Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Immersive"

After spending multiple weeks thoroughly exploring the vast landscape of post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. in Fallout 3, I immediately went out to my local game store to check Fallout: New Vegas, the sequel to the 2008 role-playing masterpiece. Taking place in a futuristic Las Vegas torn by war and constant clashes between different organizations, Fallout: New Vegas maintains the same desolate atmosphere that made Fallout 3 so memorable, and the gameplay is also quite similar. While this is not a direct sequel, the bottom line is that if you liked Fallout 3, you will almost certainly like exploring New Vegas as well.

Apart from a few nice additions like the ability to aim down the sights of your weapon, the gameplay has remained almost untouched since Fallout 3 - this is still a first-person action RPG with shooter elements; everything right down to the menus and the HUD in Fallout: New Vegas feels very similar to its acclaimed predecessor. While this sense of familiarity may be a drawback to some, I think New Vegas offers a much more expansive and decision-based world than Fallout 3 did. The main quest requires some important choices to be made by the player, and moral 'black and whites' are scarce - you will often find yourself doing morally questionable things to potentially help Vegas in the long run, and although I prefer the slightly more 'black and white' decisions of Fallout 3, this is an excellent game that stands as a unique overall experience.

Of course, the production values are incredibly high across the board, and although I did notice some framerate issues from time to time, the 'game-breaking' bugs that so many folks talk about were surprisingly absent from my time spent with the game. Fallout: New Vegas is an absolutely massive effort that requires a lot out of the player, but if you are willing to dedicate a lot of time to a truly spectacular gaming experience, this should be a no-brainer.