Quick Review: Honest Hearts

Quick Review:

Fallout: New Vegas - Honest Hearts

Developed by Obsidian

Published by Bethesda

for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Released May 17, 2011 for 360, May 18, 2011 for PC, June 5, 2011 for PS3

"A war away from war."

Zion, a valley plagued, not by nuclear fallout, but by man, religion, and war. Utah's Zion National Park is now home to barely civilized tribes of which can only speak fragments of English. It's here that the courier finds himself amidst a brutal tribal war in Fallout: New Vegas' latest expansion; Honest Hearts.

Joshua Graham, who is repeatedly mentioned in New Vegas as a proverbial boogeyman of the wastes, tells of the imminent war between his tribe, the Dead Horses, and the savage White Legs. It's a war Graham must help the Dead Horses fight in order to atone for his sins against God, sins committed as Ceasar's once trusted legate. It's up to the courier to decide how he will deal with the battles within Zion to not only preserve the well-being of the tribes but to make it safely back to the Mojave and consummate his own war at Hoover Dam.

Honest Hearts is an intriguing look into how a part of the Fallout world, seemingly insignificant, mimics the war, greed, and pride displayed everywhere else in the wastes. It tells a great story and brings dynamic characters such as the God-willed Joshua Graham to life.

If New Vegas players passed up Dead Money because of its linearity, be content as Honest Hearts brings back much of the unhindered exploration omitted by the last add-on. New areas, weapons, armor, allies, and quests lie in wait in the heart of Zion. (Not to mention every major NPC's weapons and armor will be given to the courier upon departure of the valley.)

There are to two things that impede this otherwise brilliant add-on. Unlike Dead Money, Honest Hearts suffers major slow down and freezes as the main game does. Honest Hearts is also rather short. It can be completed in just about two hours. (although the gameplay will definitely vary as to how much exploration of Zion the player actually does.)

Honest Hearts is a definite improvement on Dead Money and while the experience may not last too long, those looking to recreate their New Vegas experience under a more solemn semblance; Zion awaits.

Details -

Genre: First Person Shooter, RPG, Third Person Shooter

ESRB Rating: M for Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs)

Player Options: 1 -Player

Learning Curve: 30 Minutes

Difficulty: Hard

Stats -

Graphics: 2/5

Sound: 5/5

Playability: 4/5

Fun: 3/5

Lasting Appeal: 3/5

Solid

25 Hit-Combo!

Review Descriptions

Review: Dead Money

Full Review:

Fallout: New Vegas - Dead Money

Developed by Obsidian Entertainment

Published by Bethesda Softworks

for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Released December 21, 2010 for the Xbox 360, February 22, 2011 for the Playstation 3 & PC

"Should we even 'begin' at all?"

Dead Money is the first of five DLC add-ons coming to New Vegas which will broaden the adventures of the Courier and expand on the lore of both the Mojave Wasteland and the Fallout universe. Dead Money offers the player a couple more hours of gameplay, an increased level cap, and an intriguing back story but falls short in actual gameplay.

A few seconds after downloading the add-on, a mysterious radio signal is picked and a provocative female voice describes a luxurious casino where people can "Begin Again". The player will head to an abandoned Brotherhood of Steel bunker where you will be wisped away to the Sierra Madre. You will then be forced to perform a heist of the century as you team up with three other unfortunate souls as you attempt to open the doors of the Sierre Madre casino or else die in the process.

The first thing you will notice about Dead Money is that the hue filter has been switched from the New Vegas orange to a blood red haze. At first it's a cool effect but soon the red cloud will impair your vision making it harder to see traps and enemies even when you aren't in the middle of the health deteriorating red fog. The graphics and animations retain the same mediocre look as they did back in the Mojave.

The sound on the other hand works perfectly in Dead Money. The music is appropriately eerie and sad which gave me chills when venturing through the equally eerie Villa. The song "Begin Again" performed by in-game character Vera Keyes is incredibly heart felt and leaves the player with a mournful disposition considering her fate within the Sierre Madre.

The voice acting is top notch especially from the performances of the greedy and prideful Dean Domino and the self-embattled Dog. The sound effects of the holograms' hostility turn is dreadful and will send you running off for cover.

Compared to New Vegas, Dead Money is very linear and doesn't offer or even encourage any exploration whatsoever. The missions consist of b-lines to one area then back then to another area then back and repeat. There aren't even much items to discover or scavenge throughout your journey. The lack of exploration is a shame seeing as how the Villa and Sierra Madre are such fantastic and story driven areas and once the add-on is over returning is an impossibility.

Dead Money consists of traps, traps, and even more traps. It's not likely you'll spend much time fighting but rather crouching on the ground disengaging bear traps or trying to eliminate a deadly signal that could trigger your premature death. It is fun for awhile but the lack of gameplay variety and the great amount of time you'll be spending looking out for traps just becomes much too tedious to remain fun.

If it weren't for the multiple endings, Dead Money would have absolutely no replay value. The endings still pale in comparison to New Vegas as the endings depend on how well you cooperated with your allies. However, with one strategically placed save file, one could see both endings if they don't want to start their New Vegas game all over again.

Dead Money doesn't offer any new gameplay that can't already be experienced in New Vegas. The backstory, however, is incredibly deep and the unearthly atmosphere is a must experience for any Fallout fan. It's also important to note that the entire add-on embraces a stealthy and diplomatic approach to completing the missions as you'll spend the entire time sifting the ground for any traps and running away from seemingly immortal enemies. If you're looking forward to an impressive story and a lot of stealth then Dead Money is for you but I predict even diehard fans of New Vegas will find themselves limited with this premiere add-on.

Details -

Genre: First Person Shooter, RPG, Third Person Shooter

ESRB Rating: M for Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs)

Player Options: 1 -Player

Difficulty: Hard

Learning Curve: Harsh

Stats -

Graphics: 2/5

Sound: 5/5

Playability: 4/5

Lasting Appeal: 1/5

Fun: 3/5

22 Hit-Combo

Decent

Review Descriptions