Should I go straight to New Vegas or play Fallout 3 first? Play Fallout 3 first!
As an avid RPG fan and content creator focused on the Fallout franchise, I strongly recommend playing Fallout 3 before diving into New Vegas. By starting with Fallout 3, you‘ll enjoy better story continuity, appreciate New Vegas‘s gameplay improvements more, and catch references you‘d otherwise miss.
Fallout 3 comes first chronologically
Fallout 3 is set in 2277, a full 4 years before the events of New Vegas in 2281. So you‘ll be experiencing the wasteland‘s history in the proper timeline order by playing Fallout 3 first. Things like the rise of Caesar‘s Legion and New Vegas under Mr. House‘s rule make much more sense with Fallout 3‘s context.
Gameplay refinements feel more significant after Fallout 3
Obsidian‘s New Vegas took Fallout 3‘s solid foundation and improved upon almost every system. Things like true iron sights, weapon modding, diverse ammo types, and faction reputation help New Vegas deliver incredibly immersive RPG gunplay. Going from Fallout 3 to New Vegas lets you feel the series progression much more through its combat, crafting and faction dynamics.
You appreciate clever references more if you play Fallout 3 first
New Vegas has some clever pop culture references, but also great throwbacks to characters and groups from past Fallout games. Playing Fallout 3 first lets you catch references to things like Harold‘s oasis, the Followers of the Apocalypse, Megaton settlers now in the Mojave wasteland. It connects the worlds nicely.
Fallout 3 and New Vegas key details comparison
| Category | Fallout 3 | New Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Release Year | 2008 | 2010 |
| Developer | Bethesda | Obsidian |
| Reception | 92 metascore | 84 metascore |
| Main story length | 20 hours | 30 hours |
| COMPLETIONIST Run | 74 hours | 97 hours |
| Quest Outcomes | Binary endings | Faction/branching endings, short/long-term impact |
Retrospective view cements New Vegas as a must-play successor
In retrospective Fallout comparisons, New Vegas frequently gets rated higher over time. Its flexible quest endings, complex faction politics, refined gunplay and significantly reactive open world often lead to it being described as one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Following the more focused Capital Wasteland origin story in Fallout 3 makes diving into New Vegas‘s ambitious Mojave chapter all the more compelling from a narrative perspective.
Conclusion
By starting with Fallout 3 first for better storyline continuity and then playing New Vegas afterwards to fully appreciate its gameplay enhancements, you‘ll be setting yourself up for the optimal Fallout experience as a newcomer. You‘ll also enjoy clever references much more if you play Fallout 3 before New Vegas. So dive into Fallout 3, then embrace New Vegas‘s crown jewel status of post-apocalyptic RPGs afterwards!
