New Vegas

Lore & Background

The game takes place in 2281 within the Mojave Wasteland, where three major powers fight for control: the democratic New California Republic (NCR), the totalitarian Caesar's Legion inspired by Roman history, and Mr. House, a reclusive businessman ruling New Vegas with an army of Securitron robots. The NCR holds the Hoover Dam to provide electricity, while both the Legion and House seek to seize it. Minor factions add complexity, including the xenophobic Boomers at Nellis Air Force Base, escaped convict Powder Gangers, drug-dealing Great Khans, technology-hoarding Brotherhood of Steel, and humanitarian Followers of the Apocalypse. The city itself was built from the remnants of Las Vegas, evoking 1950s imagery mixed with post-apocalyptic grit similar to Mad Max.

In Their Own Story

The narrative begins when a courier delivering the Platinum Chip is ambushed by Benny, who shoots them in the head and steals the device. A Securitron named Victor digs the player from a shallow grave, and Doc Mitchell nurses them back to health. The initial goal is finding Benny and the chip, leading to a confrontation on the New Vegas Strip where players can kill Benny or let him escape. It is revealed Mr. House survived the war in a life-support chamber and created the Chip to upgrade his Securitron army; Benny stole it with help from Yes Man, a reprogrammed Securitron. The conflict culminates at Hoover Dam, where the player chooses which faction to support, resulting in one of four distinct endings based on their actions.

Reader's Guide

Players explore an open world ranging from small settlements to the city of New Vegas and Hoover Dam using the Pip-Boy 3000 for menus, stats, maps, and fast travel. Combat utilizes the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (VATS), which pauses action to target specific enemy body parts using Action Points. Character creation allows customization of gender, age, and race (Asian, White, Black, or Hispanic) before allocating points to seven SPECIAL stats: strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck. These affect 13 secondary skills like barter, guns, medicine, and sneak. Leveling up grants perks at even-numbered levels, such as the Rapid Reload perk increasing reload speed by 25 percent. Hardcore Mode adds survival mechanics requiring players to eat, drink, and sleep to avoid death from starvation or dehydration.

Did You Know?

• Obsidian was given only 18 months to develop the game, a timeframe journalists noted as very short for a AAA title.
• The game has sold an estimated 11.6 million copies worldwide since its release.
• Six pieces of downloadable content were released, including four story-based add-ons that added new areas.
• Completing the entire game in Hardcore Mode unlocks a specific achievement.
• Project director Josh Sawyer used data from the United States Geological Survey and reference photographs to design the game's map.