Old World Blues is the most humorous and enjoyable Fallout add-on thus far.
Old World Blues begins similarly to how all Fallout add-ons on do, and this time around the Courier is lead to the elusive area called Big MT, otherwise known as the Big Empty. The first sight of this location shows that it's a giant crater filled with all sorts of high-tech structures and bright glowing lights in the distance. The Courier, oddly enough, is in a patient gown, which leads to the belief that something happened to the Courier once again against their will. The first characters that are met aren't actually humans, and instead are robotic creatures with human brains at the control. The amusing tone of this add-on is quickly catches on through the initial dialogue with the head robotic creature by the name of Dr. Klein who has been a scientist at this facility called the "Think Tank" since before the Great War. To avoid spoiling any more plot details, I'll skip through some explanations and just say that after a lengthy and hilarious conversation, the Courier is sent off to retrieve some specific technology.
While the plot is relatively straightforward, the adventure itself doesn't have to be. Upon being released into the Big Empty (which is anything but empty), the bountiful locations is soon to be realized, and few of them actually involve the main storyline. That said, there is a great amount of exploring to do in addition to an assortment of side quests to complete. The best aspect of it all is that there is rarely a dull moment. A dedicated location for the Courier acts as a safe house for storage and is complete with an Auto-Doc and a vendor along with various appliances which include a toaster and jukebox, all of which talk, that is, once you find the necessary component to activate each one of them. These are of course located in the many locations to visit within Big MT, and are part of a series of quest to activate all ten objects within this safe house. The talking objects are not only uproarious, but they provide some useful functions such as upgrading certain weapons and turning useless items into somewhat less useless items. The zaniness of this add-on is simply immense.
The area itself is fairly large as it has to accommodate for a nice variety of locations. The high-tech structures and bright lights aforementioned aren't the only sights to behold. Inside some buildings contain fascinating experiments, many of which didn't go quite as planned and even explain the existence of some of the mutated creatures roaming the Mojave. A pre-war concentration camp and even a botanical garden add some spice to an all ready fairly diverse location. Fascinating notes and items left behind by familiar characters tell an interesting story that explain some events that lead to happenings in other certain add-ons. For hardcore Fallout fans, the connections are enthralling, though they may pique the interest of less devoted fans. A few new enemies also add some excitement and variety throughout Big MT. The most notable are the robo-scorpions, which are exactly what they sound like, and the Y-17 trauma override harness, which was designed to help the person wearing it if severely injured, but they took on a mind of their own and continued to go out of control even after the user died.
Exploring is highly awarding as there is much to do, see, and collect, all of which are essential elements that make Fallout so addicting. One unique addition to these activities in Old World Blues partaking in numerous experiments that range from suppressing hostile foes to navigating stealthily through a high-secured area while collecting an item to complete the experiment, which usually more so resemble a training exercise. These are mostly part of the main quests, but others have multiple levels and are optional, which is good because it gets a tad repetitive completing a nearly identical test for a third time in a row, though the reward may be worth it. Some of the gameplay is a bit unique compared to the rest of Fallout. A large gun that contains a dog brain that barks and whimpers upon specific actions, and another weapon is not only highly effective against robots, it disables force fields that are strewn about Big MT. Oh, and if you try to go out of bounds, you'll be teleported back as there's no leaving until the final mission is complete.
At this point, I probably don't even have to mention the main issues of Old World Blues, because they, to no surprise, involve the technical issues that have been a detrimental part of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, and especially their DLC's. With Old World Blues, I experienced more freezes than I did with Dead Money and Honest Hearts combined, but part of the issue probably had to do with my increasingly large file size. Additionally, most freezes occurred in roughly the same area, thus making some of the crashes somewhat avoidable. Still, the technical problems don't quite end there. There were of course some typical Fallout glitches I experienced, like non-game reloading quirks such as enemies getting stuck in the ground. However, one glitch that involved a never ending dialogue loop forced me to reload my save file. The freezing is much more cumbersome than the glitches, but the hilarities and overall excellence of Old World Blues can overshadow these problems.
Prior to Old World Blues, Fallout New Vegas' add-ons have been solid, though not up to the quality of Fallout 3's best add-ons, which were arguably Point Lookout and Broken Steel. With its absurd humor among other variables, Old World Blues easily surpasses New Vegas' previous add-ons, Dead Money and Honest Hearts, and easily matches and perhaps slightly exceeds the quality of Broken Steel and Point Lookout. Technical complications slightly mar the otherwise highly enjoyable experience. Humor is definitely the focal point of Old World Blues. The witty dialogue and amount content is unmatched by all previous add-ons as well. A run through the story itself may only take about five hours, but with the vast amount of areas to search and explore for an add-on, it's easy to spend at least ten hours at Big MT, and fortunately it is also extremely easy to visit once you leave. In all, Old World Blues is without question the standout of Fallout: New Vegas' add-ons, and with the amount of quality content within it, is definitely the most worthy addition to it.