To start us off: Fallout New Vegas
So during my time off I have eaten my way through Fallout: New Vegas and it's subsequent 4 DLC. For those of you who can afford to live under bigger rocks than man, you rich bastards, Fallout and Loathing in New Vegas is the fourth main Fallout game in the series and canonically occurs at the same time as Fallout 3 but before Fallout 4. Yes Bethesda apparently booked a ticket on the Weird numbering train for their games. Getting a window seat next to Bioshock. So here we are with Big Fallout in Little New Vegas, and off the bat the we break with tradition. New Vegas lets you off the into the world almost immediately, with no forced quests or establishing quest to give you a purpose. There is a main quest of hunting down the man who shot you, but really the game just expects to wander off and pick up the pieces as you go. New Vegas has a world which is gorgeous to look at and enjoyable to wander to, and most of the time I didn't fast travel because wandering was just so much fun.
To me the world is the best part of the game, and what makes New Vegas truly shines. Because while it is not the biggest area it has some of the best character of any game, taking the appearance of a western with you as a literal lone wanderer. The game presents to you a twisting tale of revenge, hubris, betrayal, lost treasure, and wandering heroes and villains, and plays it's nature to the hilt. It doesn't usually bash you over the head with it's wild west wingdings, but instead uses real world examples to try and peak the players interest and investment. A good example of this is the town of Novac, where a giant dinosaur statue marks a community built in a motel. Even though it's not very large it's location makes it impossible to miss, and it provides a hub from which numerous fun areas are explored. And even in Novac there are interesting characters like the sniper with a dark past, the aged fly girl, and the hack doctor who lives up to her title. It's just so silly, yet also contains a lot of potential if you are willing to dig in, and is always a good place to hang your hat.
And that's what makes New Vegas so great. It's a campfire story about you, the lone wanderer, and you are listening throughout the game of how you become a legend of this living world. It's not like Fallout 3, in which you are noted but not recognized for your actions. In New Vegas people react to you, they hear tell of your exploits and they treat you different for them. By the end you have created a legend that will endure the ever changing sands of the Mojave, and wander into the sunset like a true Lone Wanderer. I would go on but this one is somewhat winded so all I will say is play it if you haven't. And if you have tell me what was your favorite main game area? I'd ask DLC but I know the answer is Old World Blues. I'm Juniper Jams, and stay beautiful!
Kudos to Penett for the wonderful art!
http://penett.deviantart.com/
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