Fallout: New Vegas. The golden child of Obsidian Entertainment. A classic for gamers across the globe. With a rating of mature from ESPN and garnering a solid 8.5/10 on IGN, this game has solidified its mark in gaming history. But, for many people, a few questions remain prevalent: Does it live up to the hype? Is it worth playing thirteen years later?

When you first load up the game, you are a courier thrown right into the middle of a war-torn wasteland near Las Vegas, set 250 years in the future after a nuclear war broke out and America was wiped off the map. You are in the middle of delivering a platinum poker chip to a large city, but you are intercepted by a man named Benny, who proceeds to put a bullet through your skull to steal your package. Luckily, you are found and saved by a kind elderly man who patches you up and sends you on your way. 

In this future America, three major factions are vying for control of the Mojave Wasteland: Mr. House, the current holder of New Vegas, the New California Republic, to the west of the Colorado River, and Caesar’s Legion, from the East. Mr. House, the man who ordered the platinum chip, wants to use it to upgrade his security and maintain control of the city. The NCR, although somewhat corrupt, wants to institute its democracy into the region and bring order to the land. The Legion, a large empire of loyal soldiers, wants to take control of Vegas, rule over the land, and enslave the local population. But first, they need to take control of the Hoover Dam in order to cross the River into New Vegas. Will the mastermind Mr. House modernize his security and force his aggressors out, will the two-headed bear of the Republic retain control of the dam, or will the bull of the Legion force its way in? The choice is all yours to make!

This game is packed to the brim with amazing mechanics that greatly impact the way you play the game. It’s the only Fallout game to feature a reputation system, completely changing the dynamic of the game. Instead of being able to raid settlements and outposts at will, there are now new, unforeseen consequences. The most notable example is that if you anger the NCR enough, they will eventually send scouts after you that essentially tell you to get your act together or die, which adds a new element of surprise to the experience. Another great mechanic is replayability. It is possible to replay the game and find quests, weapons, armor, and places that you have never seen before. Each playthrough offers new possibilities in order to change the Mojave in whatever way you want.

There are a few notable annoyances within the game though. For example, if you accidentally attack one person belonging to a faction, someone in the same faction across the map may be instantly hostile towards you the next time you approach them. This can become irritating as you could be suddenly attacked by a member of a faction that you forgot you angered. Furthermore, the graphics are immensely oversaturated with the color yellow. Everywhere you look, you’ll see yellow, yellow, and more yellow. The textures are outdated and almost look like kids' drawings at times. But, the game is thirteen years old, so I’ll cut it some slack. Noting the age of the game, the controls (specifically on consoles) are also somewhat clunky and different from the modern standard for video games. For example, usually to crouch you would click the right joystick down, but in New Vegas, it’s the left one. However, considering you can customize the controls at will, it’s not too big of a deal.

Aside from those slight annoyances, there are also a few larger and more prevalent issues. There is a complete and utter lack of a sprint mechanism. It is painstakingly annoying to walk like a snail across the entirety of Nevada. To some gamers, this may turn you away completely, as you will have a constant pace that can only be changed with certain perks and/or wearing specific types of armor. As unfortunate as this may be, it does happen to become just another part of the game, if you are willing to wait long enough to become accustomed to it. Another sizeable frustration is that the enemies found in the wasteland are complete bullet sponges, soaking up to a hundred rounds before finally kicking the bucket. For a casual/new gamer, this may be a reason to avoid the game entirely. You will use an enormous amount of ammo, especially later in the game, just to take out one enemy. It will also wear down your weapon condition, forcing you to go to a repair shop more often. Although ammo stockpiling would be expected in an apocalypse, you may need to take it to another level during your journey in the Mojave.

Fallout: New Vegas has undoubtedly left a mark on the gaming industry. Its in-depth mechanics, captivating story, eerie scenery, and unique replayability make it a game that gamers worldwide will never forget. Although it contains issues such as oversaturated graphics, outdated controls, and overpowered enemies, it is still regarded as one of the greats of gaming, and one of the best Fallout titles to date. If you ever find yourself bored of recent games, give Fallout: New Vegas a try, and I guarantee you’ll see that it is most definitely worth playing thirteen years later.