Fallout: New Vegas | |
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Developer(s) | Obsidian Entertainment |
Publisher(s) | Bethesda Softworks |
Director(s) | Josh Sawyer |
Producer(s) |
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Designer(s) | Josh Sawyer |
Programmer(s) | Frank Kowalkowski |
Artist(s) | Joe Sanabria |
Writer(s) | John Gonzalez |
Composer(s) | Inon Zur |
Series | Fallout |
Engine | Gamebryo |
Platform(s) | |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Fallout: New Vegas is a 2010 action role-playing video game that was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game, which was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, is set in the Mojave Desert 204 years after a devastating nuclear war. The player controls a courier who survives an assassination attempt, and becomes embroiled in a conflict between different governing factions that are vying for control of the region. Fallout: New Vegas features a freely explorable open world, and the player can engage in combat with a variety of weapons. The player can also initiate conversations with non-player characters in the form of dialogue trees, and their responses determine their reputation among the different factions.
After the release of Fallout 3 in 2008, Bethesda contracted Obsidian to develop a spin-off game in the Fallout series. The developers chose Las Vegas, Nevada, and the surrounding Mojave Desert as the setting because they evoked the 1950s imagery the series was known for, as well as the post-apocalyptic setting of Mad Max. Project director Josh Sawyer wanted the story to focus on greed and excess, and used the history of Las Vegas as an inspiration. To design the game's map, Obsidian used data collected by the United States Geological Survey and reference photographs taken by Sawyer. Bethesda gave Obsidian 18 months to develop Fallout: New Vegas, which several journalists have noted is a very short time in which to develop a Triple-A game.
Fallout: New Vegas was a commercial success and is estimated to have sold 11.6 million copies worldwide. It received positive reviews upon its release; critics praised the writing and quests. Some critics questioned the lack of significant gameplay changes when compared to Fallout 3, and criticized the numerous glitches present at launch. Six downloadable content (DLC) add-ons for the game, including four story-based add-ons that added new areas for the player to explore, were released. Since its release, fans and journalists have re-evaluated Fallout: New Vegas and it is now regarded as one of the best games in the Fallout series and as one of the greatest video games of all time.