Every time I started this game, I'd get about 30 minutes in then quit. Unlike Fallout 3, the story didn't grab me as interesting, and once I left the beginning area I didn't get that sense of "look at all those cool places out there, and I could visit each one." Instead, due to the surrounding canyons and rocks, you can't see many of the notable places in this game until you are right on top of them.
But once you get rolling, the companions are much more interesting, the story is more personal, and the various factions' stories and involvement feel like they matter more.