So this review will be a little shorter than the last as New Vegas is essentially Fallout 3 but in a different landscape, the gameplay and style of action is similar with a few minor differences. New Vegas received some very mixed reviews at first back in 2010, even from me personally. It's a hard game to stomach when you have to compare it to the last, Fallout 3 was flawless in it's execution so when you sit down to play New Vegas is just feels like another DLC for Fallout 3. But remember, why fix what's not broken? Where the game falls is at the start in the initial 2-4 hours of the game; there's just no pacing and it's exceptionally slow! I've sat down and played the first two hours of New Vegas at least three times and turned it off in frustration, but finally the forth time I persevered and was very glad I did. Once you get into it, it's remarkably fun, not as fun as Fallout 3, but very fun to say the least. Ahead I'll touch briefly on some key points that make up New Vegas and why it's considered the black sheep of the franchise.
New Vegas follows the journey of the Courier, who after being shot and left for dead finds him/herself dragged into a bloody conflict between the NCR (New California Republic) and the Legion, a deadly army of slavers lead by Caesar. Over the course of this epic quest you will need to decide which side you choose to help and whether or not it will be a free blissful New Vegas or a bleak slave ridden wasteland. There are so many possible outcomes with this game it's uncanny, this rewards multiple play throughs and different decisions as many missions produce many opportunities. Much like Fallout 3 the level of different guns and armour is amazing with the added ability now to customise your guns to an extent, my laser rifle for example now has a scope with a tri-beam splitter and added accuracy. Being able to make little changes like this makes the game just that extra bit of fun and pulls you into the survival aspect of the franchise.
Something that I found got me once I finally became involved in New Vegas was the level of difficulty throughout the game, it can be a little inconsistent. With Fallout 3 there were areas where you just didn't go until you were a higher level but at least they were clearly marked out locations. In New Vegas the enemies encountered can vary between trivial to plain outrageous. This does help to keep you guessing and eliminate repetitive combat but I felt it was more of a nuisance at times rather than challenging. The Nevada desert is a ruthless place so expect to encounter many deadly gangs and animals. The world is littered with side quests which take you all across the country side, there's considerably more content than Fallout 3. The hustling centrepiece that is New Vegas is an interesting place to visit with each casino housing it's own followers and factions. A lot of work has been put into the game, it's just unfortunate that it had to follow in 3's footsteps as it was such a large pair of shoes to fill.
Dead Money:
Now this is when New Vegas starts to get really good and hit the mark. Dead Money sets you in the distant City of the Dead, specifically the Sierra Madre Casino. After following a distress call emitting from a bomb shelter you are gassed and captured, you awake outside in an unknown land. A man named father Elijah has captured you and three others in the hope that you will work together in order to open the Sierra Madre casino's vault and recover its contents within, but it's not as simple as he says. You are constricted with a remote bomb collar where by if you disobey Elijah or tread into areas your collar frequency is scrambled, your head will explode. This makes for an intense DLC as you're always on edge, checking your surroundings and praying to god you don't die. Throughout the City of the Dead you'll encounter what Elijah calls Ghosts, hazmat clad soulless wanderers, and holograms capable of killing you exceptionally quickly. This is one of my favourite DLC's and a great way to kick off the list with a compelling story.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyvkQk9tSAE
Honest Hearts:
There's a lot of back story to the Honest Hearts and conflict between the White Legs and the Dead Horse tribes so i'll try and avoid that and leave it for the game as it's much better to hear it from Joshua Graham himself. Essentially Joshua was Caesar's right hand man and after a bloody conflict and falling out Caesar cast him into the Grand Canyon alight but by some miracle he survived and lives on as the Burned Man. Soon the Courier discovers that Joshua was expecting Ulysses, the courier before you, to be here now to kill him by Caesar's orders but has not yet come, an interesting plot point to add to the ongoing story of the mysterious 'other' courier. Honest Hearts takes place in the Zion National Park of Utah far to the north, an untouched realm of peace and quiet, well it would be if it wasn't for the rivalling tribes. Throughout this DLC you'll encounter considerable more foes and new weapons and armour and some new survival crafts to help you in your travels. Overall this is a fun DLC with lots of new places to explore and a great addition to the New Vegas world.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7GBJv_k5Wc
Old World Blues:
So here's a DLC that's a little bit different and touch wacky. The Courier awakes in the distant Big Mountain, a place that for many years the people of New Vegas thought was a no-man's land, but it's far from that now. The courier must scour the pre-war research centre's within Big Mountain for technology to either help you aid your kidnappers or fight against them. Soon you discover that all the mutant animals roaming the wastes such as Cazadors and Night Stalkers all originated from the Big Mountain research facilities. Unfortunately for you, or fortunately, your kidnappers decided to remove your brain, spine and heart and replace it with more efficient technology! Old World Blue is a zany DLC that pits you against some interesting creatures and robots and pretty cool environment. Big Mountain is a pretty large area which rewards lots of exploration and side quests. The Think Tank building in the centre can become your home too and your major base of operations and given the technology around you at your disposal, why wouldn't you?
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwjCTjdDyvw
The Lonesome Road:
This is the final DLC and the epic conclusion to the ongoing myth about the 'other' courier, Ulysses. The Courier will travel far to the west, to the nuclear wastes of the Divide where he/she must walk the lonesome road to its end where they must face Ulysses. The Divide is a maze like landscape torn apart by earthquakes and storms and is a treacherous place to explore. You will encounter new aggressive creatures and the Marked Men, the victims who were scorched by the nuclear wastes and conflict. Much like the last DLC's this quest last for a lengthy 5-8 hours but there's little side quests as the main emphasis is on the main quest of meeting the courier. This is my favourite DLC out of all of them as it sheds a great deal of light on your origin story and is an interesting place to explore. While it is certainly hard, the reward is great and you'll receive some awesome gear in the end, all of which I still use in my profile today and nothing else!
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljfux37VlIA
In conclusion Fallout New Vegas isn't as bad as it may seem at first, once you push through the initial few hours it's a great game with lots of content. While the style and gameplay may still be the same we have to remember that Bethesda knew it was a winning combination so why change it. But I've said it before and i'll say it again, it's just very hard to follow in Fallout 3's footsteps but i'll give New Vegas a round of applause for trying and doing the best they could. Everyone give it a try and just persevere!
Genre: 1st / 3rd Person Action Adventure
Platforms: PC, PS3 & 360
Score: 9 / 10
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