Fallout 76 is an action role-playing game that can be played from either a first-person or third-person perspective.[3]: 10  Set in the Appalachian region of West Virginia, the player controls a character who leaves a fallout shelter 25 years after a nuclear war left much of the United States decimated.[4] The game is entirely online, and utilizes dedicated servers.[5][6] While players are able to play the game solo, they are encouraged to complete quests with other players on the server.[7] Additionally, players can trade with each other, and engage in combat.[8] Private servers are only available through the use of the monthly membership Fallout 1st.[9]
Fallout 76 features an open world map that the player can freely explore.[10] The map replicates many real locations from West Virginia, such as the cities of Charleston and Morgantown, as well as landmarks like The Greenbrier resort and New River Gorge Bridge.[11] The game features numerous enemies, including raiders, mutated animals, and ghouls.[11][12] Some enemies come from West Virginia folklore, such as the Mothman and the Flatwoods monster.[11] The player is equipped with a wearable computer called the Pip-Boy.[10] The device serves as a menu, and allows the player to access items they have acquired, view detailed character statistics and active quests, and look at the map.[3]: 8  The player can use the Pip-Boy to fast travel to previously discovered locations, and as a radio to listen to makeshift broadcasts.[3]: 8  There are a variety of weapons in the game, including standard guns, energy-based guns, melee weapons, and explosives.[3]: 131  While in combat, the player can utilize a gameplay mechanic known as V.A.T.S., which automatically targets an enemy and displays a percentage chance of hitting the enemy with an attack.[13] Unlike in previous Fallout games, V.A.T.S. does not pause or slow down time, and instead displays information in real time.[13]