Fallout: New Vegas brings back more Apocalyptic fun to the table along with some new interesting features. Come on in!
Fallout: New Vegas is a post-apocalyptic FPS/RPG hybrid developed by Obsidian (Alpha Protocol) and published by the recent Fallout popular: Bethesda Studios (Fallout 3). If you have played Fallout 3 then Fallout: New Vegas will make you feel right at home.
While Obsidian developed this game, it is safe to say that old time Fallout 1 & 2 fans will have some resemblance to F: NV because part of the team that developed it also worked on 1 & 2. You may see the return of the beloved Geckos and characters from previous Fallouts along with other interesting bits and pieces.
Even though Fallout: New Vegas was published after Fallout 3 it is not a direct sequel but more of a "Spin-off".
Graphics:
If you've played Fallout 3 then you will realize that Fallout: NV uses the same engine developed by bethesda. This is not a bad thing if you can get passed some of the quirky animations and variety of glitches.
Although Fallout: New Vegas is part of a franchise built around a destroyed world, Obsidian has managed to add a variety of environments that will give some more flavor to the "Mohave Desert". You will come across forest, snow, unradiated water, cities, but most of all desert; desolated desert.
Textures are solid when it comes to Fallout: NV, even considering that the size of the game is gigantic. Aside from the rare texture pop-ins, you should be able to enjoy the beauty of the apocalyptic New Vegas.
8.7/10
Gameplay:
Gameplay is where Fallout: New Vegas shines and doesn't mind showing it all off. Fallout 3 regulars will be re-introduced to the "V.A.T.S." system again, a "cinematic" way of killing an enemy by stopping time and pin-pointing where you would like to fire at your enemy. This will include limbs flying and possible explosions of red depending on the "Perk" you are using.
This time around, wandering the around will be more rewarding because of the amount of extra features that have been thrown in to Fallout: NV. You can now go out looking for herbs and food to create meals or other items that you would need. Some species will have off-springs they are willing to throw their life away for and the sheer variety of locations to explore are well enough over the hundreds.
Vegas would not be Vegas without gambling though, and Obsidian made that clear when adding Blackjack, Slots, and even Roulette to countless casinos in and outside the famous strip. Each casino you go to will allow you to buy chips through a teller and with those chips you gamble your caps away!
My personal favorite feature that has been added this time around would be the True Iron sights. For anyone that does not know what this is, it's what you see when you aim down your weapon. Instead of a zoom in, you will see the gun like you do in popular FPS games like Modern Warefare 2 and Battlefield Bad Company 2.
Another new and exciting feature added to Fallout: New Vegas is it's Hardcore mode. If your a hardcore Fallout fan and you want a challenge, it's no doubt the route to take. Playing in Hardcore mode requires you to sleep, eat, drink, and visit doctors when bones are broken. Although it seems like fun (and is to an extent), it takes away the fun of exploring and searching for food, water, and beds is always at the back of your mind. So I recommend it only be used after your first play through.
With the amount of things you can do in Fallout: New Vegas, I can sit here all day typing about companions, quests, and more but it should be YOU who experiences it all.
Now with great games comes great glitches and bugs. Or maybe just game that are made using Bethesda's buggy engine. As you walk the Mojave desert you will undoubtedly experience at least a couple glitches through your time there. Since release, reports of freezing, lag, underground enemies, missing textures, odd bugs, and quest bugs have been reported. The players have been promised patches (one already released for all platforms fixing over 200 bugs) but it is no excuse to release an extremely buggy game.
8.8/10
Sound:
One thing that has greatly improved since Fallout 3 would be the sounds in New Vegas, regardless of the sound system you use. You now hear bullets falling on the ground after firing and shoot-outs off in the distance.
The amount of sounds thrown into New Vegas is great but the best part of it all would be the certain things you hear wandering New Vegas, it can be the spitter-spatter from the geckos or the long strides of the deadly deathclaws, and even little paddles of mole-rats.
9/10
Story:
To those who have played any of the Fallout games, you know it's not about the story but more about exploring to your hearts desire. Regardless, Fallout: New Vegas puts you in the shoes of a courier who was sent to deliver a Platinum Chip to a "Mr.House", but before reaching it's destination, the chip is stolen and you get shot in the head.
After being taken to a doctor by a cowboy-robot named "Victor" you are patched back up and you create your character during that session. From there on, YOU, the courier sets out to find who shot him in the head and find some answers to it all.
As you finish each main quest, the game's story begins to pull you in and you tend to forget about exploring...until you find a new location. We can say that the story in Fallout New Vegas has improved from the last but it's hard to stay stuck to it's quests when there is so much more to do out there.
7.9/10
Final Verdict:
Fallout: New Vegas is a must buy if you've played AND enjoyed previous fallout games or enjoy exploring open-world games. Although the game may have it's downfalls with glitches, it's not near enough to drag it down so low as to not to buy it.
8.8/10