Review

Developed by:Obsidian Entertainment Published by:Bethesda Softworks Genre(s):
  • Action RPG
  • Platform:
  • Microsoft
  • PC
  • Sony
  • Cost:$49.99 ESRB Rating:MATURE Players:1 Release date:October 19, 2010 Reviewed on:PC Expansion's Release:December 21, 2010
    8.6

    Fallout: New Vegas – Dead Money

    Time and time again Bethesda has proven that it is one of the best publishers and developers in the gaming industry when it comes to down-loadable-content (DLC). Whether it is a new, twisted world to explore in Elder Scrolls Oblivion or an expansion that extends the story past its ending in Fallout 3, Bethesda has been known to deliver great content. This time, Obsidian has been tasked with extending Fallout New Vegas’s world with their DLC called Dead Money. This add-on not only breathes new life into New Vegas, it also manages to dive deeper into the lore and even hints at future expansions coming from Bethesda. After an extended playthrough, I am happy to say that Dead Money doesn’t disappoint!

    One of the cool things I noticed with Dead Money was how it was seamlessly woven into the events of New Vegas. The fact that it pops up on your pip-boy as a radio transmission directing you to a new place to explore as opposed to an extra menu item on the title screen helped to merge this new content into the main storyline. The location you’re told about is Sierra Madre, an extravagant resort/casino that never opened its doors. Its grand opening was halted by a hail of bombs, a similar fate shared by most locals in New Vegas. After some time, the climate control and air conditioning systems started to emit toxins into the surrounding city. This caused reddish clouds to form over the area, making it nearly impossible for “normal” people to survive there. Over the years, rumors started to spread about the Sierra Madre holding some kind of old world treasure. Many travelers have sought out the treasure, never to be seen again. If they were able to get through the red clouds that have descended upon the streets and didn’t kill each other, then the Ghost People would have surly finished them off. Wearing what appears to be hazmat suits, these “ghosts” wander the city streets below the casino and drag helpless victims off someplace deep within the clouds. So of course, this just has to be the place we venture to next!

    Once you track down the source of the signal, you’ll come across what looks like an abandoned Brotherhood of Steel (one of the factions in New Vegas) out post. Inside you’ll see a warning saying that you should be at least at level 20 before going further. I would encourage you to head that warning, as things can get real messy for low level characters. It was a good thing I was over level 20 at the time. I’ll explain why later. After you pass the warning and going deeper into the bunker, you’ll see an old radio that’s playing a greeting. As soon as you step into the room housing the radio, a trap is sprung and you’re knocked unconscious. When you wake up, you’re greeted with a hologram of Elijah. If you’ve paid attention during your travels (and are at least level 20), you would know that this is the same Father Elijah of the Mojave Brotherhood of Steel. He explains how he has been searching for the treasure within the Sierra Madre’s vault for years. Once he found the entrance to the Villa (the resort town that is below the Casino) he noticed that everyone who ventured there before had died. It seems that everyone who goes to the Villa in search of the treasure goes mad with greed. Groups of hunters have turned on each other out of paranoia and set up traps for anyone that might have followed them. Fearing for his life, Elijah choose to lure treasure hunters to the Villa, strap explosive collars to their necks, and explain to them that the only way they’ll go free is by helping him get into the casino. This didn’t work either. Everyone kept turning against one another, fell victim to the traps set up by past hunters, or were killed by the Ghost People. Elijah explains that you now share the fate of those previous captors. All of your weapons and belongings have been stripped away and you’ve been outfitted with an explosive collar around your neck. He then explains how there are three other prisoners who are also needed to get into the casino. He goes on to explain that this time is different from before as all of the collars are linked, meaning that if one person dies, we all die. After his speech, he gives you some weapons and sends you on your way to find the other three prisoners and bring them to the center of the Villa to await further instructions. This is where the fun beings!

    Obsidian does a good job of setting up an intriguing story for gamers to experience in Dead Money. The same can be said about the new environment. The Villa is a scary place to visit, with much more character than the similar looking vaults scattered across the Mojave Desert. The walls are filled with false markers that seem to point to important items but are really traps. Written in blood are warnings of death from previous adventurers taunting those who might try to find the treasure before they did. The entire sky is covered by the red clouds which seem to give off an ominous presence of its own. Not only that, there are areas of the Villa that are fully engulfed in low-covering red clouds, forcing travelers to find alternate routes. Then there are the Ghost People. These guys are not your average enemies. They move slow and methodically through the Villa, searching for victims. When they spot you, they’ll slowly walk towards you firing what ever projectile weapons they have. Then all of a sudden they’ll jump at you in attempt to close the gap between their hands and your throat.  What makes them such formidable foes is the fact that they don’t die easily. Sure, you can shoot one till it falls over, but after a few seconds it gets back up again. Gamers will need to fully remove body parts in order to put them down for good. These creepy enemies fit right into the rest of craziness that is Dead Money. I could go on for hours about how the detailed design of the Villa (and later the casino) made it into an interesting character in and of itself and not just another place to explore.

    The same can be said about the three characters you come across during your journey. Each character beings their own history and motives to the story. It is through their engaging dialog that we find out about their backgrounds as well as secrets about Sierra Madre and its relationship with the rest of New Vegas. Thrown into an uneasy alliance via the collars, it’s real easy to see why gamers will have to work to get each character to trust you. Not only that, you have to make sure they don’t die. These facts make each encounter more interesting than the next as you go deeper into the lore presented in this DLC. I had a great time working and sometimes fighting with each character in the group. They even spoke to one another when they weren’t paired with me, giving an extra layer of depth to the story.

    So far, we’ve talked about all the good stuff. Cool story, great characters, awesome environment, and creepy enemies are all welcome additions to Fallout New Vegas. If I had to make a complaint, it would have to be Dead Money’s reliance on frustrating puzzles. I don’t mean the normal, find this item and use it here puzzles. I mean ones that show up naturally in the environment. Some of the things that make the Villa a cool place to explore can also lead to frustration. One element is the over use of traps, left by the pervious hunters. There are so many traps littered everywhere that you could die multiple times over without even knowing what hit you. Adding to this problem is how the Villa is designed to push players towards certain paths. “What, a red cloud is blocking this entrance…well I’ll just go around back”…Kaboom! I hit a trip wire and got a shotgun blast to the face or a landmine’s explosion to the torso. It really feels like Obsidian took all the traps in the normal New Vegas game and replanted them all over the Villa. Going back to being level 20, I was able to get Light Step, a perk that allows me to bypass the traps without setting them off. Each character you partner with gives you a perk to use while they are with you. So, if you don’t have that perk, you can use Dog (one of the new characters) as his bonus perk also allows you to bypass traps. The only problem is that you can’t be partnered with him through the entire DLC.

    Another element of frustration is the placement of radios. Radios in Dead Money interfere with the collar’s signal that’s around your neck. Stay near one for too long and there goes your head. Some of these radios are indestructible, meaning that you have to find a safe way around them or find a way to shut them off. But because of their puzzle like placement within the environment, they can be hard to find. This will force you to run into its radius of danger to take a few brief looks around before running back to safety. Much of the time this results in death. The last element is mostly seen in the Sierra Madre itself and that’s holograms. These holograms are indestructible and extremely dangerous, making it difficult to explore the places that they guard. Each one has an emitter (their lifeline) that’s close by; however, you have to have enough skill points in “repair” in order to turn them off. If you’re able to survive long enough to find them and have the skill points, they can be easy to deal with. Most people won’t be able to find them on their first time through which again, leads to frustration.

    As it stands, Dead Money does a great job adding to the world of Fallout. The stories and secrets within this DLC not only answer some questions about New Vegas but also hint at future DLC packs. Gamers are presented with an awesome supporting cast of characters and an environment that can be haunting and inviting all at the same time. Gamers should know that they are in for a frustrating ride when it comes to some of the environment’s puzzles. This is even worse if your character isn’t above level 20. However, if you’re a fan of the Fallout series then these things shouldn’t keep you away from Dead Money. Any time we get a chance to further our stay in Fallout’s universe, we should make sure we don’t miss it!

     

    Gameplay:

    8

    The Sierra Madre is a great place to visit. The frustrating traps, holograms, and radio placements would deter me from living there!

    Graphics:

    10

    Fallout: New Vegas’s graphics and a brand new environment = Tiger Blood!

    Sound:

    10

    Same as graphics.

    What's New:

    6

    New weapons, enemies, and locals, make up the bulk of this score. There aren’t any new mechanics or features though.

    Replay Value:

    9

    This has a lot of replay value despite being shorter than New Vegas. There are plenty of secrets to discover during and after (hint, hint) you’ve completed Dead Money!

    Final Score:

    8.6

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