Fallout: New Vegas (PC) Review

Two centuries after a nuclear Armageddon transformed America into an irradiated wasteland, multiple surviving factions fight over the Mojave Desert's few remaining resources. The game begins with a Courier, who has been charged with delivering a package so sought after that people are willing to kill for it - as the player soon discovers first-hand. As the Courier reawakens in Goodsprings and heads out to chase their would-be killer, one would be forgiven for thinking that New Vegas is a simple tale of vengeance. However, it isn't long before the game reveals its hand, and the revenge narrative gives way to a compelling adventure filled with complex politics and dangerous social minefields.

New Vegas' bread and butter is its incredible writing, which weaves a layered and tapestried world. Every faction has been thought through down to the last stitch of detail, with each having clear philosophical differences and accompanying historical context. While the history and politics of the Mojave Wasteland often threaten to become overwhelming, they never do, thanks to the game's sensible pacing and personable characters. Information is only made available when it becomes relevant, and is made yet more memorable by individuals offering their own take on a group's actions. It's not uncommon to find a New California Republic soldier disenchanted with the bureaucracy and paperwork, or a Brotherhood of Steel Paladin at odds with his leader's strict policies. These characters help to flesh out their respective factions; they are not featureless, autonomous masses, but instead a collection of individuals trying to make sense of the remains of a world gone mad.

At the beginning of the game, then, the player must sidle through a dense crowd of factions, treading lightly so as not to upset any of them, but there's no way to remain completely neutral throughout, and eventually sides must be chosen. Performing tasks for the NCR will anger the totalitarian Caesar's Legion, and vice versa. Exposing corruption in the Crimson Caravan can lead to one of the best sources of Energy Weapons turning hostile; following an independent path creates friction with all the major factions of the Mojave. Rather than allow the player to meekly pass through it, New Vegas forces them to engage with its world, a refreshing change of pace in a climate dominated by more simple, digestible narratives.

The scenarios and options in New Vegas are welded together so expertly that it's difficult to notice the seams; the game's social and political climate is crafted and paced so carefully that the player never has to guess at their options or what effect their actions will have. In a story-driven RPG where choice is king, that is a huge benefit. Even better, New Vegas rarely misses an opportunity for a good laugh. Many of the jokes take advantage of the setting, with the characters filling in the historical gaps of pre-war culture as best they can. The Kings, for example, have evidently found the still-standing school of Elvis impersonation and decided that he was a man to be emulated in their everyday lives; Caesar's Legion model themselves after the Roman Empire, even going so far as to use spears in an age where laser weapons exist. While comical to us, these factions all make sense from within the context of the world and are backed up with believable and complex ethics and outlooks, a testament to the quality of the writing.

While the writing is impressively robust, though, it isn't watertight. Occasionally, actions will have unforeseen consequences, leaving the player unable to continue down their chosen. One such example comes if a pacifistic player tries to forge a peace treaty between the New California Republic and the Brotherhood of Steel. Upon arrival to the Brotherhood's bunker, they are presented with a choice: they can either follow the instructions of the conservative Elder McNamara, or ally with Head Paladin Hardin to overthrow him. Siding with Hardin seemed like the logical choice, as he wished to bring the Brotherhood out of hiding and have them interact with the world again. However, installing Hardin as the Brotherhood's new Elder removes the option to peaceably resolve conflict with the NCR; McNamara must be sided with in order to accomplish this goal. Still, situations like these are the rare exception, and are easily rectified. Just be sure to save liberally.

Other problems with the quest structure come in the form of backtracking. While the Courier's unenthusiastic trudge helps to emphasise the vast emptiness of the wasteland, it can become tedious when the player is batted between people and places at opposite ends of the map. Quests can become dauntingly dull when two characters, miles apart, must be spoken to multiple times; conversations lose a bit of punch when each sentence is punctuated by a five-minute long trek across the wasteland. Alternatively, characters will hide themselves in the tangled mazes that make up the indoor areas, leading to some awkward fumbling, as the player is led along by a compass that doesn't even indicate if they're on the correct floor.

The hybrid combat system is well handled - the widely-praised VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) offers a more tactical, percentage-based option for the RPG fan, but a more hands-on approach is always available for the shooter aficionado. The shooting mechanics aren't involved enough for this to be considered an FPS; with plentiful helpings of healing items being dished out, battles are usually slugfests to see who outlasts whom. That's not to say the approach is flawed. As an RPG, New Vegas ought to be focused on numbers and stats, and some great presentation means these battles never become dull - seeing a man's head slide comically off his body in slow motion never gets old.

Unfortunately, combat is sometimes used to pad out the questlines. Much like the backtracking, major beats in a quest are usually staggered, as the player fights their way through corridor after corridor of mutated fauna, such as giant mantises and rats. While many of the bosses can be approached in different ways (they can often be talked out of fighting if the Speech skill is high enough, for example), combat is still a staple of almost every quest no matter how diplomatic or scientific the character is. It is recommended to pour some points into at least one weapon stat.

Mantises aren't the only bugs that plague the game, though; New Vegas does little to dispute Bethesda's dismal reputation for technical issues. While many of these bugs are easy to laugh off, such as NCR soldiers appearing to the President's speech in their underwear, many are a lot more frustrating to have to deal with. One example saw a quest-essential NPC turn hostile without prompt, forcing a reload to an earlier save. Another, more pervasive example saw the game refuse to load or continue games from the main menu; a new game was forced to be started first, and then loading from there. It's unfortunate that these bugs infest so much of the experience, as getting New Vegas to work properly can be a delicate and often thankless experience, and shouldn't be the player's responsibility. Of course, the PC version offers endless customisation and console commands to help, so it's assumed console players will have a much more difficult time.