| Fallout: New Vegas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Obsidian Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Bethesda Softworks |
| Director(s) | Josh Sawyer |
| Producer(s) |
|
| 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 game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Set in the Mojave Desert 204 years after a devastating nuclear war, the player controls a courier who wakes up after being shot in the head by an unknown assailant. While tracking down their assailant, the courier becomes embroiled in a larger conflict between different governing factions vying for control of the region. Fallout: New Vegas features an open world map that the player can freely explore. Much of the gameplay revolves around combat, and there are a variety of weapons the player can use, such as melee weapons, conventional guns, and energy-based weapons. An optional difficulty level is Hardcore Mode, which adds survival mechanics such as a need to routinely eat, drink, and sleep.
After the release of Fallout 3 in 2008, Bethesda contracted Obsidian to develop a spin-off game to the Fallout series. Las Vegas and the surrounding Mojave Desert was chosen as the setting, as they evoked the 1950s style that the series was known for, as well as the post-apocalyptic imagery of Mad Max. Project director Josh Sawyer wanted the story to focus on the themes of greed and excess, and used the history of Las Vegas as an inspiration. Obsidian used data collected by the United States Geological Survey as well as reference photos taken by Sawyer to design the map. Bethesda gave Obsidian 18 months to develop Fallout: New Vegas, which several journalists have noted is a very short period of time 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, with praise directed toward the writing and quests. Some critics questioned the lack of significant gameplay changes when compared to Fallout 3, and the numerous glitches present in initial versions were heavily chastised. Six downloadable content add-ons were released for the game, including four story-based add-ons that featured new areas for the player to explore. Since its release, Fallout: New Vegas has been reevaluated by fans and journalists and is now regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time. Some commentators have described the game as a cult classic.