I received Fallout: New Vegas from Gamefly yesterday, between then and this morning I was able to put a couple of hours into the campaign. While New Vegas is an entirely new name with a new storyline, main character, and location, it still feels like it could have simply been DLC from Fallout 3. The few changes that have been made are for the better, but in the end they are more like “tweaks” than all-out changes, and you will definitely feel like you are playing Fallout 3 as you wander the Mojave Desert. Don’t worry, I didn’t pop in any story-revealing spoilers or anything like that.
The game starts off similar to Fallout 3, where we are introduced to the main character and then go through the process of creating him or her. All of the stats from the first game (S.P.E.C.I.A.L.) are here again, and after creating the cosmetic appearance of your character’s face, you assign values to the SPECIAL rating. From there, a doctor will ask you some psychological questions to get your other skills figured out. One thing that is different is that there is now a “Survival” skill that you can put points towards, which will enhance how much health you receive from food and water. The process is all similar to how it was done in Fallout 3, where you used the “baby book” to determine your starting SPECIAL’s and took the GOAT to determine your skills. One new thing in New Vegas is the inclusion of starting perks. After getting your skills assigned, you will have the option of taking up to two special traits. The tricky thing is that while they will boost some aspect of the game, they will also lower another aspect. For example, one will increase your gunfire speed by 20%, but will make you 20% less accurate. It’s your choice if you take these traits or not; you can take, none, one, or two. Once this is finished, you can take your first steps into the Mojave Desert wastes.
As I’ve already mentioned, New Vegas has many similarities to Fallout 3. For starters, all the menus and controls are pretty much the same. The Pip-Boy 3000 returns, and it’s menu navigation is exactly the same as it was in Fallout 3. The only difference is that you can now track challenges, which, when completed, will unlock additional perks for your character. Combat remains unchanged, as does the VATS targeting system. This is good news, at least in my opinion, because while no changes were made, I personally don’t think any changes had to be made. It worked in Fallout 3, so why change something that’s already proven to be solid?
Another thing that hasn’t changed too much are the graphics. The environments and wastelands still look bizarrely beautiful while some of the NPC humans look like crap, which is a similar story to that of Fallout 3. The one thing that I did find to be a bit lazy on the developer’s part was that they used many of the NPC’s from Fallout 3 and popped them into this game. Right off the bat, there were two characters in the starting town that I distinctly recognized from Fallout 3. One lady is the almost exact duplicate of Moria from Megaton (the lady who you help by researching for her Wasteland Survival Guide book), and there’s an old man named Easy Pete (who snuck into my bed, much to my horror) who is the exact character model of the old guy who worked Megaton’s water maintenance shed in Fallout 3, only Easy Pete has a beard and hat. I would have liked to see some new characters, just to liven things up, but it’s not like it kills the game or anything. It’s just something to laugh at, and I do.
While many things remain the same, there are a few little differences. One of the biggest changes is that there is a lot more crafting going on. In Fallout 3 all you could craft were a few weapons. In New Vegas, there is a lot more to do. You can find ammo casings and reload them to make ammo (though it is a lower quality ammo and will increase the rate of abuse on your weapon) or you can make special ammo, like hollow jacket or armor piercing. You can also make food now, by picking plants (which definitely reminded me of Oblivion) and combining ingredients over a campfire. I also came across a chemistry set in a doctor’s office that allowed me to automatically make five stimpacks, which was sweet.
Another interesting addition to the game is the optional “hardcore” mode. This isn’t a difficulty level, as you can play hardcore mode on the easy difficulty. When it’s activated, bars will appear representing your food, water, and sleep levels. If you don’t get enough food, water, or sleep a day, it will harm you, and may eventually lead to your death. Also, ammunition will have a weight value, making it harder to carry items. Since I am just renting the game from Gamefly, I did not go with the hardcore mode…I’m saving that little challenge for later down the road, when I eventually purchase the game (which I definitely will be doing.)
From what I’ve seen so far, New Vegas is just as good as Fallout 3. Some people may say Fallout 3 is better, some may say New Vegas is better…I can’t say for sure. What I do know is that if you’re like me, and you loved Fallout 3, than New Vegas is a must! I enjoyed roaming the Capital Wastes so much that I played though Fallout 3 four times, and I’m sure I’ll be heading back again one day. That being said, I know that I would love to have multiple playthroughs in New Vegas, which is why I will definitely purchase it on the cheap one day. For now, I will have to be content with only one runthrough so that I can send it back on it’s way to Gamefly so that some other little ol’ gamer out there can enjoy.
I’ll write up a full review of the game once I put more time into it.
