Weekend Review: Fallout New Vegas

First of all this is no expansion pack, its a whole new game as big (if not more) than F3, which serves to explain the full price, even the technical aspects remain the same, using the same old oblivion engine. Yet even when the graphics are just like in F3 (not the SFX's though) the feeling is quite different, more in line with F1&2.

That becomes obvious when you reach the ending: instead of F3 were the bad ending depended mostly on you choosing to use the FEV or not, here is more like a combination of actions that get you a bad ending, a number of mixed results, and finally the good ending, just like in the old games.

And thats the problem for me: you have to do too many things that seem mostly unnecesary (spoiler: for example, why does the BoS get Helios 1 if I dont destroy their bunker? I already got the Euclides, I could blast them if they even get close to it, yet they do)

Gameplay remains the same: see enemy, shoot, doesnt do shit 'cause your level is too low, get to a better level, still doesnt do shit because the FPS part of the game is still piss-poor. Ergo, change to VATS, fucking kill everything, watch the show.

But the rest is actually quite enjoyable, except of course when you got one of those stupid side missions, like one where you have to cross all of mojave just to get some proof for a drug dealer. Sure theres fast travel, but unless you already found some of the meaningless locations (abandoned shacks and stuff) that are around you still have to walk, a lot, and through a more accidented terrain than in the capital wasteland. That means more deteours through godforsaken deathtraps, or falling and breaking your legs.

And here's what I dont like: the new power-ups and ammo system. Now health doesnt kicks in immediately, nor do other helps, which really sucks when you're running low and in the middle of a fight with multiple enemies and no APs left. And it gets worst: you'll find yourself collecting stuff most of the time in order to make potions. This seems to help, until you realise your carry capacity seems to be slighltly less than in F3, even in higher levels, so you suddenly have to keep making trips just to stash stuff somewhere. Things get even worse with ammo: when before a dead enemy had some ready to use rounds, now he has a few, and lots of cases, so thats more dead-weight you have to carry around until you find a bench.

In my opinion if you want difficulty you need to make the game longer and the AI better. The fact is that just like in F3 when you reach the highest level all enemies become a joke, you can take out multiple super mutants in one round, no biggie. And thats the problem: instead of solving that, they added more fodder so you dont get bored with the game, you get tired and give up, and that's worse.

I give the game a 8.5 out of 10, its great and one of the best games of 2010, but personally I liked F3 more.

 

I'm probably going to have to start over my game.

I'm doing the quest near the beginning where you get the atomic fuel for the 'Great Journey'. It's a long trek away and any time I start to hike towards it, the Legion (who for some reason is pissed at me) just run up, yell at me, and then unload and kill me.

I'm just wandering around, minding my own business and 5 of them pop out of the bushes and start killing me. There's literally nothing I can do because they run faster than me. Idk, it's really frustrating right now...

 

Excellent review, I must agree with most of it!

So far I'm loving New Vegas, but the only criticism I would add is the HUGE number of bugs in the game, even more than in Fallout 3! The guys at Bethesda seriously should do something about the engine for the next game in the series...

And one more thing, if you're having speed issues with the game, you can try this performance fix: http://www.newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=34778
From what I read, the original game has some serious issues handling characters' faces resulting in an important performance decrease, this dll fixes it.

 

Weird, the legion never did shit to me, in fact I was almost accepted by them, until I got my euclides from max and unloaded some archimedes on those assholes:flamethrower:

Thanks for the props (and the dll) z_killemall :thumbsup: I did notice it was running slower than F3, but then again this is v1.0, and F3 was buggy as hell when it was released.

 

This happened to me at one stage and I'm pretty sure I just managed to get somewhere to fast travel or managed to avoid them but it took a LOT of savegame loading. I assume you've only been using the auto or quick saves?

 

What? you cant fast travel when there are enemies nearby, even if they arent shotting at you or you're 'hidden'

 

That sounds like a great improvement. Fallout 3 was way too easy, even on "Very Hard."

 

I save a lot.

In Fallout 3 I had something like 300 saves in a playthrough.

I'm probably going to start over rather than search through my saves for the point where I pissed them off. There's a couple things I want to do differently anyways.

 

Damn taxes...

 

What?

 

I might have to pick this one up but I have a big beef with Bethesda that may prevent that. I reinstalled Fallout3 about two weeks ago to finally finish the main quest and the DLC. I got all the way to the point where you get to the cavern to enter the vault to retrieve the GECK and the little bastard of a mayor doesn't give me the option to go to the vault due to the game apparently being about as bug ridden as Daikatana. Ended up turning off clipping and going through the fence. Fast forward to actually getting the GECK and having the game tell me to "escape the vault" only to go through a door the arrow on the compass wants me to go through to find that the compass now wants me to go back through the door I just went through. Go back and it wants me to turn around.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Now I have no way of finishing the game after investing quite a bit of time playing the game. Don't think Bethesda will be getting my money until after a few patches or there is a GOTY release with some DLC.

 

I think it's also worth mentioning that New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment as opposed to Bethesda Games Studios. I'm sure most everyone knew that but you know...

 

Yeah what was left of the van burem team did it, but bathesda holds the rights to everything, specially publishing

So APE, if you really want to stick it to them just torrent the game and play it for free

 

Cool review, what about the hardcore mode? I just played a bit on hard, but just re-formatted my pc, so I am going to try out hardcore mode now. There was a Mod at Fallout3Nexus that did quite the same, adding realism - and frustration - to the game. To solve the carrying issue, maybe just wait till someone ports a mod from FO3 for a backpack or, my personal favorite, a carrying pack for Dogmeat (dunno if in New Vegas there's a pet companion), which besides looking mighty cute and cool, came in handy to carry food, water and supplies.

I think the same about the FPS vs VATS thing, the game still lacks seriously to be at a good FPS level, I always end up using VATS.

 

Started over last night. I took more time exploring every corner of every building and realized I'd missed A LOT of stuff. Even in the very first house where you start the game. There's a ton of stuff there including a 9mm uzi type gun that you can fix.

 

Yeah! There's tons of stuff to loot!

I'll start over soon, I wanna try some configurations on S.P.E.C.I.A.L., giving 10 to intelligence and 10 to luck, 1 to strength, and then sort out the rest among the other stats. Point is I aim for the Nerd Rage perk or something like that, that levels your strength up to 10. In FO3 there was a perk that would pump up to 5 all your SPECIAL stats that were below 5, that would be great in addition to the nerd rage, but I think they took it away in New Vegas.

BTW, can't wait until Nexus starts coming up with tons of mods, I have about 5 GB of mods from TESNexus and Fallout3Nexus hehe

 

Yeah, there's way more stuff to loot than in FO3, you must travel with at least one partner in order to keep your weapons and still be available to take all valuable stuff...

Haven't tried Hardcore yet, but after seeing the lots of places, factions and side quests available (I always felt that FO3 had too few side quests, in NV from what I've seen there are lots of them), I'm sure I'll be playing it again some time after finishing it.

 

I'm so glad I started over. I'm a little past where I was previously and I'm about 3 levels higher with two partners and we're plowing through the wastelands decimating any mutants that stand in our way!

I just activated a power plant and gave electricity to everyone! What can I say, I'm a nice guy. haha

 

Hardcore is like trying to lift your entire body with just your dick...

Anyways, playing a second round, trying to get the happy ending instead of the anarchy&everybody-dies ending. Theres a bunch of small side-quests that really take some time to get done, but thats just like in F3.

BTW, graciano if I were you I would choose to send the energy to archimedes, then go to freeside and get euclides from some kid called max.