First Fallout: New Vegas details spill

By Robert Purchese Published 8 February, 2010

Hardcore! Reputation! Clever mutants!

Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas introduces a Hardcore mode that challenges players with dehydration, ammo weight, non-instantaneous healing and tougher enemies, according to a new preview in PC Gamer (reported by Duck and Cover).

Super Mutants will also be more intelligent and varied, and there's an elite Nightkin enemy and a female mutant with a 1950s-style haircut who may be important.

Fallout: New Vegas is set in the Mojave desert, and apparently the area of Vegas wasn't hit hard in the apocalypse so many buildings remain intact. The storyline follows a conflict between the California Republic, Caesar's Legion and New Vegas residents.

You are not a Vault Dweller but a courier, dug up by a robot and nursed back to life by a doctor. You'll take vigour tests to set-up your abilities and then be given a Pip-Boy by the once-Vault dwelling doctor.

New Vegas also has a Reputation system on top of the Karma score, and these will tracked by each settlement independently.

VATS will return, but this time with added melee moves such as swinging golf clubs into people's groins. Skills will play a larger part in conversations, unlocking new paths should your relevant ability be high enough.

You'll still be able to try the alternative conversation path if your skill is lower than recommended, apparently, but your chances of succeeding are slim. Luckily, Fallout: New Vegas will not penalise for this, but rather response wittily should you try. Barter well and you will not only lower prices but also increase rewards.

Players will be able to recruit followers and issue them basic "follow", "stay" or "attack" commands. One example of a companion is a ghoul that players will rescue from a pack of Super Mutants.

There's a new assault rifle that looks similar to an M4, as well as a big gun that uses a backpack of fuel or ammo.

Fallout: New Vegas will be released this autumn on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Sequel-specialist Obsidian is at the helm, following work on Neverwinter Nights 2 and Knights of the Old Republic 2 for BioWare.

The reveal.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (34) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mcmonkeyplc #1 2 years ago

    Juicy, please dont be shit!

  • Eraysor #2 2 years ago

    I'm really liking the sound of that Stalker-esque hardcore mode.

  • chrisola #3 2 years ago

    Sweet.

    I wonder if we will get a return of the amazing half exploding rib cages that we had during the combat of the first 2 games.

    So satisfying when your single sniper shot blows a guy almost in half :p

  • JahB #4 2 years ago

    2 words for you chrisola: Bloody Mess

    that should sort all your exploding ribcage (and other body parts) needs

  • PearOfAnguish #5 2 years ago

    A courier? I thought they were doing an origins story thing where you could choose from a range of characters with different back stories.

  • Stomp224 #6 2 years ago

    Can someone clarify? Is this a Betheseda design that has been outsourced, or is it all Obsidians work? :s

  • darkmorgado #7 2 years ago

    Sounds much more in-depth and truer to the spirit of the original Fallout games, which isn't surprising given that the dudes at Obsidian bloody invented the IP in the first place.

    Looking forward to this :-)

  • darkmorgado #8 2 years ago

    @Stomp224

    The guys at Obsidian are the ones that originally invented the franchise and created the first 2 games. Bethesda then acquired the license after Interplay went under, but have farmed out development for this to Obsidian (probably out of respect).
    In many ways this is probably going to be a more faithful addition to the franchise than Fallout 3, as it will represent the decisions and design choices that the original team would have made if they were in charge of FO3

  • Pastici #9 2 years ago

    Hardcore mode seems almost the same as the originals :).

    Edit: Typo
    Edited by 1 at 08/02/10 @ 17:45

  • Jamieb87 #10 2 years ago

    Looking forward to this one, sounds like these changes will make the game closer to the original games in spirit
    The thing I felt most lacking in fallout 3 was the dark humour of the originals, that and the ability to get married and sell your spouse to a pimp.

  • the_mtfr #11 2 years ago

    For the news editor: Obsidian is not just "sequel-specialist". They are in small part the original Fallout developers, man, have at thee!

  • Pastici #12 2 years ago

    And the fact ammo was weightless, that bugged me.

  • Chazmeister #13 2 years ago

    Well after a slow start I really got into FO3, so very much looking forward to this, and I love the sound of the hardcore mode.

  • organica #14 2 years ago

    Some of this does indeed sound tasty - I really hope that if they go all the way with the followers that the squad stuff works. The worst thing about Bethesda games is the escort/accompany missions which leave you saddled with evolutionary throwbacks made of papier mache.

  • ZuluHero #15 2 years ago

    @darkmorgado

    I know we had a bit of a discussion about this in the other FO thread... I wouldn't be so sure that this is going to be as far removed from FO3 and as close to the original as you might be hoping. Sure, its being done by guys who worked on the original, but this is Bethesda's baby now - they're paying the bills and after the success of FO3 (changes and all) i don't think that they'd be so keen to go in a totally different direction just to appease fans of the originals. Remember the first 2 sold relatively poorly, Bethesda turned it into a chart topping game.

    On saying that though, this 'hardcore' mode seems to be an answer to make this closer to the originals, so if it makes the older fans like you happy then it can only be a good thing. The more people who play FO the better really! :)

  • Stomp224 #16 2 years ago

    @ darkmorgado
    Thanks for the info. I wasnt aware Obsidian were the original devs. :)

    Special no-thanks to ZuluHero for confuddling me again! :p

  • kweeky #17 2 years ago

    Obsidian have broken my heart too many times already. Never have I see a developer that manages to get so much right but so much wrong at the same time. This being said, I really hope I get proven wrong this time around.

  • trip919 #18 2 years ago

    I want more. Keep them coming Obsidian!

  • FogHeart #19 2 years ago

    Now! You're really! Pissing me off!

  • djed #20 2 years ago

    If you're looking for 'hardcore' fallout, but don't want to wait for New Vegas, check out this Fallout 3 mod on Nexus:
    Right here
    Edited by 1 at 08/02/10 @ 19:29

  • darkmorgado #21 2 years ago

    @Stomp224,

    Obsidian was founded by the main members of Black Isle, including Chris Avellone who basically created Fallout. So different company name, same dudes.

  • ZuluHero #22 2 years ago

    @Stomp224

    Confuddling you again? When did i confuddle you before? :)

    EDIT: Darkmorgado is right though, there are people who made the orginal working on it. But Bethesda still own the IP and publishers always have the final say. I can't imagining them going "Right - you know all those fans we made from making FO3 - well lets alienate them by changing the game they know and love..." ;)
    Edited by 1 at 08/02/10 @ 20:55

  • makeamazing #23 2 years ago

    The only issue i have with FO3 is that its alittle unstable at times, get crashes at the worst moments... other than that its a great game. so if its anything like FO3 i will be happy :)
    Edited by 1 at 08/02/10 @ 21:14

  • penhalion #24 2 years ago

    You're not the vault dweller.........hmmmm.

  • Grayvern #25 2 years ago

    Fallout 1 and 2 didn't sell relatively
    poorly they just took longer to make sales as most western RPG's used to.

    Also the original fallouts were nothing like the proposed harcore mode.

    The most notable differences between FO3 and the originals is that FO3 has way more combat a much quicker Karma system. Which was the only thing I disliked.

    Fianlly Ceaser's Legion is either a lift or much more likely a referance to Black Isles canned fallout 3

    Finally arguing over whether Fallout 3 is a dissapointment to the franchise is a stupid as arguing over the writing style changes long run comics go through. It's still a great game, just slightly differant in atmosphere. And as tenpenny tower proves willing to punish you for doing the right thing which never really happened in the first fallouts if were being honest.

  • OverTheHill #26 2 years ago

    Been a fan since the first game and while I did enjoy Fallout 3 even though the writing wasn't quite up to par, it was still a fantastic game and among the best I have played. A mix between old and new will probably be fantastic. Wouldn't worrya bout the courier bit since they already said they'd have origins, and more ghoul followers please.

  • Murton #27 2 years ago

    It sounds like Obsidian may have been taking notes from the criticism thrown at Bethesda for overly dumbing down the franchise, hardcore mode will be the only way to play for me.

    I think it's safe to say that the writing will likely be better than Fallout 3 but here's hoping they've fixed up the engine somewhat and make it not only a better game but also a much more stable and less buggy one.

  • mkreku #28 2 years ago

    Brian Fargo (of InXile Entertainment) created Wasteland. Fallout was essentially Wasteland 2.0. So saying that Chris Avellone created Fallout isn't the complete truth. Nit-picking.

  • bmxbandit #29 2 years ago

    Christ, this site really is just full of lackies checking up on kotaku and other blogs ... at least put some effort into re-wording! : ]

  • peppergomez #30 2 years ago


    "VATS will return, but this time with added melee moves such as swinging golf clubs into people's groins."

    god, that made me laugh so hard

  • sarcasmoidosis #31 2 years ago

    Once more, please don't suck.

  • LHH #32 2 years ago

    Didn't FO3 mention something about female super mutants? Like they all turned into the same mutants and were unisexual or something odd like that?

  • ZuluHero #33 2 years ago

    @Grayvern

    They only sold 50,000 units for BOTH fallout 1 and 2:

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fallout-retrosp ective-article
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/articles/fallou...[/link]

    "Practically nobody bought the Fallout games. Lifetime sales in the UK, for instance, barely topped 50,000 units for the pair of them. Commercially, they were utterly disastrous. But if you can find one person who did play them and talks about them with anything other than near-rabid devotion, it'd be quite a feat.

    Now take FO3 that sold something like 4.7 MILLION copies in the first week:

    [link url=http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/ 19895/Guinness-World-Records-Announces-Awards-at-E3/
    ]http://ne ws.teamxbox.com/xbox/19895/Guin...[/link]

    "Bethesda Softworks’ Lead Designer Todd Howard was awarded with the record for the Fastest-selling Multi Platform RPG after Fallout 3 sold over 4.7 million copies in its first week on sale from October 28th to November 4th 2008"

    You're right though, arguing over it is pointless. But with those figures I can pretty much predict what the new game is going to be closer to. Original designers or not. Like others have expressed i'm more worried about Obsidian ruining the game as their sequels (KOTOR 2 and NWN2) have both been disappointing in the past, especially compared to their respective originals.

  • Vlad27145 #34 2 years ago

    YES! That's exeactly what I'd have hoped it to be... well taking the fact that it will still use the FO:3 engine as a given, which we've known it was for quite some time...

    Whatever, please make an old Fallout fan happy with this Obsidian!

  • Grayvern #35 2 years ago

    I wish people would stop claiming Fallout was super hardcore. It was averagely hard for the time.

    Still greatly excited for new Vegas. As quality of writing and Karma tweaks and better. and more npc's aren't the kind of changes that detract marketing from the press omfg Fallout 3 sequel.

    Also Obsidion's guys from Black Isle have more freedom of writing becuase Interplay always seemed over sensative to moral issues. In that they tended to have a policy of not punishing good actions with bad consequences.