I just Just finished the Dead Money DLC last night. I know it's a little late in the game, but I had to wait until it finally became available to the PS3. I would have to say that it's easily the most challenging Fallout DLC to date.

Here's a list of my Pros and Cons for the DLC (with mild spoilers):

Pros:

• In the beginning you have to deal with item/ammo scarcity, harder-to-kill opponents and a multitude of standard traps. For those who like starting out with minimal gear and making everything you scavenge along the way count, this is a definite plus. This DLC is similar to the PITT in that respect, which is one of the reasons the PITT was my favorite DLC game play wise of all the FO3 DLCs.
  
  
• The DLC companions have great dialog options, even the mute is interesting to communicate with.
  
  
• Dog/God is 2 companions for the price of one thanks to the triggerable multiple personality disorder and is my favorite companion of the DLC because of it. God is good for sneaking/traps avoidance, Dog is good for dispatching ghosts. Be sure to get the "Ghost Hunter" perk from Dog before you part ways, it will make dealing with Ghosts much easier.
  
  
• Simply following the quest markers in the order the game suggests, yields a tougher challenge so if you find yourself dying early on, changing up the order in which you retrieve/recruit the companions can greatly simplify certain areas thanks to their perks. I found the best order of retrieval to be Christine (to help with the radios) -> God (to help with the traps) -> Dean (for exploring the heavy cloud areas)
  
  
• You also have to worry about the bomb collar and radio interference that can set it off throughout the DLC.
  
  
• By mid-game item scarcity becomes less of a problem through the acquisition of useful vending machine codes and the ability to trade useless items for pre-war money through various holographic vendors. If you have a high enough luck stat, you can even break the bank at the SM casino.
  
  
• The difficulty of the areas ramps up a bit though requiring you to strategically deal with the radios and the holographic sentries.
  
  
• The endgame has more of the same, you have to take out, or run out of the range of radios and avoid the un-shootable hologram security, with an added twist at the very end where you have to literally race against the clock and choose between being burdened by your own greed or "letting go". But even if you choose not to be greedy, you still have to run like a bat out of hell to survive. (My head exploded SO many times) LOL
  
  
• I've died more times than I care to admit trying to finish the DLC, but despite that, it's definitely worth the price of admission. For those who like a challenge, Dead Money is "dead on".

Cons:

• For players who are attached to a specific gear loadout, they will have to do without thier favorite gear for the duration of the DLC.
  
  
• For players who like to "run and gun" this DLC is probably not for you unless you can adapt your playing style, though at the very end you have to run very fast to make it out alive.
  
  
• For players who get frustrated with dying, there's a good chance you will suffer though a lot of that kind of frustration. O.o
  
  
• One of major drawbacks to the game IMHO are that you cannot revisit the Sierra Madre area to farm/grind ghosts. A permanent DLC area with challenging and respawnning opponents would have been nice. In terms of long term value however, you do get an abandoned BOS bunker as an extra "safehouse" (though no "well rested bonus" beds) with a working Sierra Madre Vending machine and a replenishing supply of SM chips delivered every 3 days. The raised level cap to 35 and the extra perks are also a welcome bonus for me at least.
  
  
• Another "pet peeve" for me is that there are no codes to buy Pre-War Clothing from the SM Vending Machines, especially considering there's no place in the Mojave to get any of that gear other than uncharacteristically reverse pickpocketing/pickpocketing gear on NPCs or just killing them outright. Theme wise it would have made sense since the vending machine "technology" actually manufactures the items on the spot.
  
  
• Yet another semi-related pet peeve is that an entire DLC was made patches and all, yet the Grimy Pre-War Buisness suit STILL has the incorrect skin (has the same off-white/tan suit color as the Dirty Pre-War Buisness Suit instead of the dark gray colored one). Please bring back my favorite pre-war attire from FO3 in the next patch. (I play on the PS3 so there's no way to mod this, unfortunately).

Mixed

• As great as the DLC companions are, you can't take them back to the Mojave and even within the DLC you only get to work with them and their useful perks as traveling companions for less than half of the DLC in my estimation.
  
  
• For those that are in it for the exclusive DLC Gear it's a bit of a mixed bag. For those who like wearing light armor, the best light armors in the game, stat wise at least are here. The Assassin Suit from the DLC has a better DT and stealth bonus than the FONV version of the Chinese Stealth Armor, plus you can wear a helmet with it and it doesn't have the annoying "stolen" tag that gets it taken away from you when you get caught stealing from NPCs.
  
  
• The Reinforced Sierra Madre Security Armor, is simply the best DT Light Armor in the game stat wise, surpassing most the non Power Armor, Medium weight Combat Armors and even some of the Heavy Armor types. Maybe I'm nitpicking here, but I really don't like how the SM Armor or helmet looks. The Vault 34 Armor/Helmet just looks better.
  
  
• In terms of DLC weapons, The Holographic Rifle + with all the mods is a decent weapon for EW builds. The Automatic Rifle + is a great match for those who primarily use the Sniper or Gobi Sniper in hardcoe since you have a full auto alternative for the mid/close range to shoot .308 ammo. Basically won't have to worry about carrying a heavy full auto like the LMG or the Minigun and the extra ammo on top of that. I guess I've been spoiled with the "epic" gear of the FO3 DLCs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can obtain a "Retrieve Outfit" code for the Vending machine, which allows you to purchase just about every Pre-war outfit in the game. You probably just missed it.

But the rest of your Pros and Cons were pretty spot on. :thumbsup:

I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the tip.

The biggest con is the stupid collar. Like how dumb is it. I have a repair of 90 which I can buff to 100 and I CAN"T REMOVE IT?? Even at the end I am not told how or where it went. Like DAH!! Poof, it gone!! I could have missed it with the 5 minutes of boring bovine scatology about the SM Cassino. Give me a break. None of the other DLC's had a 5 minte trailer that untterly bored me to tears. The concept of using your size 12's to clear a mine field, endlessly dieing until you find the solution is demeaning. A Sherlock Holmes mystery ... but oh yeah Robert Downey Jr. turn Sherlock Holmes into and action figure. Almost. You know more traps or new traps other than bear traps and rigged guns, that would have added spice. I will be waiting to buy the next DLC and go to the wiki and read about it up front. If its more the same Besthesda won't be getting my money.

TBH i was a little disapointed in the ending of the game. You dont get to see Christina again, and the only thing in the vault was gold bars. I was expecting something better. When i read that the guy who built the place built it just to protect Vera, that was even more disapointing. I was hoping it was going to be some top secrete bunker with lots of cool things in it. You also dont really get to find out what that cloud is coming from. I was hoping the cloud was being created by some kind of super weapon or something.. Instead you only get hints that its coming from the ground like natural gas or something..

One thing i really hated was the lack of weapons... I mean the entire game all i used was that stupid holo gun.. I used a few of those gas bomb's and maybe the big machien gun on a few guys but besides that the only gun thats really good is that one gun.. I hate using 1 gun all the time..

The DLC was pretty enique that i must say, but it also got boring and repetative.

People are going to go back and forth on this dlc at least until the next one. Like everyone else, I hated the collars, but at the same time they added some excitement to the game. Some of you complained about the traps? It's like you have never played a Fallout game before. The traps are a part of the environment. They are like rocks, and sand you have got to expect them and plan for them. As for the weapons, I never expected to find very many weapons as this place is a casino-resort. The best weapons I expected to find, was whatever small arms the security had, or whatever I could make. All in all, I think it was an okay dlc. Oh by the way, I experimented with god-mode on my second play-through. The collar still explodes, but you don't die. However, the quest is broken after that, and it introduces more bugs into the game, so don't use it.

I aggree with most of the Pros and Cons.

I would add a couple more personal Cons. I understand it's a seperate DLC from SM but...

After I helped out Dog/God to merge his two personalities into one to "start" over again; I wish i had the option to refer him to Jacob's Town as refuge and a new start on Life.

I played a Female "good" character and Christine gotten really attached to me, I help her and convinced her not to got down to face Elijah, even had her use her "New Voice" to open the door, after tricking Elijah and killing him, she helped out there to. Again, it's over and technically I could of informed her of the Hidden Valley BoS and taken her there or at least make communications / contact with them... but... nothing, just a sad looping recording of her that breaks my heart... I keep reminding myself... it's just a game...


That is all.

Far too repetitive and a few annoying loose ends at the end, like the cloud- absolutely NO explantion about it which left me a little heartbroken as I found it to be a really interesting idea, No explanation of the cool ghost people, HOW WERE THEY MADE- and also, the stunning lack of "interesting" new weapons and armour - the holorifle svcks, face it.

Hope the next one is better and not so unbelievably (spelling?) boring and hard.

The gold bars were sweet! until you realized that know there was point in gathering items to sell to get that weapon you wanted. now you just took a gold bar and got it. it kinda ruined a aspect of the game. :sadvaultboy: I also thought there should been a unique pistol or gun or anything besides a couple armors. :shakehead:

HUGE CON:
-I missed the bad-ass Assassin's armor and did not figure it out until I was 5 levels up from my last saved point in Dead Money :brokencomputer:

too many lose ends and not enough choices and loot 4/10 for me

Your stupidity is a con. It has nothing to do with the game or DLC.



... Umm... Play a new game.

Why would there be 'cool things" in the Sierra Madre? It is a casino after all

" I was hoping the cloud was being created by some kind of super weapon or something."

I wish there was a better tie-in upon return to the Mojave. Specifically, Elijah left a message for Veronica, and there's no way to convey that message. She doesn't even react to being given Elijah's Robes. That should be a big emotional experience for her, and she's not a stoic by nature. Oh, well.

In general, I enjoyed the DLC a lot. Yes, sometimes I hated the bloody collar, but I think it SHOULD be hated. I also didn't like the desperate run to escape the Vault as "platforming" is not in my skill set. Then I realized that with different tactics I could walk out without running at all (without glitches). You can choose your method, and whether you want to trap or to kill Elijah. Meanwhile, the writing and dialog are the best I've seen in Fallout.

I liked Dead Money because it took me out of my comfort zone. You get so used to using power armor and gauss rifles and the Archmedis II and being nigh invincible, its a good lesson to learn that you arent invincible.

Pro: DM is the bees knees, fits right into my style of play.

Con: DM broke hardcoe mode,...Is there a fix or patch for this (PS3 here)? No HC = less, well HC and less depth. Honey Moon is over without HC mode, I can take the crashes, freezes and all that jazz (Least its not Point Lookout crashie). Without HC working its just not a simulation anylonger. Epic Failings....

I think the best bit of this dlc was the gold... not for what its worth but the lesson that is learned... take the money and die OR "let go" and live it ties in well with the message at the start and makes you feel gutted when you make the choice but in reality there is only one option...

PRO

• Thinking man's DLC. Very challenging, required using your brain and a healthy dose of patients to get through it. I can see this DLC giving a Run'n'Gunner fits until they caught on.
  
  
• 37 gold bars was, in theory, a cruel puzzle.
  
  
• Once again the story writers over at Obsidian makes their Bethesda counterparts look like amateurs.

CON

• No new stuff for a cowboy character that I could remember. The new pistol and knives are not effected by the cowboy perk. Maybe the next DLC will toss us a nice looking duster that has 8-10 DT.
  
  
• As normal it's buggy. Really hated opening a door into another cell and get booted to my desktop without even an error message.
  
  
• The vault wasn't play tested enough. The exploits for getting all 37 gold bars out where really obvious.
  
  
• Can't go back to scavenge for anything missed. Leave something behind and kiss it goodbye.

...UMM... NO ONE PLAYTHROUGH WAS ENOUGH
AND PUNCHING HOLES THROUGH YOUR HEAD WOULD BE A CON.

All these complaining about'the stupid collar' should just go back to COD
There won't be a goddam minigun in the Vault its a casino for christ sake

I hated this DLC on my first playthrough because of my character build. I found the ghosts difficult to sneak around and impossible to put down with guns (with the exception of the automatic rifle)

When I played with a melee/unarmed master it became a breeze and was really fun, so I think your level of enjoyment depends on the build of your character. Also, I remembered where some of the speakers were so my head wasn't constantly popping off.

The only things that continue to nag me are the plot elements that seemed to lack explanation:

Why can't I mention that I know Veronica to Christine? Why can't I tell Veronica that I met Christine when I return?

Why can't I tell Father Elijah that I know Veronica when I first talk to him?

How did my collar get removed at the end?

What caused the Cloud?

Where is the Sierra Madre in relation to NV (how long was I unconscious? Did Dog really carry me 50miles up a mountain while I was asleep?)

How/when were Dean and Christine collared and why weren't they killed during the previous failed heist?

Where exactly was Elijah trapped before I entered the vault?

How many collars could Elijah have realistically taken from the Big Empty? (He seems to have a unlimited supply. Where did he stash them for Dog?)

Where are the remains of the previous team who made it into the casino vault?

Why would father Elijah read the vault terminal when there are several warnings posted around the vault not to? Is he really that dumb?

Why did N.E. sell lethal holographic security guards to Sinclair and no one else? Why am I even given the option to disable the emitters (at repair 100) when I can just shoot them?

How did anyone with a collar on have time to scrawl graffiti next to the speakers or leave notes like "RUN! RUN!"

How can I or anyone else enter/leave the Sierra Madre if it is surroudned by a toxic cloud?

If Elijah can remotely program the collars to 'kill one kill all' why can't he deactivate this feature when he asks you to kill Dog/Dean/Christine?

Yeah, its only a game. I know

You have many interesting points, but this is the only one I think I can answer.

I don't know what happens when you use Repair on the emitters, but if you shoot one, you alert all other nearby holograms. I never even thought to use Repair... I just blasted them and then hid until the red tick marks went back to normal. :shrug:

It was fun, but it was hard.

Both Pros to me.

Near the end of Dead Money, M'aiq was left in a quandary, should M'aiq take all the gold but be forever imprisoned or would he let go??? This was a very very deep thought for M'aiq

Well M'aiq decided to let go......


let go of a lot of crap so that M'aiq could bring 7 gold bars with him and have the best of both worlds.

OMG OMG i love this post but you can just waddle as fast as your fat overweight self can to the other entrance and walk out when elijah walks in gotta use a stealth boy tho
its pretty game breaking tho cause you can just go the gun runners and buy the best stuff ever with them......

But other than that i loved DM it was a really well thought out DLC to me my mistake was playing it on hardcoe mode 1st time through wow did i rage at quite a few times stupid mist but thats part of the challenge i guess too bad theres no achievement for finishing it on hardcoe.