And, like many across the globe, I was doing so with a hint of trepidation. After all, I splashed an eye-watering sum on the game when it was first released, only to boot up the MMO<\/span> and throw in the towel half an hour later.<\/span><\/p>\n After the thrill of crafting my own settlements, battling synths and super mutants and generally ruling the wasteland in Fallout 4<\/a> (still possibly my favourite game to this day), the franchise\u2019s shift to the online space<\/span> felt underbaked, rushed, and certainly not worth the money I paid for it (the exact figure still pains me to this day).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yet, after watching Ella Purnell\u2019s Lucy MacLean<\/a> survive the apocalypse <\/span>with all the altruism and optimism I try to instil into my own characters in RPGs, I had to get back in there myself<\/span> \u2013\u00a0and when I saw that Fallout 76 was free for Amazon Prime subscribers<\/a> (thanks to a handy website named RadioTimes.com<\/a>), and having heard rumblings that Bethesda had done a bit of a No Man\u2019s Sky redemption tour with the title, I thought I\u2019d give it a whirl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And it\u2019s safe to say I\u2019m glad I did. <\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong, the release is still sorely lacking in certain departments \u2013 I\u2019ll get to them later \u2013 but for what I\u2019ve been craving, a solo jaunt across the entertaining and eccentric post-societal setting, a game I could boot up on my lunch break to slay a few beasts and secure a few caps, it\u2019s proven just the ticket.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s safe to say I\u2019m not the type of gamer who sits down for 12-hour sessions on the Xbox. More often than not, I want an experience that requires part of my attention but not all of it, a fun outlet to blow off some steam while I simultaneously watch a YouTube video or take in a podcast. In Fallout 76, I\u2019ve found a great one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With the game\u2019s willingness<\/span> to allow new players to skip straight to Level 20, avoiding the usual tedious long-winded tutorial, this is a release that you can dive straight into. Walk around your vault for a few minutes and bam, you\u2019re out in Appalachia popping ghouls and pickpocketing fools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p> There are central storylines, bringing the usual mix of odd characters and moral dilemmas that Bethesda is so well-known for. <\/span><\/p>\n But, ultimately, the game acts as a sort of side quest simulator, an opportunity to spend half an hour exploring a cave or clearing out a bandit camp to upgrade your gear or improve your \u2018fit.<\/span><\/p>\n If, like me, that\u2019s what you\u2019re after, Fallout 76 is perfect. If you\u2019re wanting more than that, it might be worth dusting off your old copy of New Vegas<\/a> to scratch the post-Prime Video series itch.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Three](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/radio-times-fallout-76-cross-platform-a89d3da.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"radio")
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