GameNarrativeReview

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Authorofthisreview:ChristianCashman

School:CarnegieMellonUniversity

Email:ccashman@andrew.cmu.edu

Submissionofthisreview:December2012

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GameTitle:Fallout:NewVegas

Platform:PC/XBOX360/Playstation3

Fallout:NewVegastakesplaceintheMojaveWasteland,alandrendereddesolateasa

resultofnuclearholocaustintheyear2077.Theworldisamixtureof1950’soptimismtowards

thefuture(i.e.RobbietheRobotlookalikesaboundasdoeslaserandplasmaweaponry)and

postapocalypticpessimism.OneofthelastbastionsoftheOldWorld,LasVegas,orNew

Vegasasitisnowcalled,isaveritableoasis,offeringrespiteintheformofgambling,booze,and

prostitutestowearytravellers.

PlayersassumetheroleoftheCourier,thepersonwhowastaskedpriortothebeginning

ofthegametodeliverapackagetoMr.House,thedefactoleaderofNewVegas.Beforethe

playercanmakehisorherappointedrounds,theCourierisinterceptedbyasmallgroupof

outlawswhotiethispersonup,shootshimorherinthehead,andleavestheplayerfordead.

controloftheregionthateitherhelporhinderastheCourierwanderspostApocalyptia.

IndependentCharacters

● TheCourier–Themaincharacterwhosepersonalityiswhollydeterminedbytheplayer.

S/hecanbedriventobetterhumanity’schancesofsurvivalbytheiractionsorfueledbya

needforvengeancefortheirattemptedmurder.TheCouriercouldbeacomputer

genius,amasterthief,acrackshot,orameleespecialist.TheMojaveWastelandisthe

Courier’soyster.

● Benny–ThemanwholefttheCourierinashallowgravewithaholeintheheadafter

stealingaseeminglyminorpackage.Leaderofagangcalled“TheChairmen”whoare

securitronandroidsasapoliceforcetomaintainasemblanceoforderfromhissealed

tower.Iftherumorsaretrue,thisallegedly261yearoldgeniuscontinuestoexertcontrol

overtheStripandseekstoexpandhisinfluence.

NewCaliforniaRepublic

Fromhumblebeginningsinasmallhamlettothewest,theNewCaliforniaRepublic

(NCR)hasdoneitsbesttogrowandtopromotedemocraticvaluesthroughouttheterritoriesit

hasclaimed.TheNCR,however,hasnotalwaysbeenwelcomedbythepopulationsthatlivein

theseareas.

MojaveWasteland,overseeingeverythingfromthetacticallyvitalpositionofHooverDam.

Caesar’sLegion,ortheLegion,arosefromtheashesoftheAmericanSouthwestandset

upacapitalinwhatwasonceFlagstaff,Arizona.ModelledaftertheancientRomanempire,the

Legionrapes,murders,pillages,andplundersanythinginitspath,andholdsanunwavering

tobeamanofletters.Wellversedinphilosophy,warstrategies,andancienthistory,

Sallowturnedafledglingtribeofraidersintoamassive,autocraticempiresprawlingover

theremainsofseveralstates.UtilizingtheexampleofancientRomeasatemplate,

Caesarconstructedamonolithicculturethatobliteratesallothersitcomesacrossand

forciblyassimilatessurvivorsintoitscollective.Withthisunifiedsocietyathisback,

CaesarhasarrogantlyproclaimedhimselftheverysonofMarsandthathiswordisthe

law.HeenvisionedNewVegasasthecrowningjewelforhisupstartempire.

Breakdown_______________________________________________

Byhavingyourheadnearlyblownoffinthebeginning,youaregivenfreelicensetocraft

theCourierasyouseefit.Thismaliciousbulletnotonlyopensupaholeinyourhead,buta

chancetodevelopthecharacterasyouwish.Thisdealswiththeissueofhowtoincorporatethe

“CreateaCharacter”sectionofthegamewhilesimultaneouslyaddingtheemotionalpunch

neededtoconnecttheplayertotheCourier.YouseethroughtheCourier’seyesasthegun

muzzleflashes,andthenyoupiecetheCourier’sfacebacktogether.Theplayerexperiences

whattheCourierexperiencesfromthemomentthegamebegins,andthebondbetweengamer

andavatarisstrengthenedasaresult.

YouencounteremissariesofboththeNCRandtheLegionasyoumakeyourwayto

settleyourscorewithBenny,andyouevenmeetthemysteriousMr.Househimself,butitisnot

untilafteryourfatefulsecondmeetingwithhimthatyouunderstandthestakesofthecurrent

timetheplayerspendsintheMojave,buttofurtheraugmentthestory.Thesestories,including

thosesurroundingthepossiblecompanionstheCouriercanencounterinthelongrunmayaidin

theclimacticbattle.Forinstance,youcanhelptheseeminglyfrailArcaneGannonfindhisplace

intheworld.Inreturn,hegivesyouanoldsquadronofhightechwarriorstoswoopdowninthe

middleofthefight,givingyouacrucialedge.

Muchofthebackstoryofthecharactersandplacesfoundinthegamearefoundon

holodisksandoldcomputers.TheCouriercanchoosetoreadthroughallofthetextinorderto

haveagreaterunderstandingofnotonlytheworlds/helivesin,butalsohowpeopleinthepast

livedbothpriortoandafterthebombsfell.Thisexplorationgivesintriguingbackstorytosome

characterswhoarebrieflyencountered.Forinstance,Tabitha,theNightkinbroadcastingfrom

companion,Rhonda,andthatisthelasttheplayereverseesofher.Iftheplayer,however

decidestohackTabitha’scomputer,s/hecanlearnthatTabithacametotheNewVegasarea

herself.Moreinterestingpiecesofbackstoryaboutthecharactersarelockedawayinthese

Thegoodendingisblatantlygoodandthebadendingisblatantlyevil.WhatNewVegasdoes

differentlyhereistwofold.First,ithasfourendings,offeringmorechoicesfortheplayerto

shapetheworldass/heseesfit.Second,theseendingsarenotanentirelyblackandwhite

matterandhaveshadesofgraytothem.The“good”endingofhavingtheNCRwinbrings

democracytoNewVegas,butatthecostofreducedsecurityandhamperedprogress.The

“bad”endingofhavingtheLegionmarchintotownbringsaruthlesstotalitarianregimetopower,

butensurestownsandcaravanswillnotberaidedandtherewillbenosplintergroupscausing

internalstrife.Eachhastheirprosandcons,andtheCourierhastoweightheiroptions

carefully,whichbringsalongneglectedsenseofrealityanddimensionalitytoacrucialfeatureof

RPGs.

UnsuccessfulElement_____________________________________

Whilealmostallofthecharactersencounteredinthegame,includingmostoftheminor

ones,haveintriguingandcaptivatingstoriestosharewiththeCourier,themethodofdeliveryof

saidstoriesleavesmuchtobedesired.Similartoothergamesofthegenre,thecharacterstend

tostandrightinfrontoftheplayerandspewouttheirdialogue,oftenwithouttheslightesthintof

emotionshownontheirfaces.Thislackofdetailintheirexpressionsandmannerismsremoves

aplayerfromtheimmersiveexperienceandremindshimorherthattheyare“onlyplayinga

game”insteadof“engaginginaninteractivemovie”.

Highlight_________________________________________________

Initiallyfriendly,OliverrealizestheCourier’streacheryonceaplatoonofsecuritronsarriveunder

theplayer’scommand.Heiseventuallyeitherforcedoutpeaceably,killedoutright,or,ifthe

playerismalevolentlyinclined,isthrownoffthesideofthedam.Watchingthisoncepowerful

manbeingcastdownlikeabrokentoyfirmlyimplantstheideathatwhattheplayerisnow

witnessingisthefirstbreathofanewnation.

CriticalReception_________________________________________

KezaMacDonaldofIGNUKgaveNewVegasa9outof10,praisingthisfreedomto

exploreandhowitaffectsaplayer’sexperienceofagame.“NewVegasisagametoshare

storiesabout,onethatletsyoucarveyourownpaththroughabeautifullyconstructedworld.If

youfeltthattherewasjustsomethingmissingfromFallout3–someindefinablequalityofsoul–

youmaywellfindNewVegasespeciallysatisfying.”Theworldismassive,andthechoicesyou

make,eveninthebeginning,dictatewhathappensnextinthestory.Shegoesontodescribe

howmorallyambiguousthegame’schoicesandfactionsare,eventhoughit“seemslikea

blackandwhitedecisionbetweenwellmeaninglawmakersandmurderous,barbaricfiends,but

neitherofthemisaforceforgood,andoverthefortyorfiftyhoursyoucaneasilyspendwiththe

gameyou'llseetheworstsideofbothofthem.”Theundefinedmoralcharacterofthemain

groupsfoundinNewVegasallowformorenuancedgameplayandenhancesthenarrativeby

Lessons_________________________________________________

makethemoraldecisionsmorecomplexthanjustchoosingbetweenthe“good”and

“bad”options.Thetechnologyofthemediumhasprogressedfromitsprimitiveand

humblebeginnings,anditcannowhandleamorechallengingnarrative.Thiswillmake

thechoicesoftheplayermuchmoreinteresting,anditcausestheusertobemore

involvedinthestory.

maketheencountersuniqueforeachperson.Thisisnottosaythateverysingle

characterneedstohavecarefullyscriptedandelaborateblockingsuchaswhathappens

intheseriesMassEffect,butthereneedstobemorevarietyinthemotionsandgestures

offreedomthatmanygamedevelopersseektoestablish.Dependingonwhattheproject

is,itmightbebesttojustlettheplayerroamfree.

Summation_______________________________________________

Courier.

References

Nelson,Mike,“Fallout:NewVegasReview”.1UP.com.12/21/12