Fallout: New Vegas

So I got Fallout: New Vegas for Christmas and with exams and assignments and all that crap, I only got a chance to play it for the first time properly over the weekend. I'm hooked.

It carries on from the world of Fallout 3, except now you're travelling the Mojave desert after the nuclear apocalypse. You start off as a courier having been dug up from a fresh grave and revived by the local doctor. Your mission, find the package that you were nearly killed trying to deliver.

It's quite different to Fallout 3, I feel it's lost some of it's personal touch with none of that find your daddy stuff from Fallout 3, but after playing most the weekend, I've found this has made it better in this aspect. There's a number of different factions and if you complete missions for one group, you'll acquire fame and they'll like you more. Kind of like the system they had in Grand Theft Auto. When you acquire a companion to follow you through the Wasteland/Mojave desert, there's a companion wheel type of thing, similar to what I've seen in Crysis, however it's awkward to use and is quite often a pain to use.

It is quite different to Fallout 3 in some places, where it almost seems like Obsidian had decided to add in features from Borderlands, Grand Theft Auto, Duke Nukem(hookers and gambling) and Crysis. All of which are great games, so that's all good. But there's also a degree of realism with the Hardcore mode, where ammo has weight, you gain realistic experience and you don't get to feel invincible once you gain sufficient levels. Also in Hardcore mode, you suffer from hunger, dehydration, sleep and all the other effects from Fallout 3. This gives a realistic feel as you can drink crazy drinks that keep you awake longer but effect you in other ways, almost like drinking a Red Bull in real life, sure it makes you awake now, but it will also dehydrate you. It can get annoying every now and again, but an interesting game dynamic to work with.

It's not all shooting, but shooting isn't the only fun you get to have. You get to play BlackJack, Roulette, Slot machines and Caravan(a wasteland card game).

One weird thing I've noticed, either I'm doing something wrong in the game, but I've come across a few of the women who openly tell me that they're lesbians. Dunno whether to take that as a good thing or a bad thing. It definitely seems like a more adult geared game than Fallout 3 did. This one ain't really for the kiddies. In saying that, it's still harmless.

If you liked Fallout 3, then you'll like this game. I really recommend it. It is far better than the DLC's for Fallout 3, which were good in their own right, but New Vegas is a solid game in and of itself. Another thing I enjoyed was that I got the retail game but I was able to install it through Steam which made me smile :D