Summary
Fallout: New Vegasis one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, but even it isn’t free of critiques from even the most devout fans, who take issue with the game’s abundance of invisible walls that hinder exploration in certain areas.Fallout’s open worlds are known for being highly detailed and expansive, and whileNew Vegasis no exception, it does come with more restrictions than other games in the series.
Originally released in 2010, many considerFallout: New Vegasthe best entry in Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic RPG franchise, and even one of the best games ever made, which is especially impressive considering the developer, Obsidian Entertainment, had mere months to create the entire game. Despite the time constraints, Obsidian, known for its workRPGs likeStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, managed to include hundreds of hours of content and multiple endings.
Still, as Reddit user Initial-Leader-90 points out in the r/Fallout community, the game’s restrictions on exploration can be somewhat jarring, as they often prevent players from going to certain places with “invisible walls” that hinder progress. While these exist innearly every RPG from Bethesda, who publishedNew Vegas,other players chimed in to agree that the game seems to have much more of them than others in the series.
New Vegas is Great, but the Rough Edges Still Show
The restrictions do not come without valid reasons, however, as some players pointed out that the invisible walls likely exist to mask the fact that some of the more distant locations are not as detailed as others. In other words, if players were to visit these out-of-bounds regions of the Mojave Wasteland inFallout: New Vegas, they’d likely be met with 3D models or environments that are not rendered in full detail, making certain areas look unpolished.
While some of Bethesda’s in-house RPGs likeThe Elder Scrollsand otherFallouttitles are known for their expansive open worlds,New Vegasis particularly restrictive compared to others, making it much less focused on exploration than other titles in the series. While games likeThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimhave similar restrictions on exploration, they mostly serve as map boundaries to prevent the player from leaving the game’s main setting.
Despite this drawback, however,New Vegascontinues to be one of the franchise’s most beloved entries, likely thanks to its numerous side quests, NPCs, and a dynamic storyline that is impacted by the player’s choices. In fact, the game is so popular thatAmazon Prime’sFallouttelevision series drew some controversy from fansfor seemingly retconning some aspects ofNew Vegasfrom the series' lore, though Bethesda later stated this was not the intention.
Fallout: New Vegas
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to Vegas. New Vegas.It’s the kind of town where you dig your own grave prior to being shot in the head and left for dead…and that’s before things really get ugly. It’s a town of dreamers and desperados being torn apart by warring factions vying for complete control of this desert oasis. It’s a place where the right kind of person with the right kind of weaponry can really make a name for themselves, and make more than an enemy or two along the way.As you battle your way across the heat-blasted Mojave Wasteland, the colossal Hoover Dam, and the neon drenched Vegas Strip, you’ll be introduced to a colorful cast of characters, power-hungry factions, special weapons, mutated creatures and much more. Choose sides in the upcoming war or declare “winner takes all” and crown yourself the King of New Vegas in this follow-up to the 2008 videogame of the year, Fallout 3.Enjoy your stay.
