Fallout: New Vegas is doing everything it can to separate itself from Fallout 3. As an IP, Fallout: New Vegas should have an easy job falling into gamers’ good graces. The tremendous praise that Fallout 3 received is sure to be a fantastic highway for New Vegas to travel along. Obsidian Entertainment, developers of New Vegas, have released a developer's diary that gives gamers the lowdown on the game's weapons and sound design.

The tech of the Fallout world has always been one of its most exciting features. From laser pistols to hunting rifles, everything the game had to offer felt authentic and deadly. With New Vegas’ weaponry, Obsidian decided to up the ante in order to make each weapon sound and feel as if its firing mechanics are unique. If a gamer chooses to fire a laser weapon, not only would it sound as such, but the recharge rate would also indicate a weapon that is not bullet-based.

Sound design has always been a facet of game design that goes unnoticed. Develop a game with tremendous sound design and create an immersive experience, but put in poor sound and certainly your game is destined to fail. In the world of filmmaking, the saying goes that "sound is 51% of a movie," and the same is true for games. While it might not seem like it, sound creates the entire experience for a gamer. Without the realistic atmosphere of the barren desert and the blasts of a laser rifle, gamers wouldn’t delve as deep into the game as they have. Take a look at Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas developer diary for even more information.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi1gyEaZaKc&feature=player_embedded

Many of Fallout: New Vegas’ design choices have been made in order to separate the game from the other popular entry in the franchise, but what makes the game so great is its atmosphere. As long as Obsidian chooses to stick to the path that has been laid out before them, with a few detours on the way, they may well deliver a great game for all.

What do you think of Obsidian’s work with Fallout: New Vegas? Is it too much of the same, or was Fallout 3 good enough to warrant a ton of offshoots?

Fallout: New Vegas launches October 10, 2010, on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Source: CVG