Fallout: New Vegas is the role-playing game from the Amazon series that is worth seeing

Fallout: New Vegas has withstood the cultural zeitgeist in a way that hardly any other game has. Even within the Fallout fan base, it has earned a coveted status as a true classic of the RPG genre. That love is still reflected today, in silly memes and fan art and ongoing debates about which endgame is the right one. Even though the game has aged terribly in some respects – the characters look rough, and it’s not just because they live in the apocalypse – it still remains one of the highlights of the Fallout series. The new Stand out The premiere of the TV series is scheduled for AmazonSo there has rarely been a better time to visit again NewVegas or playing it for the first time.

Fallout: New Vegas begins with an exploration of the Mojave Wasteland and establishes some of the factions vying for control of this region of post-apocalyptic America. This game builds on the story of the first two isometric RPGs and returns to the West Coast. The New California Republic, a democratic attempt to rebuild an old America, has overextended itself. Here, at the Hoover Dam, they are fighting to keep their territory. Caesar’s Legion, an army modeled on the empire of ancient Rome, has met the NCR here in a battle of ideologies. New Vegas, a sparkling city of progress run by the mysterious Mr. House, dominates the skyline with its neon towers.

Unfortunately, the player character must prepare to face these forces. The game begins with the courier being ambushed by a smooth-talking group of thugs. You awaken in the home of a friendly local doctor, having miraculously survived being shot in the head and left in a shallow grave. You’ll sort things out in the small town of Goodsprings and then begin your hike into the Mojave region.

Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Bethesda Softworks

NewVegas is built on the bones Fallout 3, and the gameplay is frankly mediocre. But what sets the game apart is its fantastic writing. There are four possible paths the Courier can choose from: join the NCR, ally with Mr. House, join Caesar’s Legion, or pursue an independent Mojave. There is a similar structure as Fallout 4, but I failed to connect with the various ideologies of the Commonwealth. They were a bit too plain and flat. Fallout: New Vegas is anything but that.

The questions asked in NewVegas are much more interesting for me as a player. At first glance, the NCR seems to be the default good-guy faction. But a companion, Cass, openly expresses her skepticism about the government. She criticizes her expansion with the memorable line: “Nobody’s dick is that long, not even Long Dick Johnson.” And he had a damn long dick, hence the name.” Hanging out with Boone, a stoic and grumpy sniper I met in Hitting the mouth of a giant dinosaur tower complicates things even further. After spending enough time working together, he shares the trauma his time at the NCR caused.

Every companion in this game has Opinionsand they are interesting. NewVegas has a lot of extremely interesting ideas and is not afraid to implement them. Lily Bowen is a giant Nightkin super mutant who wears a giant sun hat and sunglasses. Raul is a ghoul gunslinger who must be employed as a mechanic for an enemy super mutant state. Arcade Gannon is a doctor and scientist who automatically joins your party if you have an Intelligence of 3 or less because he feels like it someone has to take care of you.

The NCR may be complicated, but Caesar’s Legion poses a serious threat – or opportunity, depending on your decisions – to the inhabitants of the Mojave. The player is introduced to the faction through Nipton, a sinful city that is subject to a cruel ritual called the Lottery was convicted. The encounter starts with a guy running towards you, laughing hysterically and screaming that he won, he won! You quickly realize that his joy is more like wild hysteria and that something really terrible has happened in Nipton.

Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Bethesda Softworks

Mr. House offers a possible third way, but as I visit the Strip I realize how many impoverished communities have sprung up in its shadow. I can’t even get in – under the penalty of being shot by a giant murder robot – unless I meet certain requirements. Can I trust the reclusive lord of the Strip and his casinos? Or is it worth charting a new path for the Mojave, without lords or kings?

Each of these factions has interesting characters. Caesar is definitely a villain, and I’ve traveled through his lair many times over the years trying to blow him up in new and satisfying ways. But it’s also worth talking to him about philosophy and learning more about the Legion and the kind of civilization it would create. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain, but a satisfying antagonist to face and defeat.

This is all just a taste of what’s happening NewVegas has to offer. The icing on the cake of this great RPG is a radio station full of bangers, with a special shout out to Big Iron. But the game takes a lot of swings and the overall vision manages to balance both serious themes and some strong silliness.

Similar open-world RPGs quickly disappeared from discussion after their release. Even a current big RPG epic like Starfield has disappeared from most of our radars. But Fallout: New Vegas To this day, fans still create memes, argue about the endgame variables, and share build tips. It’s a clunky game in many ways, the characters don’t look good and there are occasional glitches. I do not care. Fallout: New Vegas is still the apple of my eye and shows how brilliant the setting can be.

Fallout: New Vegas can be played on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass and Windows PC via Steam and GOG.