Todd Howard confirms that the original plan for Fallout: New Vegas was for it to be an expansion for Fallout 3. Fallout: New Vegas is a 2010 RPG developed not by Bethesda but Obsidian Entertainment. Beginning with the player getting shot in the head, Fallout: New Vegas immediately sets itself apart from the franchise, and is seen as one of the best games in the series even over a decade after its release. Even so long after launch, new details are being unveiled about Fallout: New Vegas, giving fans another perspective on the game.
These new details are largely coming from Bethesda's celebrations for Fallout's 25th anniversary. Even as the RPG giant prepares for the release of Starfield, it hasn't missed the opportunity to celebrate one of its most successful franchises, giving fans lots of new details about the Fallout series. Alongside looks back at older titles, Bethesda has also given players new anniversary content, including a challenge for Fallout 76 and a next-gen version of Fallout 4.
In a new video posted to Bethesda's YouTube channel, Director Todd Howard talks about how Fallout: New Vegas came to life. Essentially, Fallout: New Vegas began as a very different project from what it turned out to be. In 2008, after Fallout 3 became a big success, Bethesda wanted to capitalize on it with another title in the series. However, the developer was hard at work on Skyrim, and so turned to Obsidian to create what was initially planned as a big expansion for Fallout 3.
When work began on Fallout: New Vegas, Howard quickly decided that it should stand out as its own game, stating he felt "really strongly" about it. There was also a lot of trust placed in Obsidian to create a great Fallout title as well. With people like Feargus Urquhart, who had previously worked on the first two Fallout games, at the helm of Obsidian, Howard felt that the series veterans could handle the creation of a new title.
Fallout: New Vegas may stand out as one of the series' best entries, but it doesn't push itself too far away from a recognizable Fallout experience. Instead, it gives little changes to fans, such as the addition of a Hardcore mode, which added thirst and hunger. This mode was later brought into Skyrim and Fallout 4 but renamed to Survival Mode. Still, even with newer games borrowing things introduced in New Vegas, fans still want a fresh take on the 2010 experience, with many asking for a remake at some point down the road.
Fallout: New Vegas is available now for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.