Fallout: New Vegas is lauded by many fans as being the best of the series’ open-world iterations, thanks to its strong storytelling and wide range of player options. It seems the game was originally set to offer even more options too, including three playable races.
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That’s according to a new Eurogamer interview with Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart, who revealed some early plans for New Vegas. Players would’ve been able to choose between a human, ghoul, or super mutant character, though Bethesda gently yet emphatically suggested they not attempt it. Apparently, it would have wrought havoc with how the in-game weapons and armour systems worked, and they feared it would be a “nightmare” to implement.
With Fallout’s roots at Black Isle, many developers at which went on to Obsidian, there was naturally lots of excitement for the project, even if it was never truly intended to be Fallout 4. The initial pitches called the game Fallout: Sin City, but whatever the title it ended up being Obsidian’s most famous game. Even if it fell just one point short of the 85+ Metacritic score Bethesda had stipulated for the company’s bonus.
Obsidian remain, in my mind, the studio that take RPGs from more established studios, create sequels with far stronger storytelling, yet are never able to catch the break they need. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Neverwinter Nights 2, and New Vegas all followed the same path. But at least Obsidian got a new path forward with the success of titles like Pillars of Eternity. And massive new mods even after the release of Fallout 4 show just how much affection people still hold for New Vegas.