One of the major changes to the game is the one to the Reputation system which has gone back to a system similar to those seen before Bethesda took over the reigns, a players reputation and indeed loyalty to each faction will affect the game and the choices made available to you, likewise, the dialogue system has been revamped and while it still depends on skill; reputation and karma, basically the success or failure, is more dependant on your skill instead of chance.
This time round, and for the first time a Fallout game hasn't featured a Vault Dweller as a main character, you find yourself in the role of a courier who is the survivor of a botched assassination attempt and is found by a robot in a shallow grave after attempting to deliver a package with mysterious contents. The main task, at least at first, is to recover the package and discover who it was that wanted you dead and why; although it is fair to say these two are probably related. The robot who finds you drops you off with his master, Doc Mitchell and before you venture out into the world you'll be given the usual options by the Doc about how you will look, what your name is, what your appearance is, what skills you have, and other such attributes.
Those looking for a bigger and better challenge also have the option of tackling the games Hardcore mode. In Hardcore your characters healing will be delayed when using a Stimpak, so you won't be able to use one and expect to get instantly better, likewise, should you destroy or cripple a limb then don't think you'll be able to repair that appendage without some medical skills. Adding to the realism then, ammunition will have weight, no more humping around hundreds of bullets for every gun, oh and you'll also have to think about getting hold of a decent water supply as you'll need to keep yourself hydrated on your travels.
The game is scheduled for release in the second half of the year, it's a bit vague but we would wager a release in time for Christmas. With over 600,000 copies of Fallout 3 selling in it's first month Bethesda will be surely hoping this will do the same if not better, so a Christmas period release seems likely with many details being given out at E3 2010.
A collectors edition has already been announced which features a "Making of" DVD, a gambling chip from each of the Casinos in the game that are still in operation and a special deck of cards which has various characters and factions depicted upon them. Also included is a hard back novel, All Roads; this details the history and events of the world which leads to your adventure in Las Vegas and is written by Chris Avellone who not only is a fan favourite working for Dark Horse comics but has also served as level designer for various games since 1997 including Fallout 2, Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, Alpha Protocol, but perhaps most interesting is that he also had a hand in Van Buren which was the Black Isle codename for their version Fallout 3 which was ultimately never finished thanks to the demise of the studio; he's also been working on the New Vegas game as well and it's been suggested that at least some elements from Van Buren have made their way across as well.
There is a lot to get excited about with Fallout: New Vegas, it's certainly one to keep your attention focused on, with Fallout 3 setting such high expectations and the reintroduction of some of the team behind the original Fallout games its hard not to get a little excited about returning to a post-apocalyptic world, even if it is one that hasn't been radiated and set a light by nuclear destruction.
