Fallout: New Vegas (Thoughts)

Learned from a trusted source that Fallout New Vegas information is coming "very soon." It's going to be Gameinformer's next cover. This is the information in the magazine:

- Similar to Dragon Age: Origins, at character creation the player can select from different background stories. The first few hours of the game are different depending on which background you choose, and you get some unique perks based on your background when the main game begins.

- One background story is shown, Chinese Agent. The background story takes place before the bombs fell. The player is part of a team of Crimson Dragoons infilitrating Hoover Dam. You manage to sneak through the Americans' defenses, set explosives, and head to an extraction point, but your escape is cut off by American soldiers in Power Armor. The player and other survivors of the Crimson Dragoons take refuge in a cave in the canyons, where they commit hari kari with cyanide capsules. The player about to do the same when the bombs fall. The background story ends an indeterminate time later, when the player exits the cave, removes his helmet, and sees his ghoulish reflection in the waters of the Colorado River.

- The background story segues into character creation. The player can customize the appearance of the ghoul, and you see you start the game with two unique perks. One, similar to the Ghoul Mask in Fallout 3, makes Feral Ghouls non-aggro. The other makes the player immune to radiation sickness and allows the player to discharge accumulated radiation in a blast similar to a Glowing Ghoul, healing the player and any mutants while damaging all non-mutants in range.

- By default, the Chinese Agent has the skills Sneak, Small Arms, and Explosives tagged and SPECIAL stats set, although the player can modify their tagged skills and stats if they don't like the template.

- One character background option is Lone Wanderer. This selection has no background story or template and is a complete blank slate for players.

- The SPECIAL system used will be similar to Fallout 3, but skills will be harder to cap and one character will not be able to become a master of all skills. The article is not very specific because apparently it's something the developers are still tweaking.

- Gambling will return, but not as a skill. Your Luck stat will effect gambling results. You can attempt to cheat at cards using your Sneak skill or hack slot machines using your Science skill.

- There will be vehicles. The desert of New Vegas dwarfs the Capital Wasteland and you will need transportation to get around and explore it. You will acquire a vehicle several hours into the main quest. You can customize your vehicle with parts bought at shops or won through racing circuits and quests. Vehicles will not be common, but you will encounter road gangs, merchant caravans, and other vehicles in the wastes. The open desert is home to some very large mutant creatures, like giant radscorpions and sandworms, that will attack your vehicle.

- New Vegas has a coliseum run by a slaver gang called the Caesar's Legion. You can gamble on and participate in arena fights.



Care to share your thoughts?

Best Game Ever?

I have to say that Fallout 3 was the best open world experience that I have ever played. I think I put at lease 120+ hours into that game. So if New Vegas is Fallout 3 and more then I am all for it. I cant wait to run down to our local Gamestop for the midnight release. I am getting weak in the knees just thinking about it...

Thanks for that information, Rob.

While this "trusted source" is true or not. The content seems very appealing regarding that Bethesda only had around a year to make a sequel to their game. The graphics on the other hand, I was expecting a little bit more difference or an improvement on that area. But nonetheless I enjoyed Fallout 3, hopefully this sequel lives up to it's name.

Lance Obsidian is making the new fallout, Bethesda is only producing it.

I can't wait for New Vegas. Fallout 3 is one of my favorite games of all time and if I can have more of that experience I will not object. From the looks of your information Rob, New Vegas looks like it is headed on the right track to becoming a big hit this fall.

Well considering that Obsidian consists of the original Fallout makers (Black Isle) I would hope that they would have more elements of the original Fallout 1 & 2 in this new game. But, other than that all this information sounds really really good. Thanks Rob!

Fallout: New Vegas is going to be beast!

I can't wait to get the collectors edition.

I wish the release date is much closer.

I wonder if there is any correlation or tie in's from the last Fallout but then again since this is Vegas, and the other one was DC it might be too far to even have anything to do with anything. :-\

They probably don't want to have anything to do with DC but I wonder how big this New Vegas map is going to be. I hope it's bigger than DC ruins.

I wonder if Dogmeat will be in this one, thinking that in every Fallout Dogmeat is in it.

I think Dog meat will be in it....

Yay! I love Dogmeat, he was my favorite companion in Fallout 3. There's nothing like man's best friend to keep you company in the Capital Waste Land, that is until he decides to try and take on an army of super mutants and die a horrible and painful death...

W00t! I'm actually anxiously awaiting for who the new team members are going to be for this game.

What I'm looking forward too is the music, so I can put it in my car and sing and dance along with it.

Kidzbopkidz style.

I'm with you on that one. Fallout 3 opened up a whole new genre of music to me that I never thought I would like. All those songs just have this upbeat vibe that makes ya feel good inside.

I'm so excited!!!!

I'm going to vomit from excitement.