Steam kicked off its Spring sale today and as usual, so much of my wishlist is on sale that I'm paralysed by choice. I probably won't buy anything. But I do know for certain that if I didn't already own Fallout: New Vegas I'd definitely be buying that, because it's going for a measly 99 cents.
Just under a buck is an extraordinary price for the very best Bethesda RPG that Bethesda didn't actually make (Obsidian made it). Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 both have their charms, but neither are as simultaneously funny and disturbing as New Vegas, and neither offer choices as consequential. Sure, it has loads of freaking cazadors, but you learn to cope.
I poured at least a hundred hours into this beast back in the day, on a PlayStation 3 no less, which was hugely prone to crashes and save file corruptions. It was basically broken, but I loved the goddamned thing anyway, especially in hardcore mode, which felt truly immersive in that pre-Day Z world.
If you do get it (and you should), PC Gamer contributor Dominic Tarason has this brilliant step-by-step guide on how to make Fallout New Vegas feel like a modern game. New Vegas mods are abundant, and there's probably even one to get rid of cazadors. But I also don't think you really need to do anything with New Vegas to have a load of fun with it: I installed it on my Steam Deck last year and it runs brilliantly.
New Vegas has had a bit of a moment lately thanks to the second season of the Fallout TV show, which saw its carriers visiting the Strip. And yes, the show's New Vegas plotline inevitably got Fallout fans arguing about the canon.
If you want all the New Vegas DLC bundled in, the ultimate edition is going for a fiver. If you want to play the other modern 3D Fallout games, they're all heavily discounted in the Steam sale as well.
