Fallout: New Vegas (PlayStation 3)


Some notes before I start: I have not yet completed the game because there is just so much to do and I will continue to play it, but I have played a good chunk of time. I just won't be able to comment on endings or other things because I haven't seen it!
Second note is a content warning. This game contains a lot of violence and gore and disturbing scenes like torture, substance abuse, foul language, sexual content, slavery, among others. If any of these things bother you then be aware because they are prominently featured in the game.

Story:
In Fallout: New Vegas, you play a courier of your making who was delivering a package (as couriers do) and then was shot. Luckily for you, a doctor from a nearby, quaint little town saved your life and sets you up to go on your way. From there the game is very open. You can start hunting down the person who shot you for revenge, you can join up with a number of groups and gangs, you can accept quests of all different sorts, pick up companions, or just go about your merry way while exploring the absurdly large map as you make your way to the New Vegas strip. Also, the game is set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic wasteland.



Gameplay:
Fallout: New Vegas is an open world action role-playing game. You have a lot of freedom as to when you go where, although they'll sometimes put a few beef gates in your way. You choose which missions you want to do, how you want to do them, who you wants to talk to and when, and just generally are able to go around and take things at your own pace. The game does have several difficulty settings as well depending on your play style. You'll run across a number of weapons, usually guns of some sort, although you can also feel free to punch things or hit them with a baseball bat. The game also has a system called "V.A.T.S." which will pause time while you select a target and an area to shoot them. It does take some buildup time in between using it, so you can't just use it over and over again, although it doesn't usually take too long.



As you level up, you'll get to distribute skill points (which I will discuss more in the Character section), as well as pick perks of all different kinds. It's hard to explain everything gameplay wise because the game is massive and easily tailors to different fighting styles. I watched my boyfriend play before I tried it and despite both of us putting many hours in to the game, I did not see a lot of repeat. Even in missions we both took, our selections and skills would change the experience. There are a ton of missions to do from exploring dangerous places, assassinating people, interrogating prisoners, or helping addicts recover. You'll be faced with a lot of decisions in the game which will largely help shape your experience.



World:
As mentioned, the world is massive, sporting over 100 locations (close to 200, I think), and is largely explored at your own pace. It is, however, rather drab looking, although I suppose it makes sense considering it takes place a few hundred years after a nuclear war. There is a lot to explore though and while some of it is rather uninteresting and/or dull, there's also a good many places to visit and a lot of history to explore if you take the time or care to do so.



Characters:
So I'm not going to go over all the characters, but I'll just give some general info. You make your own character and there is a lot of customization you can o to their face. Hair options are sadly a bit lacking, but you know. You also get to customize a characters attributes, traits, and skills. You can make someone dumb as a rock, or make them a genius. You can make someone quick, sneaky, or slow and powerful. You can have your character specialize in a certain type of weapon if you want to. You can give them a lot of science skills to help them around the world. There are so many options as far as making your character unique. I personally made my hero a smooth talker with a lot of charisma since I was more interested in the story than in the fighting.



You can also pick up some companions as you progress the game if you play your cards right. They'll accompany you and help you out in a fight. You can bring one human companion and one none human companion with you at a time, although I believe you can befriend more than one and you'll just have to go pick them up again to switch them. I personally recruited a dog who needed a new brain and a lesbian who punches things really hard. Be aware that your characters have their own personalities, and bringing one in to an area they hate is only going to result in some trouble that you may not want.



There are also groups of people you can join throughout the game depending on who you want as allies and enemies. There are a few major groups and some smaller ones. This will affect the missions and options you have available to you as well.

Overall:
I tried this game because how open and free it is has always appealed to me, although I was always a bit turned off by the world and combat. I would say that generally sums up my opinion. I liked the world in the sense of how big it is and how much you can explore. I also like the history and detail certain areas have. However, some areas were quite boring and the aesthetics of the world do not appeal to me personally. The gameplay in terms of battles for me is just in the way of the parts I do like, although I am glad there is a difficulty setting so I don't have to worry about it too much. Others will probably find it a more fun part of the game. I very much enjoyed the customization and being able to make a character my way. The amount of dialogue options is excellent, and I'm very happy with the different types of missions available. Overall it is a very enjoyable game, good quality as far as story and detail (although kind of glitchy, unfortunately), and a lot of fun to play. I would definitely recommend it.

Verdict:
LIKED IT A LOT