» Mon Jun 25, 2012 4:39 pm So, what's the problem? Why make a thread I have to put a disclaimer on? Well, I see a lot of good and a lot of bad in Fallout: New Vegas. Really, this thread is mostly about peace of mind. I have some things I need to get off my chest, and maybe vent a little...blow off some steam. That's all I'm looking to accomplish here. Just a chance to speak my mind, and maybe give other people a chance to see how I think. I don't expect any gamesas employee to look at this, or conform to my expectations, and I certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. Just...respect my right to hold an opinion, okay?
Now, my first impression with New Vegas was actually a very good one. Coming into it from Fallout 3, I have to admit to feeling like it was just going to be the same game repackaged. Finding out that a number of enhancements had been made to the system was a pleasant suprise. The re-introduction of traits, folding of the "Big Guns" skill into other weapon types, and the various other ways that the system was made more like the classic Fallout games were all one big plus to me.
As I've played more of the game, though, there has been one thing I found hard to ignore. It's the elephant in the room. I'm not sure if this is just me who can't ignore it or if this is old gripe to some people, but the fact remains. New Vegas is one of the most linear "open world" games I've played. Wherever I go in the game, it's hard to escape the feeling of being railroaded. At the start of the game, you're hemmed in by murderously hard enemies, as if the game were saying, "Go where I want, or I'll kill you." to the player. You come to Primm, and you are expected to clear out the convicts simply because you are "the hero", and that's what the story dictates you do. No one asks you to do it, or offers any reward. You are actively discouraged from going there, and depending on your dialogue choices, may not even be told there are survivors still in the town. Yet the game makes this course of action that you may not even have a reason to carry out the only option. Unlike in Goodsprings, you can't side with the outlaws, and you certainly can't just let the NCR do their job. You're the main character, so dealing with any kind of problem anywhere is your job...especially when it's part of the main storyline. It's a trend that continues in a lot of little ways throught the game, like when enemies spawn hostile to attack you regardless of how well you sneak, or when dialogue assumes you took the standard steps to get somewhere (resulting in what I like to call "psychic dialogue options"), or events like in getting to the Boomers, where no amount of stealth, including stealth boys will keep the guy targeting you from having you in his sights.
Once again, don't get me wrong. The story is good. The characters are engaging. That doesn't keep it all from feeling a bit forced, though. I'm not about to complain about what the story is. Sure, I might be able to say, "Maybe I don't want to get revenge. Shouldn't I be happy just to be alive?", but that doesn't make for a very compelling story. On the other hand, when all the information I need is provided, but the game doesn't let me advance because it has more clues to spoonfeed me, that's not so interesting. When I have skills or equipment that should get me through a situation, but it's arbitrarily decided that they don't apply, my sense of choice goes right out the window.
Then, there are the areas where it just feels like attention to detail was lacking. It seems like I can't pick something up or drop it without objects nearby rising up like a poltergeist is at work. It's a minor nitpick, but it bothers me a little. Items seem half burried in every surface, and it just feels sloppy. In other areas, too, it feels like things weren't given enough thought. There are three kinds of empty bottle, alike in every way but value, and only one of them useful...and speaking of useful, why can't I fill a bottle with water when I'm at a source? For that matter, why does drinking a soda give me a bottlecap, but not a soda bottle? I know it was like that in the previous game, and it's kind of a minor issue, but it still makes me scratch my head. To be honest, I might not have noticed or cared, but the improved crafting system made it stand out more (perhaps a testament to how much I like the crafting system).
Speaking of which...the add-ons. I like the add-ons. They're fun, and it allows me to get a lot more out of the game. However, the quality of these in Bethesda games seems to have been declining in certain areas recently. Most notably, in how well it intigrates into the game. There's nothing worse for me than finding out that, after adding on some new quest, or house, or item pack, that the content is just being dumped on me with no lead-in. The "Courier's Stash" is a prime example. Right at the start of the game, a ton of items dropped into your lap. There are so many ways this could have been done better. No question about my background from the doctor, selecting which items I get? No actual stash to find? Nope...just eighty-some pounds of gear unceremoniously dropped into my inventory, wherever I am. They might as well have gone for broke; "Note: Hope you're not near the weight limit...trolololol!" has been added to your Pip Boy". To be fair, though, this isn't a New Vegas issue. Fallout 3 had the automaticly-everywhere radio signal from Mothership Zeta, and TESIV: Oblivion was absolutely terrible about having add-ons trigger at situationally inappropriate times...like in the middle of the tutorial, whoops. It's just something that Bethesda needs to work on.
That said, I love the visual style. I love the jump to first person realtime (even if VATS has a bad habit of lying about the odds and/or aiming my gun into shot-blocking obstacles/the ground/through the enemy and out the other side, making me miss completely). New Vegas does deliver a fun and satisfying experience. Neither I, nor my obsessive playing of the game will deny that. The improvements over Fallout 3 really shine through. Sometimes, though, I wish that they had left it in development a while longer...
