Fallout: New Vegas Previews

Clunking right through the bottom of the barrel for these previews, but at least they provide some novel takes on the game rather than reading the same thing over and over. Not so much Screw Attack, who provides an uninteresting video preview, but Random NPC at least talks about engine improvements.

In spite of a bullet from an anti-material rifle bouncing harmlessly off a tree branch a VATS glitch familiar to Fallout 3 veterans New Vegas boasted noticeable improvements on the Fallout 3 engine. In particular, animation appeared smoother and crisper, and the game appeared to handle large numbers of NPCs more easily; the NCR-Legion battle featured a good eight or so NCR rangers assaulting multiple Legion defenders. Whether this is a one-off scripted event or more common throughout the game is not clear, though the Vegas strip was also well populated.

Gamer Limit was certainly happy to get to try the game (“I’M REPORTING ON YOUR GAME! I’M PUMPED UP FOR THIS! I WANT TO HAVE TO CHANGE MY PANTS AFTER I’M DONE PLAYING!” as he puts it), but was very confused and disappointed when he wasn’t being guided around by Bethesda staff.

That’s the thing, without someone talking you up, guiding you, showcasing the high points of the game, etc. Fallout: New Vegas is way too vast to experience through a demonstration. It’s not a game where you can just pick-up and play. There are options about how you talk to people that determine the path you follow. For example, upon meeting a hotel lobbyist, all I wanted to do was fight him, so I picked all the confrontational dialogue boxes.

After I killed the guy, my character was permanently banned from the hotel and I was forced to restart the demonstration because I broke it. Someone whispering in my area that I need to be nice to the lobbyist, so that I can see all the casino games and witness how luck plays a larger role would have piqued my interest. Instead, I felt like a wandering child walking into the middle of the street.

To no surprise, I broke the demo a few more times, and eventually I just gave up to go play Brink. With no direction and a limited time to play, it’s impossible to get the full spectrum of New Vegas. In all honesty, this is a game that would have greatly benefited from a hands-off demonstration showcasing all the new and improved characteristics.

Sometimes professionalism is hard to find in this field.