Fallout: New Vegas review

The first thing to say is that if you have never played any of the Fallout games, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN??? Some of the most in depth and interesting worlds I have ever come across in gaming and everyone should play. (If it were possible to give it past 'Epic!' on the review scale, I would.)

To anyone familiar with the Fallout world, you may skip this part. The premise of the world is that a great war took place and much of the world is now in a state of nuclear fallout (uh...duh). Radiation has destroyed much of the land, the water is polluted, and those who survive in the wastes are often scavengers and raiders, killing and looting for whatever anyone might hold. Included with the people are radiated animals (including bears, insects, dogs, and other, indiscernible creatures) and dangerous landscapes (irradiated water, traps, and abandoned buildings).

In the Mojave Wasteland, couriers carry items from one settlement to the next. The player character is one of these couriers. But the item s/he is carrying is dangerous, and people will kill for it. One such person captures the Courier and attempts to 'waste' him/her, but finds that the Courier is a harder person to kill than he originally thought.

This starts the entire story of the Courier traveling the wastes to meet friends and companions, save (or not, it's up to the player) towns, help factions gain power throughout the Mojave, and eventually catch up with the attempted killer in New Vegas, the rebuilt city of Las Vegas, and decide ultimately which faction to support in the final battle of Hoover Dam.

By far, the best part of this game is the real locations that are only slightly modified for the game. Traveling the ruins of Nevada and seeing the number of places that I have either heard of or seen in pictures is a little surreal. (I cannot imagine being a resident of these areas and playing the game.)

In this installment of the Fallout series, the companion system has improved greatly in that character companions no longer die. They can be damaged and have damaged items, however they usually come back after fighting is finished if they 'pass out' in normal game play. They also no longer have to walk all the way back to wherever it is they are being sent when you dismiss them, so there is no more getting stuck somewhere random.

In addition, each companion has an extra quest to improve them and their usefulness. Many have a past that must be explored, and certain requirements met, and the companion will ask the Courier for help with a task. If you are attempting to play the game to its completion, then these are fun quests to take on.

The ending is also just as complete. With up to five different endings (and those are just the ones I've found) to the final battle, there is a countless number of things that can be done. And depending on your faction of choice, the same task can be vastly different from other players. Which is where the fun is.

As if the main game play wasn't enough, there are currently four add ons. Each add on is a mini world that the player can explore in its entirety, finish quests, and gain access to extra items. (Although my favorite items can be found in the main game play regions.) The cast of characters in these extra worlds is both fascinating and terrifying, depending on what type of player you are.

There are a few problems with the game in general. I do not like the lack of ability to change the clothing. Other games have more freedom in that, however with the Fallout franchise, the choice of clothing is finite. You either wear the entire outfit or nothing at all. The VATS (fighting) system needs a few improvements, which is why I typically do not use it at all. For certain playing styles, quite a few of the leveling perks are useless as well.

For a player such as me, however, all of that is completely overlooked by the extremely in depth world. Every inch of the map has something to explore. There are always creatures or people to fight. And the game never gets old. At least not for me. There are always new things to discover, and the number of plots that can be followed will make this a game you will want to play through more than once.

Overall, this is of course a game I suggest EVERYONE play at least once. If this is your first experience with the Fallout world, then you will have some catching up as far as the overall storyline, however, that just means that some of the sections will be that much more interesting for you as a player.

And if you haven't already, go and pick up your copy today.
/ [Flisky]

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