Review

Fallout: New Vegas – Lonesome Road

I have finally found him; the man that got me into so much trouble here in the Mojave. Courier Six, aka Ulysses, was supposed to deliver a Platinum Chip to Mr. House at the start of our story. Knowing that the person who tried to deliver the chip would be in great danger, he refused to do it and instead recommended me for the job. This of course led to the events of my first adventure. You know the one that starts with me getting shot in the head and buried (somewhat) alive. The only thing keeping me alive was my quest for answers. Why was I picked out of all the other couriers? Who was Courier Six and how did he know me? What was his role in all of this? The answers to these questions are long over due. One way or another, I will have satisfaction!

I know what you’re thinking; “that introduction was rather dramatic”. Truth be told that’s how I feel when it comes to this title. Over the course of the original New Vegas and its subsequent DLC add-ons, gamers have experienced all sorts of twist and turns culminating with the epic meeting with Ulysses. Each new chapter gave clues or hints about his whereabouts. NPC characters would talk about how they ran into him during their travels. Markings would be left on walls, informing us that he passed a certain location not too long ago. Everything was building up to this forth DLC pack where we finally get to confront this mysterious fellow. Of course, the developers over at Obsidian wanted to make sure that the ending to this story was a memorable one. Whether I want to remember it or not, after completing The Lonesome Road I can safely say that they accomplished that feat.

One of the first things I noticed after reaching the The Lonesome Road was the level of detail that went into everything. Apparently that stretch of road and the Divide, the place where Ulysses is hiding out, have both been torn apart by violent earthquakes and raging storms. After traveling for sometime we find out that these natural disasters weren’t all that “natural” and could have possibly been avoided (not a spoiler). Just like the rest of the Mojave, Obsidian wanted gamers to understand what life would have been like for a survivor of such destruction; feeling the guilt that comes from knowing that humans were the cause of the earth’s current ruined state. Looking at the collapsed buildings, the old rusted vehicles, and the large cracks in the ground, the proof is really in the details. Obsidian did a great job of graphically making this new landscape in Fallout’s world a real place to visit.

While this may be a “real” place to visit, I certainly wouldn’t want to. The Lonesome Road and the Divide are extremely dangerous places to trek. There are new enemies that are just waiting to try their luck at killing you. The Marked Men, people who tried to find the Divide only to have their flesh ripped off by the harsh storms and radiation, can be annoying to fight against. This is mainly due to the fact that they regain health just by being near radiation (which is nearly everywhere). Throw in the fact that some of them have Stealthboys, used to make people invisible, and you can see why they’re a pain. Every time I saw a red flare shot into the sky, the way they signaled each other, I tensed up in preparation for the ensuing battle. Then there are the Tunneler’s, these subterranean creatures with the ability to knock you down with one hit. Oh, and did I mention they like to run in packs. They can easily gang up on you, making it hard to get off the ground let alone fight back. The last nuisances are the Deathclaws. Though they aren’t new to New Vegas, they were already extremely dangerous before the DLC; they’re faster than you, are never alone, and can take multiple rockets to the face before going down. Now they can kill you with one hit and can take much more damage before dying. While it wasn’t a frustrating experience (I did have fun), it is safe to say that I had a hard time getting to Ulysses.

Speaking of Ulysses, confronting him was not the end all be all event that I had conjured up over the past few months. This could be due to the hype this character has garnered over the course of the expansions. Makes sense really. Obsidian kept reminding gamers that there was going to be a showdown between your character and Ulysses. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the encounter. I just felt a little let down. The same can be said about his reasons for doing the things he did. Ulysses’ story is certainly interesting and does fit in with the scheme of the Fallout World. However,  the answers I got after all this time were not  as satisfying as I thought they would be. It’s hard to mention this without spoiling the story; however I do feel that it needs to be addressed. The story is one of the main mechanics used in RPG’s (even ones like Fallout). Furthermore, we went through three DLC add-ons, not to mention the full original title, just so we could get to this point in the story. I should have been moved by what happened; lead to believe that he did the things he did for a compelling reason. I needed to know how my role played into what happened to him and why it was so important. He did have a “strong” reason; it just felt like his actions afterwards were excessive. My part was significant but I don’t feel like it warranted such a mysterious handling of the story. Again this is most likely due to the mountain of anticipation I had for this final chapter, brought on by Obsidian’s method of story telling. Either way, I was a little disappointed.

All and all, the Lonesome Road is a great add-on for a great game. Just like the other DLC add-ons, you’re given a new place to explore, weapons to use, and enemies to fight. Most of the new weapons and enemies lack originality (they’re the same things just with a different skin and attributes), but that doesn’t hurt the title. The only real issue I had was with how the story played out. With that being said, I did enjoy the ride while it lasted. It was a memorable gaming experience. While it might not be exactly what you expected from Obsidian, it’s defiantly worth the price of admission.