Fallout: NV - Retrospective

Aubrielle has penned down a very positive retrospective of Fallout: New Vegas, the game that swept her away.

I'm not sure I've ever been swept away like Fallout: New Vegas swept me away. From the moment I left Doc Mitchell's clinic and stepped into the glaring Mojave sun, I was a part of this living, breathing world. Its concerns were mine, and my concerns were steeped in the world. As I made my way down into the dusty settlement of Goodsprings, I wasn't in my bland little apartment anymore, playing some video game. I was in a backwater caravan stop, deep in the Mojave, all alone. Goodsprings is dominated by a little bar that's somewhere between biker roadhouse and wild west saloon. Its people eke a living out of the sun-baked desert, far from New Vegas and the watchful eye of its overlord. Out here on the frontier, people always keep one wary eye on the horizon, watching out for roving gangs. Step into the bar or general store and you're greeted with an old dusty radio and the boxy sounds of country music from the 1950s. You might smirk now, but when you're in the game, it's perfect. If you smile, it's from pure joy and that rare feeling of synergy - when something feels so appropriate, so perfectly placed, that the world instantly becomes so much more believable and real and right. Suddenly, music you would have never noticed before has become a part of this experience you're having. You're not playing a video game anymore. You're experiencing something. Goodsprings has become part of your memories, your awareness. When you describe this later on, you'll describe Goodsprings as a place you visited, and you won't think of it as something from a video game.

More information.

Time for our monthly FO:NV retrospective.

And who's this Aubrielle?

Sheesh. I liked Fallout:NV plenty, but it wasn't a spiritual experience.

The immersion in the world vibe from this game I agree with, perhaps not to this extent but that's hardly a put-down. It's a good product that I just might have to do another play through for, maybe later this year.

Wow, everyone's a critic. I'm getting a lot of this lately - this morning I woke up to some nastiness on Twitter (about my book, not about my silly little article). I guess when it rains negativity, it pours?

Ah, anyway. Thanks so much for posting it, @Myrthos!

Thanks Aubrielle for reminding me to play this one again this year.

Actually I meant my comment to be more of a compliment as I'd never thought about New Vegas from this perspective before, and you are absolutely correct. It is, for me, one of the most compelling and memorable parts of the game. I intend to keep this in mind the next time I replay this great game.

New Vegas was also a great experience for me. It was the first game I played after years, so it made a great impression. Especially the narrative and atmosphere were spot-on.

There is a thing to be said for playing less to enjoy them more. I noticed I'm getting in that routine again of mechanically finishing games instead of savoring them. Although they should be good enough to warrant the time investment then.

Still my favorite Fallout game and with some new mods getting released I'll play it again. Alright time for another plug for the upcoming mod called Fallout: The Frontier.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
Actually I meant my comment to be more of a compliment as I'd never thought about New Vegas from this perspective before, and you are absolutely correct. It is, for me, one of the most compelling and memorable parts of the game. I intend to keep this in mind the next time I replay this great game.

Oh okay. Yeah, that sorta came across. I think I was referring to just the vaguely anti-positivity tone in some of the comments. But honestly, I can't imagine RPGWatch without it. I'm glad to see some things never change!

Originally Posted by ilm
There is a thing to be said for playing less to enjoy them more. I noticed I'm getting in that routine again of mechanically finishing games instead of savoring them. Although they should be good enough to warrant the time investment then.

Omg, I feel this so hard. I've been playing games to the point of burning out over the last year or so, and it doesn't do me any favors. I even did it with Wasteland 3 to an extent, and I've done it with Cyberpunk 2077 just this past week or so. It sorta feels like taking sips of wine vs. like, drinking that wine until you're ready to throw up - then you never want to touch it again.

Yeah. FNV can definitely be the same.

Fallout New Vegas was my first Steam game (I have a Collectors Edition) so it will always have a very special status in my heart. Whilst I've only accumulated 328 hours in the game at this point (much lower than those who feverishly mod I'm sure) it does sit third in terms of hours on my all time list. I've waxed lyrical on the game on these forums many times before. After the first game, it is my favourite for sure and for me remains the stand out First Person Fallout from a role-playing and canon friendly perspective.

One question I have from reading Aubrielle's well written, celebratory reflections is for Americans generally in how they might react to seeing the famous Nevada locations which appear in the game. (Hoover Dam, Shan-Gri-La Prehistoric Park, Nipton, the strip etc). Is there additional impact in wandering these locations when you've seen and experienced them in real life? I'd imagine there are even tourist routes for Fallout enthusiasts these days similar to what can be found in this reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/com…ons_tour_link/

Excellent article, Aubrielle! Nice to have you back here

I played Fallout: New Vegas but, can't remember why, stopped playing it roughly at the middle. This is one of the games that I always keep promising myself to return to it one day.

Originally Posted by Pessimeister
One question I have from reading Aubrielle's well written, celebratory reflections is for Americans generally in how they might react to seeing the famous Nevada locations which appear in the game. (Hoover Dam, Shan-Gri-La Prehistoric Park, Nipton, the strip etc). Is there additional impact in wandering these locations when you've seen and experienced them in real life? I'd imagine there are even tourist routes for Fallout enthusiasts these days similar to what can be found in this reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/com…ons_tour_link/

That's so interesting! I never thought about that. I always wondered how *I* would react if I went out there to visit - and how my bestie (who is from Las Vegas originally) would react to depictions of those outlying towns in the game. There's something about the way they're laid out in the game - Primm especially - that's kinda creepy and unsettling and I'm not sure exactly what it is. I always wondered if the real Primm bore any resemblance at all… (I was just too lazy to look at Google and see)

Originally Posted by henriquejr
Excellent article, Aubrielle! Nice to have you back here

I played Fallout: New Vegas but, can't remember why, stopped playing it roughly at the middle. This is one of the games that I always keep promising myself to return to it one day.

Thanks so much!

One thing I wish I'd said in my article was a caveat: FNV definitely aged better than a lot of games, but not flawlessly, and that it's a good thing there are so many mods for it since you basically need texture (and mesh?) packs if you want a prettier, more updated experience. I think it could possibly be one of the best games ever made, but I won't try to tell you that you could reinstall it this second and immediately brush right through that slump you had in the middle. I think if you were patient and forgiving enough, definitely.

Originally Posted by Aubrielle
Thanks so much!

One thing I wish I'd said in my article was a caveat: FNV definitely aged better than a lot of games, but not flawlessly, and that it's a good thing there are so many mods for it since you basically need texture (and mesh?) packs if you want a prettier, more updated experience. I think it could possibly be one of the best games ever made, but I won't try to tell you that you could reinstall it this second and immediately brush right through that slump you had in the middle. I think if you were patient and forgiving enough, definitely.

It was installed in my previous computer, I was playing it without mods back then. *IF* I get back to it, I'd have to restart it all over again, but that wouldn't be a problem to me.

Originally Posted by Aubrielle
One thing I wish I'd said in my article was a caveat: FNV definitely aged better than a lot of games, but not flawlessly, and that it's a good thing there are so many mods for it since you basically need texture (and mesh?) packs if you want a prettier, more updated experience. I think it could possibly be one of the best games ever made, but I won't try to tell you that you could reinstall it this second and immediately brush right through that slump you had in the middle. I think if you were patient and forgiving enough, definitely.

Yep download a few graphic mods with the stability fixes and bravo good as new.

NMCs Texture Pack - https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/43135
Flora and Terrain Overhaul -https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/39856
New Vegas Redesigned 3 - https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/56312
Fallout Character Overhaul - https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/54460

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Yep download a few graphic mods with the stability fixes and bravo good as new.

NMCs Texture Pack - https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/43135
Flora and Terrain Overhaul -https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/39856
New Vegas Redesigned 3 - https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/56312
Fallout Character Overhaul - https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/54460

Good list. Ojo Bueno is also a pretty good texture mod.