Fallout: New Vegas has endured in the cultural zeitgeist in a way that few other games have. Even within the Fallout fandom, it has achieved an esteemed position as a true classic of the RPG genre. That love is still reflected today, in crazy memes and fan art and ongoing debates about which endgame is right. Even though the game has aged horribly in some ways (characters look rough, and not just because they live in the apocalypse), it still remains one of the highlights of the Fallout franchise. The new Fallout The TV series premieres on Amazonso there has rarely been a better time to revisit New Vegas or play it for the first time.
Fallout: New Vegas begins with an exploration of the Mojave Wasteland, establishing several factions vying for control of this region of post-apocalyptic America. This game builds on the lore 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 expanded too far. Here, at the Hoover Dam, they are struggling to hold their territory. Caesar’s Legion, an army that emulates the empire of ancient Rome, has met the NCR here in a clash 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 will have to struggle to counter these forces. The game starts with the Courier being attacked by a group of smooth talkers. You wake up in the home of a kind local doctor, having miraculously survived being shot in the head and left in a shallow grave. You’ll take care of business in the small town of Goodsprings and then begin your trek to the Mojave.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Bethesda Softworks
New Vegas is built on the bones of Fallout 3, and the gameplay is honestly so-so. But the game is elevated by its fantastic writing. There are four possible paths the Courier can choose from: joining the NCR, allying with Mr. House, enlist in Caesar’s Legion or pursue an independent Mojave. There is a similar structure as Fallout 4, but I failed to connect with the different ideologies of the Commonwealth. They were a bit too simplistic and flat. Fallout: New Vegas is anything but that.
The questions asked in New Vegas are much more interesting to me as a player. At first, the NCR seems to be the standard good guy faction. But one companion, Cass, openly expresses skepticism about the government. She criticizes their expansion with the memorable line: “No one’s dick is that long, not even Long Dick Johnson. And he had a damn long cock, hence the name.” Hanging out with Boone, a stoic and gruff sniper I encounter in the mouth of a giant dinosaur tower, further complicates matters. After spending enough time together, he shares the trauma he suffered from his time at the NCR.
Every companion in this game has opinionsand they are interesting. New Vegas has a lot of really interesting ideas, and isn’t shy about working on them. Lily Bowen is a giant nightkin super mutant who wears a giant sun hat and sunglasses. Raul is a creepy marksman who has been pressed into service as a mechanic for a hostile state of super mutants. Arcade Gannon is a doctor and scientist who automatically joins your party if you have an Intelligence of 3 or less because he has the feeling someone must 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 people of the Mojave. The player is introduced to the faction through Nipton, a sinful city condemned to a gruesome ritual known as the Lottery. The encounter starts with a man running towards you, laughing hysterically and shouting that he has won, he has won! You soon realize that his joy is closer to wild hysteria, and that something truly terrible has happened in Nipton.
Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Bethesda Softworks
Mr. House offers a potential third path, but as I wander the Strip I can’t help but realize how many impoverished communities have sprung up in its shadow. I can’t even get in – on pain of being shot by a giant killer robot – unless I meet specific qualifications. Can I trust the reclusive master of the Strip and its casinos? Or is it worth blazing a new trail for the Mojave, without masters or kings?
Each of these factions has interesting characters. Caesar is definitely a bad guy, and I’ve traveled through his camp over the years to blow him up in new and satisfying ways. But it’s also worth talking philosophy with him and learning more about the Legion and the kind of civilization they would establish. He’s not a mustache-wearing villain, but a satisfying opponent to face and defeat.
This is all just superficial New Vegas has to offer. The icing on the cake of this great RPG is a radio station full of bangers, with a special shoutout to Big Iron. But the game has big swings, and the overall vision is able to balance both serious themes and intense weirdness.
Similar open-world RPGs quickly disappeared from the discussion after their launch. Even a recent major RPG epic like Starfield has disappeared from most of our radars. But Fallout: New Vegas To this day, fans still make memes, discuss endgame variables, and share building tips. It’s a clunky game in many ways, the characters don’t look great and there are occasional hiccups. I do not mind. Fallout: New Vegas is still the apple of my eye and shows how beautiful the setting can be.
Fallout: New Vegas is available to play on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass and Windows PC via Steam and GOG.