The "Retro Game Reviews" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Thankfully, Fallout New Vegas's downloadable content isn't anywhere near as annoying. There are references to characters who are appear in the DLC in the main game but they're very subtle and you never get the sense that the main game is incomplete without them. Honest Hearts, the second piece of New Vegas DLC, has you joining a travelling caravan travelling to the town of New Canaan. Unfortunately things don't go according to plan and the rest of the caravan is killed while travelling through Zion National Park leaving you alone. Yes, completely alone, since Honest Hearts doesn't let you bring any of your companions with you.
You also can't return to the wasteland till you've completed the main quest, so you spend the next few hours or so roaming around the Zion Canyon - which is as hilly and dangerous as it sounds - assisting a tribe of natives who are under attack by another native tribe. They're not actually native americans, but they speak like them, which continues Fallout New Vegas's western vibe. You don't get to choose which tribe you throw your lot in with, but you do get to deal with an interesting moral dilemma near the end of the game.
Honest Hearts' scenery is pleasant enough, and there are a few minor locations to explore, though it's not particularly big. There are are also one or two new enemies and weapons although not as many as the subsequent DLC, Old World Blues. But as a whole, it's just not all that interesting. The quests themselves are fairly boring and much of the humour that was present in New Vegas is sadly absent. One of the enemies is also just a recoloured version of a previous enemy, a la Mortal Kombat's ninjas.
Whether you should buy Honest Hearts depends entirely upon how much you can get it for. I bought it during a Steam Sale and managed to get at 75% off. However, the normal price is £7.99 which is a lot of money for a short extra area that doesn't really add much to the game. Either give this a miss, or wait till it's on sale or the Game of the Year version of New Vegas is released.
Score: 5 out of 10.
Thankfully, Fallout New Vegas's downloadable content isn't anywhere near as annoying. There are references to characters who are appear in the DLC in the main game but they're very subtle and you never get the sense that the main game is incomplete without them. Honest Hearts, the second piece of New Vegas DLC, has you joining a travelling caravan travelling to the town of New Canaan. Unfortunately things don't go according to plan and the rest of the caravan is killed while travelling through Zion National Park leaving you alone. Yes, completely alone, since Honest Hearts doesn't let you bring any of your companions with you.
You also can't return to the wasteland till you've completed the main quest, so you spend the next few hours or so roaming around the Zion Canyon - which is as hilly and dangerous as it sounds - assisting a tribe of natives who are under attack by another native tribe. They're not actually native americans, but they speak like them, which continues Fallout New Vegas's western vibe. You don't get to choose which tribe you throw your lot in with, but you do get to deal with an interesting moral dilemma near the end of the game.
Honest Hearts' scenery is pleasant enough, and there are a few minor locations to explore, though it's not particularly big. There are are also one or two new enemies and weapons although not as many as the subsequent DLC, Old World Blues. But as a whole, it's just not all that interesting. The quests themselves are fairly boring and much of the humour that was present in New Vegas is sadly absent. One of the enemies is also just a recoloured version of a previous enemy, a la Mortal Kombat's ninjas.
Whether you should buy Honest Hearts depends entirely upon how much you can get it for. I bought it during a Steam Sale and managed to get at 75% off. However, the normal price is £7.99 which is a lot of money for a short extra area that doesn't really add much to the game. Either give this a miss, or wait till it's on sale or the Game of the Year version of New Vegas is released.
Score: 5 out of 10.