community, each with “very different perspectives” on Fallout 76. Of the 10, eight people responded, and were flown out for discussions about the game.
“FO76’s Devs were there to talk with us, not to us,” writes the Redditor. “This was the core staff driving ’76, and one by one they came in, talked with us and actually listened to what we had to say…
“We asked hard questions and the Dallas Team gave us the time and opportunity to discuss many of them.
“We pushed back when we felt like they weren’t being completely forthright, and in turn we listened and accepted when it was clear they couldn’t go into more detail….Quickly it became clear they were not just giving lip service but really paying attention to our thoughts, suggestions and criticisms.”
Speaking specifically of Nuclear Winter, the Fallout fan said: “This wasn’t old school ‘on the rails’ limited preview, or a guided walk through, but a fast and furious Playtest.”
The OP then went on to explain how Bethesda showed a different side to what’s been shown about the company. The playtesting reportedly turned into an intimate meeting between “creators showing their pride and joy” and disappointed fans who just wanted better.
“Every single one of us enjoyed the hell out of [Nuclear War]. Again this was an Alpha Build, so what we played will be different than what the Launch brings, but I can’t stress enough how much I personally loved it…
“Bethesda isn’t (completely) a faceless monster devouring our money, but people with a passion trying to share their passion with us.”
Summarising the experience, the user says: “What I will say is Fallout ‘76 has the potential to be a groundbreaking game with quite literally something for everyone.
“It could in the end cater to nearly every playstyle, satisfying the diehard fans from the original Fallout to FONV and beyond.”
Bethesda has yet to verify or deny the claims.
Hopefully the post is 100% truth, because if Bethesda really has held its hands up and asked the fans for their help and opinions, we might finally get the Fallout 76 we were promised.
Featured Image Credit: Bethesda