There’s always a sense of nervous anticipation when another great sequel is announced and where expectations are always hyped to a point that people expect to be disappointed with the next instalment - Fallout New Vegas comes with new ambitions but without its predecessors merits. For those who haven’t played any of the previous games Fallout takes place in a post apocalyptic America where Nuclear bombs have scorched the world and left wastelands covered in radiation and mutants (just like Butlins). With New Vegas three main factions (NCR, Caesar’s Legion and the New Vegas Strip) are fighting over land and energy supplies with the main focus on taking the Hoover Dam. Unlike the previous Fallouts where players start off in a vault you are immediately shot in the head and buried in a grave ala Las Vegas style. Fortunately you are recovered by a robot and patched up by a local Doctor and left to figure out who tried to kill you and why.

Just like any Fallout game as soon as you step out onto the wastelands there is a sense of the great expanse and yet bleakness to your surroundings. As players progress into the Mojave Desert you will face many different encounters both with NPCs and enemies alike. This is what New Vegas does best, giving players more things to do and explore. Fallout New Vegas also includes different factions that give a greater variety of settings. Then there’s the actual style that fits so well with New Vegas from the old classical music such as the Rat Pack to the neon signs and clothes. In fact Fallout New Vegas is all about giving more choices that no other RPG could give in one game.

Game play-wise Fallout doesn’t disappoint. With the levelling up system, players can choose different skills that fit their tastes whether it’s fighting with fist or using a sniper rifle far away from the danger. Players can even change their characteristics by having more Speech or to Barter for a diplomatic approach or even avoid any fighting by being able to level up their sneaking like a cool ninja. New Vegas also brings back the V.A.T.S system in which players can choose certain body parts to cripple an enemy. Apart from that the combat it is still on the same level as Fallout 3 but with an added ability to look into the sights of guns. However, with such a large variety in skills options players can choose what best suits them.

From the get go players have a huge sense of freedom in terms of where to go in the Majove desert or who to follow. Players can even choose not to follow the main mission entirely and go explore the expansive wasteland. However, it should be noted that exploring certain places will lead to many death possibilities as the Mojave Desert contains all manner of mutated animals both small and large. Even on a high level, players will be killed easily, as unlike other RPGs enemies don’t have a matching level that aligns to the level you are. That said players can find many rich locations that might help you in getting new quests or simply places to relax. This is one of the best things about Fallout New Vegas in that each quest is different and can be dealt with in many ways from investigating a location to even negotiating a hostage situation. The quests themselves may also have a great influence in the main story as each decision can even affect the main story. It’s this sense of freedom and immersion that truly makes Fallout New Vegas come to life.

As with all great works it does have its problems. The one factor that has become a growing concern is that people who have bought the console formats report that the game is filled with bugs and glitches that make it difficult to even play the game. This can also be said but to a lesser extent with the PC version. There have been times where the game would lag or even freeze but this was very rare in my experience. The best bet is to get this game on the PC or wait until Obsidian puts a patch out for the consoles. Glitches aside New Vegas also has some recurring issues as most fans that played Fallout 3 will recognise New Vegas feels more like an expansion than an actual game. The combat system still acts the same where the guns feel less accurate in killing people despite VATS and with some weapons the sights give little help. The overall graphics is ok but is still using the same engine as Fallout 3. This makes it seem dated from an engine that was used three years ago. Surely Obsidian would have updated everything to fit today’s expectations of continuous improvement.

Overall Fallout New Vegas delivers a great expansive piece of the Fallout universe that will be played constantly over and over again just from the amount of choices and skills players can choose from. I recommend this to anyone who wants to try out something new and to fans who have already played the previous Fallout games (although wait for the patches if buying for the console).

Fallout New Vegas
Developer: Obsidian
Publisher: Bethesda Software
Platforms: PC (reviewed), PS3 and Xbox 360
Rating: PEGI 18+
Players: 1

Review by Thomas Pearce for Younilife.com