Nothing says West Wasteland better than New Vegas
The game is not as dark as Fallout 3, but that does not ruin the enjoyment. You still have to creep around, wary of what is around the next corner.
Introducing weapon mods, and applying them to your cache of weapons increases their lifetime in your inventory.
The four different storylines (NCR, Legion, House, Independent) all merge together well. Unlike Fallout 3, the storyline is not linear (You have one objective after another in order to finish the game). In New Vegas, you can choose which side gets the advantage. With a multitude of additional benefits and perks, you get stronger, just for killing one class of creature (Human, Abomination, Etc). If downloaded through Steam, you also get a way of tracking which achievements you have finished (Different endings, Playing casino games, Etc).
Speaking of casino games, the games of Blackjack, Roulette and Slots all provide a welcome break from trudging through the wasteland.
From start to finish, New Vegas delivers. Decide the fate of the region and the people who live there.