love it (casino was the best)

an absolute gem of a game 10/10 would play again

To keep it brief, New Vegas made me, someone who doesn’t usually play RPGs, grind the game out for weeks on end. Seriously, if you’re about to take an exam or are busy in general, do not start playing this game. It will have you hooked well into the early hours of the morning.

Getting into specifics, everything about this game somehow works (even though the engine tends to disagree). The plot is strong but never forced on the player, giving you the freedom to ignore it (though you really shouldn’t, it’s seriously captivating). This is something older games often did well, and New Vegas is no exception. While I admit I haven’t played the other Fallout games to see how they tie into the overarching universe, New Vegas works extremely well as a standalone story. The premise is clear-cut: you’re a package courier ambushed by a mysterious, stylish man named Benny, who intercepts you, knowing you were carrying a valuable item you had no clue about. After being left for dead, you’re patched up by Doc Mitchell and set loose to figure out what’s going on; and get your revenge.

Of course, this is where the plot diverges. You can side with any faction you choose: the NCR, the de-facto "government" of the wasteland, aiming to restore old-world values and stabiliyu; the Legion, a Roman Empire-inspired dictatorship ruled by the merciless Caesar, uniting the world through cultural supression and brutality; Mr. House, an enigmatic billionaire who controls the civilized parts of the wasteland with an iron grip and watchful eye; or Yes Man, representing the anarchist’s path. Along the way, mysterious radio signals lead you to unforgettable locations: Big MT, home to brilliant (yet wildly out-of-touch) scientists; Zion Valley, where you meet the infamous Joshua Graham and warring tribes; the Divide, a somehow more apocalyptic wasteland than the Mojave where you confront Ulysees, in a battle of couriers; and the Sierra Madre, a cursed and decrepit casino that quickly shatters any illusions of fun with its ghoul-infested halls and haunting pre-war decadence, all while your head is about 2 seconds from exploding if you don't follow Elijah's instructions exactly. I haven’t even scratched the surface of the lore; major factions like the Boomers, Brotherhood of Steel, the Three Families of the Strip, and the Kings all deserve attention, but they’re best experienced firsthand.

The best word to describe New Vegas is freedom. This is most obvious in character builds. As an RPG, variety is the name of the game, but the sheer depth is staggering; you could play for thousands of hours and still find new ways to experiment. Beyond weapon types (ballistic, energy, melee, unarmed), the perks and synergies are addicting to theorycraft. The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system is a classic, shaping what you lean more into every time you start a new run (though you can always adapt mid-game if you know what you’re doing). Combat isn’t always the answer, diplomatic solutions are almost always available, often through skill checks. This system is fantastic; no stat feels useless because you never know when it might come in handy. Even in the first room, there are checks for Repair, Medicine, and Speech. This slows the pacing at times, but it complements the Mojave’s atmosphere perfectly; you're not always lighting up a casino with a LMG cranked off of 10 dozes of Psycho and 300 games of blackjack, sometimes you just want to stop and look at the night sky.

Speaking of, the map itself is a masterpiece; overwhelming for newcomers, and packed with secrets. You can follow the intended path, visiting major cities, but the beauty of New Vegas is that nothing is forced. Timeless strategies like rushing straight to Vegas or Black Mountain exist, and you’re free to ignore settlements you don’t care about or strategically visit ones you’ll need later. For me, the vastness was the best part; knowing how much I hadn’t seen made me want to explore everything (and install a sprint mod). There are so many unmarked quests and events that it feels criminal to just speed through the main story. The terrain and creatures also give each region its own identity; from the Deathclaw-infested Quarry Junction to the Super Mutant-populated Jacobstown. Mentioning some of these locations to a New Vegas player evokes strong reactions (usually PTSD), which speaks volumes to the incredible level design.

The characters breathe life into the game, reacting to your actions in meaningful ways. Your reputation with factions shifts dynamically, painting you as anything from a saint to the literal devil. NPCs will call you out for being dangerous or praise you for helping their community. The best compliment I can give is that I often saved before major choices just to see how the world changed in multiple instances; yes I do not go outside. Even the player character, while inherently a blank slate (as is standard in RPGs), lets you inject personality through dialogue choices; whether it’s high-Intelligence savant remarks or deranged Terrifying Presence lines, the Courier reflects your decisions, often in ways you don’t even notice.

There’s so much more to say, but I’d rather go play some more and you should too. In fact, why are you still reading this? Go buy the game (despite Bethesda’s… choices). It’s a 10/10 experience, even with the crashes and bugs; praise few games ever earn.