A preview that is not overly positive and gushing with joy? Yes, it seems so. Don't get your hopes up for an actual critical analysis, however. Have a read:
After taking a few minutes to observe the gameplay, I was greeted by an attractive young woman. She proceeded to walk me through the game, but oddly enough, she really didn’t have anything to say other than telling me where to go.
I’M REPORTING ON YOUR GAME! I’M PUMPED UP FOR THIS! I WANT TO HAVE TO CHANGE MY PANTS AFTER I’M DONE PLAYING!… is what kept running through my mind.
The silence between us was extremely awkward, and to break it, I kept recalling facts about Fallout 3 that could open up discussion about New Vegas. I got little response.
s time progressed, it turned into one of those moments where your teacher stands behind you as you type up an essay at the computer lab. You feel the pressure of someone standing over you, examining every one of your tiny slip-ups in an effort to diminish your self-esteem at a later time. You’re just anticipating something to happen, and all you want is for the person to leave.
I know I’m a sexy man, and that I have the charm and look to turn any woman into a feeble sheep, but c’mon, impress me. At this point you’re probably thinking, “So you had a bad run-in with a proctor, how’s the demonstration overall?”
That’s the thing, without someone talking you up, guiding you, showcasing the high points of the game, etc. Fallout: New Vegas is way too vast to experience through a demonstration. Don’t get me wrong, finding those marquee moments are what makes this game so enthralling – when you have the complete version and essentially an infinite amount of time at your disposal – but if you’re restricted to 15 minutes of gameplay, you don’t have time to find those moment.
I think we all can agree that it’s not a game where you can just pick-up and play. There are options about how you talk to people that determine the path you follow. For example, upon meeting a hotel lobbyist, all I wanted to do was fight him to see how the VATS system improved the melee combat, so I picked all the confrontational dialogue boxes.
After I killed the guy, my character was permanently banned from the hotel and I was forced to restart the demonstration because I broke it. Someone whispering in my ear that I need to be nice to the lobbyist, so that I can see all the casino games and witness how luck plays a larger role would have piqued my interest. Instead, I felt like a wandering child walking into the middle of the street.
To no surprise, I broke the demo a few more times, and eventually I just gave up to go play Brink. With no direction and a limited time to play, it’s impossible to get the full spectrum of New Vegas. In all honesty, this is a game that would have greatly benefited from a hands-off demonstration – showcasing all the new and improved characteristics.
