Great follow-up to the 2008 hit Fallout 3
Gameplay: 9/10
There are many new things to do in New Vegas. For example you can make ammo and make other types of items, make different types of food at campfires, etc. The Pip-Boy and the V.A.T.S. system is back and while still the same thing, it is still balanced and fun to use. You can pause the game to choose different body parts on enemies to shoot, cut etc. Obsidian has added the iron sight ability. So now you can look down your iron sights to have a more accurate shot. The enemies are unique also. There are some of the older enemies from Fallout 3 and also new types of enemies. There are five different difficulty settings ranging from very easy to very hard. The game implements a new hardcore mode. Basically in this new mode it makes it harder for you to survive. You must do things like drink to hydrate yourself and also sleep and rest your body. Ammunition also has weight so you must also keep an eye on how much of it your carrying. New Vegas also brings back the leveling up system. S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck) so all the perks are back along with some new ones.
Unfortunately New Vegas has a lot of bugs. The game will freeze maybe five or six times in one play-through. There are a lot of bugs and they come up often like getting stuck in areas, shooting with no gun in your hand etc. The frame-rate also drops a lot in this game. Load times are also still long. None of these bugs are game-breaking fortunately. It uses the same engine as Fallout 3 so these bugs were kinda expected but definitely does not hold this game back at all.
Story: 8/10
The story is well done in New Vegas. Your shot in the opening scene of the game and are looking for the guy who shot you. Later on in the game you meet different factions who all are trying to take over each other. You do quest for all of them and basically choose sides and the fates of other factions. The quest you are to doing don't just seem tedious. The story behind each faction is very interesting and you will find your self getting deeply involved with each one.
Graphics/Sound: 8/10
The graphics in New Vegas are decent. This game does look slightly better than Fallout 3. The graphics weren't expected to be great, especially because of how massive this game is. Still New Vegas does look decent and after exploring this world for all the hours you will be exploring it, you tend to forget some of its graphical setbacks. With that said the sound is amazing. There are radio stations you can listen to while playing the game and a few of the tracks will get stuck in your head even after your done playing. The gun sounds have been improved also. The voice work is also very impressive .
Playtime/Replayability: 10/10
With so many different quest to do, all the exploring, side missions etc. To do everything in New Vegas it will take you at least 80-100 hours to complete and more than one play-through. Depending on how you decided to do things or who you decided to kill there will be different quest and different ways to complete them. So more than one play-through is highly recommended.
Overall 9/10
Fallout New Vegas is definitely one of the best games to come out this year. Despite its bugs/glitches its awesome gameplay, sound, story, and hours and hours of time it takes to beat makes it definitely one of the better titles to pick up this holiday season.