Fallout: New Vegas

Gameplay - 9.0

Old World Blues brings some new elements to the table such as the Sneaking suit and the emitter gun, but for the most part it is the same gameplay found in Fallout: New Vegas - which isn’t a bad thing! Players will find themselves scavenging, picking locks, hacking computers, and fighting a few new enemies unique to the Big MT. There are some new simulation type activities that require you to use some of the equipment found for your mission, but nothing as tedious as the radio collars found in the Dead Money DLC. You will also be attacked by some new enemies, such as skeletons in space suits, robotic scorpions, cybernetic dogs, and more. If you explore enough of the Big MT you may even find some interesting holotapes which give some insight on the Big MT as well as it’s aggressive inhabitants.

Story – 9.0

Old World Blues begins much like most Fallout DLCs of the past, a radio transmission is intercepted, the courier finds the source location, and something crazy happens to only the courier while the companions AIs get away without a scratch. This time the courier is led to a creepy drive-in theater where, at 12 o’clock each night, a movie of an eyeball plays on its screen. Of course the courier ends up tinkering with something that shouldn’t have been tinkered with and ends up passing out, and waking up in a new area - The Big MT. Here the courier is surrounded by robots unlike any others in the Mojave. These robots make up “The Think Tank” and are former scientists of the Big MT that have long ago replaced their bodies with SCIENCE! Unfortunately, these robot scientists have also taken the liberty to replace some of the couriers body parts with mechanics as well, one such body part being the brain. Unfortunately the couriers brain has been stolen by an evil robot scientist, Dr. Mobius! This places the courier in the middle of a war between The Think Tank and Dr. Mobious. To retrieve the brain the courier needs to explore the Big MTs many scientific labs to collect three pieces of equipment, a sneaking suit with an AI built in, an antenna, and a emitter gun, to take down Dr. Mobious, get his brain back, and have the Think Tank re-attach it to his body. Though the story of this DLC slightly resembles the helplessness start of Dead Money, it is definitely fun, full of twists, and contains more character development which the first two Fallout: New Vegas DLCs were lacking in. The developers really chose a great style of story telling that reminiscences films from Sci-Fi’s beginning.

Game Modes/Presentation - 9.5

Big MT is, well, BIG. Players will find many new areas to explore for hours of Fallout gameplay. Though most of these areas are scientific labs. If you loved the environments of Fallout: New Vegas, you will not be disappointed. The story is presented brilliantly as well with robots and appliances actually talking and giving side quests that add, not only more game-time but also, backstories for each individual character.

Graphics – 7.0

As expected from a DLC, the graphics of Old World Blues are entirely working off the engine already put in place in Fallout: New Vegas, though I am extremely happy to say that the game did run smoothly with no real clipping or glitches.

Sound - 9.0

Though most of the sound space of the Fallout universe is wind blowing through the wastes, one can not ignore the voice acting for Old World Blues which is nothing short of fantastic. Most of the characters you interact with are robots, but their voices definitely breath life into their mechanical bodies. Each robot has their own personality and the comical way they interact with the courier, and each other, is very entertaining.

Online - N/A

Final Score: 9.0

Old World Blues is definitely worth the $10 for hours of added fun in the wastes.