Ars Technica
After playing the game for about three hours at a preview event last week, I came away feeling like I was playing an elaborate Fallout 4 mod with some basic online features grafted on top. [3 Hour Impressions]
GamesBeat
I had a good time with Fallout 76. West Virginia is a beautiful, tree-covered land to explore. Making camps with friends lets teams be creative together while making something that’s functional. The PVP system is smart and makes it possible for organic fighting to break out in the open world while making it difficult to kill people who don’t want to be a part of it.
GameSpot
After our three hours, I got the impression that Bethesda is taking a risky approach with the series in regards to its lore and its core gameplay. With its heavy focus on survival gameplay and the online experience, I suspect that this largely experimental take on Fallout will become a rather polarizing entry. [3 Hour Impressions]
GamesRadar+
What I do know is that the basic concept - "Fallout 76 but people" - works. [3 Hour Impressions]
Post Arcade (National Post)
It is assuredly an online game, but from what I’ve seen it manages to maintain the atmosphere of its single-player roots in important ways that other franchises that have migrated to multiplayer — including Bethesda’s own Elder Scrolls Online — have not. Combat, crafting, character development, exploration, and, most importantly, the sort of bold storytelling that isn’t afraid to place America’s obsessions under a microscope have all survived the transition such that they are not just familiar but welcomingly intuitive....In other words, it feels like Fallout, and now you can play with your friends. [Impressions]
USgamer
Fallout 76 Played Solo Is a Lonely, Not Lifeless Experience. Exploring Appalachia is best suited for a band of friends, but you can still get far on your own two feet. [3 Hour Impressions]