The document provides a summary of the gameplay elements and systems in Fallout: New Vegas. It discusses the character creation system, combat mechanics including V.A.T.S and limb damage, leveling up through perks, the factions reputation system, companion characters, and different play styles including hardcore mode. It analyzes different aspects of the game and provides comparisons to previous Fallout games. Quotes from reviews are included that praise the game's role-playing depth and improved combat.

1. AmyBrockbank
1
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
‘Fallout: New Vegas’ – Research
Game
Fallout:NewVegasisanactionRPG developedbyObsidianEntertainmentonthe PS3,Xbox 360 and
PC in2010. The game issetin the Mojave wasteland afteranuclearapocalypse.The playerplaysas
a courierwhowakesup afterbeingshotinthe head,and attemptstogo afterthe manwho didit.
For thisresearch,Ihave playedthe PS3 versionof the game,andtwo characterswithslightly
differentplay styles.
For my research,Iwill be usingmyownexperience of the game,aswell asusingsecondarysources.
How Did It Feel?
The game starts witha character creationsection.Thispartof the game determineshow youplan
on playingthe game, whatyourcharacter lookslike andtheirname andgender.Decisionsmade in
thispart of the game are final andcannot be changedafterthe playerstarts,althoughtheycan alter
themjustbefore theywalktoofar intothe wastelandif theychange theirmindatthe lastminute.
The play style of the game isdeterminedbythe S.P.E.C.I.A.L.systemandthe tagsystem. S.P.E.C.I.A.L
standsfor strength,perception,endurance,charisma,intelligence,agility andluck.The playeris
given40 pointsto allocate toeach category,which affectscertainaspectsof the game dependingon
howmany pointstheychoose togive toeach category.
The tag systemallowsthe playertopickthree skillstoboostat the beginningof the game which
makeslevellingupthose skillsslightlyeasierlateroninthe game.
In myopinion,the twosystemsworkwell together,andchangesthe waythe game isplayedright
fromthe verystart of the game.This isalsothe downfall of the game,asfirsttime playerscouldpick
skillsortheydon’tknowhow to control,or allocate S.P.E.C.I.A.L.pointsinthe wrongplaces,much
like Idid.
There are a varietyof differentwaystoplaythe game,the playercouldchoose toplay a speechor
sneakbasedcharacter andavoidmostcombat situations,orplayas a combat basedplayerand
engage infightingwhereverpossible.
Withmy firstcharacter, I chose to playas a speechbasedcharacter,so I couldavoidcombat
whereverpossible, Ifoundthatthiswasquite an effective waytoplaythe game,althoughmost
questscouldthenbe solvedveryquicklythroughconversationoptions,whichoftenfeltsoeasy,it
feltlike Icheatingmywaythroughthe game.
“I plumbed for my usual mix of lockpicking and stealth skills, eventually regretting my Thief-centric approach to
character creation. My advice: New Vegas is so skewed towards dialogue that, for the first run-through at
least, you should put as much as you can in Speechcraft and Barter skills. Even the final bosses can be chatted
into submission if your stats are high enough. You can't lockpick a mouth.”
~PC Gamer, Craig Pearson -http://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-new-vegas-review/

2. AmyBrockbank
2
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
Withmy secondcharacter,however,Ichose to playas a mainlycombatbasedcharacter that
specialisedinmelee weapons.Thisaddedfarmore challenge tothe game,asmost of the time I had
to fightmyway throughbattles,whichrequiresmore thought.
Whenusingweaponsorunarmedcombatin the game,the playerisable to use V.A.T.S.(Vault-Tec
AutomatedTargetingSystem),whichallowsthe player totargetenemiesmore effectivelyby
calculatingthe probabilityof hittingacertaintargetand allowingthe playertodecide whichpartsof
the enemytheywishtotargetwithouthavingtoaimthe weaponthemselves.The powerof each
potential hitisdeterminedbyactionpoints;eachattacktakesupa certainamountof action points,
whichthenregenerate outside of V.A.T.S.,meaningthe playercaneitherwaitforthe pointsto
regenerate orfightmanually.
I quite like thissystem.Itmakeshittingeach enemymucheasier,andisquite effectivefortakingout
large amountsof enemiesatonce.Ialso like how the systemisn’tmandatorytouse,andisinstead
triggeredbypressingR2,as it can occasionallymake the game tooeasy,especiallywhenfighting
smallerenemies.
“Combat is no longer a case of simply hoping you have enough AP to finish off your assailants and running
backwards if you need to recharge – VATS can be now pretty much ignored if it's not to your liking. This allows
for a more visceral FPS experience for those that want it – and the option of a mix between the two styles for
everyone else.”
~The Guardian, Jack Arnott - http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/oct/19/fallout-new-vegas-review
Combatand speechcan alsobe enhancedwiththe use of alcohol andchems,whichcan give the
playeradvantagessuchas increasingtheiractionpoints andactionpointregeneration,increasing
theirresistance todamage,the abilitytoinflictmore damage orgivingthe playermore charisma.
Although,aftereachuse,the chance the player’scharacterwill become addictedtothatparticular
type of alcohol or chemwill goup, whenthe playerbecomesaddicted,some of theirstatswill slowly
decrease until theygettothe nearestdoctorand requesttobe treated.
I quite like thissystem,asitadds more riskto the game,and implementsthe use of drugsand
alcohol intogameplayquite creatively.Theydomake the game veryeasywhile inuse,butbecause
of the riskof addictionmakeseachtime theyare usedquite tense,asaddictioncanmake the game
much harder.
Ratherthan usinghealthpacksor regenerativehealth,the game usesasysteminwhichlimbscanbe
crippled.The player’scharacter’sbodyissplitinto6sections,head,torso,leftarm,rightarm, leftleg
and rightleg;eachcan be individuallycrippled andhave theirownhealthbar,andeachhave their
ownway of affecting the way the gameplayfeels.Havingthe headcrippledcausesthe player’s
screento go fuzzyeveryfewmoments;havingthe armscrippledreducesweaponaccuracy;having
the torso crippledcausesthe playertostumble everytime theyare hit;and,finally,havingthe legs
crippledcausesthe playertomove farmore slowly.
Healthand limbcondition inthisgame canbe replenishedbyeatingfood,usingstimpaksor
sleeping,the playermayalsouse doctor’sbagsto heal all limbsatonce if theyhave any in their
inventory. Unlike Fallout3,foodhealsthe playeroverthe course of a few seconds,ratherthan
straightaway.

3. AmyBrockbank
3
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
I quite like the healthsysteminthisgame,asitrequiresthe playertothinkaboutthe healththey
have,andhow bestto utilise whattheyhave inthe givensituation
Enemiesinthe game are incrediblyvaried,anddifferineachplace the playerexplores.Inthe
wasteland,variouscreaturessuchasgeckosandradscorpionswill attempttoattackthe playeron
sight.These creatureswill generally runafterthe player.These creatureswill eventuallygiveupafter
a while if the playercanoutrunthem,althoughcertaincreaturescanbe difficulttooutrunas they
are generallyquitespeedyandtendtotravel ingroups,althoughindividually,theyare quite easyto
take down.
~ http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2010/10/fallout-nv-screen-41.jpg
~ http://images.eurogamer.net/articles//a/1/2/8/5/8/8/0/1.jpg.jpg
Alsofoundinthe wastelandare raiders, whoare humanenemiesthatare generallyfarharderto kill,
and use tactics tododge attacks, muchlike the creaturesof the wasteland,theygenerally travel in
groups,and can oftenbe outrun,as theydon’tchase afterthe player,andnearlyalwaysstandtheir
ground.

4. AmyBrockbank
4
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
Supermutantsand Nightkinare alsoathreat inthe game,and oftenhide inabandonedplaces.They
generallycarryhuntingrifles,assaultriflesandnail boards,meaningeachone requiresadifferent
tactic to take down.Theygenerallymove quite slowly,sothe playercaneasilyrunawayfrom them
inwide openspaces,although,theyare mainlyfoundintightcorridors,sofightingthemis often
required. Nightkinare alsonearlyalwaysinvisible due totheirfrequentuse of StealthBoys,socan
be far harder to detect.
~ http://images.eurogamer.net/articles//a/1/2/8/5/8/8/0/4.jpg.jpg
Overall,Ithinkthe varietyof enemiesinthe game is quite good,consideringthe size of the game
world;because of the large varietyof enemies,the game doesn’tgetboringeasily,aseacharea the
playervisitsrequiresdifferentthoughtbecauseof the varietyof mechanicsconcerningenemies.
Levellingup inthe game dependsonexperiencepoints,experiencepointscanbe gainedthrough
combat or throughcompletingquests;companionswhoare alsotravellingwiththe playeralsogain
the playerexperience whentheykillanenemy.
Everytwo levelsgainthe playeraperk.Each perkgivesthe playeranadvantage withcertainaspects
of the game;some perksmayopencertainconversation optionsforcertaincharactersorsome may
give an advantage incombat,especiallywhenusingdifferenttypesof weapons.
I quite like the levellingsysteminthisgame,asthe perksdomake the game more interestingasit
goeson.They alsohelptodevelopthe player’scharacterandmake theirexperience withthe game
much more individual,asthe combinationof differentperksis quitevast.
“Levelling up now caps at 30 (up from 20 in the last outing) – meaning there's much more incentive to delve
deeper and deeper. There's dozens of new perks to unlock, and the return of some familiar enemies and
weapons from earlier in the series will do even more to delight hardcore fans.”
~The Guardian, Jack Arnott - http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/oct/19/fallout-new-vegas-review
In thisgame,there isalsoa radiationbar inthe game,whichslowlygoesupas the playercomesinto
contact withirradiatedsourcesaroundthe wasteland.Asradiationincreases,the player will reach
levelsof radiationsickness,whichaffectstheirstats.Togetrid of radiation,the playermusteither

5. AmyBrockbank
5
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
reach a doctor and paythem,or, if theyhave anyin theirinventory,use Radawaytoreduce the
levelsof radiation.
I quite like the radiationsysteminthisgame,asitadds an extralayerof immersion intothe game,
and actuallymakesthe playerbelievetheyare exploringaworldthat hasbeendestroyedbynuclear
weapons.Italsoaddsextrachallenge tothe game,and givesthe playersomethingelse tofocuson
while exploring.
The game alsohas a ‘hardcore mode’setting,whichgivesthe playermore levelstofocuson
alongside theirradiationlevel;sleep,hungerandhydration. Inordertostay alive,the playermust
make sure that theyeat anddrinkregularly,andsleepregularly,orelse theircharacterwill start
losingstatsand will eventuallydie.The healthsystemisalsoaffectedbyhardcore mode,ascrippled
limbscannow no longerbe healedbystimpaks,andstimpaksusedtoheal overall healthnow heal
overtime,ratherthan straightaway.
“The Bear Grylls approach proves essential in Hardcore Mode, perhaps the most striking and beneficial addition
to the game. Activated at the start, it plays up the survival aspect by introducing numerous realistic variables to
your game. You need to eat, drink and sleep: hunger, thirst and sleep deprivation will hinder, disorient and
eventually kill you if you don't keep on top of them. Ammo has weight in Hardcore Mode, so you can't merrily
stuff your pockets with every shell and bullet you find. Efficient inventory planning soon becomes a pressing
requirement.
Most importantly, healing items no longer instantly top up your health, but fix you over time, forcing you to be
much more tactical in your confrontations. Crippled limbs must be fixed using the rare Doctor's Bag item or
patched up by an actual doctor. You can't simply dash in and spam the hotkey for stimpacks during a fight, but
have to really think about how you can take down, say, a cellar full of hulking Nightkin without being squished
into a fine paste.”
~Eurogamer, Dan Whitehead -http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-10-19-fallout-new-vegas-review
I quite like the hardcore mode setting;itaddsa layerof realismtothe game by forcingthe player to
take intoaccount what humansactuallyhave todo to stayalive.Itadds to immersion,butit’svery
difficult,andfoundmyself turningitoff notfar intothe game.I thinkit’sa nice idea,butitdoestake
a lot of patience toactuallygetto the endof the mainquestwithiton.
“Oh, and you should probably avoid Hardcore mode for that first runthrough. It's the triathlon of New Vegas, a
gruelling slog designed to sap your strength as you play. It's not for the ill-prepared.”
~PC Gamer, Craig Pearson -http://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-new-vegas-review/
The game alsousesa companionsystem, where the playercantake an NPCwiththemif theywish
to helpincombatsituations.The playercantake a total of two companionswiththem, one human
and one non-human.There are atotal of 8 companionsinthe game (Six human,twonon-human),
althoughinmytime withthe game,I have founda total of six.Each companiongivesyoutheirown
individualperk,forexample,the companion Arcade Gannongivesthe playerthe ‘betterhealing’
perk,whichincreasesthe effectivenessof healingitemsused.
AlthoughIquite like havingcompanionsaround,astheymake combateasier,and foundthatthey
made my XPraise higherwhile theywere following,IfoundthattheirAIwasterrible,andwould
consistentlyneedtalkingto inorderto stopattackingenemiesorchange theircombatstyle.The

6. AmyBrockbank
6
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
addedcompanionwheel whichmakesall of the optionstochange how companionsattack
accessible throughone menu,ratherthanhavingtositthroughpilesof dialogue,makesdealingwith
the AI slightlyeasier,butitdoesn’tentirelystopcompanionsrunningintosituationsIhadno
intentionondealingwithinthe firstplace.
“Thankfully there are a solid number of NPC companions for you to recruit as back-up, and if you can find a
buddy they'll probably look after you until you can get to grips with how everything works. Incidentally, these
allies are a vast improvement on those offered by the last game: a new radial menu lets you swiftly heal them,
access their inventory and adjust their tactics (although you need to be next to them to access it). Best of all
you can actually talk to them this time; if you're persistent, you may even unlock a personal quest to learn a bit
more about them.”
~VideoGamer.com,Neon Kelly -http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/fallout_new_vegas/review-2.html
Ratherthan usingFallout3’skarma system, whichdefinedthe playeras‘good’,‘neutral’or‘evil’,
Fallout:NewVegasusesareputationsystem,whichinsteadtracksthe player’sreputation amongst
the differentfactionsinthe world.The karmasystemstill existsinNew Vegas,althoughitisnot
nearlyas prominentasitwasin Fallout3.
The nature of the reputationsystemmeansthatitisimpossibletoplease all of the factionsatonce,
sidingwithCaesar’sLegionwill meanthatthe playerbecomesatargetforthe NCRand vice versa.
Thisis a nice touch,but the difficultyinrestoringreputationwithafactiononce ithas passeda
certainpointmeansthatthe entire game cannotbe completedwithjustone character,andrequires
multiple playthroughstodiscoverall of the quests.
“Fallout: New Vegas' major addition is that of faction favor. You establish a reputation with various towns and
organizations by doing them favors or annoying them in some way or another. Which factions you align with
has both subtle and profound consequences. If you're liked, a random somebody might run up to you bearing
minor gifts, such as an iguana on a stick. (Mmm, tasty.) Or if you've gained a more violent reputation, a
mugger might accost you with violent intentions, only to run off when he recognizes you…
Your faction relationships also have much more dramatic consequences on your adventure, opening up new
quests while closing off others. The game is sometimes a bit opaqueregarding how your actions may
inadvertently affect the way a particular faction sees you, but this complexity manifests itself in awesome ways
as you near the end of your travels.”
~Gamespot, Kevin VanOrd -http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fallout-new-vegas-review/1900-6282605/
The game issetin the Mojave wasteland,whichmeansmost of the worldhasquite abrown and
plaincolourpalette,whichfitsasitaddsto the post-apocalypticatmosphere.There are radiation
risksscatteredaround the worldwhichaddto the feelingof beinginapost-nuclearwasteland,
althoughIthinkFallout3 capturedthe feelingof livinginapost-apocalypticworldbetterthan
Fallout:NewVegasdid,whereasFallout:New Vegasfeelsmuchmore like awestern.

7. AmyBrockbank
7
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
~ http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/gamespot/images/2010/293/reviews/1592427-959559_20101021_001.jpg
“This isn't the barren, blasted wasteland of Washington DC from the previous game. There's plant life, some of
it edible. There's a semblance of order, thanks to the soldiers of the New California Republic. Even the quaint
bottle-cap currency has become slightly more official, vying for economic dominance with the banknotes of the
NCR. Just as Red Dead Redemption poised its tale in the dying days of the Old West, so New Vegas sets you
down in a post-apocalyptic world on the verge of forging a new society.”
~Eurogamer, Dan Whitehead -http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-10-19-fallout-new-vegas-review
If the playerheadsnorth, however,theywilleventuallyhitFreeside,whichwill thenleadthemto
the NewVegasStrip.The NewVegasStriphasa 2000 cap requirementtoenter,althoughitisvery
differenttothe restof the wasteland.
The story of Fallout:NewVegas isquite simple.The playerisacouriertryingto findthe man who
shotthemin the headand tookthe platinumchiptheywere meanttodeliver.Theythenfind
themselves inafar biggersituationthantheythought,involvingmanysidesoverpowerand the
control of NewVegas.The goodthingaboutNew Vegas,though,isthatyoucan complete the
storyline atyourown pace,in fact,it is discouraged torush throughthe mainstoryline asfastas
possible,asthe wasteland isfullof hazardsthatwill kill alowerlevel playerinstantly,aswell asthe
2000 cap requirementtogetintoNewVegasthe firsttime around. If the playerwishes,theycan
forgetthe mainstoryline completely,andfocusonside quests.
There are hundreds charactersthe playerwill encounterinthe wasteland,the firstcharacterthe
playerwill encounteroutsideacutscene isDoc Mitchell,whopatchesthe playerupandruns
throughthe character creationprocessto create the lookof the player’scharacterand the
character’sstats, then,letsthem gointothe wasteland.
If the playerwishes,theycan thenvisitSunnySmiles,whokeepsGoodspringsfree fromthreats, to
run throughthe tutorial forthe game,whichteachesthe playerhow toshoot,sneak,craftitemsand
deal withquests.Onthe firstplaythrough,itsbesttolistentowhatshe hasto say, evenif the player
has playedthe previous3DFallouttitle,Fallout3,as some aspectsof the game differ.

8. AmyBrockbank
8
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
Overall,boththese charactersdoa goodjob of easingthe playerintothe game,althoughtheyare a
little boring,andIdidn’tfeel compelledtovisitthemagainafterIhadventured intothe wasteland,
nor do theygive anyquestsafterthe tutorial.
Some of the more interestingcharactersinthe game come from the twosidesof the fight,the NCR
and Caesar’sLegion,aswell asthe differentfactions;The BrotherhoodOf Steel,The GreatKhans,
The Boomers,The FollowersOf The Apocalypse;andthe PowderGangers.There are also the three
familiesonThe Strip;The Omertas,The Chairmenandthe White-Glove Society.
WhenyoufirstenterThe NewVegasStrip, the playerisinvitedinside the Lucky38,where Mr House,
the mysteriousrulerof The Strip,resides.Hismaingoal istotake Vegasawayfrom the NCR
completely byusingthe platinumchiptoupgrade the Securitronsandworktowardsre-routingthe
powerfromHooverDam towardsThe Strip.Throughoutthe game,he comesacross as quite an
untrustworthycharacter,althoughhe wasthe one whorequested thatthe PlatinumChiptobe
deliveredtohim.
AlsoinThe StripisThe TopsCasino,whichisownedbyThe Chairmen.The Chairmenare ledby
Benny,whothe playerlearnsinthe quest‘TheyWentThat-a-Way’isthe manwho shottheminthe
headat the start of the game.Bennyisquite a shiftycharacterwhobetrayshisentire family,aswell
as Mr House,byattemptingtotake overNew Vegaswiththe helpof a re-programmedSecuritron
namedYes-Man. He isquite a charming,althoughextremelyuntrustworthy,character.
The re-programmedSecuritron,Yes-Man,isalsoquite abigpart of the game,because of his
programmedwillingnesstobe helpful toeveryone;he willinstantlystarttohelpthe playerinthe
retrieval of the PlatinumChip.Yes-Manisquite acheerycharacter,whowants to donothingbut
helpthe playertryto take overNewVegasthemselves.
In the Ultra-Luxe,the mostexpensivecasinolocatedonThe Strip,isThe White-GloveSociety,which
isrun by Marjorie and Mortimer.The staff inside the casinoall wearmasks,andact as polite as
possible. Althoughthe interiorof the casinoisthe nicestof the three,itcomesacrossas creepy,like
somethingisamiss.
The last of the three casinosrunby The Three FamiliesisGomorrah,whichisrunby The Omertas.
The Omertas are ledbyBig Sal and Nero,and alsoact and dresslike oldstyle gangsters.Gomorrahis
the sleaziestcasinoof the three
Outside of the NewVegasStripisCaesar’sLegion,agroupof focussed,disciplinedmenwhowantto
take the north awayfrom the NCR and eitherenslaveorintegrate everyoneintotheirsystem
dependingonage,genderandcondition.
I foundthat Caesar’sLegionwere portrayedasacompletelyevil faction,unlike the restof the
factionswithinthe game,whichIfoundmade themquite unlikable,andmade itdifficulttoplay
throughtheirquests.
FightingCaesar’sLegionisagroupnamedNCR, whichstandsforNew CaliforniaRepublic.NCR’saim
isto bring orderto the Mojave Wasteland,andeventuallyrebuildit.The NCRhasmanymembers,
because of this;some membersuse the powersof the NCRfortheirowngain

9. AmyBrockbank
9
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
I much preferNCRto Caesar’sLegion,simplybecause thereare farmore interestingcharacters
withinNCR’sranks,withvaryingdevotiontothe cause,andmuch more personality.
The soundtrackof the game is splitintotwosections,the musicyouhearingame,and the licenced
musicthat isplayedthroughthe radiostationsthatair across the Mojave Wastelandwhich can
eitherbe heardthroughspeakers,jukeboxes,orplayedthrough the player’sPip-Boy.
The licencedmusicthatappearsthroughthe radio ismainlyfromthe 40’s and 50’s, whichfitsthe
atmosphere of the game verywell
The radio stationsare oftennotjust music;RadioNew VegasandBlack MountainRadioboth have
presentersbetweentracks,althoughthiscangetrepetitiveafterawhile,eventhoughRadioNew
Vegasoccasionallyupdatesif certainquestsare completed(SimilartoFallout3’sGalaxyNewsRadio
station.), BlackMountainRadiowill disappearentirelyaftercompletionof the quest‘Crazy,Crazy,
Crazy’and insteadjustbe the soundof static.
Outside of the stationsisthe normal ingame music.The musicsoundsreminiscentof whatyou
wouldfindina western,whichfitsthe styleof the game verywell.
Public Reception
Fallout:NewVegasreceivedpositive reviewsfromcriticsandfansof the series,whopraisedthe
game for stickingtothe lore of the original isometricFalloutgames,unlike Fallout3,which
portrayedcertainfactionsof the wastelandincorrectly(SuchasThe BrotherhoodOf Steel andSuper
Mutants).The game scored84 on Metacritic,witha total userscore of 8.4.
Source: http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/fallout-new-vegas
The game made a total of over$300 million, andshortlyafterrelease, retailerswererequestingre-
ordersfor the game due to its popularity,despitereportsof bugs,whichcausedcorruptedsave files
and crashes(Most of whichwere quicklysortedbyBethesdashortlyafterrelease.)
Overall,the game wasa successfroma financial pointof view.
As mentionedabove,the game wassubjecttomanybugson release,andalthoughBethesdaand
Obsidianworkedtoremove mostof the bugs,quite afew still remain,whichangeredquiteafew
fans. (EvenI encounteredquite afewgraphical glitcheswhile playingthe game 4yearsafter
release.)
“Unfortunately, Fallout: New Vegas isn't technically capable of supporting these high ambitions. Simply put, it
frequently breaks in some of the most phenomenal ways. You can't mention any given aspect of its design
without also mentioning a related bug--and the more you explore and the more you do, the more the game
buckles under its own weight. Your companion may not initiate a conversation with her elder, forcing you to
reload a saved game or ignore the quest. A mutant for hire will respond to your request to continue the quest
with the same dialoguethat he delivers if you tell him you need more time. Scripting errors abound in which
things that are supposed to happen never do, while in many other cases, inexplicable events occur that will
boggle your mind. Locals will freak out and run around as if someone is brandishing a weapon and then stop
and walk back to their assigned positions. A vendor might attack you unprovoked, even if you have a golden
reputation in that town and are dressed in neutral clothing. Sometimes, it's unclear if you're unaware of a
contributing factor or if the game is simply going bonkers.”

10. AmyBrockbank
10
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
~Gamespot, Kevin VanOrd -http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fallout-new-vegas-review/1900-6282483/
Some fansalsocomplainedabout itssimilarity toFallout3,whichwasreleasedtwoyearsbefore,as
the two lookverysimilar,andplayquite similarly,too.Fallout:New Vegasdidaddmore complex
mechanics,butoverall,itstill feltalotlike Fallout3.
“While we're dwelling on the negatives, critics will point out that New Vegas is far from being Fallout 4 – and
it's true, the majority of tweaks and new features are unlikely to greatly affect what is a near-identical
gameplay experience.”
~The Guardian, Jack Arnott - http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/oct/19/fallout-new-vegas-review
I alsoconducteda survey,usingSurveyMonkey, intothe game basedonthe opinionsof otherson
the game,as well aspreviousinstalmentsof the Falloutseries.

11. AmyBrockbank
11
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
I received5repliesformysurvey,withvaryingreplies.Ifirstaskedif the respondentshadplayed
Fallout:NewVegas,whichtwohad.
The two people whohadplayedthe game thenwentontogive theiropinionsonthe game.
Overall,Ifoundthatthe story,characters and levellingsysteminthe game were quite popularwith
the two people whoansweredthe question.Interestingly,hardcore mode wasthe leastpopularwith
the two respondents.Thismayhave somethingtodowiththe fact thatone of the respondentshad
not previouslyplayedanyothergame inthe Falloutseries.
I thenaskedthe respondentsif theyhadpreviouslyplayedanyothergame inthe Falloutseries,
which,again,twohad.

12. AmyBrockbank
12
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
I thenaskedthe twowho saidyeswhattitlestheyhadpreviouslyplayed.One respondentwhohad
playedFallout:New VegassaidthattheyhadpreviouslyplayedFallout3,whereasthe otherwho
hadn’tsaidthat theyplayedthe firsttwogamesinthe series.
I thenaskedfora small writtenopiniononthe gamestheyhadplayed.The respondentwhohad
playedFallout3claimedthatthe game was ‘fantastic’,andthe respondentwhohadplayedthe first
twoin the seriessaidthatthe gameshad a ‘nice style’.
Overall,the responsetowardsthe Falloutseries,includingNewVegas,hasbeenverypositive.
Evaluation

13. AmyBrockbank
13
BTEC Level 3 Games Design
Overall,Iquite like thisgame,the worldisfullof stuff todo,and there isplentytoexplore around
the map, because noteverylocationonthe mapis revealedstraightaway,explorationis
encouraged,whichIfeel helpsagame like thisalot.
I feel thatthe difficultyinthisgame isincrediblybalanced,andworkswell withthe levellingsystem,
meaningthatcertainareascannot be accessedunlessthe playerisahigherlevel,meaning,evenas
the game goeson,there isstill somethingtodoin the game’sworld,evenalmost100 hoursintothe
game,I still have manylocationstoexplore,andqueststofind.
I like the style of the game,aswell asit’ssounddesign,although,becausethe game wasbuiltonan
agingengine,the game hasn’tagedwell visuallyoverthe years,although,giventhe size of the game
and the amountof content,Isoonforgot the agingvisuals.
The gameplayisstill fun,andI like the waythatsome questscan be completedinavarietyof ways.I
alsolike the factthat each playthroughisdifferent,asthe allocationof pointsaftereachlevel makes
certainaspectsof the game easierandmore effective.