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Fallout 3 took the RPG world by storm in 2008 and was the first in the series of games from new publishers Bethesda Softworks who developed the title themselves from scratch. Despite tinkering with some of what could be considered core values of the games that came before it Fallout 3 still managed to achieve critical acclaim from all who played it; its dark and sometimes twisted storylines combined with a new combat system proved popular and the game received several pieces of very meaty downloadable content packages which both told their own stories and introduced new elements into the existing campaign.
Fallout: New Vegas is once again coming to you from Bethesda Softworks but they have given the developing reigns over to Obsidian Entertainment who are probably best known for their work on Neverwinter Nights 2 and of course have been working with SEGA on the upcoming 3rd Person action RPG Alpha Protocol. Not only that, Obsidian Entertainment have more than a couple of members of staff that worked on Fallout 1 and 2; how cool is that? At least Bethesda haven't just shoved this over to just anyone which is a relief to hear. Few details have emerged about the game so far, but, here's what information we know so far.
New Vegas isn't a direct sequel to Fallout 3 but nor is it a distant cousin either; the story takes place in 2280, three years after Fallout 3 and 203 years after the war which saw nuclear missiles reign down upon the Earth. The city of Las Vegas itself was not destroyed by a nuclear missile and many of the buildings remain mostly intact, the inhabitants haven't been too adversely affected from radiation and the region still has a blue sky above it; however, the war has taken some toll on the city and it's been split into various factions which are battling for control. The New California Republic, Caesar's Legion, and New Vegas are all gangs that are actively seeking to wipe each other out in a bid to rule. Don't expect to see any of the characters you may have met in Washington show up and make an appearance, they won't, however, its said that it won't be entirely ignored and you can expect to hear at least some news about the area.
This being Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world, you'll also be able to find mini-games in amongst the city which takes the form of card games like Black Jack and various iterations of Slot Machines for all your cap gambling needs.
New Vegas brings back the same engine as Fallout 3 (hopefully fixed for the PlayStation 3 version) and builds upon other concepts introduced by Bethesda such as the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.) which is again included as one of your primary forms of attacking and defending, only this time some of the weapons will have unique attacks such as the golf club, using the special 'Fore' command when prompted will deliver an extra hard blow to your opponent and send him reeling, giving you the chance to follow up on the attack or flee for your life.
The option of travelling with a companion is back once again as well, this time you've got more options available to you within the way you interact with them, most notably the option to give them orders in certain situations. Some of the weapons are also making a return along with some new ones and you'll also have the option to modify them as well, you can attach better magazine clips to them for instance and also scopes to make aiming better (V.A.T.S. will also make use of these if equipped).
