Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas
Developer(s)	Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Bethesda Softworks (US, UK), Namco Bandai Games (EU, AU, NZ)
Designer(s)	Josh Sawyer (Project Director) John Gonzalez (Creative Lead) Chris Avellone (Sr. Designer)
Composer(s)	Inon Zur Mark Morgan
Series	Fallout
Engine	Gamebryo
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre(s)	Action RPG, First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

Fallout: New Vegas is a role-playing video game in the Fallout series by Obsidian Entertainment (many employees of which worked for Black Isle Studios on Fallout and Fallout 2). It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October 2010.

Fallout: New Vegas is not directly a sequel to Fallout 3. The game offers a similar role-playing experience to Fallout 3 and events are set four years later. While no characters from Fallout 3 appear, the game marks the return of Marcus, a super-mutant from Fallout 2, again voiced by Michael Dorn.

Setting

Fallout: New Vegas takes place during the year 2281, 3 years after the estimated end of Fallout 3, and 204 years after the Great War of 2077, making this installment chronologically the latest in the series thus far. The game is set in post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, Nevada and the Mojave Desert known as the "Mojave Wasteland" which is roughly the same size as the "Capital Wasteland" in Fallout 3. Unlike other cities in the Fallout series, Las Vegas was not struck directly by a nuclear attack. Its buildings remain intact, and mutation of its inhabitants is minimal. The city is divided between various factions, most notably the New California Republic (NCR), the slave-driving Caesar's Legion, and the various factions of New Vegas itself. Landmarks featured in Fallout: New Vegas include the Hoover Dam that supplies power to the city and the Helios 1 solar energy plant.

Plot

The game places the player in the role of a courier. While delivering a package with a platinum poker chip and NCR war documents to a town called Primm, the player is ambushed by a man named Benny Gecko (voiced by Matthew Perry) who steals the package and shoots him/her in the head and left in a shallow grave. The Courier is rescued by a robot named Victor who brings him or her to Doctor Mitchell. Thereafter the player enters into character creation (defining skills and attributes, name, gender, age and appearance) before investigating the assassination attempt, recovering the stolen package, and exploring the world.

While Fallout: New Vegas proceeds according to the player's decisions, which may lead to numerous possibilities, the main storyline revolves around the Hoover Dam. Major hostilities are set to resume over the dam among key factions: Mr. House, Caesar's Legion, and the NCR. The player begins the story by following the trail of Benny, who shot the player at the opening scene, across the Mojave Wasteland. Once the player corners Benny in New Vegas, Benny tells him that he attacked the courier over a platinum poker chip that contains compressed data that House wants. The player is contacted by Mr. House requesting the chip as well.

After finding the chip and dealing with Benny, its revealed that the chip is designed to update the programming of Mr. House's army of securitrons, which makes them effectively the most powerful local military force. After deciding how to proceed with the issue of the Securitrons, the battle between the NCR and Caesar's Legion begins, with the player's decisions regarding the various factions determining the winner or you can not go with any of the factions and make new vegas independent.

Gameplay

See also: Gameplay in Fallout 3

Obsidian Entertainment presents new features and improvements in Fallout: New Vegas that are implemented upon the foundation of Fallout 3.

The original Fallout 3 engine was reworked to accommodate the extra lights and effects of the Vegas strip for New Vegas.

The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S. will have the ability to use new special attacks. Usage of certain melee weapons will trigger unique animations. For example, using a 9 iron would show up as "Fore!", and sends the enemy reeling for a period of time. Also, the developer added the ability to use the iron sights on almost all guns, excluding larger weapons that are shot from the hip, with better over-the-shoulder view for third-person combat. New weapons, some Fallout 3 weapons, and a weapon modification system are introduced in Fallout: New Vegas. The modification system allows for weapon modifications, such as mounting scopes, modifying rate of fire, and changing size of magazine. Crafting will also play a role in weaponry, with the player being able to craft ammunition, such as hand-loaded rounds. In addition, a plant-harvesting system similar to The Elder Scrolls series will be in place for the player to use such plants in bullets, chems, for healing, stats, and for other handy uses.

The quantity of factions prompted developers to reintroduce the reputation system that was absent in Fallout 3. The degree of faction loyalty influences the player's reputation. Reputation affects the behavior of faction non-player characters (NPCs) toward the player, and reflects the impacts of selected choices in the world. Karma is also a factor, but is independent of faction reputation (the player can rob a faction member, lowering his karma, but leaving his reputation unchanged assuming he isn't caught). Availability of dialogue options with NPCs are based upon skills, reputation and karma. Skills have a bigger effect on conversation choices. Whether a dialogue option will succeed or fail is shown up front, and entirely dependent on skill level, rather than chance as seen in Fallout 3. Companion behavior and tasks are controlled using the new "companion wheel." Fallout 3 presented companion commands in a conversational dialogue menu. The new Companion Wheel offers command execution by selecting commands that are presented in a radial and graphical menu. Josh Sawyer states the Companion Wheel offers ease of companion interaction. Such examples of companion commands include setting and changing its combat tactics, its default behavior towards foes and usage frequency of available resources. The player also receives a special perk dependent upon the companion recruited, and can have one humanoid and one non-humanoid at a time.

In New Vegas, the player can visit casinos to participate in mini-games, including blackjack, slots, and roulette. You can either win or lose money at these mini games. Designer Chris Avellone said the mini-games were done by a programmer experienced in programming non-table gaming machines. A card game called Caravan is also playable in the game.

Hardcore mode

An optional Hardcore mode delivers more realism and intensity into the gaming environment. As gameplay difficulty is increased, players are encouraged to implement effective strategies, make careful considerations in resource management and combat tactics, and pay high attention to the surrounding environment. Gameplay difficulty is increased in several ways: stimpaks do not heal the player instantly, but work over a period of time; the healing of crippled limbs requires a high medicine skill and medical equipment, or alternatively a visit to a doctor; ammunition has weight and the player character must eat, drink and sleep to avoid starvation, dehydration and exhaustion.

An achievement (Xbox 360/Windows) or trophy (PlayStation 3) is awarded for beating the game on this mode.

Development and marketing

System requirements

	Requirements
Windows
Operating system	Windows XP SP2/Vista/7
CPU	Dual Core 2.0 Ghz
Memory	2 GB
Free space	10 GB of free space
Graphics hardware	NVIDIA Geforce 6 series / ATI 1300XT series

Senior Producer Jason Bergman revealed that Fallout: New Vegas will use Steamworks for functionality, such as achievements and cloud save storage. Retail PC copies will activate via Steam. In a USA Today interview, Bergman announced the involvement of several celebrities including Ron Perlman as the game's narrator and Wayne Newton as radio DJ "Mr. New Vegas." He confirmed that the game will also include voice acting from Matthew Perry, Zachary Levi, Kris Kristofferson, Danny Trejo, Michael Dorn, Felicia Day. Inon Zur will compose the score for the game. Also it includes songs such as (I Got Spurs That) Jingle Jangle Jingle, Blue Moon, and Orange Colored Sky.

On February 4, 2010, Obsidian Entertainment released the Fallout: New Vegas teaser trailer. A second trailer was first shown on GameTrailers TV from E3 on June 11, 2010. Bethesda has announced 4 pre-order bonus packs giving specific in-game items, they include the "Classic", "Tribal", "Caravan" and "Mercenary" packs available when pre-ordering at specific outlets.

Collector's Edition

The Collector's Edition was revealed on May 11, 2010. Distribution will be worldwide and available for all three platforms. Its enclosed contents include poker chips from Fallout: New Vegas casinos (one from each of the seven major casinos found on the New Vegas strip and throughout the Mojave Wasteland), a deck of cards each with a character on them with information on that person, a graphic novel leading up to the events of New Vegas, Lucky 38 platinum chip replica (actual game item), and a making-of documentary DVD. PS3 version brings this in Blu-ray format.

Downloadable content

On October 18, 2010 Bethesda Softworks announced that DLC will be available for New Vegas, in keeping with its predecessor Fallout 3. The first is due to come out in late 2010 for the Xbox 360.

Reception

Fallout New Vegas

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	84/100 (Xbox 360) 81/100 (PlayStation 3) 86/100 (PC)

Review scores

Publication	Score
1Up.com	B
Edge	6/10
Eurogamer	9/10
Game Informer	8.5/10
GamePro
GameSpot	7.5/10 (360/PS3) 8.5/10 (PC)
GamesRadar+	9/10
GameTrailers	8.6/10
IGN	9/10 (360/PS3) 9/10 (PC)
Official Xbox Magazine (US)	9/10 (UK)
X-Play
Destructoid	9/10
Joystiq

Reception to Fallout: New Vegas has been mostly positive with critics praising the gameplay improvements and expanded content over Fallout 3 while criticizing familiarity and technical issues.

Eurogamer commented that "Obsidian has created a totally compelling world and its frustrations pale into insignificance compared to the immersive, obsessive experience on offer. Just like the scorched scenery that provides its epic backdrop, New Vegas is huge and sprawling, sometimes gaudy, even downright ugly at times – but always effortlessly, shamelessly entertaining."

GameSpot comments that "Fallout: New Vegas' familiar rhythm will delight fans of the series, and the huge world, expansive quests, and hidden pleasures will have you itching to see what other joys you might uncover. However, as time wears on, the constant glitches invade almost every element of the game and eventually grow wearisome."

Giant Bomb's Jeff Gerstmann reviewed Fallout: New Vegas for the Xbox 360 positively, despite its many crash bugs and glitches. "When I reflect on the experience, I'll probably think about the times the game locked up on me or broke in a dozen other crazy ways first, before thinking about the great world and the objectives that fill it. If you were able to look past the issues that plagued Fallout 3 and Oblivion before it, New Vegas will eventually show you a real good time."

1UP.com's Mike Nelson wrote "On one hand it feels like I can recommend this to any fan of the Fallout series. I single these fans out because they're willing to forgive silly bugs like meeting characters who walk into walls or occasionally float in mid-air. These fans realize that the game as a whole is greater than the sum of minor graphical anomalies. On the other hand, I simply can't ignore or forgive the game for crashing on me when I walk around the Mojave Wasteland; or for quests that simply can't be completed because of a game glitch; or for making my companions disappear when I need them the most during a battle. These are some of the most frustrating bugs I have ever encountered with any game, especially when attached to a series that I deeply enjoy."

IGN UK scored all three platforms as 9/10; praising the script but criticising the character models and facial animation as "wooden and unbelievable"

Other critics from MetaCritic claim certain bugs, for which Bethesda Softworks promises patches, however none of these critics said that these bugs interfered with the expansiveness of the world.

External links

• Official website
• Fallout: New Vegas at The Vault, the Fallout wiki