Review: Fallout, New Vegas
Jan. 20th, 2011 08:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalSummary: In the post-apocalyptic Nevada of 2280, you play a courier who had the bad luck to get the wrong assignment, and end up buried in a shallow grave with two bullets in your brain pan. This seems to have left you a bit peeved, so now you must travel across the desert to New Vegas to confront your assailant, and uncover the mystery behind New Vegas' reclusive protector, Mr. House, and the plans of the New California Republic and Caesar's Legion, who are locked in a stalemate for control of Hoover Dam.
Before too long, you'll have to choose who to support, Mr. House, the NCR, Caesar's Legion... or yourself.
Coming after the incredible debut of the Fallout 3, which switched the original Fallout's turn-based combat to a combination of FPS and the unique VATS system, New Vegas had a very large act to follow. Fortunately Black Isle's designers managed to take Fallout 3's strengths and add onto it. The world is larger, with many more locations to explore, and avoids some of the repetition of the F3's caves and Metro tunnels, and the plot is far more intricate, with many more choices towards as to how the player can proceed and what his final goal will be.
Pros:
Factions: With the NCR, Caesar's Legion, and Mr House to contend with, not to mention minor factions such as the Kings, the Great Khans, the Followers of the Apocalypse and others, you've got a lot agendas to keep track of.
More color: Frankly, F3's sickly grey-green pallet got real old after a while. Even outside the predictably colorful New Vegas itself, the landscape is a nice mix of tans and browns, and a side trip up into the mountains even lets you see some snow and trees.
More Order: The Capitol Wasteland really was a wasteland. While there were pockets of civilization, there was no sense of anyone really being in charge, with even the Enclave mostly confined to its bunker. In New Vegas, you get the feeling that civilization is actually making a comeback. Food is being grown, the water is potable, there's organized caravans and mail service, and the NCR (bureaucratic and slightly corrupt as it is) is a real, functioning democracy genuinely trying to help people.
Shorter Character Creation: The half-hour This Is Your Life character creation sequence from F3 was very engrossing... the first time. Going through it again for a replay was just irritating. This time around it doesn't take you more than ten, slightly longer if you go through the gameplay tutorial as well.
Cons:
Nerfed Food: No more can you just go into your Pip-Boy during combat and instantly regain hit points. Only the stimpacks give you back points instantly, everything else takes a few precious seconds, which can end up making you suffer from a bad case of dead. Which is a shame, because there quite a few...
Ramped Up Enemies: Word of advice, do not attack a Death Claw in this game. You will learn to regret it. Not to mention the Lake Lurks. And the Brotherhood (if you're dumb enough to attack them).
Stingy Handouts: Want those Stimpacks? Or Food? Or decent armor? Look hard, look really hard.
Before too long, you'll have to choose who to support, Mr. House, the NCR, Caesar's Legion... or yourself.
Coming after the incredible debut of the Fallout 3, which switched the original Fallout's turn-based combat to a combination of FPS and the unique VATS system, New Vegas had a very large act to follow. Fortunately Black Isle's designers managed to take Fallout 3's strengths and add onto it. The world is larger, with many more locations to explore, and avoids some of the repetition of the F3's caves and Metro tunnels, and the plot is far more intricate, with many more choices towards as to how the player can proceed and what his final goal will be.
Pros:
Factions: With the NCR, Caesar's Legion, and Mr House to contend with, not to mention minor factions such as the Kings, the Great Khans, the Followers of the Apocalypse and others, you've got a lot agendas to keep track of.
More color: Frankly, F3's sickly grey-green pallet got real old after a while. Even outside the predictably colorful New Vegas itself, the landscape is a nice mix of tans and browns, and a side trip up into the mountains even lets you see some snow and trees.
More Order: The Capitol Wasteland really was a wasteland. While there were pockets of civilization, there was no sense of anyone really being in charge, with even the Enclave mostly confined to its bunker. In New Vegas, you get the feeling that civilization is actually making a comeback. Food is being grown, the water is potable, there's organized caravans and mail service, and the NCR (bureaucratic and slightly corrupt as it is) is a real, functioning democracy genuinely trying to help people.
Shorter Character Creation: The half-hour This Is Your Life character creation sequence from F3 was very engrossing... the first time. Going through it again for a replay was just irritating. This time around it doesn't take you more than ten, slightly longer if you go through the gameplay tutorial as well.
Cons:
Nerfed Food: No more can you just go into your Pip-Boy during combat and instantly regain hit points. Only the stimpacks give you back points instantly, everything else takes a few precious seconds, which can end up making you suffer from a bad case of dead. Which is a shame, because there quite a few...
Ramped Up Enemies: Word of advice, do not attack a Death Claw in this game. You will learn to regret it. Not to mention the Lake Lurks. And the Brotherhood (if you're dumb enough to attack them).
Stingy Handouts: Want those Stimpacks? Or Food? Or decent armor? Look hard, look really hard.
