Microsoft’s purchase of Bethesda creates a lot of exciting possibilities, but one potential sequel ranks above the rest. The time is right: Fallout: New Vegas 2 needs to happen.
Earlier today, Microsoft made the stunning announcement that it’s acquiring Zenimax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks. Bethesda is well-known for crafting some of the most popular RPG franchises like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and the upcoming Starfield.
Fallout, in particular, is a popular franchise in its own right. This retro-futuristic sci-fi RPG has a history stretching back well over 20 years. Bethesda wasn’t the original owner, though, and many fans would argue that the best game in the franchise wasn’t even made by them. That game is Fallout: New Vegas, and it is in great need of a sequel — especially after its disastrous development.
Fallout: New Vegas fell short of its potential
If you’ve never played Fallout: New Vegas, you’ve missed out on an excellent RPG that was created by Obsidian Entertainment. Players get plopped down into the Nevada desert just outside of Las Vegas with little memory of how they got there. After a quick (and optional) tutorial, you’re let loose into one of the finest open-world RPGs of the era.
The city of New Vegas (and the surrounding region) was largely spared from the nuclear disaster thanks to a futuristic defense system. This makes New Vegas some seriously important real estate in the post-apocalyptic future and multiple powerful factions are vying for control. Caeser’s Legion, the NCR, and the Brotherhood of Steel are all making moves to take control and you will be the one to decide their destiny. You can even ignore all of these choices and help make New Vegas an independent state.
It’s a fantastic game, but it’s also packed full of unexpected and unfortunate surprises. Completing the final quest brings the campaign to a close with no way to keep on playing it; as with most of the game’s issues, this was remedied with a mod. Even more disappointing was the lack of a robust Legion campaign — and that’s a consequence of its development.
Obsidian didn’t have enough time
Most modern games are developed in 3–5 years, but Obsidian Entertainment managed to create Fallout: New Vegas in just 18 months. Obsidian created an incredibly impressive game in just one and a half years, but this short timeframe means that a lot of content had to get cut.
Cut content is to be expected with games — most of the missing features. locations, and quests in New Vegas aren’t that big of a deal. There are, however, some more substantial issues. One of the most glaring oversights is the lack of a robust Caesar’s Legion campaign. The army of Roman-themed Raiders deserved a region of its own, but it just wasn’t able to happen in time for launch.
The Caeser’s Legion campaign is not the only absence, but it’s certainly one of the most glaring pieces of missing content. In a sense, Fallout: New Vegas is an incomplete experience. Obsidian Entertainment just didn’t have the time to fully realize its vision — and that’s exactly why we need Fallout: New Vegas 2.
Why Fallout: New Vegas 2 needs to happen
Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks parted ways after the conclusion of New Vegas’ development. Since then, fans of the original have been clamoring for a sequel that has yet to happen. Todd Howard said that a sequel is unlikely back in 2018 and Fallout: New Vegas’ director has indicated a preference for using crowdfunding instead of working with a publisher.
Eventually, Obsidian revealed The Outer Worlds, a brand-new, original sci-fi RPG that was a follow-up to Fallout: New Vegas in everything but name. It managed to capture much of the spirit of New Vegas while also innovating on the formula. It’s a great game, but it’s not Fallout.
The Fallout franchise has decades of history and some insanely dedicated fans. These fans have fixed post-launch issues better than the developers in most cases and have kept creating content based on their beloved game. Massive mods like Fallout: New California have created all-new experiences from scratch. The fans want more.
Microsoft already owns Obsidian Entertainment and now it owns Bethesda Softworks, too. This has effectively removed any and all possible barriers to making Fallout: New Vegas 2 a reality. Funding will not be an issue. Rights will not be an issue. Development time won’t be an issue, either — the last year has been rife with game delays and gamers have shown that they’re more than willing to wait for quality content.
Obsidian has already stoked the fires, tweeting a shrugging emoji when a fan asked if New Vegas 2 is a possibility:
¯_(ツ)_/¯ https://t.co/MqyiuNsWS2
— Obsidian (@Obsidian) September 21, 2020
Fallout: New Vegas is a great game that was never able to live up to its fullest potential. The thought of what could be in Fallout: New Vegas 2 excites me to no end and Microsoft now has the resources and talent to get it done. Fallout: New Vegas 2 needs to happen — if we’re lucky, we’ll get to see that dream become a reality.
