Bethesda did it again. Even when I thought my expectations could not have possibly been lower since the mediocre FO3 and it's laughable DLC, they managed to amaze me yet another time by taking this game into a new low. Do not believe the reviews of the press.

Every aspect of this game has been catered to what we call the 'new generation' of gamers. A poorly thought out, yet incredibly simplistic rpg system that effectively kills any sort of difficulty in this game. If you do not roll through the game using the VATS system, or kiting equally fast enemies to death using the laughable shooting mechanics that take any sort of excitement out of this game, then you are sure the game beats itself using the bug fest of a game engine against your enemies.

How could this engine still be so terrible? Bethesda has been using it since Oblivion. That's at least 5 years of development. Bugs and random crashes break any fun of the game. Enemies getting stuck in objects and bumps of the map.. even scripted events like quest completions tend to break the game. And what is up with the graphics? Did Bethesda stop improving the visuals since Oblivion? It looks like a PS2 game released in 2010. Walking to new locations takes up a considerable time, and adds virtually nothing to the game play, other than a way to sink your time with uninspired environments and enemies.

The 'plot', is an absolute joke. Whereas Bethesda ruined the concept of the Vault Dweller along FO3's progression, they did not even seem to care to make a game where dialogue and story plays a major role interesting. Conversations are forced and robotic (in both speech and animations, even when it has many voice actors), and embarrassing to any human being that ever wrote anything down. The karma system is, as in FO3, poorly thought out, breaking any game credibility for a decent role playing experience.

It's a poor port as well. I've seen developers do better in the past when they at least tried to make something out of a muliplat release.… Expand

27 hours in, just getting started. Take fallout 3, expand it, add more diversity, add more interesting locations, triple the amount of factions, add a better theme, and add more immersion and you have fallout NV. Obsidian has taken a decent game and made it great. Really a lot more depth in the world and just overall better. Of course your on the same engine, so some of the same problems exist. But literally a new mod is released by the hour since they only have to be ported over. Im already using over 10 mods just as longer days, smaller ui, centered raised camera, perk every level etc. Oh and if you get stuttering get the d3d9 file, and if you have ati get the alternative d3d9 file so you can still use transparency mutisampling. If it wasn't for the mods i would have to take off a point or 2. Really though the best way to describe it is it makes the fallout 3 world seem boring.… Expand

New Vegas is an example of a company that relies on brand recognition to sell an inferior product. Over 2 years ago, Fallout 3 was successful and profitable game. With Fallout: New Vegas, Bethesda decided to squeeze every last dollar out of the franchise by creating a game that should have been an expansion pack or downloadable content. The storyline is nearly identical to the previous game. The mechanics, combat, and interface have not changed. Even the graphics engine is the same one as Fallout 3. Bethesda did not even bother adding modern graphical effects with DirectX 10 or 11. The bugs are so incredibly obvious on the PC that anyone who was testing the game would have a list pages long after a couple hours of gameplay. This game should have been $19.99 as a downloadable expansion for Fallout 3. The PC version is clearly an afterthought, and it shows. New Vegas was written for a console, probably as a minor release, but at some point it was decided to make it a major, full priced release.

But is it fun to play? Well, if you can get past the bugs, and perhaps after a few patches, then yes the game is enjoyable. If you liked Fallout 3, you'll like this game. But wait until it hits the bargain bin.… Expand

Obsidian realized with New Vegas what Bethesda intended with Fallout 3. Upon first inspection, New Vegas appears to be a reskin of Fallout 3 set near the west coast. However, Obsidian brings to the table the character, design elements, and moral ambiguity of the original two Fallout games to New Vegas, overhauling the game's mechanics to fall more in line with what we traditionally associate with Fallout: You are imperfect, and you must use your personalized assets as best as you can to make it through. Whereas Fallout 3 afforded you a "Perk" every level, New Vegas cuts that down to once every two levels, and generally gives you fewer opportunities to morph your character into an all-in-one death-god. Also new to the game is the concept of "Damage Threshold" for armor, introducing a game mechanic which would require that you use heavier weapons for armored targets or face the risk of wasting rapid-fire ammo and meeting your death.

Obsidian also included a "Hardcore" mode which seems more like the intended way of playing, rather than the optional feature that it's hyped up to be. Much like your radiation meter, in Hardcore you now have Hunger, Thirst, and Sleep meters which slowly creep up while you quest through the Mojave Wasteland, necessitating that you sleep, eat, and drink at semi-regular intervals. Crippled limbs are also much more of a hindrance in Hardcore mode, as they can only be healed by one of three routes: By paying a doctor, using a Doctor's Bag, or using "Hydra", a drug that regenerates your limbs.

Game mechanics aside, New Vegas is to Fallout 3 what Fallout 2 was to Fallout 1. It builds and improves upon every aspect of it's predecessor, at the cost of building a game as large and intricate as a house of cards. Because there are so many different questlines, so many different ways you can do things, it's likely that at some point, you will break the game. The greatest criticism right now with New Vegas is that it has bugs. Anyone who's played Fallout since the 90s knows, however, that bugs crawling out from under the series' ambition has always plagued Fallout games. Fallout 1 and 2 have had unofficial patches from the community, fixing bugs and adding content that was originally planned; Obsidian and Bethesda are obligated to patch the game after release, as bugs are found, but if they treat this game the way they did Fallout 3 and Oblivion before it, you can expect to see a community patch in the future as well.

However, despite release-day bugs, the game is solid, it's epic, and it will move you. I'm convinced that those who have rated this game below a 6 or 7 on the basis of "bugs" are harboring greater, older prejudices, and are looking for some justification to smear this game on the account of it not being a "true sequel" to the original two Fallout games. (ie, produced by Black Isle in the 2d isometric turn-based style)

The soundtrack consists of sweeping ambient melodies as those found in Fallout 3, and also a brand new setlist of 50s era music, with a decidedly more "western" or "Vegas" feel (Sinatra, songs about cowboys, etc). The graphics engine is still running on a modified GameBryo engine (the same that powered Oblivion and Fallout 3) but Obsidian has manipulated the engine to great effect in order to make the world more "alive". In the opening town, Goodsprings, you'll find tumbleweeds floating around and sand twisting in the wind. As you travel from place to place, you find that atmosphere is much more diverse than Fallout 3's bleak rubble.

The storyline is also much less contrived for you, allowing you to decide your allegiances just as you like, without feeling penned into a Good vs Evil storyline that mired Fallout 3. No single faction is purely good; Expect to make some hard choices if you want to play morally. Altogether, I'm giving this game a 9, because it'll suck you in, keep you involved, and even when you beat it, you're going to want to start one new character after another to try every route that you couldn't take in your previous playthrough. The only downsides are the bugs and the outdated graphics engine, but neither of those get noticeably in the way of the overall gameplay or storyline, which are the two big draws for this title. If the game was properly polished (which is unimaginable for QA testers considering the overall breadth and depth of the game) it would deserve a perfect 10.

As for New Vegas, the game is as much a sequel as it is a spinoff, but I think I'm in love. Ain't that a kick in the head?… Expand

First let's get the tech issues out of the way. Yes there are many. Some have been resolved, and some most likely never will. However, if you're looking to play this game, then you've probably played Fallout 3. If this is the case, the glitches with the game engine have not changed. Graphics look identical to Fallout 3 / Oblivion. The most agravating issue was the quicksave disappearing. I didn't realise it was an issue until, I got home from work to find that my first 2 hours (or more) were gone. Now I'm so paranoid that I still do a full (esc, save, pick a slot, confirm to overwrite, OK) save before I quit a session. Quicksave seems OK while playing though. As for performance, I find it identical to Fallout 3 on a Phenom II 965 / 6 Gb DDR 3 / ATI 4890. I played FO 3 on Phenom 9950 / 4 Gb DDR 2 / Same video card. I suspect that my recent upgrade has no impact on the performance of this game. If it does, I'll edit this review when my son gets his copy, as he has inherited my old machine. (Well, the major guts of it anyway.)

The gameplay is pretty much the same as FO 3 and I'm sure that you've read enough by now to know about the factions, and the companion aspects that have been introduced. So I won't bore you with that. I do find New Vegas to be a wee bit harder than FO 3. In one situation I had to restart a battle with some Legionaires about 6 times, before I came up with a way to get out of the location alive. (I hate to admit this, but I killed them and then ran away like a total wuss until I could fast travel to a safe spot. Just like the kid giving his playground bullies the finger from the safety of Mom's car.) I love the sound effect when a new quest becomes available, and the few side quests I've completed are enjoyable. Now, that I'm no longer worried about losing my game progress, I enjoy playing this game as much as FO3. I does sort of play like an expansion, but from what I see so far, there is alot to do here. If you liked Fallout 3 on the PC, then I wouldn't hesitate to pick up New Vegas.… Expand

Buggy POS. This game is very much in the habit of reverting quicksaves and autosaves to the first one you ever make. So let's say you get 4 hours into the game and then crash or restart, guess what? Next time you run the game you lose 4 hours of playtime and start at the beginning. Invisible walls are everywhere, can't hike up a hill without running into one. Also enemies have a habit of of spawning inside walls and crashing the game. There may be some improvements over Fallout 3 in there, but I wouldn't know as I've been replaying the same 4 hours of game over the past 8 hours.… Expand

Finally a return to what Fallout was really like. It might st ill be Oblivion with guns, but the story (and writing) is obviously much, MUCH more like it's origin's than Fallout 3 (okay, i'm a purist, I admit it).

I'm so surprised at the negative reviews of this game. I've read some, and am just not seeing many negatives for this game. The new weapon mods make crafting and item hoarding meaningful, where I felt in Fallout 3 there was a lacking quality there. The world is HUGE, but it's not littered with "events". You can actually move a good distance across the wasteland without running into Mutants or Radscorpions, etc....although, you do find plenty of that stuff. The storyline and the adaptive qualities of the side quests make this playthrough much more compelling than it's predecessor, Fallout 3. The new Hardcore mode makes the game a tad more immersive in the fact that you need to sleep, eat, drink, and heal your dismembered body.

I'd recommend this game to anyone who wants to get lost in a great story with an incredibly detailed and gripping world.… Expand

Considering this Game is almost exactly like Fallout 3 , one would think it to be more like an expansion. The Game engine is the same and although they did change a few things such as iron sights on guns it does not really feel any newer. If you charge $60 For a full retail game update graphics and game engine after 2 years! Now onto the ultimate crime... this game is so buggy that it crashed on me about 5 times in 10 hours... even after I patched it. the quests are broken and unplayable... if this title was $20 and was stable I would recommend it to hardcore Fallout 3 players only because its a new story and you have additions like gambling now. I bet this will hurt Bethesda/obsidian hard...… Expand

I thought the game would be pretty much identical to F3, but it brings up some great improvements such as mods, a lot more weapons than the first, great dialogue and funny some times like in F3 and a slight graphical and technical improvement. I haven't played a lot, but since now there was no game break or tons of bugs like i was reading in almost all the xbox reviews. But overall if you liked the first one, buy this one.… Expand

I was a big fan of Fallout 3, losing countless hours in my exploration of the Capital wastes. So I was quite looking forward to the release of New Vegas, and I must say that I wasn't disappointed. OK, there are quite a few bugs. This can cause major frustration at times; especially when the game decides to completely crash. Bugs aside, I really enjoyed this game. The Mojave wastes seem huge compared to the Capital wastes, with an abundance of familiar settings and a huge array of side quests. I was a little disappointed with the New Vegas Strip; I felt it could have been bigger with a lot more to see and do. A big plus is the companion wheel; this makes managing your companions much easier.

In summary, If you loved Fallout 3 then you'll love this game. I you didn't play Fallout 3 but are willing to work through this game's bugs, then I am sure that you'll learn to love it.… Expand

I enjoyed Fallout 3 a lot, and hoped the same would be the case with New Vegas, but.., it doesnt have the same openness, feels more linear, and the bugs seem even more apparent. One thing is having a foe stuck in a rock, I can accept that once in a while. But there is huge flaws in the game mechanics when it comes to factions when you can simply walk into a camp and set free a captive, without any reaction whatsoever, seeing how you are friendly aligned with both factions involved. (The captured and the captures). Such elements really break down the game world reality and make it far less fun to play. As for the state the game is in atm, I find 60 to be what it deserves, with hope that it can improve into the 70-80 with a few patches.â… Expand

Bethesda does it again. Fallout: New Vegas is the epitome of, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." even the "bugs" that came with fallout 3, are a welcome site to see again. also, if you are wondering where the multi player mode is....in order for Bethesda to gain the rights to the fallout franchise, they had to sign into contract with Black Isle that they can only produce SINGLE player fallout games, not multi player. trust me, it's true, im not lying. go google it.… Expand

Excellent, immersive, compelling... This game will suck you into it in a heartbeat and won't let go until you've finished it. And even then, you will be asking for one more walk across the Mojave. Brilliant example of an experienced game design that only Obsidian and Bethesda can provide.

PC has been patched up well so most of the negative reviews about this being too glitchy should be reconciled. Plain and simple, this is game is more Fallout 3. And by more I mean a LOT more. Not only is there a lot of content in this game, but the sidequests are really interesting and fun. The faction system is a small but quite potent addition but unfortunately the changes pretty much end there. Bioshock 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 were also very alarmingly similar to their predecessors thought so I guess there's not much to complain about. Point is, if you liked the original Fallout 3 and want more interesting sidequests to play, Fallout: New Vegas is something you cannot ignore.… Expand

I've played each Fallout game since the first and I have to say I'm as disappointed with Fallout: New Vegas as I was with Fallout 3. I always thought it would be fun to have a 1st person perspective while playing Fallout 1, 2 and Tactics, but Bethesda simply does a poor job of it. New Vegas was rushed to market before it was ready much like Fallout 3. Wait for the bargain bin on this one.


Positives: Obsidian does a MUCH better job of writing story lines and quests than Bethesda did. Good voice acting. New environment and (slight) movement forward in terms of the Fallout canon. Negatives: Its still Oblivion (LOLblivion) with guns. As others have posted, you think they would've improved the game engine and graphics by now! The VATS system makes the game laughably easy and you can kite any enemy in the game. If you play the game without VATS, the NPCs dodge and weave like a weasel on crack all while maintaining pinpoint accuracy. Although the stories for each quest is better, the execution is still murky at best as one wrong dialogue choice cuts off entire quests. Certain quests are only offered under poorly designed circumstances with NPCs not reacting to successful completions or acting as if you DIDN"T just save their whole city from bad guys. Final analysis: Rushed out to market before true completion in a manner typical of Bethesda. This is essentially DLC for Fallout 3 that they tried (and failed) to pass off as a stand alone game. Although the fan boys, "independent reviewers" and paid Bethesda employees will seek to skew these rating sites, the proof is in the lackluster sales and general negative, poor opinion of Bethesda.… Expand

I don't know why the professional reviewers are whining about the game engine so much. It's been announced since day one that the Fallout 3 engine was going to be used, so give it up and just review the damn game, wouldja?

Anyone who has played a Fallout game knows it's all about the story, the game mechanics, the NPC interaction, etc. Even with that, the graphics (especially the detail) are completely acceptable in today's gaming.

At any rate, hard to put together a review with only 6 hours of game play, but this is another great Fallout offering by Bethesda. Plenty of new nuances to the game, combined with the comfortable layout of the Fallout 3 GUI. Storytelling is terrific. Loving the new radio music and broadcasts.

In a nutshell, if you're a Fallout fan at all, than this is a must have. If you're a RPG fan, this is a must have. If you're interested in trying an RPG for the first time this is a must have. Just buy the game and get on with it. ;-)… Expand

I found Fallout New Vegas to be a refreshing turn from Fallout 3. The combat isn't spray and prey anymore, the spread of rifles is more logical, the ammo is great and 3 hours in and no enclave or super mutants which in Fallout 3 seemed to be the only opponents other than the occasional rad roach or feral. The binoculars don't zoom as far as I had hoped but they do help some. Other than that it's a great game and worth the money, for the PC that is, it has a few bugs and is obviously better as we have unofficial patches and mods for the PC. I wouldn't buy any bethesda game on the Xbox or Ps3.… Expand

I loved part 3 and i haven't played part 1 and 2 *shame* I love the game engine, already loved it in oblivion and its still fantastic. great areas, nice indoor and tons of non scripted situations that make every step unique in this dangerous future scenario. Not perfect yet, but with dlc, patches and mods it gonna rock even more. 10 points because after the work that has to be done it would be an 11 or 12 score :)… Expand

A marvelous addition to the Fallout franchise. Even if the bugs prohibit some players to enjoy the game to it's fullest. They are a minor inconvenience to an otherwise excellent game. The story is compelling, the graphics still hold up to today's standards. Overall, an excellent and a must buy game.

Simply amazing. I am loving every second of this game, from crafting, to iron sights, to new quests, and the New Vegas strip. The dark humour from Fallout's 1 and 2 is back, and with the Wild Wasteland trait, the game is funnier than ever. Everything is balanced, from perks, to guns, to leveling, and even the enemies, although the cazadors are a bit hard to kill. The new locations really show off the beauty of the engine, and while there are some bugs, a patch came out today that's really working quite well. The voice acting is great and the characters, simply charismatic. Enjoy your stay.… Expand

This is what games should be like. This is a mature game, for those that really want to invest in a game and immerse in the storyline. If you're looking for an on-rails shooter just let this game go and go buy one of the 99% of boring same games out there.

The storyline sucks you in and is much more loyal to the 2 first amazing fallout games. Sure the graphics are dated, and there are the occasional bugs, but the game is challenging (especially in hardcore mode) interesting and keeps you coming for more.

And finally it's an RPG whose storyline is not: The end is coming (the blight, the horde, the dark forces or whatever) and you're the one who has to stop it...There's an original story with much more complex and interesting elements.

If what I mentioned above is what you're looking for in a game, go get it RIGHT NOW… Expand

All I can say is thank God I have this on the PC and can go and get mods from the Nexus!

I mean really, Fallout 3 was amazing, and compared to that the Mojave Wasteland feels kind of empty. From the rushed Main Quest story lines and the "OMG! You can't be serious" moments, I've really found myself struggling to enjoy this game. The combat IS the one thing that saves the game!

The Nexus is thankfully filled with a LOT of helpful people, who not only improve the visuals (with mods such as Fellout, and one that gives streetlights light!). Another good mod is Real Time Settler, although it is buggy at the moment, this was a great mod for FO3 that let you create your own little village which you had to be with CONSTANTLY otherwise it would fail!.

Overall, New Vegas is a pretty shoddy sequel for a game that had so much impact on the gaming world.… Expand

With Fallout: New Vegas all I can say is that it's NOT a DLC that they just called another game just to rip you off full price... (cough cough left 4 dead 2). This game is a full fledged world with a full and descriptive story-line. The game has been given graphically, some touches here and there. This is things in game such as: Better looking characters, slightly farther viewing distance, better lighting and texture reactions to lighting, and flora has been touched on as well noticeably. All the new revamped sounds for the guns and weapons sound realistic as well now. Third person mode was fixed where it is now an "accurate" camera, so when I look at something in third person mode, now I can pick it up. So far, being 6 hours in, no major glitches are present, just some areas where my framerates will go from smooth 60 to 20, thats being around stuff like fire, smoke, dust-devils, etc. The new environment has been completely redone. I have seen almost NO repeating textures from Fallout 3, besides a few rocks and some dungeon floors maybe, but have noticed some reused stuff from oblivion such as glowing mushrooms or their dungeon looks. Aiming down the sights is now present and is actually accurate. Crouching now affects your aim more, which gives a more realistic approach to combat. Enemy AI are slightly changed with more aggressive, and conservative(by fleeing) enemies. The tons of new guns, plus a couple of classics like the 10mm pistol from FO3 are present. The new factions system is amazingly done, so many factions, and all of it is your choice openly on what to do to them. A full fledged crafting system is now in-game. Now you can create ammo types, Modify guns(stuff like silencers and scopes, barrels, etc.), and cook stuff from healing powders to anti venom. Enemies now are harder as well thanks to the new armor system. If I shoot a radscorpion, he is armored, it will tell me next to his health-bar. This gives the game a more RPG feel where tactics are involved. Some enemies now poison your character, requiring you to have anti venom. Hardcore mode makes the game allot more realistic. They should have called it realism mode because its not really more difficult, its just how you play. The food and drinking system is realistically paced, that means i only get dangerously thirsty/hungry/sleepy around the amount of time it take someone in real life to. It also makes stimpacks and foods heal over time instead of instantly. Character movements have been changed to look less robotic as well. This applies to stuff such as getting hit in the head and jumping and running animations. The map is around 3/4 the size of FO3, but guys, we all know that 1/4 of FO3's map was mob space anyways, just there to hold enemies. The other 3/4 where content filled, just like the WHOLE entire vegas map. Plants now grow around the wastes for you to pick and use to craft with, or just eat. About 9/10 of their perks i have seen so far you gain on leveling are cool and helpful, unlike its predecessor which had a broken perk system. The trait system is cool as well, and the game presents you with them simple and faster near the beginning. The start of the game has been improved so now you can get into the wasteland for "real" to play in less than a few minutes. So... Overall the game has been revamped, and I really love it. Its more shooter, and more rpg than FO3 was. I give it a 10/10 because this just perfected what FO3 tried to achieve, the perfect fallout world.… Expand

Finally the true Fallout 3 arrives. Thankfully for PC users we got the patch for bug fixes pushed out almost immediately, thus far I've encountered no issues playing the game-other than the compulsive need to continue playing long into the night. Fans can scoop up this game assured you'll be getting a wonderful game complete with all the dark humor, entertaining dialogue and pop culture references that have been staples of the franchise. Obsidian has crafted their first excellent game, something long overdue for such a talented but underutilized studio.… Expand

Fallout New Vegas is hands down the best game of the year. Surpassing FO3 in all aspects. The New Vegas world is much more interactive and better made than the FO3's world. The graphic were only slightly improved but the great amount in the game you cannot blame them for not giving the game a major makeover. The new game play aspects are amazing such as hardcore mode, the revamp of the workbench and campfires. Yes there are quite a few bugs but nothing as disastrous as the major glitches in FO3. Definitely worth the time!… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fallout: New Vegas has grown in so many ways. Numerous more weapons, voice actors, skins, apparel, and factions to side with. Also, there are numerous new ways to advance your character past the old kill, pick, hack, coerce, complete quest experience gain. Now there are challenges to complete that sometimes supply a new perk, two extra traits to choose during character creation, and even the choice of your companion can offer a perk (Ex. Boone's Spotter perk). Hardcore mode does not seem as hardcore as it could, as you can easily find food, water, and a place to sleep, and making the stimpaks and radaways tick per second only causes a few retries on the tougher encounters. At launch many people had saving issues which is a nightmare for those who lost and couldn't find their many hours of game data, though the manual save feature has and still does work. Graphics seem improved due to the amount of what is to be seen on the screen during larger battles and the entry of New Vegas Strip. The decisions of the player make for a different ending each time, but once you complete the main story line, do not expect to continue on unless you have an old save file. New Vegas has proved to be an impressive title that lives up to most of its fans expectations.… Expand

Lots of bunk little reviews on here - scores of 2 and 3, you people should get a bit of a grip. Truth is: FNV isn't perfect. But as many have said, it is the game FO3 should have been. Although the map is smaller, the world just feels so much more alive, for a large part because of the factions fighting amongst themselves. FO3 was a great sandbox game, but FNV is simply better: the combat feels more balanced, hardcore mode turns a shooter with RPG edge into an RPG with a shooter edge. The music is great. The graphics aren't great, but they're more than up to task of drawing you in. VATS is as great as ever, but it's good that crits drop you into slo-mo outside of VATS now too. Melee weapons are a lot more fun. But most importantly: the quests, the world and the dialog are a lot more believable and enjoyable than FO3's. If you enjoyed FO3, consider that a trial run and just get FNV, You'll love it. If you didn't like FO3, I'm not sure this will convince you. But at the end of the day, this is simply one of the best RPG's available on PC.… Expand

Just amazing. 200+ hours of content for 19.99 and the best mod community around. IMHO better than Fallout 3. Great gunfights, dialogue and universe.

When I first picked up new vegas I was a little worried that it might be a smaller version of fallout 3 but it turned out new vegas was a huge new post apocalyptic world to explore that even the buggy Gamebryo engine couldnt bring down. Modders have already released a large amount of mods for new vegas and more are pouring in so im sure I will be adding to the 50 or so hours it took to beat the game the first time. Fallout new vegas is truely diserving of the Fallout name and I look forward to seeing where the series goes next.… Expand

Nothing new in this big DLC, just a recycled engine, stolen ideas from user's mods, shake it and the New Vegas **** is done.Really disappointing for a Bethesda fan, not the game itself that is still valid for a normal user, but if you used to play Fallout 3 with popular mods it's easy to recognize nothing really new from the software house, this is just a great example of brand exploitation, not worth the full price.… Expand

This is an excellent game, unfortunately marred by so many technical problems at launch it was ruined for many PC gamers. My review score ignores all the technical problems, and there is a lot. Be warned that you will likely have extremely poor performance and other technical issues galore. If you aren't up for some forum searching, tweaking and waiting for patches, don't bother buying the PC version. Basically if you loved Fallout 3, you'll really love this game. The formula hasn't changed much, but the additions to crafting, faction reputations, gun modding, ammo types, survival skills, hardcore mode, improved companion system, etc has improved the experience a lot. Obsidian's excellent storyline and dialog writing improves things further, giving characters and locations more personality and likely drawing more than a few laughs from you as you play. After a few months of patches this game will be the masterpiece everyone hoped it would be out of the box.… Expand

Short and simple. If you loved Fallout 3, and don't mind more of the same, then yes, you will love New Vegas.

This isn't a step forward or step backward per se, but there aren't many huge improvements that make this feel like an entirely new game. It feels more like DLC despite what previews had said.. How do I feel paying $50 for it? I'm okay with it, but I will be reluctant to buy Fallout: New Something using the same outdated graphics, gameplay, and glitches/bugs. This is a vast game, trust me, as with Fallout 3, there is ALOT of game here. So bugs are understandable. But you will encounter them often just because of how open and non linear this game is. And unfortunately, frequent bugs CAN ruin the game and makes this for a frustrating unpolished product. Just because it's unpolished doesn't mean it's not fun, it just means for a little disappointment for the gamer. And I think alot of people feel a bit offended that they would release this product the way it is. But what I love about this game is still the same. I can spend hours and hours playing this. So far, I'm LOVING this game as much as Fallout 3. Hardcore mode is a nice touch but hasn't gotten me into tons of trouble yet. So when you have a formula, it's good to stick with it. But the players won't stick with it as long as you may think.... For the next game, they will have to reinvent the engine, reinvent the gameplay, and figure out a way to better debug this game. They cannot continue the series this way, it will not last. Given those words, not everyone will like this game. It deserves a higher score, really, it does. But it's been done before, and is more or less on the same level as Fallout 3.… Expand

There is a lack of reviews for this game this morning for some reason so I am posting this to help people out. Keep in mind I did not play for very long but this will give you something. I downloaded last night as pre-load from Steam and played a little before I went to work this morning. The game is similar to F3. Graphics seem a little better than the last game. My settings are Ultra High. I loved F3 but the dismal environment got depressing. The Mojave desert has some green cactus's mixed in and bright colors. This is a welcome change for me and I really like the new look. Weapons can also be modded. I really like this. Dev's said that scopes can be traded out on guns. I saw in pip boy that weapons had a choice to mod but I did not have any mods that early in game. The mods sound similar to Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 which I loved. First person shooting is a good addition I think instead of running away or backing up to rebuild AP. I did not play for very long(~40 minutes) but I did NOT notice long load times, clipping, or game breaking show stoppers such as those described in console reviews. This review is for PC. I understand it is not extensive but I am a little irritated by the lack of main stream reviews and decided to act instead of **** So far the game seems pretty impressive and solid for me. Can't wait to play when I get home.

My system is quad core Phenom 2, 4870 GPU, 8 Gigs RAM, okay quality motherboard. Not trying to show off my system, just posting so you can compare.… Expand

Autosaves DO work, they are in your FalloutNV folder in My Documents, as a .bak file, just need renaming... give it a try, copy them all and plat around with what is the right one.

Not the ideal solution, but this game is amazing, and this autosave bug is easily rectified

Having enjoyed Fallout 3. I expected very much from Fallout New Vegas and it did not disappoint. These two games are similar yes, but not exactly the same. With slight graphical and technical improvements; New Vegas as much to offer for new and returning players. I have not come across any major glitches/bugs that effected my game play, but as well you cannot expect a new release to be 100% bug free. With a vast wasteland at your feet and countless hours to explore. Fallout New Vegas is well-worth its value.… Expand

Proof that the PC is still top dog when it comes to platform quality. While this game fails to deliver the thrill that made Fallout 3 the best RPG since Neverwinter Nights, its undeniable quality and "go anywhere" freedom make it an excellent example of the open world in an action RPG. Bugs and underwhelming story makes a non story focussed game only slightly less brilliant, and this title shimmers with quality and fun.… Expand

The game is very well done considering it's storyline, quests, new features. The only real problem (which in my opinion is exaggerated) is lack of graphic improvement and bugs.

Graphics are already very good to being with, especially considering that fallout 1 and 2 had very bad graphics by modern standards, yet it was quality of storyline and freedom that made people fall in love with these games. Thus, in my humble opinion lack of graphics improvement is of a very little importance.

In regard to shooting I have to say that it actually improved in relation to Fallout 3(especially iron sights, which I love.) People who whine about it not being as good as in Call of Duty are forgetting that this is RPG and not a SHOOTER.

I, during my 5 hours of playing had not experienced a single crash, or a major bug. Only common bug I saw in the game was that NPCS would sometime get stuck in some objects
Also quick saves and auto saves do not work after game is restarted, but I am pretty sure that will be fixed, if not already, very soon. Any other bugs are rare or not annoying.

People who said that game is laggy are crazy. I play on all the highest settings (ultra high, with resolution of 1440x900 or something like that) and I never experienced a lag. My computer stats are Quad 2.4HZ 4GB memory, 260GTX Invidia.

If you are a fan of RPG in any way, this is a must buy.… Expand

I will just say one thing to those people who are talking crap about this brilliant game. I am a big fan of Fallout franchise and this one is also a masterpiece in this franchise. Yes i admit one thing the graphics are not good but if you just look at graphics then u can't be a gamer. If u really are a gamer then just stick to the gameplay. And plzzz don't talk any other crap about this brilliant game plzzz..… Expand

I'm giving this a 2. FO:NV feels like Elder Scrolls ported into Fallout 3 and given a slap of user forum content feedback veneer and released while in beta.

A piss poor PC port using a dated engine, bringing nothing new to the table; FTW example of how to milk a franchise without improving the game. If you MUST buy it, expect bugs, crashes, graphic instabilities galore.

A shame. New Vegas would have been great, but it's ridiculously buggy. Clearly a game rushed out way too soon. I've no idea how it got an average of 86 with such glaring lack of polish and a battery of game breaking bugs. Only worth buying on a discount AND once the game has been sufficiently patched.

Awesome game! A lots of graphic improvements ... The audio is beautiful...
Dont have the fallout 3 bugs... Now i cant minimize the game without crash it!
The history takes your attention for hours!
Recommended!

Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game. Great game.… Expand

Its a decent game, not as good as fallout 3

HOWEVER to all of you bashing Bethesda for this, you are wrong to do so. Reason being? BETHESDA DID NOT MAKE THIS GAME OBSIDIAN DID.

This game does not deserve the low scores it is getting. Doesn't deserve a 10, but certainly not a 0-5. It's a fun game. I have not found any glitches yet. Aside from jumping sideways instead of forward when running after not jumping for a while, that's about it. Story line isn't as good as FO3, but i'm thoroughly enjoying the game. There are plenty of changes in the game that give it a different feel than aforementioned FO3. If you liked #3, there's a very good chance you'll enjoy New Vegas. That is all.… Expand

In this harsh economic climate there are much better things to do with your inevitably severly limited disposable income than spend it on fallout new vegas. tonight i could have bought some hard drugs and be out raving, having the time of my life, instead i'm sitting here on a saturday night writing this review 'cause i spent my spare cash on a broken game.
Fallout new vegas is a **** terrible game for so many reasons it beggars belief that bethesda even allowed to be released in it's current state. everyone knows that betheda's previous efforts are ropey as **** but thats part of their charm, despite all thier technical deficencies, atleast obvlivion and fallout 3 felt like they had been designed by people who had actually played a video game. new vegas on the other hand is an incoherent mess of a virtual world that seems intent on reminding you that you are playing a video game due to is staggering volume of atmosphere shattering bugs; the script lacks any semblance of character and frequently slips itself into giving the player incomprihensable choices, based on the assumption that you have a prior knowledge to it's ill conciveved mess of a plot. one of the things that fallout 3 did well was quest /level design. new vegas on the otherhand has regressed to a sega master system level of competency in this respect; the entire game basicaly consists of fetch quests which send you into corridor based dungeons with Doom esque levels of sosphistication (this is actually an insult to Doom, as in 1994 Doom was pretty sophistocated, but alas it's now 2010, and keycards and shooting **** in the face just don't cut it aymore) the much vaunted reputation system whereby you essentialy give to paul and take away from peter is just a black and white as you expect it to be; no matter what choices you make in the game you are inevitably going to be shot to **** by a group of **** while wondering the generic wasteland, which brings us to the combat system. Basically it's exactly the same as in fallout 3, except now the AI level of whatever is trying to kill you havs been brought down from borderline mental disorder to severly retarded; basicaly what obsidian has done is progam anything that wants to kill you (ie most things in the game) to chase you, without stopping until you have been shot to death. enemies have literally no sense of self preservation, and will literaly chase you across the entire game map attacking you untill you or they are dead. even thouugh they are carrying a puny 9mm pistol whilst you wield a **** flame thrower, and even after you spunk fire all over them and they ignite into a firery mess, you will still be chased, and keep having to go into the unwieldy menu system to use hard to come by heaaling items, as you are relentlesly shot in the head without reason there is lots mor wrong with this **** game but i'm sick of talking about it, and i hope you have been convinced that your hard earned cash would be better spent on a gram of cocaine or an akward 10 minutes with a prostitute.… Expand

Bugs galore. Very last gen graphics. Animated characters walking in thin air. How about a decent auto save system? Nope. Random game crashes on high end PC 's that run any game easily? Yep. How does this thing score more highly than Kane and Lynch, which was slammed by many critics. If I had to choose between the 2 games, K&L would win hands down. Do not believe all the hype. This game is mediocre, and that is being generous.… Expand

Better than Fallout 3 by miles. Almost every issue I had with the last game has been resolved. Crappy dialogue? Fixed. Boring Characters? Fixed. Uninspired story? Oh, it was fixed alright. What more, the hardcore mode definitely adds a layer of immersiveness that, while not really making the game any harder than before, gives it plenty of atmosphere. Now, I did say "Almost every issue" earlier. There is actually one thing that Obsidan (not Bethesda, they did not develop this) managed to do worse than Fallout 3. The game is buggy as hell. Even with the most recent patches, there are plenty of crashes, bugs, and straight up oddities lurking below this great game. I finished a playthrough of this game (not 100%) in 37 hours, not including time backtracked due to crashes.… Expand

A good game is memorable but a great game makes you feel as though you've fallen in love for the first time all over again. Fallout: New Vegas is nothing short of greatness.

I would easily have rated it 10 if it didn't ship with so many frustrating bugs. However, don't let it be said that the bugs diminish the amazing and liberally nostalgic post-apocalyptic experience waiting for you in any significant way and really, there's nothing that can't be fixed in the upcoming patch.

From the moment I pre-ordered New Vegas to the moment my character stepped into the Wasteland, I thought that this would be just another Bethesda RPG, its only redeeming quality being Obsidian behind it. I had modest expectations which in no way prepared me for one of the most immersive and enjoyable gaming experiences in years.

Fallout: New Vegas flows in the same prestigious blue-blooded vein as much-loved RPGs from the 90's. It is an instant classic, it is true to the original Fallout games, it is an appreciation of everything that gave the original games their cult-following: choice, consequence, a dark believable atmosphere, timeless humour and memorable companions.

Hardcore mode enhances the sense of immersion and is a wonderful addition to the gameplay. The plot-line is just a driving force that keeps you heading in the right direction but is in no way the only interesting thing to see or do in the Mojave. It doesn't overpower the experience nor does it come short of delivering a well-balanced and brilliantly thought-out plot.

Hearing nostalgic snippets of the original games, like the name of Tandi, Shady Sands, seeing Marcus again, mention of The Master. This is the true, honest-to-goodness, thoroughbred successor of Fallout 1 and 2.

I believe that Tim Cain will be proud.

Thank you, Obsidian, for giving me a truly memorable and enjoyable experience. I sincerely hope you work on future Fallout games as well--you've put Bethesda to shame :)… Expand

I will keep this very short; There are bugs and slow downs on older systems. In terms of the gaming experience, I like the whole idea of scrounging in Post-Apocalypse and being able to craft your own gear, gadgets, mods, etc. I felt the npc interactions felt less generic and robotic than other games; char. creation with Doc Mitchell, and the "tutorial" with Sunny are good examples. This won't be for everyone, but I'm loving it so far. Too bad limit demos are a thing of the past. Anyone old enough to remember playing the first chapter of Doom for free?… Expand

To simply put it is amazing, idk what derpderpderp is talking about, the graphics are nice, shooting mechanics are great. Simple, no long review, my review is in the number!

This game started well...but since I'm unable to play further I can not rate it higher than 1. Did they even have a QA department? I refuse to believe that this game is "so big that it's impossible to properly test it" excuse given by them. I accepted that it was almost like playing a mod in Fallout 3 (really the graphics are almost identical) but the fact that it stopped working after 14 hours of gameplay (my last four save games refuse to load)...now the only option I have is to lose several hours (4+) of gameplay (which means redo the last four hours of scavening, killing, etc.).

I've patched, tweaked, etc. and I just can't get those save games to load again (the backups also don't work)...if I'd know this before I could probably have just replayed the same bits over again instead of trying to fix it but now I'm afraid to commit any more time to this with the same problem repeating itself later on. Quite frankly I'm going to try and get my money back for this bug infested excuse of a release.… Expand

It's a good game, more morally ambiguous and darker than FO3, and with a less linear main story. However things like bugs (mostly in the engine), a few design flaws like excess of items in inventory, messed up marking of objects as theft, and too few levels (as a repeated flaw), mean that it does fall short of the original FO3 in my opinion. One great new addition is binoculars and scopes that actually work, making sniping and reconnaissance viable (and advantageous!). The engine is showing it's age and the radio feature didn't seem as good as FO3 as well. There is also less humour, which does seem strange since this is supposedly by a team with a lot of Black Isle members. However it's still good, and a welcome fresh twist on the original FO3.… Expand

First off, most people giving this bad business blame it on the bugs, and also sway towards fallout 3. Fallout 3 is a very different game from new vegas, except for the lovley pip boy and the VATS targeting system. In fallout 3, it is a broken ruin of a once superpower. Brought down by greed. Edging for survival. In new vegas, its far more oriented towards the rebirth of society. 2 hundred years after the bombs fell. People emerging, forming new empires. And they clash and cause chaos. I will admit that the bugs are a miserable thing to live with. (On the first few days of release) after the patches, its fine. Ive got a 9800 Nvidia GT. graphics card, and an amd anthlon 64 3500+ processor, with 3.5 gigabytes of DDR ONE ram, with 200 mghz speed. Windows 7, I get 45 FPS. (Horrible spec's, but if I can get that, you can too!) Anyway, the game is lovingly funny, just a drab landscape. Gameplay is relatively fun. The kiting just got on my nerves. Dozens of hours worth of playtime, I played fallout 3 for 300 hours, with all DLC. very fun. New vegas however, being a little smaller but with better gameplay mechanics balances out everything that fallout3 had flaws with. Except perhaps the drab environment. (What more can you expect? ITS A NUCLEAR WASTELAND) if you are one for RPG with a bit of time on your hands, I would reccomend this over fallout 3. Dont get me wrong, fallout 3 is also an amazing game, they are both very worth the money. The only thing that pisses me off is the invisible game walls!!!!!!! THEY BLOCK OFF HALF THE MAP. Oh well.… Expand

If you haven't been diagnosed with ADD prior to playing Fallout New Vegas, you definitely will be after playing it. There are so many places to explore, people to talk to, and things to do that it's difficult not to get distracted. But the game remains fun even when you happen to run off on some wild goose chase because the story flows so seamlessly. It never feels like you are on some irrelevant side mission. I love the stress-free freedom to do what you want, when you want to do it.

The game left me in awe as to how intricate virtual worlds like this can be experienced in such stunning detail--definitely worth spending my time and energy. Its biggest disappointment is the inability to continue character development and exploration once the main quest is finished. You are forced to load an old save...… Expand

The DLC hasn't been worth it and there are some pacing issues (but that happens with most of Beth's games), but this is the best open world sandbox RPG out there. Between an amazingly active community of mod makers at nexus and a great base game it's a must play. Also, the price is starting to drop - so now's the time to give it a try.

This game is just simply amazing, I can not just tell you how good this game is! The content and easter eggs are AMAZING in this game. If anyone says they don't like this game all I can say is that they're not SERIOUS GAMERS, you can't be a beginner or a kid to play this game. The best part about this game is - once you've turned the game inside and out you can get mods and then its a WHOLE NEW GAME!!!!!… Expand

At first, i was thinking this game is a joke. then as i continued on with this game it was AMAZING. This is DEFINATELY for SERIOUS GAMERS like myself. And the best thing is, once you finish the great storyline, you can easily mod it. Fallout New Vegas is like a completely different game when you use mods. This game kept me playing for around 350 hours and i would say that NOT ONE OF THEM FEEL LIKE THEY ARE WASTED. I would highly recommend this for SERIOUS GAMERS, and advise casual gamers, Posers, begginners and kids to stay away from this awesome game.… Expand

Feels like a Fallout 3 expansion with a few new superficial bells and whistles, and a lot of new bugs-specifically its frustrating habit of losing save files. Also the VATS system is painfully slow on this one compared to Fallout 3 (played on the same computer).

Fallout: New Vegas is a solid game with intriguing characters and a more vibrant landscape than Fallout 3. The re-use of building material skins and lack of new hairstyles feels lazy, but this is only a disappointment, not a major detriment to game play. Factions provide a new dimension, although the faction system is not as in-depth as players may like. Some have complained about the ability to carry faction armor, but it's enough of a drain on your weight limit you're unlikely to lug it around "just in case The new ammo system feels bulky at times, but offers new avenues of strategy to veteran players. The game has many annoyances that make me wonder how hard Bethesda was trying, especially in regards to invisible walls that make travel unduly difficult, but the writing is top-notch. If you loved Fallout 3 you'll be pleased with New Vegas, although it takes longer to immerse yourself in than it's predecessor.… Expand

First of all, I'll agree that the game "seems" like it could have just been an expansion (a very large one) on fallout 3. It does use the same buggy engine, much of the same resources (textures, even buildings are reused in a cut & paste fashion from FO3 in some places) and has many of the same mechanics. However, there are also a number of new mechanics, and features that weren't in FO3, many that have come back from FO1 & 2 (traits, etc).

I'm going to start with the criticisms first, then move on to the good parts, as I like reviews that end happy...

My harshest criticisms come from two main areas: 1. They've had 2 years to update the textures... the modding community updated them within the first couple months. Sure, the character models on the PC have better detail, but overall the textures are the same quality as FO3. Don't get me wrong, New Vegas is pretty, but they SHOULD have upgraded the textures that are used throughout most of the game. If it was done this way to accommodate the 360/PS3, then they should have had the option for the PC crowd (like Civ5 asking to run in DX9 vs. DX10, or Eve Online & LotRO's high res packs). Thankfully, I got the game for the PC via Steam and can count on the modding community to update the textures for me. Console players will have no such luck.

2. Bugs... OMG are there a lot of bugs and really bad ones. There's nothing that stops you from technically competing the game (that I've seen) but there are a number of quest related bugs where people/object just disappear, etc. In the PC version which is what I'm playing, it is very common to experience CTDs (Crash to Desktop). I've experienced well over a dozen in 15+ hours of play. Even after the recent patches this has not improved (though some quests are now playable). There are also little glitches like NPCs freezing (becoming immobile and immortal) in the middle of a gun fight.. This is easily fixed by entering a new area such as a building then re-entering. But it SHOULD have been caught in QA. Many of the present bugs are those that existed in FO3, so IMO there is little excuseâ… Expand

Why do i get the feeling i just paid $100 dollars to run Beta for a large gaming production? I paid this money so that i can put a disk in my PC load on a game and float away in an imaginary world, instead im stuck patching this, installing a lost .dll file, changing a wordpad doc while clapping my heads and spinning around backwards saying i got suckered by a large game production company. EPIC FAIL. As faithfull as i am still to this game, me and all of those having these problems shouldt be put through this.. i didint pay 'Beth' money so that i can read up forums and fix the game myself!!… Expand

The problem with F:NV isn't that there's not enough "new", there's plenty. The problem is that it's just not as polished as the original, at least where the PC version is concerned. It seems strange to me that I was able to run the original on full settings without a hiccup out of the box on older hardware, while this version never ceased to give me difficulties (on new hardware), exacerbated by having to exit out of the game entirely in order to tweak settings. The game play itself hasn't really changed (the new companion option is pretty sweet, but nothing really dramatic), and the story and quests are both phenomenal, so if you liked the last installment, you owe it to yourself to at least give this one a chance. Just be warned that as far as the PC goes, this one is a much rougher model than the last. Hopefully it'll be fixed up in a patch or two.… Expand

This is an update of my previous review. The score has been adjusted upward from 8/10 to 9/10.

Atmosphere. Atmosphere never changes, and it's everywhere in Fallout: New Vegas. The game literally drips with ambiance, clever plots, and interesting characters. In many ways, F:NV is the sequel that FO3 should have been, with much tighter writing and plenty of the series' trademark black humor. I've been continually impressed with the actual fun factor of the game. There are no cookie cutter quests, no boring grinds. Every task is unique. Also, the sheer extremism of some of the factions can provoke a visceral reaction. You'll understand what I mean after a few brushes with the men in skirts. This is a true RPG with plenty of meat to its bones, but also a heavily tactical shooter that demands specialization and punishes hesitation. In short, the gameplay absolutely rocks. So why isn't it a ten? A handful of reasons, most of them regarding the aging Gamebryo engine. To note, the Facegen and DirectX problems that plagued earlier versions have finally been fixed, and the majority of players can now have a smooth Wasteland experience! Kudos to Bethesda, although they should have taken care of these issues pre-release.

Loading stutters will still happen, even on high end machines. AI behavior can be downright goofy (sometimes intentionally). The graphics are noticeably dated, although still pretty. There isn't a great deal of musical variety on the radios, although incredible mods like CONELRAD and Existence 2.0 rectify this situation quite nicely. There are a whole host of minor flaws and little bugs that mar the experience. Despite this, it is an amazing game and well worth the caps... err... cash.

The only reason I would not recommend this is if you don't like the post-apocalyptic genre in general or the Fallout series in particular. Otherwise, pony up and get ready for Vegas.… Expand

Who ever sais that new vegas is a bad Bugged game then u either dont update or have a bad computer.
Im a huge fan of the fallout series and they are awsome rpg's. I admit it's alot like F3 and could have been named a complete expansion, but the mods and new ammo along with gambling really gave it a different feel. Even with a phew moments of scratching your head seeing an npc walking above the ground or stuck outside the map bethesda/obsidian has made a game of great proportions.… Expand

Another great game from Bethesda! A lot of improvement since Fallout 3, a really long and intense playtrough with a bunch of side quest.
The story is more open ended (like Fallout and Fallout 2) than Fallout 3, and reintroduce the reputation system.
Of course, the PC version maintain the community modding feature... the secret of success of Bethesda games.

Hope to see soon some quality DLC... maybe like Point Lookout.
Like I've already say this game is great, and have the potential to improve even more with Mods and DLC.… Expand

This game is what I had hoped it would be and more. I loved Fallout 3 but I hated the persistent crashes. So far, FONV has run without a hitch. There is definitely improvements on the user-interface. The story and dialogue are outstanding....and it's gangster noir western, via the Vegas backdrop, is awesome. If you loved FO3 and Las Vegas, then you will probably love FONV. Obsidian has earned my respect after the NWN2 debacle. Cheers!!!… Expand

Worthy follow up to fallout 3. You'll never find a game that gives you more freedom than this. Minor bugs and glitches are all excused. To give an idea of what you are free to do, someone completed the whole without killing any people or animals! Took him a 70 hours run though hehe.

I've been playing this for a week now and I can safely say that this is my game of the year. Better in every imaginable way than Fallout 3, if you think FO3 is just "OK" or above you owe it to yourself to buy this game. Fantastic job by Obsidian. There are some technical issues but again, much less and not so severe as in FO3. All in all a nearly perfect game that can only get better (by official patches/DLCs and the very active mod community)… Expand

Awesome! Another great job by the guys and gals at Obsidian. Thanks a bunch for an excellent game! Just getting started but I love all that I've seen so far.

To preface, I'm a fan of The Elder Scrolls series (though I've grown distaste for Bethesda as a company in the past few years), and thoroughly enjoyed Fallout 3. I'm also a bit of a mature gamer.

I am loving New Vegas. I feel it is an improvement/refinement of Fallout 3 in every way. The difficulty (at Hard/Hardcore mode) is sufficient. The wasteland feels a bit more empty this time around (less enemies), but this also feels more realistic.

One of the things I actually like, is the main quest feels a lot less prominent than almost any game I've played. There is obviously a primary quest, but once you reach a certain point the game doesn't forcefeed you motivation to complete it. It's just there. The game truly feels like an open world, and it a pretty genuine one, at that.

The weapons are cool, and the weapon mods are a great addition. They are expensive; Giving you something to spend your heaps of money on, which Bethesda has never been so great at. The armor and weapons are also pricey, they are tempting, but I've held off on buying any.

The bugs are very minor to me. The only one that I have really had a problem with is the save corruption bug, but that is avoidable so long as you avoid the Come Fly With Me quest, and avoid Vault 34 (?). So, having skirted one quest and all vaults, I've had a more or less bug-free experience.

This game is great fun, with lots of unnecessary dialogue that serves purely to enrich the game world, with much better voice acting than Bethesda ever accomplished. I'm more than satisfied with Obsidian, and wouldn't mind if they made TES:V, because I think Bethesda is losing their touch.… Expand

Probably the best game I've ever played. I enjoyed myself A TON playing this game. When it was over I really wanted to play more and was really bummed out. But playing through this game was extremely enjoyable and it was similar to FO3 which I loved. Which most people say is a bad thing, but I think it's great. It was just like fallout 3 with a different story line, which I loved. I don't know what the problem with that is... This game is simply amazing.… Expand

This game truly reflects on the nature of a rpg. Just because the engine begins to show some age and it can get a little buggy is no reason to hate the beauty of fallout in a way this is better than fallout 3 which was originally my favorite game of all time. It has two modes to select from (Basic, or hardcore) which allows you to see how hard it will really be to survive in a wasteland. The atmosphere is dry and the terrain is jagged and just makes you feel the realness of surviving. That's not the reason I rated this game a 10 though its because it has the best character customization (next to oblivion) It's by far got one of the best first and third person shooter methods I have ever experienced and vats just adds so much unique feelings, from the epic moment you blow off an enemies arm, leg, or head. Or turn someone into ashes or a pool of melted plasma it gives you so much satisfaction that you cant wait to kill the next enemy with the wide variations of weapons. Which brings me to my next point the weapons are perfectly balanced and everyone feels good to hold in your hands the sounds are exquisite and makes you feel like you are shooting a real gun at a real person, or creature. Also the voices are good but not great but the amount of dialogue pays up for it with over 60,000 lines of dialogue which is a record might I remind you. The amount of time and effort put into this game should be appreciated. Also the creatures and the wide amount of them really adds some flavor to the game other than fighting people with guns 24/7 *Ahem*cod. From geckos to deathclaws from cazadors to nightstalkers there are over 40 new creatures not including the dlc. I think this game alone yet a little buggy is beautiful and a game to be reckoned with 10/10 A true rpg masterpiece ~ Snowweed… Expand

If you loved fallout 3, you'll find a new world to explore and waste hours adventuring. The quests are tighter and much more enjoyable. you'll get to do a little vault diving again. the plot is almost nonexistant and the game leaves you to roam where ever, find plenty of new and interesting weapons, and see the sights. On the other hand, the game is as glitchy as ever. I once saw a scorpion clipped through the ground trying to attack me. There are invisible walls everywhere, so that little hill you want to get over is impossible, I don't understand this design choice for an open world environment. You rely much less on vats due to less volatile movements and improved aiming. The special system seemed to be much more important as each attribute has its pros and cons and played in more during conversations. the skills have much more diverse uses, expect finding practical uses for repair and medicine. The worst part however is this amounts to a reskin of fallout 3. While new weapons and enemies keep it fresh, combat is the same and many places seem familiar. If you enjoyed fallout 3, be prepared to be drawn into a new world along with a few hiccups here and there.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a fan of Fallout 3, I was eagerly anticipating the release of this game. First thing I discovered was that Steam was required. Many people will ***** about steam, but I find it to be very useful in organizing, opening and updating games. The game has a mediocre start- you are brought back to health by this stranger in the town of Goodsprings. Yes, it is the same graphics engine. That is good and bad. One of the good things is that the water still looks wonderful from fallout 3. Also, the sky has been greatly improved, so you can see cloud movement. However, the graphics also work against the game with the occasional glitch you see from distant objects. The factions of the game are wonderful- obviously, the folks at Bethesda and Obsidian thought through how quests for each would interfere with other factions, forcing you to take sides. The game is significantly shorter, but this is balanced out with a number of different endings, based on whether you decide to ally with Mr. House, the NCR, Caesar's Legion, or go alone. Many new types of enemies add new gameplay elements and strategies to how you fight. Many magnificent places such as the Hoover Dam and the Strip add glamor to the not so glorious Mojave wasteland. Many people overlook all the glitches, but there are many great features in the game too, that everyone should explore. And with the PC mod community, you won't have to wait long before people create mods that fill up the completely empty freeside, and add new quests to the wasteland.… Expand

Fallout: New Vegas is a very fun and immersive game. It scratches that itch I have for in-game exploration oh so well. The only major downside is the bugs, ooooohhhh the bugs. For example, I can't finish a certain quest without it corrupting my saves. Also, the frame rate slows down significantly when multiple NPCs show up on screen. Another minor downside is some of the quests are very dry and lack variety, kind of like just go here and kill these people/creatures or go here get this thing. That's not to say there isn't a lot of creativity on display here, its just that sometimes quests can be kind of meh. Overall, if you loved Fallout 3 you will love this, provided you don't run into game-killing bugs.… Expand

I had heard that there was some alleged improvement in the writing department. This is occasionally evident, but the plot-lines are banal and the NPC's are still robotic and stilted, demonstrated by their oft inconsistent and unlikely behaviour that makes it difficult to become immersed. The best bits still comprise wasteland-wandering, and the hardcore mode is a curious addition. However, the Gamebryo engine is beginning to feel dated; It usually looks fine, but loading screens between doorways, the limited NPC population and the lack of views to underpin context add to a collective impression of unreality. Since NV uses the same graphics as FO3, it surprised me that NV shuns years of modding and DLC content by making this a 'new game', when it should have been implemented as a full expansion; Our FO3 character could easily have been asked to courier the Chip from, say, Rivet City to New Vegas and found ourselves confronted with Benny, allowing for a seamless merge. For those of us who have tweaked FO3 to our liking since '08, being dragged back to a 'Vanilla' world is a stark reminder of the flaws that mods have fixed (unless you are a console-gamer). I could have excused the game for occasional crashes and glitches, and I understand that the emphasis is now on the console-market, but the trigger that turned my mind from "give it a chance" to "this is dull" was the awful immersion. This was achieved by the inane AI, the primitive patchwork world, the poorly/lazily constructed story & narration, and the implausible architecture. My zero score is for balance. My true score would be 3, for its efforts to add 'Hardcore', improve the implementation of skills when dealing with NPC's, and some other beneficial but superficial improvments. NV's increased linearity irks me slightly as well. I hope ID Software graces Bethesda with a better 3D engine for TES V:Skyrim.… Expand

Fallout New Vegas is without a single doubt, a contender for the best game of 2010. Why? Because it is an absolutely astonishing game.

On the surface, it looks very similar to Fallout 3, and you would be correct in thinking that, for the most part. However, when you begin the bigger quests, explore a bit more, and turn on 'Hardcore mode' (more on that later) you realise this is totally different. The story is very good, with a choice of 4 endings as well, you can be sure the game plays out a different way when you replay and fight for a different faction. The map seems smaller than in Fallout 3, especially because at least a quarter of the map is sealed off by cliffs. However, this doesn't matter, as each location is interesting to visit, the majority having a quest to go with it, loot, or NPC's to talk to. The action has been revamped as well, allowing V.A.T.S, and having 'true aim' - something Fallout 3 desperatly needed. The graphics are still nice, especially seeing the Strip of New Vegas lighting up the night sky. While Fallout 3 was possible of this, the environment is not just ruins and rubble, allowing for nice variety.

The aforementioned 'Hardcore mode' is a welcome, and optional addition. What it does is introduce aspects like dehydration, hunger, needing sleep, and needing proper medical attention when crippled. This doesn't make the game that much harder than what it can be already, but does make the experience richer when turned on.

A lot of reviews are damning this game purely on the bugs, glitches and problems. This game does have some bugs - but as did Fallout 3. Most of these are fixed with a reload however, and are not as big a problem as people claim. The one thing I will mention though - my computer is more than powerful enough for this game, a 2.93GHZ Quad Core, 4GB of RAM and an Nvidia 295GTX, running on a 64bit version of 7. The performance is very bad when a lot of people appear on screen, and the larger battles become difficult. I feel this is due to having a 64bit system, as my old install with far older hardware had no problems whatso-ever in Fallout 3. This is a big issue - and Obsidian need to fix this as soon as possible.

In closing, the problems in this game are completely dwarfed by what it does right - providing 30+ hours of RPG bliss, and is an absolute essential for any gamer.… Expand

FVegas seams as F3 + many unnecessary things... today 2010 year, but in game mouseaccel, invisible textures, strange hitbox, stupid NPC - it's goddam. SLAPDASH!!!!
score 5 for music from F1 & F2

In comparison with Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas offers completely different experience. Despite the overall "ugliness" its atmosphere drags you in. The game design itself doesn't lack logic and dialogues are pretty fine and meaningful (voice acting contributes to that). It really reminds me of lovely grandpas, Fallout 1 and 2 (and it's full of references; especially with Wild Wastelander trait - must-have for any player who is familiar with Fallout before FO3)… Expand

A lot of fun. I have been almost completely bug free, though I've heard about a lot of bugs on the x-box version. The main quest is a bit laking, but the huge interesting world is a blast to explore, and the general gameplay is very enjoyable.

Simply awesome game! I never really enjoeyd fallout 3, but this is really a blast. On my third playthrough and im still having a great time with all the customization etc. I have hope in the mods as well.

Rated 9/10 and not 10 because of the various glitches (Steam's erasing 5 hours of gameplay, horrible fps without the player fix, dog's eyes out of head, people in the roof/walls, etc, mostly not game-breaking)… Expand

A good game for sure, but it could definitely use much more polish. The game mechanics from Fallout 3 have been slightly improved, and a hardcore mode makes the game feel more immersive. But unfortunately, the game suffers from a handful of not horrible, but annoying bugs. An outdated graphics system is visible all across the Mojave (the lack of an in-game graphics interface should be noted as well), and a very predictable storyline that reads much like that of its predecessor is a big let-down.… Expand

This review contains spoilers. Fallout: New Vegas seems to be too close to the previous series, but after a few minutes you understand the striking difference which is altough not enough to reborn Fallout franchise, unfortunately.11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111… Collapse

If you liked Fallout 3, you may very well like Fallout: New Vegas. They have a lot of similarities; the only reason I can't be sure is that I didn't like Fallout 3, so I don't know what it's like to be you.

If you liked Fallout 1 or Fallout 2, you probably hated Fallout 3's hackneyed dialogue writing, awful plot, cookie-cutter characters etc. and expect to hate New Vegas because it'll be more of the same. I know *exactly* what that is like. Now that I've completed the game, though, I may definitively state - FNV is *not* more of Fallout 3. This game is what fans of the real Fallout games have been waiting for. The game is a big fat diamond covered in **** Most of the **** is Bethesda's perennially buggy engine, topped with a generous helping of rushed-release-belying content bugs. Extra stink is added in the form of very inconsistent voice acting - some is brilliant (Primm Slim, Benny), while some is inexcusably bad, with cases of actors clearly not understanding the semantics of the line they're reading, or obviously-Caucasian characters having obviously-African-American voice actors and vice versa. I began to dread encountering a similar mix-up but with the genders reversed; thankfully I never did.

All that said, I don't think I'd turn down a diamond covered in **** if it were offered to me just because it was covered in **** and neither should you. The game is visually limited to reusing a lot of Bethesda content, but all the new art was clearly made by people who understand what the Fallout aesthetic is supposed to be like. FNV's dialogue hearkens back to the games that made the series great, exposing Fallout 3's writers for the intellectual midgets they are, and the game's plotting is compelling (for an epic hero story, which all modern RPG's seemingly must be) and flows well. You will not be left asking yourself why an incredibly obvious solution to a problem was not possible in the game; the game's factions range from darkly humorous to just dark, but they (and their actions) all make sense in context. The game allows actual choice (not merely the illusion thereof) in the player's approaches to problem-solving, and does not exhibit Press Blue To Win Syndrome. For those who didn't play Mass Effect 2, what I mean to say is that many choices have real consequences in that they are mutually exclusive - you cannot consistently have your cake and eat it too.… Expand

I loved fallout 3, but new vegas just seems old, dated, slow and boring. It is pretty much the same game just worse, or maybes fallout 3 wasn't really that good after all and when i was playing it i had nothing better to do. I don't know, all I know is this game is boring, I played it for a week then had no desire to play again. Such a shame.

A pretty good game, but infested with so many glitches that it completely takes away from the experience. The game itself, compared to Fallout 3 is weak. You start off in a very uninteresting way, the storyline completely fails compared to Fallout 3, and the gameplay hasn't improved either. The glitches are completely game breaking, I was suffering from crashes every hour, I fell through the map a couple of times. Quests failed to work in some cases and the ending just felt so anti-climatic compared to Fallout 3's epic decision (no spoilers here).

Good things about the game is still, like always, there's a massive world to explore, tons of content and tons of character customisation. The gameplay is pretty interesting, NPC interaction is still good in most cases. There is tons of character progression with perks, skills and many other ways to build your character.

But this game has seriously put me off of Bethesda completely. To sum it up in one sentence: Take Fallout 3, put it in a new area, make the storyline worse, change the gameplay in ways that many people will think are worse and then completely infest it with even more glitches, some game breaking.… Expand

Ultimately this is a good game that could be so much better if the developers took more time to work out the bugs. If you can wait a few months while they sufficiently patch the game you should.

Downloaded from steam, missing a d3d9 file in the download, completely broken, took an hour of googling to find it was the same fault from fallout 3 which was not adressed, very buggy and stutters a LOT, gets better after a while, like fallout 3 but differrent setting, no real game changes, its like a huge expansion pack to fallout 3, not actually too bad a game would have been an 8 without the hours spent trying to fix it myself.… Expand

All-in-all Fallout: New Vegas is not a bad game, the problem is that itâ

You really know a game is weak when it's worse in most ways than the one that came before it. In Fallout 3 was a variety of fascinating architecture; here, it's prefab virtual representations of real prefab architecture. What more exciting place for adventure than a open desert? Bethesda must be insane. In Fallout 3, you never quite knew what plot challenge faced you: It was important to think carefully and frequently, or else. Here, I'm on automatic. I don't even bother to think up a tactic, don't even bother to avoid bullets: Just charge in and whack 'em. I've been playing for 5 hours. I doubt I can stand 5 more. But I am thinking of reinstalling Fallout 3, just one more time. For the FUN of it.… Expand

Sadly, this game doesn't introduce anything new. It's just basically more Fallout 3, except with a few annoying features. For exapmle, you can't see anything in detail past 50 yards away from you. This gets annoying when you're being shot at from long range, and you can't see your enemies unless you get closer to them. The graphics are the same. The only differences are the story, the location, the people, and a few new enemies and weapons. I would recommend this to people, but the fallout 3 fans might be offended.… Expand

I will be completely honest. Without the mod community this game wouldn't be so great. I played FO3 when it got released and was amazed by the game. When I discovered all these mods that came out I was very impressed with all the work that's been done. Same with New Vegas. The game itself is very enjoyable if you can tolerate the inevitable bugs that come with most Bethesda games. The various additions such as iron sights and hardcore mode are sure to please many role players out there. And the mods that the community has made for NV are more than excellent, adding immersion and additional features to the game without making it appear as a stretched-out obvious ugly modded remake of the original. You get completely used to the mods after a while, and you don't want to play the game without them. The mods are sure to cover 90% of the stuff you don't like in the unmodified game.
Still, you can't exactly treat it as "the next fallout game" because of its similarities to the previous game. But, if the previous game was so good, I'm ok with not changing it this once.… Expand

There are just so many ways to customize your character and keep things fresh. Very replayable game. I'm always finding new secrets and ways to make things more convenient for each type of character. I've probably played through this game 10 times or so, and I've maxed 2 characters out. It really means something coming from someone who normally hates this type of game. After the mess that was Fallout 3, Obsidian showed Bethesda how it was done.… Expand

As with Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas is a game of extremes. What is good about it is so good it makes revered classics look stupid. But what bad about it is so bad that may prevent you from finishing the game all together (I failed to finish btw because I hit a dead end in the story tree).

If you play the game, you will be impressed by the vastness and level of detail of this world. You will be impressed by how many story branches interconnect, without failing or dismissing the choices you made. You will be impressed by the freedoms the creators gave you (e.g. every NPC in the game is killable) and how the story doesn't fail to progress.

All that, if you manage to get past the terrible FPS combat (it looks like a FPS but can't be played as such), the countless bugs and, most importantly, the SINGLE MOST SADISTICALLY IMPRACTICAL INVENTORY I HAVE EVER USED. Really. It's like they hate you and want you to find ways to avoid using your inventory.

Also, the voice acting is silly and the graphics are stale, but that isn't a big deal in games of this kind.… Expand

Not sure if I should say this game is alright or bad. I love how the original Fallout lore is back, but the graphics, story (other than lore), and characters are so dull and poor. Fallout 3 was much of the same, except at least it's sandbox was fun to roam. And honestly, it was 2010 and we were still given THOSE animations? That was unforgivable back in 2006's Oblivion, but in 2010??? The gameplay was fun and the sandbox wasn't bad, but those weren't enough to save this game.… Expand

I don not want to write a detailed review about it so to cut a long story short:FNW is much closer to the original F1 and F2 than Fallout 3. You can feel they really reached back to the roots and made a funny and enjoyable game to the fans.With thousand of MODs this game offers hundreds of hours of gameplay. This makes the "so-so" main story of the game acceptable. In summary: Recommended to everyone who likes the world of Fallout.… Expand

Fallout: New Vegas plays like Fallout 3 and feels like Fallout 2. Fallout games have been in my top 5 since it first came out. I love the atmosphere the games create. The landscape it puts you in. The non-linear gameplay it presents. The humor and pop-culture references. The stories they create. New Vegas is another great addition to the Fallout universe. There are a lot of tie-ins in the game with the original Fallout games. It builds on the lore and stories of the world without bogging down the main story for new players with it. The atmosphere is just as good as previous ones. It was a wonderful surprise to hear the same ambient music from Fallout 2. The acting was great, especially with being reminded of Dave Foley when you first hear the Yes Man. (and later I found out it was actually Dave Foley voicing him). The story was great, and realistic considering the setting. But like all Fallout games, the best stories are the ones you create for yourself. Those little adventures off the main path, to explore that cave or abandoned shack you see in the distance or those gun shots you heard from just over the hill. It should please old fans greatly and appeal to new fans as much as Fallout 3 did.

Cons: - The graphics are ok, but this almost being 2011, should be a little better. I would expect them to improve in the next Fallout game.
- For some reason I really really wanted MORE music on the radio stations. It didn't seem like they had enough this time around. But it was still great voice acting!
- Hardcore mode doesn't seem to be hardcore enough. But a wonderful addition nonetheless!
- I don't understand why you can't fully rotate the camera.
- Invisible walls. There are a lot more of then in New Vegas then Fallout 3. I explore a lot, and when I can't go over a 4 foot high hill due to an invisible wall, that is really really really really disappointing and take you out of the experience. Then you have to walk around it.. there's no excuse for this in today's games, but a lot of games STILL have that. New Vegas, more so then others.
- The bugs that everyone is apparently having is sure a downer. If anything that's staying true to the Fallout franchise. Every Fallout game was loaded with bugs on release. Fallout 2 even had a community patch to fix most of them. This is nothing new in the video game world. I however did not experience any "game ending" bugs. Out of the 80 some hours I put into it, its crashed once. And I had 1 buggy quest that I had to use the console command to fix, since I seemingly did it out of order. And that's it.

If anyone wants a wild theory as to why my game is preforming so much better then others with almost no bugs, maybe its because I have a weird need to open the door to every bathroom stall I come across? Just a theory that holds as much weight as some of the complaints for this game.

I was however impressed with how fast patches started to come out of the game. The day after release was a major patch even. So people who are giving it a bad review for the bugs, let me ask you this, would you give it a better review if you played it, say a month after release? I can't see how you would not.… Expand