It has taken me weeks to write this review.
Not because I don't know what to say about the game, but because I want these words to honour its excellence, without being hyperbolic but saying what I honestly think this game really is.

For years I heard this is the game with which gaming reached its adulthood.
And it is true.

Sometimes it feels like being in a classic movie, such as Unforgiven.
Also true.

I constantly felt I was comparing it to certain Cormac McCarthy's novels, specifically The Border Trilogy[en.wikipedia.org].
In fact one of the main themes of the game reminds me a lot of the ending of Cities on a Plain: how civilisation has no place for those who don't adapt to industrialism. It also felt many a time like Blood Meridian[en.wikipedia.org], with all its cruelty.

But not only that.
I constantly felt like being inside a Ken Burns documentary. From The West[en.wikipedia.org] to The American Buffalo[en.wikipedia.org].

It goes without saying that RDR2 is a flawless representation of that period in history.
A true Academic document.

But there is more.
You can play the game and perceive a layer, let's say an action western or a movie.
But you can play it and fall into the study of nature, on a deeper level.
Or play it and pay attention to the small details, such as the conversations at the bonfire, or the journal...
and then you realise you stand before one of the most impressive accomplishments in the history of gaming.

Because just like a great novel can transform you after reading it, this "game" can have the same effect on you.

Which is why, after constraining my words for weeks, I think it is fair to say this is, in my humble opinion,
the best videogame ever made.

I don't mean the one you, or me, or anyone, have to like it the most.
I mean it in the sense that I don't think there is going to be something similar for a very long time, and we are very lucky for having it.

But I also love and admire this game beyond words.

A work of art reflects and depicts the culture where it is created.
This is what Fallout: New Vegas achieves on its best way.

Politics are defined here like anywhere else in a videogame.

Democrats are represented by the New California Republic -NCR-
while Republicans are epitomized by the Legion.

Technocracy and dictatorship are Mr House,
and Anarchism is the fourth path you can choose to finish the game.

Some spoilers here:

None of them are perfect. NCR are corrupt and pay no attention to anything but their interests;
and Legion are slavers and gynophobic, although true to their word as their ending shows up.

Despite the fact that Mr House is one of the best hopes for humanity (you can see the message if you get rid of him), his regime is totalitarian and despotic.

No Gods, No Masters ending is also imperfect. Hard to say which one is canon, honestly.

End of spoilers

All the relations you establish with every faction, and there is a lot, affects its gameplay and endings, so this game becomes in my opinion the most complex and rewarding I have ever found, and I remember seeing the first arcade Pacman when I was a kid.

The quality of the main quest is reinforced by the impressive amount of sidequests. This game is not only about the campaign, you get swallowed by the Wasteland through the sidequests. Even your companions have hidden quests, all of them flawlessly written. You might need to check the wikias, or buy the game's guide (totally worth it, for me at least), to activate them. There are hundreds of hours ahead of pure delightment, and you will have that feeling you get when you read a really good book:

"I don't want it to end"

New Vegas inherits the spirit of Fallout 1 and Fallout 2, in an act of enrichment beyond Fallout 3, even though a good game, not as excellent as this one. Even the humour is pretty as unique and subtle as in the two previous games, (just watch a Legionnaire picking his nose and we'll talk).
Or the name of one of its Commanders: Vulpes Inculta (Ignorant Fox in Latin).

Just play Old World Blues if you want to have some hillarious laughs. I still smile remembering those conversations, oh God!

Suffice to say, if you ever played Fallout 1 & 2, I assure you you'll get shocked when you find some characters in the Wasteland. There is a LOT of references to the previous games. Just like the Wild Wasteland perk, you get it or you just don't even notice. That is, after all, what being cultivated means.
And yes, I'd love to see those games remade with nowaydays engines. Sorry, purists.

Whereas Fallout 3 was focused on resources -water, more precisely-, New Vegas is a struggle of energy resources and you can notice how everything is twisted around that. Not only this is very clever, but also it is the most mature post-apocalyptic simulator you can find to this date.

Mojave Wasteland isn't as huge as other sandboxes, but it is worked to the detail, full of spirit and so plenty of diversity or marvels you can walk those sands for a thousand hours.

I can guarantee that.

Even though the campaign is close to perfect, New Vegas DLCs, all of them, create a storyline arch which multiplies the game's quality immensely.
From Dead Money through Big Empty to the Lonesome Road, there stands a parallel storyline mesmerizing and superbly written. By the way, Lonesome Road which was unfairly critizised for being "linear" (aren't all paths linear after all? o.O) contains some of the best this game has to offer.

Edit: for those owning Ultimate Edition, think that you should really play the DLCs in order:
Dead Money
Honest Hearts
Old World Blues
Lonesome Road.

Voice acting:
Simply the best there is. Let's talk about Caesar and get to the point.
Every time I found this character I was amazed how charismatic and strong he was.
No doubt a superb actor was behind those flawless performance.
That actor is John Doman[www.imdb.com]

When I was watching The Wire (the best TV series of all time) I was literally shocked when I heard the Commissioner William A. Rawls reprimmending his police officers.
That acting strength wasn't similar to New Vegas' Caesar, it WAS Caesar himself!
And he was.

Same goes for many others. Boone, Veronica, Doc Mitchell... Ulysess.

Edit:
THE MUSIC:
It goes without saying this is some of the best soundtracks ever made. I just want to talk about something else to reinforce how mature, cultivated, and serious, this game is.
Driving and listening to this soundtrack I found something amazing: the TITLE of a song.

'Jacobstown Ladder'. Inon Zur left an impressive cultural mark even at the level of giving title to the songs. It is a reference to Jacob's Ladder, a Biblical figure whose purpose was to rescue the lost souls and take them to Heaven.

If you have ever been in Jacobstown you can see the pun (paronomasia it is also called) and how it is related to the game. I bow in respect to you. Me quito el sombrero.

'Dam Nation' is the song for the Second Battle for Hoover damn.

There goes another paronomasia with big balls.
Con dos cojones.


And there is more: the MODS.
(Yes, that thing some economical powers of gaming industry wanted to charge you for).

I have not only found gamefixes which work fantastically, but also some writers out there that I do consider cannon of the Fallout universe. I am looking at you, Someguy. Your "New Vegas Bounties" are part of this game. Congratulations.

Edit: WOW just WOW New Vegas Bounties III.
Marko enters the Pantheon of best villains ever made (Kerrigan, Arthas, GLaDOS, make some space because you have a new neighbor)

And the story, Someguy, you really got me there, you monster.
100 out of 10. To my eyes you are part of Fallout Universe by right.

Check "Paint Your Weapon", please. ;)

There are other fantastic attempts, like for instance "Dust", the most extreme survival simulator, although having certain flaws in my personal opinion.

Other mods I recommend:
Leather Backpack
Veronica Can Wear Vera's Outfit
Russell
Burning Campfire
HZ Novac Campfire
New Vegas Stutter Remover
The Someguy Series
Enhanced Blood Textures
Tales From The Burning Sands <--
YUP Base Game and all DLCs


What else can I say?
One more thing: what this game means to me.

I deleted my previous recommendation, which was one of the most higlhy rated I have, but deep inside I knew I was being unfair to my favourite game.

In a few days Fallout 4 will come out.
I know it will change many things, and you can bet your moustache Bethesda is going to put a lot of efford to make it a breaking point.
I am not saying I am not going to love it.
(F4 is the biggest POS I've ever seen, and the Number One Disappointment of my entire gaming life) I am not going to apologise, ever, for loving this game. Because it deserves it.

I am just saying it has the most difficult task if it wants to conquer my heart.

I left my heart at The Mojave.