Fallout : New Vegas Fallout : New Vegas is a post apocalyptic role - playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks . While " New Vegas " is not a direct sequel , it uses the same engine and style as " Fallout 3 " . It was developed by a few of the employees who worked on previous " Fallout " games at Black Isle Studios , along with a larger number of new employees . It is set primarily in a post - apocalyptic , although some areas of and are also visited . The game was released on October 19 , 2010 in North America , October 22 , 2010 in Europe , and November 4 , 2010 in Asia . It is available on the , , and . It was released on Backwards Compatibility for Xbox One on June 23 , 2016 . Development history . Discussions for " New Vegas " began between Obsidian and Bethesda in 2008 / ' 09 . They knew it wouldn ' t be a " Fallout 4 , " and was referred to as " Fallout 3 . 5 " within Obsidian . It was specifically designed to be more of an expansion rather than a sequel . Obsidian however , saw the project as akin to the " Grand Theft Auto " titles " Vice City " and " San Andreas " — not numbered entries , but full games in their own right . As Bethesda " had dibs " on the US east coast , Obsidian set the game in the American west . Obsidian submitted a three page pitch to Bethesda for the project , which they named " Fallout : Sin City . " The game was later renamed to " New Vegas . " The game was originally slated to have three playable races — human , ghoul , and super mutant . This idea was abandoned due to issues with the engine , specifically how the weapons and armor would work . The game was announced on April 20 , 2009 at Bethesda ' s London showcase . The first official information was released in the February 2010 issue of " PC Gamer " . A cinematic and a gameplay trailer were released . The game spent a total of 18 months in development . Story and setting . Setting . The game is set in and around a post - apocalyptic retro - futuristic Las Vegas , following the Great War between the U . S . and China , as a conventional and nuclear war that occurred on October 23 , 2077 . It lasted less than two hours , while causing immense damage and destruction . Before the Great War , the Resource Wars took place , during which the United Nations disbanded , a plague rendered the United States paranoid , and Canada was annexed . Thanks to Robert House , the city of Las Vegas itself wasn ' t hit as hard as most of the other districts , with most buildings being left intact as a result . The Hoover Dam supplies free electricity and water to those who control it . Story . The story has taken some parts from the " Fallout " and " Fallout 2 " stories , and is for the most part unrelated to its predecessor , " Fallout 3 " . " Fallout : New Vegas " takes place in 2281 , four years after the events of " Fallout 3 " , thirty - nine years after " Fallout 2 " , one - hundred and twenty years after " Fallout " and six years before the events of " Fallout 4 " . The New California Republic plays a major part in the game ' s story , being in a three - way struggle among the Caesar ' s Legion slavers , the New California Republic and the mysterious Mr . House . The Courier , the player ' s character , was meant to deliver a package from Primm to New Vegas . However , they are intercepted by the Great Khans led by a mysterious man , who shoots them and takes the package , leaving the Courier for dead in a shallow grave . The Courier is later found by a robot named , and is taken to the settlement of Goodsprings , where Doc Mitchell saves their life . After the Courier is given some medical tests , the player is pushed back into the open world , and the quest Ain ' t That a Kick in the Head begins . " Fallout : New Vegas " has a definitive ending , unlike " Fallout 3 " . The for " Fallout : New Vegas " are dependent on what actions the player took during the game ' s quests , with separate endings being shown for each major location , political faction , and recruitable companion . Gameplay . The gameplay system is similar to " Fallout 3 " gameplay , although some changes have been made , one being changes to the combat system to give the feel of a first - person shooter , including the ability to use weapon iron sights . The game also made a change from the true bullet flight paths in Fallout 3 to simulated bullet flight paths , which means the bullets , when fired , originate from the center of the screen ' s crosshairs , rather than the tip of the gun ' s barrel . Hardcore mode . Hardcore mode is an optional setting which makes the game more realistic , with gameplay elements such as dehydration , and non - instantaneous healing . It can be turned on and off mid - game . Either a trophy or achievement is awarded for completing " Fallout : New Vegas " on Hardcore mode , however , in order to earn it , the entire game must be played in Hardcore , from the point first prompted until the endgame sequence , without ever turning the setting off . The Casual / Hardcore mode distinction is independent of difficulty settings . Character system . The system returns , and directly influences speech options and quests . Unlike " Fallout 3 " , traits are available for taking , and perks are gained every two levels instead of every one , a move made by the developers to avoid creating overpowered Couriers . Combat . The Vault - Tec Assisted Targeting System , or V . A . T . S . , is an active pause combat system implemented in the game , just like in " Fallout 3 " . While using V . A . T . S . , the otherwise real - time combat is paused . V . A . T . S . also allows the gory deaths in the game to be shown in slow motion and great detail . Attacks in V . A . T . S . cost Action Points , and the player can target specific body areas for attacks to inflict specific injuries . During real time combat , you can now look down the iron sights of weapons , rather than the zoom in " Fallout 3 " . Unlike " Fallout 3 " , melee weapons now have special moves in V . A . T . S . , such as " Fore ! " for golf clubs . New Vegas also brings back the Damage Threshold ( DT ) mechanic absent from " Fallout 3 " . If an enemy has a high DT , some weapons may be ineffective . This is indicated by a red shield near the enemy ' s health bar when attacking it , both in and out of V . A . T . S . The damage threshold will be due to high armor or a built - in mechanic to that character , and will require the Courier to either retreat or attack with a more powerful weapon . Players also take much more damage in V . A . T . S . than in " Fallout 3 " ( 75 % , up from 10 % ) , which makes dying during V . A . T . S . a real possibility . Another new feature is the presence of a dynamic ' Kill Cam ' which shows the killing bullet in slow motion , permitting players who prefer to play in real - time to experience the same cinematic feel of V . A . T . S . This camera can also be enabled / disabled at will , and is only shown on killing the last enemy of a group . Karma and Reputation . is back , incorporated alongside a reputation system similar to " Fallout 2 . " Reputation is a form of tracking relationships within the many factions and towns of " Fallout : New Vegas " , such as the NCR or Goodsprings . A high reputation with a faction or town may give certain benefits , such as gifts from the people of that town , while a low reputation may lead to hits being taken out against you . Karma in New Vegas has little effect compared to " Fallout 3 " ; reputation is the primary factor as to how people will react to you . Weapon Modding . A allows you to modify your gun by adding scopes , extended magazines , silencers , and more . Weapons can have a maximum of three attached mods , and they cannot be removed once placed . Obsidian implemented this feature as a direct response to the popularity of the Weapon Mod Kits mod for " Fallout 3 " . Unique weapons . There are unique versions of weapons in " Fallout : New Vegas " , a feature introduced in " Fallout 3 " . Unique weapons have different textures and adornments . They were not originally intended to be modified and most cannot be , however some are still able to take on modification ( such as the weathered 10mm pistol ) , even so their built - in abilities and higher damage output often make up for their lack of flexibility . Counting all the add - ons , there are a total of 81 unique weapons to be found inside the game , but some require the completion of a quest to find ( e . g Pew Pew ) . Some can be found on the bodies of enemies ( e . g Oh , Baby ! , ) or can be found in specific locations such as the Ratslayer . Companion wheel . A new companion wheel has been added to quickly and easily give companions commands such as ' Talk ' , ' Use Ranged Weapons ' and ' Wait Here ' . It also makes it easier to restore their health ( using ) and swap equipment . The companions also have their likes and dislikes ; giving a sniper companion a shotgun , for example , will result in a nasty remark and decreased effectiveness . Gambling . The city of New Vegas , as well as other smaller settlements in the game , have a variety of colorful casinos or other forms of gambling to explore . In " Fallout : New Vegas " , several gambling mini - games have been added , including blackjack , roulette , and slots . Outside the casinos , many people across the Mojave play Caravan , a card game designed by Obsidian specifically for " New Vegas " . Luck is a considerable factor when it comes to gambling . You get money for winning , and floor managers will congratulate you with food or drink and maybe a VIP stay at the hotel . Winning too much money after that , however , will make the managers come down , give you the customary " tap on the shoulder " , and tell you to leave the casino on suspicions of cheating . You will not be able to gamble in that casino anymore but are still able to enter and buy items or food from the casino . This however will not remove your current chips . Developers . " Fallout : New Vegas " was developed by Obsidian Entertainment , a company founded by Feargus Urquhart and Chris Avellone , two of the makers of " Fallout 2 " ( originally at Black Isle Studios ) . The project is led by J . E . Sawyer , one of the lead designers of " Van Buren " , the canceled " Fallout 3 " project by Black Isle Studios . John R . Gonzalez is the lead creative designer , while Obsidian founder Chris Avellone , who worked on " Fallout 2 " and " Van Buren " is a senior designer . Joe Sanabria is the lead artist . Products . Collector ' s Edition . The Collector ' s Edition of " Fallout : New Vegas " includes " Fallout : New Vegas " ; " Lucky 7 " poker chips , replicas from the ones found in the game ; a deck of " Fallout : New Vegas " themed playing cards ; a replica of the " Lucky 38 " poker chip ( The platinum chip ) from the game ; “ All Roads ” , a graphic novel about the history of " Fallout : New Vegas " written by Chris Avellone ; and a " The Making of " Fallout : New Vegas " " DVD . The entire package comes in a collectible " Fallout : New Vegas " box . The Collector ' s Edition was also available for pre - order . Add - ons . A total of four add - ons , " Dead Money " , " Honest Hearts " , " Old World Blues " , and " Lonesome Road " have been released . The pre - order bonuses are now released as another add - on , " Courier ' s Stash " , as well as another add - on called " Gun Runners ' Arsenal " which was released on September 27 , 2011 . " Fallout : New Vegas " had four different pre - order bonuses : the Classic Pack , Caravan Pack , Tribal Pack , and Mercenary Pack . Each one had a unique suit of armor and a unique weapon not found in - game , along with a few other items that are available within the game . Ultimate Edition . The " Fallout : New Vegas Ultimate Edition " was released on February 7th , 2012 in North America and February 10th in Europe . The package contents are the base game along with all s , including " Gun Runner ' s Arsenal " and " Courier ' s Stash " .