At first glance it might be possible to look at Fallout: New Vegas and think of it as nothing more than an expansion to Fallout 3. It uses the same engine and the core gameplay has largely been kept intact, so it does share some resemblance with its uncle. But it only takes a second look to see that Obsidian Entertainment is placing its own unmistakable mark on the Fallout franchise. A new Hardcore mode, tweaked combat, weapon mods, gambling, and a game world as big as Fallout 3 are just a few of the things fans will be raving about up to and beyond the release of this next entrant into the much-loved game series. Obsidian, a development studio founded by some of the same people that created the original Fallout games, is back on the scene in a big way.

First, a little background info for those that perhaps don't follow Fallout as closely as others. These games take place in an alternate universe where Earth has gone through nuclear Armageddon, crushing society and splintering the survivors into warring factions desperate to scrape together an existence from the barren wasteland. The catch is that this alternate future is based upon the sci-fi comics of the '50s and '60s, filled with atomic cars and talking robots. Add in some dark humor, deep role-playing mechanics, and a wide open world to explore and you've got a recipe for Fallout.





Another+clever+take+on+character+customization.

picks up three years after the events of Fallout 3, but don't expect the story to continue in a linear fashion. This is its own self-contained tale with its own original characters -- it stands alone. This time the setting is in the remnants of Las Vegas, aptly named New Vegas. The nuclear war didn't destroy everything out here in the desert, though there wasn't much to begin with. Things have held together relatively well all things considered, leaving plenty of places to explore from downtown New Vegas and the Hoover Dam to the towns and settlements of the surrounding Mojave Wasteland.It's with Doc Mitchell that you'll go through the streamlined character creation and customization setup. Those who played Fallout 3 will be right at home here -- all of the same options exist for creating the look and feel of your character, plus a new age slider has been added -- but the entire process goes by much faster than the protracted childhood of the last game. In a break from tradition, the main character is not a vault dweller raised in a protective fallout shelter that many fled to as the war began. This allowed the developers to get you right into the action should you already be a veteran. After a few questions about your personality, adjustments to the SPECIAL (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck) base stats, tagging a few skills, and receiving a new Pip-Boy 3000 arm mounted computer, you're set free to run off into the wild blue yonder.Adjustments to the structure of the opening moments have been made for both newcomers and experts alike. Rookies might want to settle in for some Rorschach tests, word associations and grim humor at the hands of Doc Mitchell while the game decides how to craft your base stats before heading outside for a series of tutorial missions.Pros, on the other hand, can blast through the opening, pick their own stats, and skip the tutorial quests. They can even select the brand new Hardcore mode for some added difficulty. Be warned: Hardcore mode lives up to its name. Taking that option will make the game much more realistic by -- among other things -- adding weight to even little things like bullets, forcing the player to regularly eat and drink water to stay alive, requiring a doctor visit to heal broken bones, and making Stimpaks heal over time instead of instantly. Not for the weak willed, but Obsidian is promising a treat for those that make it through to the end.