Fallout:New Vegas is a slow burn but not in an awesome roast-a-pig-in-a-backyard-firepit kind of way, more a boil-a-frog kind of way. So much time is invested that by the time it's over a beaten down Stockholm Syndrome sets in, goading the player to make it to the pay-off to justify the time investment.
As The Courier (when you are actually one of many couriers) you start the game in a grave, a bullet lodged in your skull. Rescued by a overly friendly robot (that conveniently shows up all over the place), The Courier is mended by a small-town doctor and set out into the world with a single quest-find the man that betrayed him/her.
I can see your house from here
Like Fallout 3 (and on the same engine) F:NV drops the player into an open world from the beginning, but firmly guides through quests and rewards. As an action RPG, leveling deeply affects the ability to travel from environment to environment as various flora and fauna as well as enemies are placed to deter much off-the-beaten-path travel.This wide-but-still-a-corridor approach pushes the player into a variety of environments suitable to their level and as diverse as an abandoned town,a Vault, an abandoned farm, a ruined town filled with survivors (good/bad/one with the gun) and Vegas. This also serves to level and equip the player enough to surive the end-game with in New Vegas itself and where the meat of the story really is.
Revenge is a dish best severed
What began as a simple revenge tale ramps up in the last 10 hours to a tale of political power and intrigue as the Courier is given leave to aid or destroy various factions in the world. These choices determine the future of New Vegas itself and the surrounding lands. The meandering journey around the city informs these choices but for me, there was only one clear path, as none of the factions are particularily interesting or endearing.Presented as an attempt to empathize with the plight of various peoples, F:NV is such a slog that the endless dialogue trees and barely animated charaters blur into one another, including the player companions. I encountered all of them, and while I saw the benefit each might bring as one of the two allowed, I found none to be very interesting. I ended up keeping a robot and a dog for most of my travels.
Only in that last part of the game does the momentum build, including a truly shocking (and entirely optional moment) involving would-be dictator Mr. House. Only then does the game find its legs and move the story forward, barrelling towards a deliciously violent conclusion.
Take it in the face
Obstensibly a first-person shooter, I spent most of my gameplay time in 3rd person mode unless I was in combat. Once engaged with enemies, I immediately made use of the VATS targeting system, highlighting specific body parts to damage. Less a shooter than a dice-rolling RPG, F:NV relies entirely on stats to effect damage rather than player skill. Scoring critical hits in VATS never fails to be viscerally fulfilling as an enemy explodes into gore.
This game is very very brown
Visually a brown and yellow color scheme matches the locale of the nevada desert but it also undermines the previously established and far more striking look of Fallout 3. By using muted earth tones, the game just looks like mud, until New Vegas is reached, at which point it looks like neon-colored mud.
It is also replete with glitches, even this late into release and after multiple patches. Usually spawn or clipping issues, I never experienced anything game breaking, but it was hilarious to disarm an enemy, then have him run himself into a corner and up into the sky.
Like Bioshock 2, Fallout:New Vegas takes a long time to get cooking and engage the player. Unlike Bioshock 2, the visuals are not a hook to keep the player involved until the story ramps up. For those that relish exploration and discovery, New Vegas has some delightfully oddball areas that are quirky enough to keep one engaged, but those seeking narrative have a long road ahead.
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