It was a bit of surprise when Fallout 76 was announced after a very long and drawn-out livestream of nothing in particular. A teaser trailer soon followed, but it didn’t go into detail about what the game would actually entail.
We now know that it will be an online multiplayer game in a similar to vein to another Bethesda game, The Elder Scrolls Online. Fallout 76 will take the basic framework of a Fallout game and apply it to an online world, meaning that you no longer have to be a lonely wanderer and can instead team up with other survivors or, you know, do the expected thing and grief the heck out of everyone.
With the release of Fallout 76 not too far away, you might be getting a little antsy. To help tide you over until you can kill mole rats with your mates, here are some similar games that you should play.
1. Fallout 4
Developer: Bethesda
Publisher: Bethesda
Platform(s): PC, PS4, XB1
The most obvious game to play between now and the release of the new entry in the franchise, 76 looks like it’s taken a lot of its cues from Fallout 4, just like TESO did with Skyrim. The most obvious comparison is in its visuals; Fallout 76 looks as if it uses a lot of the same assets and styles as the most recent single-player Fallout game. Mods and DLC have extended the lifespan of Fallout 4, though the mechanics introduced in the base game have heavily influenced a lot of what we can expect from 76. To really replicate the experience of 76, you should spend a lot of time building your town up before using a mod to rain down the Deathclaws.
2. Rust
Developer: Facepunch Studios
Publisher: Facepunch Studios
Platform(s): PC
If you’re a little galled by Bethesda’s attempts to make Fallout 76 a somewhat friendly experience, Rust is the perfect antithesis for you. A game that subsists purely on the appeal of griefing, Rust absolutely isn’t for everyone, particularly to those who are prudish about seeing genitals every other second. When you have a few friends in tow, however, this is one of the survival games going, especially when you build yourself a fine fortress and proceed to blare the Frozen soundtrack from it. Never change, Rust.
3. Civilisation VI
Developer: Firaxis Games/Aspyr
Publisher: 2K Games/Aspyr
Platform(s): PC, Switch (soon)
If you’re looking for a game that will purely make your waiting time until Fallout 76 releases disappear, Civilisation VI is it. The Civilisation series is infamous for making your social obligations disappear and your back more hunched as you double down on your reign of tyranny and the sixth installment is no different. Not sold? You can take on Gandhi and will soon be able to do just that from the comfort of your toilet with its Switch version.
4. The Elder Scrolls Online
Developer: Bethesda
Publisher: Bethesda
Platform(s): PC, PS4, XB1
The aforementioned relative predecessor to Fallout 76, the turnaround on The Elder Scrolls Online has been remarkable since its rough early days. While it will never be as acclaimed or widely beloved as Skyrim, it’s a constantly evolving experience that continues to delve more and more into TES lore as time progresses. It’s rough around the edges and its first few hours are more than a slight bore, but stick with it.
5. SCUM
Developer: Gamespires/Croteam
Publisher: Bethesda
Platform(s): PC, PS4, XB1
An Early Access survival game that’s still finding its feet (but is already more competent that many of its peers), SCUM has sci-fi elements that wouldn’t feel out of place in the Fallout universe. Namely, a gigantic robot that patrols some of the map’s best loot spots. While you can spend your time peacefully getting enough food and equipment to get behind, the main allure of SCUM is finding other players, killing them, taking their stuff, and then taking a great big poo on their decapitated head. Pong, it ain’t.
Fallout 76 releases on November 14th for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. If you can’t wait until then, we also have some Fallout 4 mods we want to be a part of 76 from the off, as well as as a ranking of the Fallout games to date that we will all no doubt agree is correct.
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