Full Disclosure: I am a Fallout nut. ‘Nuttier than squirrel poo’ is a phrase that I would apply to my obsession with all things Fallout. I played and replayed Fallout 1 and 2 for a decade before Fallout 3 came out. Blah blah blah, old school, blah blah blah, turn based combat, blah blah blah, three-quarter isometric view. Enough. I’m also pragmatic and will take what I can get as long as the games have that ‘Fallout feel.’ Story, snark, and attention to detail. While I was pleased with the way Fallout 3 came out, New Vegas is unquestionably a better sequel. Closer to California, the developers were able to mix a lot of old Fallout into the new, and it felt more comfortable, familiar, and ‘real’ than Fallout 3. Anyway, I’m babbling. On to the review!
INTRO
Dead Money opens with the Courier picking up a new radio signal which leads to a small underground Brotherhood of Steel bunker. Like any wastelander, a disembodied female voice inviting me to ‘Come play’ is a compulsion I cannot refuse. This is Nevada right? I might have stumbled on the right frequency for the Mustang Ranch!
Anyway, once the Courier gets close to radio source, he’s (I realize there are female gamers and characters, but I’m male so I’m going to use masculine pronouns and you’re going to be ok with it) subdued in a bright flash of light and whisked away to a small Villa outside the legendary Sierra Madre Casino.
Standing in front of a fountain in the town square, the Courier is greeted (in hologram form) by Elijah. Elijah was McNamara’s predecessor as Elder of the Mojave Brotherhood of Steel contingent. Elijah disappeared after the events of HELIOS 1, apparently making his way to the Sierra Madre Casino in search of advanced old world tech.
The Sierra Madre Casino itself was constructed by mogul Frederick Sinclair for a starlet named Vera Keyes to protect her from the impending war. It supposedly contains untold wealth, and features the most advanced old world tech including holographic entertainment and security, as well as ‘replicators’ that can create nearly any physical item (including food, weapons and ammo). However, the Casino never opened. Its doors were designed to be sealed shut until the grand opening gala ceremony. The bombs fell the day before the ceremony was scheduled to occur, and the doors remained shut.
THE STORY
Elijah really, really wants inside. He has grand plans of using the Sierra Madre technology to create a holographic army to pacify the wastes and build a grand new society. He needs assistance triggering the opening gala ceremony, getting into the Casino, and ultimately, the vault at its core.
Adventurers have long sought out the treasures of the Sierra Madre. Some even made it to the Villa. Elijah has coerced many into obeying him and attempting to break into the Casino. Three potential companions remain alive and hidden somewhere in the Villa.
The Courier is fitted with an electronic bomb-collar that Elijah can detonate if he disobeys. The bomb-collar is linked to the three other companions whose aid the Courier must enlist. If one dies, they all die.
The companions are: Dog/God, a multiple personality nightkin (sans stealthboy); Dean Domino, a ghoul, who was actually supposed to entertain at the Sierra Madre; and Christine, a Brotherhood of Steel scribe sent to hunt down Elijah. Together the Courier and his companions attempt trigger the opening ceremony and unseal the doors to the Casino.
I won’t give too much away, but obviously, the ultimate goal is to get inside the Casino and confront Elijah.
FEATURES / GAME PLAY
Dead Money differs from other Fallout environments in that there really aren’t a lot of enemies to fight. It’s all relative I suppose, but I found more of my time was spent sneaking around and avoiding holograms than shooting bad guys.
The Villa and Casino are surrounded by a red cloud of toxins that corrode any armor and eat the flesh within (the ‘Cloud’). Didn’t matter what armor you wore, your health dropped like a rock when you were standing in the Cloud. Unlike radiation exposure/sickness, the damage began immediately. Luckily, you can see the physical cloud to know where the boundaries are. The Cloud graphic and health effects are very well done.
The Villa is populated by ‘Ghost’ people, who are alive, but sealed in their hazmat suits. They are very hard to kill. Unless you score a critical hit and blow off a limb, ‘killing’ them doesn’t really kill them. The ghosts just drop down unconscious, like a fallen companion, only to get up a few seconds later ready to fight again. Keeping Dog/God around was really the only sure fire way to permanently eliminate one.
Once you get into the Casino, holographic security becomes an issue. The holograms are impossible to kill with your weapons, but if you see the emitter (not always easy) you can destroy that. The holograms are BAD ASS. They shoot fricken lasers from their heads (that’s a Dr. Evil thing… go with me on that), rapid fire, and it only takes 3-4 shots to bring the Courier down. Best bet is to avoid them entirely.
Oh, before I forget. There are f—ing traps EVERYWHERE. I have a blind spot when playing Fallout, and it’s watching where I’m going. I just don’t do it. Every location, every room, every corridor, every hallway has a bear trap in it, and I’m pretty sure I stepped in them all. Move slowly, and for Dog/God’s sake, don’t increase your run speed for Dead Money.
I mentioned the electronic bomb-collar above. One problem you’ll face is that radio signals and speakers will interfere with the collar. Get too close and your collar begins beeping. If you don’t get out of range or destroy the source, boom! This added a certain intensity to every step of the game that’s not generally present in Fallout. Your collar could begin beeping at any moment, and if there’s more than one speaker/radio causing it, getting to safety isn’t easy. Keep an eye on the wall graffiti. Previous collar-slaves have pointed out where a lot of the speakers are, and even arrows to guide you on your journey. The beauty of Fallout is in the little details. Don’t rush the expansion, or you’ll miss out.
WEAPONS
I forgot to mention that you’re stripped of most of your weapons and armor upon arrival. Elijah gives you a holorifle, which is one of the stronger weapons you’ll find in the game, but you can also find police pistols, shot guns etc… Other than the standard laser pistol side arm, I did not see any plasma/energy based weapons.
ARMOR
Not a lot to report here. While there is some unique Sierra Madre armor, it’s no better or worse than what you were likely wearing when you entered the expansion.
GRAPHICS
Also not much to say here. Dead Money is the first downloadable content for Fallout: New Vegas. Same game engine, same graphics. The whispy effects from the Cloud are neat, but not noteworthy. Note: I play on a PC.
Many of the buildings in the Villa are boarded up, which was annoying. If you’re going to put them in, let me get inside! There were plenty of buildings with open walls on the second story. The only way to get to them was a needlessly complex system of rooftop leaps and platform walks. If I have the strength to tote around 250lbs of guns and armor, I can kick in a wooden door. Seriously.
CONCLUSION
Overall, I enjoyed Dead Money, but I was disappointed by the play time: 3-4 hours. Such is life with expansions, I suppose. I will say that it’s a very tense 3-4 hours, and well worth your money.
Interestingly, both Elijah and Christine give the Courier info on that ‘other’ courier you’ve heard hints of throughout New Vegas. This other courier and the battle at the Great Divide will be the focus of future downloadable content, and I can’t wait!
