Fallout: New Vegas Previews

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Written by Brother None on June 15th, 2010

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One of my favorite new weapons is the throwing spear. This rare ranged weapon factors in your strength score, so it's actually a perfect long-range tool for someone who is normally a brawler. Target an enemy's head in VATS and give the spear a toss. With enough strength (and a bit of luck) you can decapitate an enemy and pin their head to a nearby wall. I tried pinning a rabid dog's tail with a spear, but lady luck wasn't with me on this one.

You can't hit it too big, however -- the dev showed me a demo build cheat to win the slot machine jackpot every time, and as soon as I did, the casino's goons showed up to end my gambling career. I was also told that there was one more game, created for Fallout, that they weren't showing at this demo, and as I left the casino, I noticed there was also a show to see, as well as the usual gathering of sidequest-worthy locals hanging around.

Once inside, it's mostly what I expected, with various tables spread about, albeit with fewer gamblers than I've ever seen in any real world casino. (Blame the apocalypse, I suppose.) I play some blackjack. it's blackjack. I'm a horrible gambler and I come out with fewer caps than from when I started. I doubt it will help any, but Obsidian tells me that blackjack rules will vary from house to house: what dealers can hit and stand on, for instance, or how often they shuffle.

Then it's time to check out Vegas itself. Remember, Fallout takes place in an alternate universe of '50s-futurism. So Las Vegas doesn't look like the Vegas of today -- it resembles the Vegas of "back then." At the moment, it's nice, and Vegas still boasts the signature glitz and neon -- it's almost as if the nuclear war didn't happen in the first place. At the moment, Vegas is somewhat contested between the NCR and Caesar's Legion, and it's currently owned by a neutral party known only as "Mr. House" (a reference to how the popular Vegas axiom, "the house always wins").

While roleplaying and storytelling are central staples of the Fallout universe and will be prevalent in New Vegas the combat system also got a lot of attention as well. Melee combats integration in to the VATS aiming system has been greatly improved. Now when using VATS players have the option to select specialized attacks designed specifically for the weapon they are wielding. For example if you are using a golf club you can select (FORE) and get to see a special animation.

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