Fallout: New Vegas
The house always wins
Obsidian Entertainment's New Vegas brought choice, consequence, and sharp writing back to the Fallout series in this beloved Mojave wasteland RPG.
Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment—a studio including original Fallout creators—using Bethesda’s Fallout 3 engine. Set in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas region, the game offered more RPG depth, faction complexity, and meaningful choices than its predecessor. Despite a famously buggy launch, it became the fan-favourite modern Fallout.
Fast facts
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment.
- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks.
- Director: Josh Sawyer.
- Lead designer: J.E. Sawyer (also worked on original Fallout).
- Setting: Mojave Wasteland, Nevada.
- Development time: 18 months.
What made it special
Obsidian’s RPG expertise:
- Faction system: multiple competing groups with complex relationships.
- Multiple endings: dozens of variations based on choices.
- Skill checks: speech, science, and other skills open alternative paths.
- Moral ambiguity: no clear good/evil dichotomy.
The factions
Competing powers:
- NCR: attempting to rebuild democratic government.
- Caesar’s Legion: brutal authoritarian slavers.
- Mr. House: pre-war technocrat controlling New Vegas.
- Yes Man: player-controlled wild card option.