Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

40 to 100 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Been there, done that"

Bethesda hit a home run with Fallout 3. Being a big fan of the original Fallout series, I had my doubts. However, they delivered a fun game that was true to the post apocalyptic style we had come to love. The third person, top down style of the original series transitioned well into the first person perspective. The character development system still retained its fun skills and perk system. Not surprisingly the game scored glowing reviews.

New Vegas does little to deviate from that style. Unfortunately, that formula is several years and expansion packs old. Other than shifting the venue from Washington to New Vegas, very little seems different. Same controls, same gameplay, same perks and skills. There's a few new elements like card minigames and such, but they do little to add to the overall experience.

There's still a vast landscape to explore and plenty of easter eggs to find, but the game just seems to lack something. The story is fair, but not quite as epic as the first. Same with the characters. Some have interesting back stories, but for the most part, they seem fairly forgettable. While the first game seemed to build up to a climatic confrontation, this game just seems to truck along without all the drama. It's not a bad game by any measure. If you like fallout 3, you'll enjoy this game. It just doesn't bring much else to the table.