New Vegas

It was announced in April 2009 and released for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 on October 19, 2010. A spin-off of the main Fallout series, the game is set in a post-apocalyptic open-world environment that encompasses a region consisting of parts of Arizona, California, and Nevada. It is set in a world that deviated onto an alternate timeline thanks to Atomic Age technology, which eventually led to a global nuclear apocalypse in the year 2077 in an event referred to as "The Great War", caused by a major conflict between the U.S. and China over natural resources. The main story of New Vegas takes place in the year 2281, four years after the events of Fallout 3 and 204 years after the bombs fell. It is not a sequel but does feature the return of several elements found in Fallout 2.

Fallout: New Vegas
Developer(s)	Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Bethesda Softworks
Director(s)	Josh Sawyer
Producer(s)	Mikey Dowling Jason Fader Matt Singh Tess Treadwell
Designer(s)	Josh Sawyer
Programmer(s)	Frank Kowalkowski
Artist(s)	Joe Sanabria
Writer(s)	John Gonzalez
Composer(s)	Inon Zur
Series	Fallout
Engine	Gamebryo
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3 Windows Xbox 360
Release	NA: October 19, 2010 AU: October 21, 2010 EU: October 22, 2010
Genre(s)	Action role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player

Players take control of a character known as the Courier. While transporting a package across the Mojave Desert to the city of New Vegas (built in the ruins of Las Vegas), the Courier is ambushed, robbed of the package, shot, and buried in a cemetery. Rescued and nursed back to health by the inhabitants of a small frontier town, the Courier then begins a journey to find their would-be killer and recover the package, making friends and enemies among various warring factions, and ultimately becoming caught up in a conflict that will determine who controls New Vegas and the Mojave Wasteland.

It was a commercial success, shipping more than 5 million copies, and is estimated to have sold around 12 million copies worldwide. The game received a Golden Joystick Award for "RPG of the Year" in 2011, nominated for two BAFTA Awards (Best Strategy Game and Best Story), received an Interactive Achievement Award nomination for "Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year", as well as a NAVGTR Award for Supporting Performance in a Drama (Felicia Day). At launch, New Vegas received positive reviews, with critical praise for the game's writing, quests, and improved gameplay, though it was criticized for its glitches and bugs at the time. It has since obtained retrospective acclaim, with some critics referring to the game as the best in the Fallout series, as well as one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

 

Fallout: New Vegas is a role-playing game that can be played from either a first-person or third-person perspective. It set in the Mojave Desert, years after a nuclear war left much of the United States decimated. The player controls a courier who survived an assassination attempt from an unknown assailant. The goal of the game is to complete a series of quests to find the assailant, which eventually culminates in a war between different governing factions vying for control of the Mojave Desert. In addition to the main quests, the player can participate in optional unrelated quests known as side quests. Kristinie Stiemer of IGN estimates that it takes around 100 hours to complete every quest in the game.

At the beginning of the game, the player can customize the courier's physical appearance by choosing their gender, age, and race. They can then allocate points into seven primary attributes: strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck. These attributes are known as S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats, and range from 1 to 10. Additionally, there are 13 secondary attributes whose point totals are affected by S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats: barter, energy weapons, explosives, guns, lockpick, medicine, melee weapons, repair, science, sneak, speech, survival, and unarmed. If the player has a high intelligence stat for example, then they will be more proficient with the medicine, repair, and science skills at the beginning of the game. The player can add more points into skill stats whenever they earn enough experience points to level up. Experience points can be earned through several methods, such as killing an enemy or completing a quest. When the player reaches an even-numbered level, they can select a perk, which is a permanent beneficial upgrade. For example, the perk Rapid Reload increases the reload speed for guns by 25 percent.

Fallout: New Vegas features an open world map that the player can freely explore. Locations the player can discover range from small settlements and abandoned buildings, to larger locations like the Hoover Dam and the city of New Vegas, which was built from the remnants of Las Vegas. While exploring, the player can recruit some non-playable characters as companions, who will accompany the player and assist them in combat. There a variety of weapons in the game, including standard guns, energy-based guns, melee weapons, and explosives. While in combat, the player can utilize a gameplay mechanic known as V.A.T.S., which pauses the game and allows the player to target specific body parts of an enemy. V.A.T.S. is dictated by a statistic known as Action Points. Each attack while in V.A.T.S. costs Action Points, and when the player runs out of Action Points they must wait a short period of time before they can use it again.

The player's reputation among factions is determined by their previous actions. For example, if the player decides to help a faction, they may be given new armor or access to a secret base. Likewise, if the player's actions are perceived as detrimental, the faction might send assassins to try and kill the player. Reputation extends to companions, as some companions will leave the player if they are disliked by a specific faction.

An optional difficulty level in Fallout: New Vegas is Hardcore Mode, which adds survival mechanics the player must keep track off. For example, the player must routinely eat, drink, and sleep in order to avoid dying from starvation, dehydration, or sleep deprivation. Healing items gradually heal wounds instead of instantly, and crippled limbs can only be healed by a doctor or specific items. Additionally, ammo has weight which necessitates careful inventory management, and companions can permanently die. Hardcore Mode can be enabled or disabled at any point in the game. If the player completes the entire game with Hardcore Mode enabled they unlock an achievement.

Setting

 

Fallout: New Vegas takes place in the year 2281, 204 years after a devastating nuclear war between the United States and China. Three major entities seek control of the Mojave Desert, known in-game as the Mojave Wasteland: The New California Republic (NCR), a democratic republic that attempts to maintain law; Caesar's Legion, a violent tribal army inspired by the Roman legion; and Mr. House, a mysterious businessman from New Vegas who controls an army of security robots. As part of an eastward expansion from California, the NCR took control of the Hoover Dam, which provides electricity to the surrounding area. Caesar's Legion and Mr. House want to control the Hoover Dam for themselves and advance their own plans for the region. Along with the three main factions, minor ones include; the Boomers, a heavily armed xenophobic tribe at Nellis Air Force Base; the Powder Gangers, escaped convicts from a correctional facility; the Great Khans, a tribe of drug dealers; and the Brotherhood of Steel, a militant organization who aim to secure harmful technology.

Story

While delivering the "Platinum Chip" to New Vegas, The Courier is ambushed by mobster and casino owner Benny (Matthew Perry) and his goons, who steals the Platinum Chip and shoots him. Left for dead, The Courier is dug out by Securiton Victor (William Sadler) and nursed back to health by physician Doc Mitchell (Michael Hogan). The Courier then departs on the search of Benny and the Platinum Chip. In the casino on the New Vegas Strip, The Courier confronts Benny, where he chooses to either dispose of Benny and recover the Platinum Chip or allow Benny to escape.

The Courier becomes embroiled into a conflict between Caesar's Legion, the NCR, and Mr House for control of the region. It is revealed that Mr. House is a human from before the Great War who survived in a life-support chamber, and created the Platinum Chip which contains a Securiton upgrade program to protect Las Vegas during the war; however, the war began prior to the delivery. Benny then ambushed The Courier to usurp Mr House with a reprogrammed Securiton called "Yes Man" (Dave Foley). The Courier has the option to assist Benny and claim New Vegas.

Hoover Dam becomes the center of a conflict between Casear Legion's under Legate Lanius's (Mitch Lewis) leadership and the NCR under General Lee Oliver's. The Courier then conquers the Dam; by supporting Ceasar's Legion, defends it for the NCR, or connects the Dam to Mr. House's network. A slideshow then illustrates the results of The Courier's actions, who now controls New Vegas and the Mojave Desert, and the fates of the other factions and characters.

Endings

The game features four primary endings based on the player's choices in determining the fate of the Mojave Wasteland.

• New California Republic – siding with the NCR results in The Courier taking part in the defense of Hoover Dam from the Legion. After repulsing the Legion's attack, The Courier leads a counterattack up to the Legate's camp, where they have the choice to either negotiate with the Legate to withdraw or kill him in battle. The NCR emerges from the battle decisively triumphant and finally annexes New Vegas along with the entire Mojave Wasteland.
• Caesar's Legion – siding with the Legion results in The Courier taking part in the attack on Hoover Dam. The Courier battles their way to General Oliver's compound where they have the choice to either convince him to retreat or kill him. The Legion finally seizes Hoover Dam, forcing the NCR to retreat, allowing the Legion to gain control over New Vegas and the rest of the Mojave Wasteland. The ending can change slightly based on whether The Courier successfully treated Caesar's brain tumour earlier in the story, or else let him die, in which case Legate Lanius will take over the Legion.
• Mr. House – siding with Mr. House results in The Courier infiltrating a substation near Hoover Dam and installing an override chip to power House's upgraded Securitron Army. The Courier must then either convince General Oliver and the Legate to stand down or kill them. Mr. House and his Securitrons drive both the NCR and the Legion out of Hoover Dam, taking control of it and much of the Mojave, ensuring that New Vegas will continue to be run according to House's vision.
• Independent (Yes Man) – The Courier uses Yes Man to take over Mr. House's network and take Hoover Dam for themselves. The Courier must either convince General Oliver and the Legate to withdraw or kill them. The Courier then takes control of Hoover Dam for themselves, ensuring the independence of New Vegas and the Mojave Wasteland from the NCR, Caesar's Legion, and Mr. House.

The origins of Fallout: New Vegas date back to the cancellation of Van Buren, which was intended to be the third game in the mainline Fallout series. Under the development of Black Isle Studios, Van Buren was to be set in Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado, and would have included a mixture of real-time and turn-based combat. Black Isle Studios' publisher Interplay Entertainment was struggling financially, and in December 2003 Van Buren was cancelled. Prior to the project's cancellation, former Black Isle Studios and Interplay Entertainment employees cofounded Obsidian Entertainment. Over the next few years, Obsidian developed the role-playing games Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Neverwinter Nights 2, and Alpha Protocol.

In 2007, Bethesda Softworks purchased the Fallout intellectual property. The following year they released Fallout 3. Fallout 3 was well received by critics, and sold more than 5 million copies in 2008. Prior to the release of Fallout 3, Bethesda had already begun development on what would become The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Bethesda wanted to add more content to Fallout 3, and decided to contract another developer to create a large expansion pack. Bethesda creative director Todd Howard successfully lobbied for a full game instead of an expansion pack, and suggested Obsidian based on their previous experience with the Fallout series. Obsidian had previously turned down an offer from Bethesda in 2007 to develop a Star Trek game, but agreed to develop a new Fallout game.

Bethesda and Obsidian quickly decided the game should take place somewhere in the West Coast of the United States. The first two Fallout games were set along the West Coast, and Obsidian felt that a similar setting would give them opportunities to expand on concepts that were introduced in Fallout 2, such as the NCR. Numerous story elements were proposed, such as setting the game in a city based on Reno, Nevada, or making the main character a ghoul. The latter idea was rejected due to the technical challenges that would arise from ghouls wearing armor. Las Vegas and the surrounding Mojave Desert was chosen as the setting, as they evoked the 1950s aesthetic that the series was known for, as well as the post-apocalyptic imagery of Mad Max. Obsidian wanted Fallout: New Vegas to be set between the events of Fallout 2 and Fallout 3, although Bethesda mandated that each game in the series would follow chronological order.

Fallout: New Vegas was announced in April 2009. Obsidian's development team included former Interplay/Black Isle employees Josh Sawyer as director, and Chris Avellone as a writer and director of the game's downloadable content. The plot of New Vegas takes heavy inspiration from the original Fallout 3 that Black Isle developed, commonly known by its codename "Van Buren", which Sawyer also directed prior to its cancellation. The most notable example is the inclusion of Caesar's Legion, a faction originally created for Van Buren. Obsidian included other factions from previous Fallout games and avoided writing any faction as entirely good or evil, but instead as potential rivals depending on what path the player decided to pursue.

The game had a somewhat short development cycle of 18 months. New Vegas reuses the Gamebryo engine used in Fallout 3, yet it improved on the previous installment's source code, with some graphics rendering improvements and new art assets, while reworking the engine to accommodate the extra lights and effects of the Las Vegas Strip. Obsidian were unfamiliar with the Gamebryo engine and had to request the help of an Oblivion modder named Jorge Salgado. Obsidian refined the real-time shooting mechanics and added iron-sights aiming to make playing without V.A.T.S. a more viable option than it was in Fallout 3. One PC version of the game relies on Steamworks for online functions, such as achievements and cloud save storage, as well as digital rights management (DRM). A version without DRM was made available by GoG.com on June 1, 2017.

Producer Jason Bergman announced the involvement of several actors, including Ron Perlman as the game's narrator and Wayne Newton as radio DJ "Mr. New Vegas". He confirmed that the game would include voice acting from Matthew Perry, Zachary Levi, Kris Kristofferson, Danny Trejo, Michael Dorn and Felicia Day. The team brought on casting director and voice producer Timothy Cubbison to oversee the actor selection and voice production.^{[citation needed]} The game established the new record for the most lines of dialogue in a single-player action role-playing game. New Vegas contains around 65,000 lines of dialogue, beating its predecessor and previous record holder Fallout 3 which contained 40,000 lines of dialogue.

Fallout 3 composer Inon Zur composed the score. It features three major in-game radio stations, spanning several genres of music in the radio waves: country, bluegrass, popular music from the 1940s and 1950s, jazz and classical. Each station has a set track list which repeats randomly. Music from the first two Fallout games, composed by Mark Morgan, is used in the game as well.

On February 4, 2010, Obsidian Entertainment released the Fallout: New Vegas teaser trailer. A second trailer was shown on GameTrailers from E3 on June 11, 2010.

 

 

Bethesda announced four pre-order bonus packs giving specific in-game items, they include the "Classic", "Tribal", "Caravan" and "Mercenary" packs available when pre-ordering at specific outlets, all of the listed pre-order packs were later made available for purchase on September 27, 2011. The Collector's Edition was revealed on May 11, 2010. It was distributed worldwide and is available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Its enclosed contents include seven real clay poker chips from the Fallout: New Vegas casinos, a deck of cards each with a character on them with information on that person, a graphic novel leading up to the events of New Vegas, a Lucky 38 large Platinum Chip replica, and a making-of documentary.

Fallout: New Vegas was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on October 19, 2010, in North America, October 21, 2010, in Australia, and October 22, 2010, in Europe. Within hours of the game's release on October 19, 2010, players of Fallout: New Vegas began reporting a variety of technical issues (saved games becoming corrupted, the game freezing, players becoming stuck within the terrain, and random NPCs appearing behind the player, initiating combat out of context). Bethesda Game Studios stated that they, in conjunction with Obsidian, were actively working on an update for release "as soon as possible" to address in-game issues. They urged customers to keep their copies of New Vegas rather than return them to stores, stating that providing the best possible experience to their users was a priority.

Within a week of the original release, a patch was available for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, which contained over 200 quest and scripting-related fixes. The update, released on December 14, 2010, has fixed further glitches and save game problems, including companion-related bugs. Subsequent updates were released in February and April that corrected numerous bugs and gameplay issues. A patch released on July 5, 2011, causes the game to automatically create a save before the endgame sequence, allowing single-save players to play through the downloadable content without creating a new game. The user community has created community patches to fix some remaining issues.

The game engine has had major performance issues on the PlayStation 3, leading to unplayable frame rates when the save game file becomes large following extended play, or sometimes when downloadable content is installed. Similar issues plagued The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but a performance patch to improve New Vegas was not implemented. Sawyer stated that the issue involves the core engine and cannot be patched easily.

Downloadable content

On October 18, 2010, Bethesda Softworks announced that downloadable content (DLC) would be available for New Vegas, in keeping with its predecessor Fallout 3. Six add-on packs have been released. The six add-ons are titled Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, Lonesome Road, Gun Runners' Arsenal, and Courier's Stash. The combined effect of the DLC is to raise the level cap from 30 to 50.

Dead Money

The first add-on pack was released for the Xbox 360 on December 21, 2010, and for PlayStation 3 and PC (via Steam) on February 22, 2011. In Dead Money, the Courier is captured by an insane former elder of the Brotherhood of Steel known as Father Elijah and is forced to work alongside three other captives to stage a heist on the Sierra Madre Casino and retrieve its fabled treasure which had been long concealed from the rest of the world by a deadly toxic cloud. The pack adds achievements/trophies, weapons, perks, terrain, enemies, crafting recipes and decisions for the player, as well as raising the level cap by five. It is the only one of the four story add-ons that cannot be revisited after the completion of its main quest line.

Honest Hearts

The second pack was released on May 17, 2011, on Xbox Live and Steam and June 2, 2011, on the PlayStation Network due to the April–May outage. In Honest Hearts, the Courier takes part in a trading expedition to Utah's Zion National Park by signing on with The Happy Trails Caravan which is very soon attacked and destroyed by tribal raiders. Surviving the attack and stranded in Zion, the Courier becomes involved in a conflict between the local tribes with one side led by "New Canaanite" (post-apocalyptic incarnation of Mormonism) missionaries. One of the missionaries is revealed to be the widely-feared and widely-revered "Burned Man," Caesar's Legate who preceded Lanius, and who had lost the First Battle of Hoover Dam. As punishment, he was covered in pitch, set on fire, and thrown into the Grand Canyon only to survive and hence be known as the Burned Man. The pack adds achievements/trophies, crafting recipes, perks, terrain, items, enemies and decisions for the player, as well as raising the level cap by five.

Old World Blues

In Old World Blues, the Courier is abducted and unwittingly becomes a lab rat in a science experiment gone awry who soon discovers how some of the Mojave's mutated creatures and dangerous technology came to exist. Old World Blues takes place in the Pre-War research centers of Big Mountain, known colloquially as "the Big Empty" or "Big MT." The Courier could choose to either turn on their kidnappers or join with them in their long-standing struggle against a greater threat. This pack adds achievements/trophies, items, perks, a vast area to explore, and raises the level cap by five like the previous two packs. Old World Blues was released on July 19, 2011.

Lonesome Road

In Lonesome Road, the Courier is contacted by Ulysses, a former Legionary and Mojave Express courier who, upon seeing the Courier's name on the list of possible package handlers, refused to deliver the Platinum Chip that ultimately led to the attack on the Courier at the beginning of the base game. The Courier must journey deep into an extremely radioactive and decimated region in the Continental Divide to confront Ulysses. Ulysses was a character whose involvement in the story had been hinted since New Vegas' initial release; Lonesome Road concludes his story as well as that of the Courier. This pack adds achievements/trophies, items, perks, decisions, enemies and crafting recipes. Initially, Lonesome Road was planned to be released in August 2011; however, the add-on was delayed until September 20 for unspecified reasons.

Gun Runners' Arsenal and Courier's Stash

On September 27, 2011, Bethesda released two content packs titled Gun Runners' Arsenal and Courier's Stash. Gun Runners' Arsenal adds various weapons (like the Katana, Time Bomb, and Chainsaw) and weapon mods (like suppressors, scopes, laser sights, and stacked magazines) along with new ammo types, which can be found throughout the game world. Courier's Stash contains all bonus content that was previously only available for pre-ordering the game (the "Caravan Pack", "Classic Pack", "Mercenary Pack" and "Tribal Pack").

Ultimate Edition

On November 3, 2011, Bethesda announced Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition, which includes the game and all of its downloadable content. It was released worldwide in February 2012. It was released on February 7, 2012 in North America and February 10 for Europe.

Mods

Fallout: New Vegas has an active modding community on the website Nexus Mods. News outlets like IGN and PC Gamer recommend playing the game with mods for the best experience, as many of the mods offer quality of life improvements to the gameplay, fix glitches, and include new customization options for weapons and clothing. Larger mods are sometimes described as total conversion mods, as they can add new gameplay mechanics, quests, and areas to the original game. Among the more notable total conversion mods include Fallout: New California, which is set in the San Bernardino Mountains and acts as a prequel to Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout: The Frontier, which features three linear questlines.

Fallout: New Vegas received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Critics praised the gameplay improvements and expanded content over Fallout 3, while criticizing familiarity and technical issues. By November 8, 2010, the game had shipped 5 million copies worldwide, achieving revenue of $300 million (~$409 million in 2023). Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, a market research firm, estimates that the game had sold 11.6 million copies worldwide by 2015.

IGN's Keza MacDonald praised the game's script, but criticized the character models and facial animation as "wooden and unbelievable". Eurogamer commented that "Obsidian has created a totally compelling world and its frustrations pale into insignificance compared to the immersive, obsessive experience on offer. Just like the scorched scenery that provides its epic backdrop, New Vegas is huge and sprawling, sometimes gaudy, even downright ugly at times – but always effortlessly, shamelessly entertaining." According to GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd, the game's "familiar rhythm will delight fans of the series, and the huge world, expansive quests, and hidden pleasures will have [the players] itching to see what other joys you might uncover. However, as time wears on, the constant glitches invade almost every element of the game and eventually grow wearisome."

Giant Bomb's Jeff Gerstmann reviewed Fallout: New Vegas for the Xbox 360 positively, despite its many crashes, bugs, and glitches. Gerstmann wrote: "When I reflect on the experience, I'll probably think about the times the game locked up on me or broke in a dozen other crazy ways first, before thinking about the great world and the objectives that fill it. If you were able to look past the issues that plagued Fallout 3 and Oblivion before it, New Vegas will eventually show you a real good time." 1UP.com's Mike Nelson wrote "On one hand, it feels like I can recommend this to any fan of the Fallout series. I single these fans out because they're willing to forgive silly bugs like meeting characters who walk into walls or occasionally float in mid-air. These fans realize that the game as a whole is greater than the sum of minor graphical anomalies. On the other hand, I simply can't ignore or forgive the game for crashing on me when I walk around the Mojave Wasteland; or for quests that simply can't be completed because of a game glitch; or for making my companions disappear when I need them the most during a battle. These are some of the most frustrating bugs I have ever encountered with any game, especially when attached to a series that I deeply enjoy."

Despite the criticisms, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Fallout: New Vegas for "Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year" during the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

Reappraisal

In the years since its release, Fallout: New Vegas has been critically acclaimed, with praise given to its story, role-playing elements and improvements on its predecessor. Some critics referred to the game as the best in the Fallout series, while others described it as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. In 2020, Eurogamer's Wesley Yin-Poole wrote "While it suffered a raft of technical problems – as most of the games built on Bethesda's RPG engine did at the time – its reputation has only grown more positive over the last decade, and it is now considered one of, if not the best Fallout game." Emma Kent wrote in 2019 that "it felt like even the smallest story was carefully crafted to maintain interest and deliver a rewarding kicker" and that "on the macro scale, New Vegas took a more serious tone by weaving a complex power struggle that mirrors many current real-world conflicts." At the end of 2019, Den of Geek ranked Fallout: New Vegas as the twelfth-best game of the decade, with writer Matthew Byrd describing the game as "the glorious comeback of [...] more complex RPG elements. Developer Obsidian fought against a buggy engine and a tight production schedule to turn in an RPG adventure that is all about navigating the possibilities and burdens of player agency in a world where it often feels like you can't properly predict the consequences of your decisions. It's a true role-playing game that takes place in a world you wouldn't want to live in but can't help but be engrossed by."

Cultural impact

A saloon in the real town of Goodsprings, Nevada hosted gatherings for New Vegas fans in 2022 and 2023. The city of New Vegas would later briefly appear in a 2024 television show, which takes place 15 years after the game.