First Look at Fallout: New Vegas
- Thread starter Russ Pitts
- Start date
I'd like to add my voice to that of Kavonde in saying that Fallout 3 was ultimately a big disappointment.
I am a big fan of the originals, and I am a gamer who mainly has a preference for games, that I'm sure many other, most probably from the console side, would consider slow and too indepth. I like RPGs and strategy mainly I guess.
That said, I play FPSs but they generally spend the shortest time on my drive and usually only get one playthrough (I'm not a multiplayer at all). And there are exceptions, the Half Life series being a prime example.
But to get back on point, while initially entertaining, Fallout 3 became for me a dull, routine slogfest. It failed on both counts as an RPG and as a FPS. The world, while beautiful to look at is ultimately pretty vapid, populated by inane characters, voiced badly, and with unrelatable motivations. The plot was again fairly subpar, topped off at the end by the rediculous unavoidable main characters death, even if you have the completely radiation resistant mutant companion.
As an FPS, it became obvious that VATS was just a way of covering up the fact that the engine was completely unsuited to running and gunning. Compared to any dedicated FPS (Crysis, Halo, Brothers in Arms) it's amaturish. A prime example being the weapon firing points. They didn't actually fire from the gun muzzle but from some arbitrary point on your right. Meaning any attempt at close cover firing left you emptying your clip into a wall. And VATS went stale. Fast. Waiting 5 seconds for the camera to release control after every kill, and the blatant systematic cheat that almost completely removes any damage inflicted on you while the camera maintains control. So while you watch a ragdoll's body being obliterated in slow motion, you happen to glimpse from the corner of your eye, your character taking a full plasma burst to the face. But when you're back in your body, oh no, it just gave you a nice smooth shave.
It was just full of lots of small, and not so small, and some rediculously obvious, flaws. I finished it, and eventually got and made good use of the level cap remover so it definately wasn't a case of not giving it a chance (Nerdfury - yup, I guess I'd have to agree it was permanent exhaustion). And this is over a year since my last game and the problems still stick in my mind.
It does disappoint me that very few mainstream reviewers seem to reflect this 'opinion'. I appreciate the weakness of that statement, opinions being opinions, but jebus, I'm not that different in my expectations am I?
I'm really looking forward to Obsidian's take on this new current Fallout mutation as I'm sure they will fix much of the 'fleshing out' problems but there seem to be some flaws, engine based at the least, that they won't be able to change.
I hope I'm wrong and I hope this doesn't come across as purist ranting as mentioned a bit back. I'm not advocating a return to isometric, just a satisfactory implementation of whatever method succeeds it.
Simple summation; in so far as two completely different types of games can be compared, I felt both 1 and 2 were simply much better games/experiences/stories than 3.
P.S. I wrote this before reading all the comments so I'm glad to see a few people who seem to share my viewpoint.
I am a big fan of the originals, and I am a gamer who mainly has a preference for games, that I'm sure many other, most probably from the console side, would consider slow and too indepth. I like RPGs and strategy mainly I guess.
That said, I play FPSs but they generally spend the shortest time on my drive and usually only get one playthrough (I'm not a multiplayer at all). And there are exceptions, the Half Life series being a prime example.
But to get back on point, while initially entertaining, Fallout 3 became for me a dull, routine slogfest. It failed on both counts as an RPG and as a FPS. The world, while beautiful to look at is ultimately pretty vapid, populated by inane characters, voiced badly, and with unrelatable motivations. The plot was again fairly subpar, topped off at the end by the rediculous unavoidable main characters death, even if you have the completely radiation resistant mutant companion.
As an FPS, it became obvious that VATS was just a way of covering up the fact that the engine was completely unsuited to running and gunning. Compared to any dedicated FPS (Crysis, Halo, Brothers in Arms) it's amaturish. A prime example being the weapon firing points. They didn't actually fire from the gun muzzle but from some arbitrary point on your right. Meaning any attempt at close cover firing left you emptying your clip into a wall. And VATS went stale. Fast. Waiting 5 seconds for the camera to release control after every kill, and the blatant systematic cheat that almost completely removes any damage inflicted on you while the camera maintains control. So while you watch a ragdoll's body being obliterated in slow motion, you happen to glimpse from the corner of your eye, your character taking a full plasma burst to the face. But when you're back in your body, oh no, it just gave you a nice smooth shave.
It was just full of lots of small, and not so small, and some rediculously obvious, flaws. I finished it, and eventually got and made good use of the level cap remover so it definately wasn't a case of not giving it a chance (Nerdfury - yup, I guess I'd have to agree it was permanent exhaustion). And this is over a year since my last game and the problems still stick in my mind.
It does disappoint me that very few mainstream reviewers seem to reflect this 'opinion'. I appreciate the weakness of that statement, opinions being opinions, but jebus, I'm not that different in my expectations am I?
I'm really looking forward to Obsidian's take on this new current Fallout mutation as I'm sure they will fix much of the 'fleshing out' problems but there seem to be some flaws, engine based at the least, that they won't be able to change.
I hope I'm wrong and I hope this doesn't come across as purist ranting as mentioned a bit back. I'm not advocating a return to isometric, just a satisfactory implementation of whatever method succeeds it.
Simple summation; in so far as two completely different types of games can be compared, I felt both 1 and 2 were simply much better games/experiences/stories than 3.
P.S. I wrote this before reading all the comments so I'm glad to see a few people who seem to share my viewpoint.
Woot woooot :O
This is shaping to be awesome :O
I rly loved just walkin around in the wasteland of Washington and enjoying myself....the game had such a strong feel....it just sucks you up in its own little universe....and i bet N.V will do the same.
And i hope the game will be bigger
after all
more is MORE
This is shaping to be awesome :O
I rly loved just walkin around in the wasteland of Washington and enjoying myself....the game had such a strong feel....it just sucks you up in its own little universe....and i bet N.V will do the same.
And i hope the game will be bigger
after allmore is MORE
I better be able to go into every building in the Strip or else I will nerd rage. Still can't wait for this game and every bit of info is only making it worse!
Don't think the Strip as it is thought of in the present day will be there because of the whole 1950's setting bit and all, but I do fully expect to be walking into Hotels and Casinos run by mobsters or their descendants. I also expect to get a black or brown trenchcoat and pull out a submachine gun, preferrably one that looks like a Tommy gun, and shoot the place upJuven Ignus said:
"Your character's introduction to the world is not a 16-year process that takes an hour. Unlike Fallout 3 where you start from birth, in Fallout: New Vegas, you begin the game as a courier who gets shot in the head over a package and is left to die in a shallow grave. Lucky for you--or else this would have been a very short game--you're rescued by a robot named Victor and then nursed back to health by Doc Mitchell. ."
Gotta say im disapointed if this is true.. I thought the idea of having character pre sets with their own unique intro was a fantastic idea (and you could be a chineses ghoul!)
I agree Homercleese, fallout 3 was flawed (but you obviously played it to death so you cant have hated it that much!).. i agree with you on the VATS thing.. i remember watching my idiotic housemate play.. she literally just walked towards a supermutant, hammering fire with her hunting rifle.. absolutely no attempt at cover.. when she was low on health, she opened up the pip boy... hammered stim pack till full health... it genuinely bothered me the game let her get away with such a blatant lack of strategy/skill...
but hey, i still absolutely loved it, so if VEGAS is very loyal (which it will be), I wont shed a tear, and it will still be at the top of my to buy list..
Gotta say im disapointed if this is true.. I thought the idea of having character pre sets with their own unique intro was a fantastic idea (and you could be a chineses ghoul!)
I agree Homercleese, fallout 3 was flawed (but you obviously played it to death so you cant have hated it that much!
).. i agree with you on the VATS thing.. i remember watching my idiotic housemate play.. she literally just walked towards a supermutant, hammering fire with her hunting rifle.. absolutely no attempt at cover.. when she was low on health, she opened up the pip boy... hammered stim pack till full health... it genuinely bothered me the game let her get away with such a blatant lack of strategy/skill...but hey, i still absolutely loved it, so if VEGAS is very loyal (which it will be), I wont shed a tear, and it will still be at the top of my to buy list..
I just hope you can actually sneak up on NPCs, in Fo3 I never ever managed to actually sneak up on a NPC, every time I crouched up on them, they just fucking spotted me right away, freaking annoying since I like stealth. I'd also be happy if there were some sort of a cover system so you can have the option of not just stand there shooting at some guy using VATS or running up to him and fire away, grab up the pip-boy and heal to full health.