Fallout: New Vegas (Obsidian) released 10 years ago today

https://twitter.com/Fallout/status/1318190233121443841

Fallout: New Vegas came out 10 years ago on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Game was praised for its complex writing, unique atmosphere, Karma system, moral choices and ambiguity and its freedom. Once the first quest is completed, you are free to do whatever you wish (only 4 NPCs are invincible in the game) and go wherever you wish on the map.

There is tons of minor factions but also 4 major players in New Vegas that the player can side with, each with their own main quests and their own reputation system:

An expansionist federal presidential republic founded in New California. The largest known post-War country. Purportedly dedicates itself to the values of the old world: Democracy, liberty, the rule of law, all in order to make the wasteland a better place. It also protects ghouls and mutants.

However, the Republic faces many challenges, is criticized for its high taxes, suffers food shortages, is threatened by famine and is plagued by corruption and internal conflicts.

The current president, Aaron Kimball, is a “war hawk”.

"Four years ago, we held this dam. Four years ago, we carried the weight. Four years ago, we drew a line through the Mojave as clear as the Colorado River, a line that Caesar cannot cross. Today, you stand here with our brothers and sisters to hold that line.

Thank you. Thank you.

(Okay, let’s get the fuck out of here. What the hell are you waiting for – do you think I want to get shot? Let’s go.)

An imperialistic and extremely brutal dictatorship founded in 2247, inspired and partially based on the ancient Roman Empire and led by Caesar, self-proclaimed “Son of Mars”, egomaniacal and former citizen of the NCR.

Caesar’s ultimate goal is to conquer the New California Republic and merge its civilian culture and infrastructure with the military strength of the Legion, creating a new totalitarian empire, a “Pax Romana” which would prevent humanity from ever fracturing itself again.

Founder of RobCo Industries, multi-billionaire by the age of 30, megalomaniac (or ambitious). He mathematically predicted the atomic war and took steps to ensure that the Chinese missiles would miss his beloved Las Vegas and the surrounding areas. The Platinium Chip, the last piece of the defense network, was set to be delivered in the afternoon of October 23, 2077. The bombs fell the day before.

Biding his time, he entered the world stage again in 2274. Securitrons under his command emerged from Lucky 38 Hotel & Casino, in order to establish his rule over Vegas.

A hacked AI program originally programmed to work for Mr. House like all the other securitrons.

He planned the ambush on the Courrier and is part of Benny’s master plan to kill Mr. House, usurp control of New Vegas and expel both the New California Republic and Caesar’s Legion.

Designed to do exactly as he is told (hence Yes Man).

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Unfortunately, the game was plagued with bugs, glitches, crashes and technical issues, had outdated graphics even for its day (it was one of the last games to use the Gamebryo engine) and was largely unfinished in some places.

I still hope that someday this game will get a proper remaster / remake with next-gen graphics and performance (the game looks so bad and outdated honestly) + Fallout 4’s gunplay, sprint and crafting + the cut content restored and the original vision that Obsidian had in mind.

Story and atmosphere were A+ while graphics and engine were F-.

I think that’s the best Fallout game ever (and one of the best games I’ve played) but I’m still bitter that so much content and so many interesting ideas had to be cut/dropped (KotOR 2 all again) because of both PS3/Xbox 360 technical limitations and Obsidian’s ambition clashing with time restraints (18 months):

  • a lot of Caesar’s Legion content (Legion-controlled locations in Arizona, many quests…) that would have better explained their ultimate goal and motives.

  • Legionary Alexus (he has the highest charisma of the entire Legion but in the final game he has no unique dialogue at all and is useless).

  • proper post-endgame content and changes after the battle of Hoover Dam (you can’t play it after beating the main story actually)

  • cut encounters with Benny

  • more companions (Ulysses as a Legion companion in the base game, Betsy the Brahmin)

  • a friendly miniature Sentry Bot Toy that would follow the player

  • expanded New Vegas Strip, a much larger and less empty Freeside without loading zones
  • a lot of content regarding Primm (Powder Gangers / NCR, reputation, a new sheriff…). There’s pretty much nothing to actually do in Primm.

  • becoming a Great Khan

  • potential Vault(s) (Vault 24)

  • reclaiming control of Helios One on behalf of the Brotherhood of Steel

  • weapons, characters (like Mr. House’s Marilyn Securitron)…

  • radioactive tumbleweeds

  • ‘The House Always Wins: Lockdown’ (escaping the Lucky 38 for misbehavior)

  • Gojira (=Godzilla), most powerful enemy in the game, though it was never intended to be in the game and created just for fun

  • lots of NPSs and dialogue lines, Fiend dialogues, VR Pods (potentially)…

  • unused Yes Man faces

  • and many more things…

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/ybjdj/cut_content_from_fallout_new_vegas_fascinating/

Victor was also supposed to be more developped and at least duel you if choosing to betray Mr. House:

Victor, the Securitron you encounter in Goodsprings, is nothing if not suspicious. There’s something about his “aw shucks” cowboy persona that makes the hairs on your neck stand up. He seems overly-friendly, refuses to answer questions about his past, or tell you who he works for. He also follows you, startling you by popping up randomly on the road to New Vegas and forcing you into dialogues. You can’t even waste him: he just inhabits another Securitron. Everything about Victor screams that he has some sinister motivation that the game will eventually reveal.

Except it never does. After you reach New Vegas he more or less stops mattering. If you get rid of Mr.House, he simply goes offline and stands outside his shack forever. Cut content does reveal that he was meant to duel you after disposing of House (there’s a mod that restores this), but even that seems anti-climactic.

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Some cool concept arts:

Freeside and Vegas

Camp McCarran / airport

Lucky 38 Control Room and Mr. House

Hoover Dam

Mojave Wasteland

The Fort

Lonesome road / the Divide

Vegas (very early)

The game also had a very special and almost eerie / sinister atmosphere thanks to the soundtrack:

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Fun fact (not really): Quarry Junction wasn’t the worse place of the game. There was a secret and creepy unmarked location east of the Colorado river (Deathclaw Promontory) that has about several dozens Deathclaws (about 36 I think), including multiple alpha and mothers, guarding an Enclave’s advanced power armor and a T-51b power armor.

Another one:

Ghostly voices can be heard when standing near an exhumed grave at Goodsprings cemetery with the radio off.

Also:

https://www.thegamer.com/awesome-and-cool-facts-you-didnt-know-about-fallout-new-vegas/

And the best example imo why New Vegas has such a good writing and a unique sinister atmosphere: https://twitter.com/eurogamer/status/986618824391823360

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Gods, what a great amount of info to start out a thread for celebrating what is arguably the best Fallout game. Great job @FarSightXR-20! Can’t wait to dig into some of this and hopefully find something new. While I don’t want a massive team to be dedicated to a remake (nor would one be needed), I would love for Obsidian or a joint venture between Obsidian and BGS to make a bonafide remake with the newer engine, shooting model, and cut content.

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Great game but to this day I dont think its better than Fallout 3 despite loving both.

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I was 100% sure it was you behind the OT lol

Gigantic work done here. Congrats to you it is impressive!

I would love a remake of New Vegas. The artwoks are really good.

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Great OT. New Vegas is the best Fallout game and one of the best RPGs of all time.

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Fingers crossed that Obsidian gets another shot at Fallout after Avowed.

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Man, I totally forgot about Vault 11 and never read that interview with the writer responsible for… such a fascinating tale. Great example of why Obsidian is on a whole other level when it comes to their writing/narrative chops. Also, oddly fitting to the current moment…

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I’ve played a little bit of this over the years, but struggled to really get into it like I did with Fallout 4. Fallout 4 is a “turn your brain off and follow the quest marker” sort of game, and I don’t mean that as a negative. Sometimes that’s exactly what I’m looking for to relax with a video game. Everything in New Vegas is messy. :slight_smile: It’s hard to get that same momentum going. But it’s also more interesting in a lot of ways.

I’ve been getting back into it lately after finally 100%'ing Fallout 3 so I’ll probably beat it this year. Not sure yet if I want to go for all the achievements though. Some of those Gun Runners DLC achievements look like a major pain.

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What a great thread for a great game!

My avatar might give it away but I freakin love this game. We need a remaster!

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Well… atleast the fans have created a 10th anniversary edition I guess.

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I’ve never played Fallout NV, but loved Fallout 4. Hopefully NV comes to gamepass soon. :grin:

It is on GamePass through bc

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Oh shit. I didn’t know! Sweet, thanks!

The Fallout series is on sale this week on XBLM. New Vegas + all DLC comes out to about $18.50. I’m considering replacing my ultimate edition disc…

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It looks great. If only we could have this mod on console while waiting for a full remake with all the cut content.

Obsidian knows really well we want a New Vegas 2 and I’m sure they will try to do it when possible. But thaty have a lot on their plate for now with Avowed.

Do not, I repeat, do not belittle a super mutant for taking the bunny slope.

That is all.

I honestly just want a Fallout experience that is based on Fallout 1 and 2 non-hands holding type of experience. The new Fallouts (even New Vegas) never provided that. I don’t think today’s Obsidian would provide that unfortunately.

In Fallout 1 and 2, if you passed a dialogue skill check, the dialogue is provided to you without the context of that skill check (basically, they provide the dialogue without telling you “[science=3]”). Thus, you actually use the dialogue that you actually believe fits the situation.

They also don’t provide actual objects, just notes (go and check what happened to Tandi, bring a water chip, etc). You have to figure out how to complete the actual objectives by looking at situations in a realistic manner where your survival instinct is truly tested.

I feel like both of these elements are missing from the 3D Fallouts. Wasteland 3 provided the second element atleast (but with a bit of linearity).

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The fallout series is one of my favourites, maybe now obsidian is part of XGS they will drop a 4k 60fps patch for new vegas.

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