Feeling Blue | Fallout New Vegas: Old World Blues DLC Review

Downloadable content has generally been a staple of the Fallout series since the dawn of such content in video games. Traditionally, this content has given players the ability to take a break from the main quest and explore new environments that usually differ quite extensively. Fallout DLC is well produced and Old World Blues is certainly a great addition to Fallout: New Vegas. For those willing to invest in the DLC, you will be handsomely rewarded with excellent weaponry, an interesting story and a few perks to boot.

You start out investigating an area called “The Big Empty”, long-thought to be abandoned and inhospitable. You soon learn this is far from the truth as you find a laboratory run by a number of robots who realize you are human and who need your help. You spend the rest of your time discovering the secrets of the Big Empty and what its inhabitants have in mind for you.

Anyone who has played any Fallout 3 DLC, or any of the previous download packs for Fallout: New Vegas, will see some similarities between this DLC and those. Once installed, a new signal will be picked up by your pip-boy and you’ll be told where to go to access the DLC. Once there, you cannot return to New Vegas, so it is best to start the DLC when you are at a point in the story where you can leave without much impact to the story or your character. Make sure you stock up on healing items and ammunition as well, as this DLC contains some strong enemies, so be prepared! There are plenty of great weapons for you to play with and bring back with you to New Vegas. Players lower than level 15 should not venture into “The Big Empty” since many of the enemies are quite powerful and won’t go down easily. Our character was level 16 and we found the DLC to be challenging in certain parts.

Like other DLC packs, the story of Old World Blues is solid and will add some length to an already lengthy game. You can expect this adventure to last about five hours, which is par for the course for Fallout DLC. There is plenty to appreciate in this content but a couple of highlights are the voice acting and the characters. There are lots of new characters who bring a fair amount of humor to the game and make this new area one of the better environments seen in the series. From the toaster bent on world domination to the Isaac Hayes-wannabe seed-cloner, there is much to appreciate here.

Some complaints do arise when comparing this DLC to previously released DLC packs. The first and most obvious flaw is the lack of healing items. In any adventure there should be a decent amount of supplies to ensure a safe journey. However, in Old World Blues there is a distinct lack of healing items around. We found ourselves dangerously low on stimpacks the whole time as the only weapons dealer in the area does not restock their inventory. It makes sense in the context of the storyline but it interferes with the enjoyment of the DLC. Another problem is the cut-scenesare extremely long, and although you can skip them, it takes away from the experience of the game. Skipping the cut-scenes is just wasting the money you spent on the DLC, so we would advise against doing that. For those who want to know the full story, you should expect some cut-scenes to exceed 20+ minutes at a time.

Overall, Old World Blues is an excellent addition to Fallout: New Vegas. Though there are a few faults, the DLC pack as a whole is strong and up to the standards you have come to expect from the Fallout team. There is a really interesting story with lots of funny characters, lots of powerful weapons and an interesting environment to explore and claim as your own. Any Fallout fan will appreciate this DLC, and should download it as soon as they can.

This review is based on a review copy of the Playstation 3 version of Fallout: New Vegas Old World Blues DLC by Bethesda