A highly intelligent adventure that offers complex encounters, satisfying combat, and superbly written characters.
Fallout: New Vegas is a game of many flavors, characters and tales. To claim that a brief list of bugs can so much as even slightly dampen the experience is a claim that is unrealized. New Vegas delivers enough content and adventure that anyone with patience, intelligence and audacity can discover a video game so brutal in its gameplay and so sharp in its satire that it would be an arduous task to dislike it.
All of this is assuming the player prefers a character, event woven storyline with more emphasis on player interaction than most other next-gen titles on the market. The game begins with a dastardly betrayal and a grand foreshadowing for a game to come. As you sit with your hands tied awaiting your inevitable fate, a vista of extravagance, vice, sin, and avarice graces your vision. New Vegas, although the heart of the adventure is only a fraction of the surprises that ultimately await the intrepid adventure that is blessed with the presence of this game.
Gameplay
An RPG at heart, the stat system is fairly simple. Your basic attributes, which are chosen in the beginning, are assigned a basic numerical value between 1 and 10 and cannot be changed normally throughout the level process (unless you use the specific perk). Perks are various abilities that and traits that add a breadth of gameplay possibilities to the player. There are over 20 perks to acquire and 30 levels to max. The perks system gives new vegas a certain exclusivity to its level system that makes the game all the more refreshing. (the humorous references throughout the game to various internet and entertainment sensations are also a +, those fans of the movie Leon The Professorial will find a certain perk to their liking).
The game play is a perfectly blended mixture of adventure, story, and brutal shooting mechanics. The game often puts a grand emphasis on blood and guts and the deliverance of this is far more gratifying than anyone could ever expect. Gun aficionado will be at home in New Vegas and be very much impressed with the amount of guns and mods available alongside their unique handling and sound.
The VATS system, a unique aiming system which allows the player to specifically target body parts of an enemy alongside percentages, and allow the game to calculate the hit/miss ratio. This system allowed for a wide assortment of incredibly delivered executions and gameplay and is arguably one of the most impressive feature of New Vegas' predecessor, Fallout 3. However, this cinematic approach is not as impactful in New Vegas due to the fact that most guns have iron sights now. This new change allows the player to pull off much more gratifying combat as it is not as directed by player stats as in Fallout 3.
There is no shortage of adventure to be had in New Vegas, as there are nearly hundreds of different destinations to explore and scavenge. Whether spending time at the Vegas Strip, scavenging an old Vault-Tec for ammunition and other items, or simply causing havoc in the bandit camps, there is always an ample amount of content around the player.
Story
The Main story, seeking revenge to the aforementioned ordeal in the beginning, although very personal, is only a compliment to the surrounding conflict at hand. At its very basic core, the essence of New Vegas is the interactions of the Various factions, the three main being:
the owner of the Vegas strip, an ambitious businessman named Mr. House,
the New California Republic- the closest resemblance to the democratic framework of a government in 20th century society
And the Legion a homage to the roman empire that once ruled the world, this faction is viscous and emphasizes only perfection and seek to cull the weak.
these three factions are unique and each are the core to most everything that occurs in New Vegas. It rests up to the player to acquire the information to each of the factions and ultimately make a decision as to who serves the player's best interest . The game clearly sets multiple layers to each of these factions, where the NCR seems the logical choice for a true and tied democracy, further analysis can lead one to conclude that it is run by corrupt politicians guided by the avarice of human nature. Where Mr. House's seems like a dictator, perhaps his intentions are ultimately the best for the city. Where the legion are strictly savage, promoting survival of the fittest, the ideas adopted by the legion are the basic framework of many of the most successful civilizations that ever existed in the pre-industrialism era.
There are many issues to ponder and the fact that they are so deep in reason and so skillfully embedded into the game, the decision process adds a deep feeling of personality into the game. Obsidian obviously did their research and created such unique and compelling factions, that the lack of an actual main story makes up for their incredibly detailed backgrounds and values.
Final Remarks
This is a game for the highly motivated gamer. What this game lacks in ultimate flash, it makes up in substance. Everything about New Vegas is brimming with humanity, intellect and adventure. If you are not afraid to venture into a highly realized game world with complex layers to it, you will be in for a highly rewarding adventure practically untouched by most other of this generation's RPG's that are currently available.