Fallout New Vegas: A Classic Magnum Opus
*SPOILER ALERT!*
The Fallout series is one of the world's most recognized video game series, mainly due to its fascinating setting of a post-apocalyptic America. However, among the six installations of the series, there is one that stands out: Fallout New Vegas. Fallout New Vegas is the fourth game to be released in the series and is regarded as one of the best. Now, there are a plethora of amazing things about New Vegas; however, among them, there are three parts that stand out: the Setting, the Characters, and the Story. Without further ado, let me explain why Fallout New Vegas is the classic magnum opus of the series.
The setting for the entire of the Fallout series is one of its greatest selling points: an immersive post-nuclear war America. Across the series, we have explored vast parts of it. From the barren wastes of California to the Capital Wasteland in Washington, D.C., Each installation showed us a different part of the world after the bombs had fallen. However, out of all six games one of them has stuck out—The Mojave Desert of Nevada. The Mojave has to be the most immersive and intriguing setting from the strips of barren road and rock to the very Strip of New Vegas. Every location has a reason for existing in this world, and they fit so well—for example, the starting area of Goodsprings. Goodsprings is the sort of place you would expect to show up after the apocalypse. It's a relatively small and simple town with a general store, saloon, and a few houses. The buildings are slowly falling apart, the roads are ruined, and the atmosphere is dusty. This is the best possible starting point for a Fallout game! It sets the mood of the game in a matter of seconds. But there’s more, in your journey, you’ll explore almost all of the Mojave. My favorite being the New Vegas Strip. Among the endless ruins and destruction, lying to the north shines the Strip. Its bright lights, towering hotels, and sprawling streets are simply astonishing. Besides that, there are a plethora of different locations to discover: New California Republic bases, different towns, ruins, and so much more, each with its own story to tell.
Now, while the setting is great, the characters that populate the world are even better. And I believe New Vegas would be a lot worse if the characters weren’t as unique or interesting as they are. Luckily, they are all spectacular. First, let’s start with the “main antagonist,” Benny. Benny is one of the people who runs the Tops casino. However, the Courier (The Main Character) meets Benny after he has tracked you down, throws you in a shallow grave, and steals a precious package from you. From Benny’s speech, you can learn a lot. “You're crying in the rain, pally. Time to cash out, maybe Khans kill people without looking them in the face. But I ain’t a fink, dig. You’ve made your last delivery kid, sorry you got all twisted up in this scene. From where you’re kneeling must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck. Truth is the game was rigged from the start.” Then he leaves you to die. From this, we can see Benny will do anything to get what he wants. However, Benny isn’t the only character looking out for themselves. There is also Mr. House, the man who runs the Strip. He has similar intentions as Benny; however, unlike Benny, Mr. House isn’t doing what he does just for him but for the sake of the Strip. It would be hard to explain everything here, but I highly recommend looking up a video about him, as I can’t do him or any character justice. Nonetheless, besides Benny and Mr. House, you have Caesar, the leader of Caesar’s Legion, dozens of different NCR characters, and so many more. There are around 300 characters in New Vegas, each with matchless personalities, stories, and motives.
Finally, New Vegas’ story is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s the story of a Courier who is tasked with delivering a Platinum Chip to the New Vegas Strips but is shot and left to die in a shallow grave. From there, the story continues. After learning what happened, the Courier sets off to find their killers, taking him across the Mojave. Until they reach the New Vegas Strip to confront Benny, despite that, your story can change from here. You can either let Benny go or gun him down right there. If you choose to let him go, you are given a few choices. Upon arriving in the Strip you will be asked to meet with Mr. House or Caesar. Choosing Mr. House, he will tell you that that Platinum Chip you were holding was actually an upgrade for his Securitron Army, and he’ll ask you to receive it. Choosing Caesar, you will meet him at his fort, where Benny has run off. He’ll allow you to deal with Benny, although you will have to help. After which, you can choose to side with him to take over the Mojave. There is also the NCR (New California Republic) which asks you to assist them in dealing with the Legion. But their story is a bit more complicated. Yet, there is another choice—Yes Man. Yes, Man is Benny’s personal Securitron who would have helped him take over the Strip, which you can do instead. Nevertheless, it’s fully up to you who you choose to side with. This alone makes New Vegas’ story so intriguing, as there are so many different options. Plus, there are a number of other factions to interact with.
These are a few reasons why I enjoyed playing through New Vegas, but I highly recommend playing through it yourself. Each playthrough will be different depending on what you choose to do. Furthermore, there are four additional DLCs for New Vegas, which are all phenomenal in their own right.
