Games

Fallout: New Vegas

Title: Fallout: New Vegas
Release Date: 22 October 2010-10-25
Format: PS3
RRP: £39.99
Rating: 4/5

For hardcore gamers, Fallout has been a series which has captivated for many years. With its post-apocalyptic backdrop, the series has begun a steady build up into a world of murder, cannibalism, monsters and mass starvation.

Fallout: New Vegas, the follow up to last year’s game of the year Fallout 3, has a lot to live up to – and it somehow manages to exceed expectations.

Set a decade after its predecessor, Fallout: New Vegas is set in what was the American west coast’s Sin City. Now a wasteland with two opposing tribes fixed in a bloody battle, the main character is a courier sent out on a dangerous mission.

The mission, however, does not get completed as your character becomes embroiled in a vicious attack and ends up almost facing an untimely end. This is where your journey begins; waking up after being saved by a Doctor Mitchell.

Those who have played the previous games will be used to the dark, murky world in which planet Earth has been reduced to; rotting corpses, shattered buildings and abandoned vehicles. New Vegas, however, has the slight trace of the humanity that was there before the disaster happened – blue skies, greenery and the evidence of clean water, which is courtesy of the character in Fallout 3.

Graphics on the PS3 version of the game are, as perhaps expected, a slight improvement on the previous game and with new ghouls and monsters at every turn, you certainly face a terrifying journey through this massive game.

The main plot is to find the people who tried to assassinate you and retrieve the item they stole – part of the package you were meant to deliver.

Indeed, as with previous Fallout games, you have the option to go onto side missions along your journey. Again, you can also choose to be as good or as evil as you please, each action having a cause and effect; choose your words wisely if you prefer an easier ride.

Only two opposing tribes could possibly stop you in your tracks: the New California Republic (NCR) and Caesar’s Legion. Showing allegiance to either side will harper your chances and set you firmly against their rival.

Neither side is painted to be purely good or evil, though some of their acts may define them more clearly, but as you progress throughout the game the evidence of their impact on the world around you is unquestionable - both sides want to be the one full ruler of New Vegas.

There are several new perks to the game which will provide a mouth-watering experience for lovers of the previous Fallout games; the map, for one, is bigger than even Fallout 3, meaning more areas to explore (and certainly more toxic creatures to attack you). The vast area allows you to enter casinos to partake in some sinful activities and even up your alcohol intake with bars all along the Strip.

The companion control has now been tweaked to allow for more sidekicks to accompany you along the way. You can give them orders using the new companion wheel.

Gamers will also find that you can now create items on a workbench, allowing you to load your own ammo, break down guns and bullets and modify other weapons.

It’s hard to pull negatives from the game which many may think is simply an extension pack of Fallout 3. Whether it could be given the title of Fallout 4 is questionable, as there are only minor tweaks from the previous addition.

It still has the glitches that plagued Fallout 3, which can be frustrating when caught in combat and due to its mass game playing hours, an approximated 80 hours if you manage not to stray from the main mission, it can be hard to remember the point at which you ended.

The beauty of the Fallout series though, is that each game has different characters, making it easier for those who haven’t played the game to comfortably understand the overall plotline and for previous players, we certainly get more of an insight into why America is how it is now.

The game is everything that made Fallout 3 the game of the year – and perhaps more besides and will surely, despite the annoying glitches in game play, be another best seller this year.