Fallout: NV - Revisited @ PC Gamer

PC Gamer looks back at Obsidian's 2010 RPG Fallout: New Vegas:

Fallout: New Vegas revisited: the most authentic 3D Fallout game

Revisiting Obsidian's much-loved 2010 RPG.

Left for dead, you wake up in the one-horse town of Goodsprings and begin a quest for vengeance in the Mojave Wasteland. That’s the beautifully simple setup for Fallout: New Vegas, which makes the vault sequence in Fallout 3, where you watch your character grow up, seem needlessly long-winded. After a quick chat with a local doctor, voiced by Saul Tigh from Battlestar Galactica, you’re set free. And it’s up to you whether you want to hunt down the people who tried to kill you, or just drift aimlessly around the desert like Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name.

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I know many love it, but I found NV to be the least enjoyable. I didn't care for the story lines or the feeling of always being yanked around vs the other games where the story felt like "my" story. Plus the setting/area is by far the most boring to me - maybe because I live in the SW and there's nothing remarkable about endless deserts to me.

I have it but still haven't played it. Should one day i guess; after I get to fallout 3. On the flip side i have like 2000 hours into the various king bounties.

My ideal Fallout would be combination of the best elements from both 3 & 4; they both had components I enjoyed and those I disliked. The best Fallout game has yet to be made.

I finished Fallout 3 and I played, but I never finished, F:NV. Even so, I prefer F:NV over FO3 (I never played FO 4)

And this newsbit reminds me I have yet to get back to F:NV in order to finish it

glad to read I'm not alone. I have it too but am yet to play. Have played quite of bit of FO3. The thought of modding NV to get it where I like it kind of holds me back for some reason. I don't really have the energy to tweak these games to death anymore.

When I played the console version (this was, I think, before my PC gaming days), I was pretty underwhelmed. I think I beat the game in 60 hours, and strangely enough I also felt like I had explored every nook and cranny of the map! Absurd, I know, because everyone constantly tells me how much content the game has. But for the life of me, I couldn't find it! At the time anyway. I know I missed Jacobstown completely though, and whatever else. So I want to revisit it sometime.

NV also felt bland in the exploration area a bit. I am more fond of Fallout 3 in that regard, with the typical onslaught of 150ish Bethesda dungeons to explore. ELEX is currently a lot more fun for me to explore and slowly develop the dude over the game hours. Already spent more than 60 hours in that game and haven't even joined a faction yet.

After finishing ELEX for the 2nd time, I really wanted more post apocalyptic stuff, so I'm currently playing F: NV. Loving it, though it actually has too many choices with consequences, as strange as that sounds. Every time I do a quest I catch myself thinking: Will this unravel the entire space time continuum?!

At any rate, I'll be giving FO4 a pop afterwards. Skipped FO3 though, as I found the replay value of that one rather low (only the first town has any real choices).

To me, FO:NV was the weakest member of the franchise. Love FO3 and FO4 is next.

Did NV have the "some level scaling" design? I do remember there were a couple very specific places on the map that had difficult scorpions at any level (to the west of the starting town, I think, and then that Scorpion Gulch area), but I don't remember anything like in ELEX where you could really run into huge trouble (or impossible fights even) at any level. I guess there were also those behemoths, though, can't really remember exactly. And the cazadores, oh god. *shudders*

Anyone have more info on that?

I'm not sure where this myth is coming from that all Bethesda games are super-easy because of level scaling.
The only game that has sledgehammer level scaling across everything would be Oblivion but in Skyrim, FO3 and FO4 it is absolutely possible to run into critters very early on that will simply one-hit you just like in PB games.

Also, in Elex from everything I have read, you are supposed to become all but invincible around level 25 so in that regard it is also like Bethesda games where you become a God at some point and just walk over everything.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
Also, in Elex from everything I have read…

Reading nonstreaming Chien.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
I'm not sure where this myth is coming from that all Bethesda games are super-easy because of level scaling.
The only game that has sledgehammer level scaling across everything would be Oblivion but in Skyrim, FO3 and FO4 it is absolutely possible to run into critters very early on that will simply one-hit you just like in PB games.

Who said their games are super easy? And who said anything like what you are responding to here?

I played 350 hours of Skyrim in one playthrough. It is nowhere near the level of ELEX in terms of running into tough enemies at any level. Sure, it's not the Oblivion style level-scaling either, it is not that extreme. But you can still see a lot of level scaling at times. The vendors scale, all the legendary weapons scale, etc.. And it's rare that you're going to run into a variety of very difficult enemies that will one shot you. At least not to the extent of a PB game, which is the point I was making.

It's all good though. I enjoy Bethesda's games. I was just curious about NV's design. ELEX is the FIRST open-world RPG where I've seen this kind of design where there isn't even a slight hint of level scaling. So to me, that's a cool thing.

I also expect the next Bethesda games to follow suit. From what I heard, Fallout 4 already removed a lot of the scaling, and I expect the next Elder Scrolls to do the same really.

FNV and FO4 are my favorites from the whole series. 1 and 2 are just way to far back in my memory and I remember very little of either. Something about water storage pumps needing replacing, vague images in my head. FO3 I never finished - I like having more robust companions (my main complaint with Skyrim is the horrible companions although Serana wasn't too bad but I don't care for vampires so didn't really help).

As for toughness - I found both right by me for difficulty. FO4 I play with reduced experience on survival mode and no over-powered weapons or armor mods. Very challenging although around level 30 starts to get much less so and usually restart a new game around level 40-50.

I played FNV on normal but severely restricted myself as a survival focused Ranger who went all melee. I am very, very tempted to play it again only this time with mods. I had about 200 hours I think in it when it came out and not counting DLC (which I never played). I recently purchased the entire game and DLC over the summer on some sale. Been saving it to play modded and with a nice ENB preset.

Maybe when I finish ELEX so holiday break in December.

Originally Posted by Fluent
Did NV have the "some level scaling" design? I do remember there were a couple very specific places on the map that had difficult scorpions at any level (to the west of the starting town, I think, and then that Scorpion Gulch area), but I don't remember anything like in ELEX where you could really run into huge trouble (or impossible fights even) at any level. I guess there were also those behemoths, though, can't really remember exactly. And the cazadores, oh god. *shudders*

Anyone have more info on that?

There are deathclaws around right from the start if you head into the wrong area. They'll kill any fresh character with a single hit. They do range from type X to type Y (baby deathclaw to legendary deathclaw or so), but they're all way too tough for a low level character.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
Also, in Elex from everything I have read, you are supposed to become all but invincible around level 25 so in that regard it is also like Bethesda games where you become a God at some point and just walk over everything.

Sounds like you've read some bullshit.

Originally Posted by Maylander
There are deathclaws around right from the start if you head into the wrong area. They'll kill any fresh character with a single hit. They do range from type X to type Y (baby deathclaw to legendary deathclaw or so), but they're all way too tough for a low level character.

True. And Scorpions too. If you go west of the starting town, or into Scorpion Gulch, you'll encounter very tough scorpions for low level fighting.

Still, my point stands that it's nowhere near the design of ELEX, or even Gothic, where high level beasties are all over the place, really. And several different types of them, too, especially in ELEX's case.

Originally Posted by Fluent
True. And Scorpions too. If you go west of the starting town, or into Scorpion Gulch, you'll encounter very tough scorpions for low level fighting.

Still, my point stands that it's nowhere near the design of ELEX, or even Gothic, where high level beasties are all over the place, really. And several different types of them, too, especially in ELEX's case.

Indeed, and there are even big "STOP" signs indicating the dangerous regions. It's quite a harmless world to explore in that regard, as you can explore just about everything except a few small areas here and there at low to medium levels.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Sounds like you've read some bullshit.

It is possible (I did the 2nd time), but certainly not intended or "supposed to". Level 25 is the required level for the best armor in the game though, so it is a relevant level.

In short: Level 25 in ELEX is the minimum level of being virtually invincible, not the expected one.

Skyrim and Oblivion was all sorts of scaling messed up.
I added difficulty mods and it was still too easy.

Of course what do you expect from a game where you kill a dragon and close hellgates at level 1.

I loved FO:NV but hated the Mojave experience (honest hearts dlc?). Stalled out at that point a couple times but when I finally finished that part enjoyed the rest of the game.