Fallout: New Vegas Review

Quick Info:

Overall Rating: 9

ESRB: M for Mature

Genre: RPG, First Person Shooter

Having fun in the Wasteland...

Fallout: New Vegas was a game that I have been waiting for.  I completed Fallout 3 and long time ago, and I was very pleased to hear about a new game.  Anyone who doesn't know much about the Fallout series must be confused right about now, so I will explain some things.  Fallout takes place after nuclear weapons go off in the USA.  In Fallout 3 you find yourself in Washington D.C. after escaping an underground vault, much like a safe zone, helping others in need to make a name for yourself in the Wasteland of America.  This new title is in California, and it takes place in the Mojave Desert.  There has been a lot of talk about Fallout: New Vegas however.  Let's see if it lives up to the expectations of loyal Fallout fans.

No Vaults.

Unlike Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas took a new approach to the beginning of the game.  You are a courier at first.  It seems like a simple job delivering small packages to New Vegas, but there is one package in particular that gets some attention from a lot of people.  This package contains a platinum poker chip.  You probably think nothing of a platinum chip, but this chip is definitely special.  A few problems present themselves and set up the entire base for the story in Fallout New Vegas.

Bad beginnings.

After you face your problems you are, let's say, recovered at a doctors' house.  He makes sure you are functioning properly to go out into the wastes along again.  Being with the doc sets up your skill choices for the rest of the game.  This was very depressing for me because it was not nearly as meaningful and fun as growing up and escaping a vault.  However, no one is going to hang their head from the beginning because of the great gameplay that follows setting up your character.

Factions.

I am only going to mention this, but it's slightly important.  In Fallout 3 there was the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Enclave.  You could side with either.  Fallout: New Vegas offers the same choice with two similar factions.  The New California Republic (NCR), good faction, and the Legion,  bad faction, are the two factions to side with.  The NCR is trying to rebuild society to get it going.  The Legion is trying to take over and form a new type of government all over the wasteland.

What to do?

There is a lot to choose from in Fallout: New Vegas when it comes to gameplay.  First of all there is quests.  Main quests are the important ones to complete before the game ends.  Side quests are for gaining types of karma, getting money, or other weapons and armor.  There is tons to do other than quests.  You can adventure the Mojave finding items or meeting new people.  Sometimes this is a good thing because you can meet useful people and find expensive items.  You can also gamble in New Vegas, but we will save those details for later.

The Mojave...Have I been here before?

The Mojave setting was a great choice, especially with the adding of Vegas activity.  However, anyone who has played Fallout 3 has played parts of New Vegas already.  Once you get away from New Vegas, you can see that the Mojave Wasteland is similar to Fallout 3's Wasteland.  I understand that the developers couldn't do much to make two nuclear wastelands look different, but it was disappointing anyway as you felt like you have been there before.  Besides the setting, there are plenty of weapons and gameplay aspects that are also similar to Fallout 3.  There are still S.P.E.C.I.A.L. attributes, perks, same weapons (hunting rifle, plasma rifle, etc), V.A.T.S., and Vaults that are similar to Fallout 3.  Fallout: New Vegas is its own game, but playing through felt somewhat like a repeat.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!
There are a few different combat techniques in Fallout: New Vegas.  Some aspects are in Fallout 3 as well, but some aspects are entirely new.  First of all (as I mentioned earlier), V.A.T.S. has returned.  V.A.T.S. is an advanced targeting system where you will zoom in on enemies and aim your weapon at a specific body part of your enemy.  V.A.T.S. also gives you what chances you have of hitting your target.  It's quite a useful tool.  As in Fallout 3, you can choose to play in third-person, but most players stay away from third-person as it doesn't work well with aiming.  In the first-person view, you can now aim down your weapons' sights, but in Fallout 3 you could not.  If you like Fallout 3's style better you can change your settings in the menu.  Overall the combat is the same as Fallout 3 with a few good touches.

The Wrap
Fallout fans will feel at home with Fallout: New Vegas.  I would turn the other way if you were disappointed with Fallout 3.  Fallout: New Vegas introduces some fun aspects, like gambling, and makes the experience more memorable.  I would recommend this to any Fallout fan, or anyone who has not picked up a Fallout game.  I will guarantee that you will get a great Wasteland experience from Fallout: New Vegas.

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FalloutL: New Vegas Ratings

Plot	8	A fun experience through the Mojave seeking answers proves to be intriquing. The game can be slow at times.
Gameplay	10	There is tons to do. You can do quests, help or betray citizens, and maybe spend some money on the Vegas Strip.
Graphics	7.5	The graphics were not bad, but they didn't improve from the previous game in the series. Some aspects are touched up.
Controls	10	The layout didn’t have much frustration, and hot key settings help switing weapons fast and easy. They are similar to most first-person shooters.
Replay Value	9.5	There are a lot of endings to this game, so playing through more than once would make sense to anyone interested. Each time you play through you get to experience new things.