OK, with that out of the way, I can get into the real review, so here goes...
Fallout New Vegas takes place a few years after the events in Fallout 3 and on the west coast, Nevada and it's Mojave desert to be exact. Vegas was relatively untouched by the bombs that fell during the war so much of the strip's buildings and structures are relatively untouched (except for weathering and wear). You play as a courier who delivers packages for people. In the beginning of the game you are caught by a guy in a striped suit and robbed before being shot in the head. A robot digs you up out of your shallow grave, takes you to the town doctor, and your story begins. After character creation and stat alignment, you set off to find out why someone tried to kill you and if wanted, exact revenge. With this simple premise, the story will branch out to numerous sub plots and characters each with their own charm and personality.
One of the best features of Fallout NV are the factions. In the world of Fallout NV, there are two main factions. The New California Republic (NCR) is basically a new military state government based out of California. They are moving into Nevada to secure Hoover Dam because of it's power capabilities (running water). Their opposing force is a band of slavers called Caesar's Legion. These guys come from the East and rape and pillage their way across the land. But, looks can be deceiving and they actually have a layer of complexity to them if you decide to check them out. They too are trying to control Hoover Dam and a large scale battle is on the horizon that you will be able to influence depending on who you side with. Along with the two main factions, there are a number of other minor classes that you can raise your standing with including The King's (Elvis impersonators who run Freeside), the Khans, White Glove Society, and many more. They each have their own hierarchical society and you can work with them or against them to meet or fail at their goals. Choice plays a huge part in Fallout games and NV is no different. Your choice in what happens plays a big role in how the world will turn out.
Another aspect of combat is the VATS system. VATS can be summed up by calling it a statistical auto shoot. By hitting a button, you bring up a screen that shows percentages over different body parts on your enemy. The stats have to do with your proficiency with the weapon, line of sight, terrain, etc. Depending on how many action points you have you can fire off multiple shots directed at whatever limb you want and then fire. The resulting explosion of body parts, especially with the bloody mess perk, never gets old - even after seeing it well over a couple hundred times since Fallout 3. If VATS isn't your thing though, a new feature, iron sights, has been added. This is the typical scope view in other FPS games and works well in Fallout NV. I find myself using both with harder enemies getting VATS treatment.
Something that people really loved about Fallout 3 but wasn't really prominent was the use of allies or companions. In Fallout New Vegas, they are a mainstay. You'll meet people throughout your travels who will agree to come with you and fight by your side. You can give them orders, have them carry your extra equipment, and talk to them and receive quests. It's a great addition and it works well, when it works. It's not exactly broken as much as it is buggy. Sometimes you'll move from one area to the next and your companion is nowhere to be found. Other times they won't attack and will randomly teleport back to where you found them. It doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen. There are a lot of companions in the game and you can travel with them all, but only one at a time. You may only have one humanoid companion and one robotic companion travel with you. The rest can hang out back in your hotel room at the Lucky 38 while they wait for you. Some of the companions are well voiced too with Felicia Day doing the voice work for one of my favorites, Veronica the Brotherhood of Steel Scribe. The companions really help out in a fight as well with most carrying their weight. All xp gained from their attacks even goes to you as well so don't feel shy to use them. Nothing but good could come from the arrangement.
Another new feature added into Fallout New Vegas is hardcore mode. In this mode, the game isn't as friendly as it would be in normal Fallout mode. For instance, using stimpacks in the regular game heals you instantly for X amount of health points. In hardcore mode, they heal over time. So, if you are in a firefight, you can't rely on that extra boost of health. You also need to sleep daily and feed your character or you will suffer the consequences. One good thing about this mode is that it can really be for everyone. You can play hardcore mode on the easiest difficulty setting and still get that hardcore experience without the punishing difficulty of a higher setting. Plus, there is an achievement for finishing the game using hardcore mode so this is good news for achievement hunters.
One thing I did notice in Fallout New Vegas more so that in Fallout 3 was the quality of the story. Even side quests are extremely well written and really make you feel that you are in this desolate land and exploring it first hand. The characters have life and depth and the voice work is phenomenal. In between missions, I find myself just randomly walking the wastelands with my companions looking for new places to visit and experience. The world feels so lived in while also being desolate that it just asks for exploring. This leads me to my next point - the graphics.
If Fallout New Vegas was completely bug free or at least close to it, there wouldn't be any questions about it - this would be the game of the year for 2010. It's a shame that technical issues that shouldn't have made it into release hold the experience back for most people. I've already heard of a number of people who traded in or sold their game after getting the game save corruption bug. It's not just a few either, the forums are full of people with these sentiments. But, for those of us who can look past the occasional graphics flare up or take measures to avoid save game corruptions, the result is an amazing feat of gaming that has an excellent story, lovable characters (including the evil ones), and a world which you can truly get lost in. Say goodbye to at least a hundred or so hours of your life as you tune in and get lost in the Mojave Wasteland.
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