Fallout New Vegas is a RPG of great proportions with its vast setting, huge replay ability, and follows in the footsteps of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and its sister-prequel Fallout 3. Fallout New Vegas (FNV) is developed by Obsidian and published by Bethesda, who also created the gaming engine (we’ll get more into that later).
FNV starts off with the protagonist being shot in the head and being left for dead in the Mojave desert outside New Vegas, the renamed strip of casinos that were untouched by the nuclear bombs of 2077. But big surprise you raise from the dirt and begin your journey to unravel the mystery of who shot you and why. The game is taxing in the effects of time, patience, attention, and will. You can easily spend a month playing this game and still find new things to do, people and creatures to kill, and missions to accomplish.
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A quick overlook of the game shows that FNV has less gore than Fallout 3. Examples would be no raiders hanging from hooks, no extremely grotesque scenes of murder or torture, BUT FNV does have it share of horrid sights and scenes. Most Notably the Crucifixes at Nipton. Visuals of the game are still mature; decapitations, blood, and guts are very much apart of the wasteland.
Graphically FNV is a carbon copy of Fallout 3. The only differences is the setting being in the Mojave Desert rather than Washington D.C. and its neighboring areas. Las Vegas plays a big role in being your night-light in the dark of the desert and the many missions you can gain from any of the casinos within. Bugs and glitches still plague characters and NPCs, but almost all quirks can be overlooked.
Something Obsidian took out was weapon crafting and replaced it with the “reload/work” benches, and the campfire. Reload benches allow you to breakdown much of your ammo supply to the bare essentials to create new ammo or to replenish your favorite type. The workbench does practically the same thing. The Campfire allows you to use ingredients from the wasteland to create potions, stimpaks, and a lot of different items to raise your HP. The Campfire ability is greatly effected by your survival skill rating.
NEW FEATURES
As is with any sequel new features are bound to appear. With FNV new perks are available. For all perks click the link below.
http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout:_New_Vegas_perks
Challenge Perks are also available by completing different tasks like killing 100 insects, or defeating enemies with melee attacks. There are plenty of challenges to keep you, as the player, busy. Fallout 3 let you gain a perk every level you earned, but in FNV you can only choose a perk every other level. Make sure to be strategic with your choices.
Repairing weapons and armor has upgraded into “repairing” and “maintaining.” The “maintain” feature allows you to get bonus damage or protection from an item if it is completely repaired to the fullest potential possible. This greatly increases the cost of the item and it effectiveness.
Karma was a big part of Fallout 3. If you tip the balance of good and evil you could mold the wasteland however you saw fit. Stealing items and murdering innocents earned you bad karma, while saving prisoners and doing honorable deeds earned you good karma. In FNV karma has been replaced with you Reputation. Many factions exist with in FNV and all of them have different motives, values, interests, and leaning towards one or the other could cause serious problems for you or your chosen guild. Doing missions for a town, group, faction, or certain people causes you to gain fame and reputation with the people you helped. Although on the other hand if you kill members of the NCR or Caesar’s Legion, their friends and fellow soldiers will come after you. This might not sound too bad but think a little deeper; bartering in an area where you are hated could cost you serious caps or some bullet holes in your chest.
Factions are simply different groups of people that inhabit the wasteland. Most want money and power while others want bloodshed and fame. The 3 big factions are Mr. House and New Vegas, Caesar’s Legion, and the NCR. Caesar’s Legion (band of slaves that resemble Spartan warriors) and the NCR (North California Republic soldiers who act like the cops of the wasteland) vie for control of the Hoover Dam because of its power supply and great position. Mr. House controls New Vegas and is the loved and respected powerhouse in the wasteland in terms of fun and excess. All want your help and all are willing to pay for it. Other factions are as follows: Great Kahns, Boomers, White Glove Society, Jackals, Omertas, and the Powder Gangers. All of these little guilds can assist you in the final battle of the game. Take them seriously and watch out when you find the Boomers. (Heads Up)
All in all the replay ability is very high and the time it takes you to complete this game is worth the $60 price tag. Playing through a second or third or even fourth time allows you to play a different part in the war effort and lets you explore a different path. Bethesda made record sales for the DLC for Fallout 3 so it’s an undeniable thought that Fallout New Vegas will get the same treatment. “Dead Money” DLC is releasing on December 21 on XBOX LIVE.
Fallout New Vegas
Score- 4/5
+ RPG Staple
+ Huge Playground and Many Missions
+ Replay Ability Very High
- Old laggy game engine is old and laggy. Full of bugs. (Patch incoming)
? DLC How many this time?