6 Videogames That Are Much Better RPGs Than Fallout 76


Fallout 4 is probably one of the best games of all time. Fallout 76 however, has failed to impress Fallout fans. It has fantastic shooter elements, coupled with an amazingly detailed open world. The overall vibe and dark humour the game can give off, really sets it apart from any other game.

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It has one major setback though. The game is marketed as a first person shooter/RPG. The problem being, it’s pretty weak as an RPG. Sure, you have choices you can make, factions you can side with, and multiple endings. But we’ve seen RPG elements executed far better in other games. Here’s some examples.

Fallout 2

1

Fallout 2 adds a moral ambiguity to it that can really make it difficult to tell right from wrong. That’s very key in creating a good RPG. You play the game as a tribal villager, searching for the G.E.C.K, or Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Interplay did wonders with this game and it has firmly cemented itself as one of the top 5 RPG’s of all time.

The Witcher 3

2

The Witcher 3 did something no game has ever done. It beat Bethesda. That’s right, for the first time in Bethesda’s history, they were beat at the Video Game Awards. That really says something about this title.

The general consensus that it’s main reason for winning, was it’s RPG elements. The Witcher 3 has, what feels like, endless NPC’s handing out fun and interesting quests. On top of it, I’d rather walk somewhere than fast travel in this game because of it’s stunning visuals.

Mass Effect 2

3

Mass Effect 2 was a major improvement from it’s predecessor. It managed to get rid of clunky menus and trimmed just enough fat off its bones to really highlight what matters: The optional loyalty missions for your team.

Loyalty missions give a unique kind of depth to each character on your team. Mass Effect 2 focuses more on character depth than it’s own plot, which is very hard to pull off for any game but BioWare nailed it. The endgame mission will have you questioning every decision made.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

4

Morrowind’s 2002 visuals are getting.. old to say the least. However, for it’s time, Bethesda really had something special. While Fallout 76 has a massive open world, Morrowind was where that approach took off.

It was mind blowing that you could venture the island of Vvardenfell without encountering a loading screen in the overworld. On top of it, you were immersed in it enough that you truly believed every NPC had its own life. Part of Morrowind’s timelessness is it’s modding community, who even went as far as to port the entire game to newer engines.

Dragon Age: Origins

5

BioWare set off to capture the feel of Baldur’s Gate. They almost nailed it with Dragon Age. Remember what we said about Mass Effect 2? How your team matters more than the overarching story of the game? They brought that same feel with this game. Something truly awesome about Dragon Age is the darkspawn felt real.

It felt like you HAD to destroy them. The shame with this game is that we’ll probably never see another one like it. BioWare has strayed so far from what made this game great with future iterations. But what a fantastic send off it was.

Fallout: New Vegas

6

New Vegas did what Fallout 3 didn’t. It gave you RPG elements that changed the game. Fallout 3’s ending didn’t really matter. Whereas New Vegas had many different factions to side with, all of which were very interesting. Hell, you could literally kill everyone in the game, and still beat it. That speaks wonders for how well Obsidian Entertainment planned the game out. They gave you optimal freedom, with choice.

Now, don’t take this article the wrong way. Fallout 76 is a decent game, with a massive world, and endless things to do and other players to interact with. You can easily dump 100’s of hours into it. These games just did the RPG element better, which to some people, is the most important part.