Playing post-apocalyptic blackjack in 'Dead Money'

Ok, so I hope that people have seen 'Ocean's Eleven' or else some of this isn't going to make a lick of sense to you. Maybe read the summary of that movie on Wikipedia or something and then come back here. For those of you who've seen the movie I'm sorry but we're going to have to wait for those who haven't to familiarize themselves with it. Oh look, they're back. Excellent. Now that that's out of the way it's easiest to summarize the 'Fallout: New Vegas' expansion 'Dead Money' as a post-apocalyptic version of that movie. A bit too simple of a comparison but at least a good jumping off point. They both feature a (hopefully) charismatic group leader in the player character and George Clooney who has to assemble a team of misfits for the ultimate heist. They both also feature an attempt to break into a casino in order to steal unimaginable wealth from within its vaults. They both...OK, so that's about it for the similarities and I'm sorry for wasting your time with Wikipedia.

So to explain the story of 'Dead Money' in greater detail a madman (Father Elijah) mentioned in the main quest line and in the other DLCs stumbled across the Sierra Madre casino and became obsessed with the possibilities of old world technology that it contained. To this end he began forcibly conscripting people to help him break into it. After numerous (the impression that he gives the player) failed attempts your character, responding to a radio broadcast, is captured and thrust into the heist of the centuries. You're forced to recruit three teammates to whom you're linked via exploding collars wherein if one dies all die in order, according to Elijah, to instill a greater sense of urgency and teamwork amongst you. Now one of the main criticisms I've seen leveled against 'Dead Money' is that it doesn't feel very Fallout-y and to this I respectfully disagree. While it may take place in a non-traditional environment 'Dead Money', to me, has all of the sense of oppressive tragedy brought about by greed that I feel generally characterizes all of the games in the series. The sky is this sickly red color, the result of science run amok. The casino sealed off to the world the result of greed and paranoia. The ghost people who haunt the villa despite now being crazed and hostile used to be the construction workers who built the it and whose degeneration from human into what the player encounters simply another example of mad science corrupting the innocent.

The actual gameplay in 'Dead Money' is probably where it really came alive to me. At the very beginning of the DLC you're stripped of all your gear and given a moderately effective rifle by Elijah. This very likely takes the player from a damage tanking god (given the level recommendations before beginning this particular DLC) to a mere mortal forced into a more stealthy approach to survival. As someone whose character was in fact a damage tanking god I actually loved this transition to vulnerability not really felt anywhere else in the game nor in any other game I've played recently. In the past I've found diversion in the survival horror genre (mostly Resident Evil titles) and have been greatly disappointed with that genres recent entries so for a game to instill even a modicum of fear of the unknown into me was very welcome. Oh, crap what's around the next corner? I can hear heavy breathing (the Ghost People make very distinctive noises) where is it coming from? I would go so far as to say that if a game could replicate the atmosphere and oppressive feeling from the first half of 'Dead Money' for an entire game that I would buy that hypothetical game in a heart beat. About the only places where 'Dead Money' drops the ball to me are in the latter half which is very enemy sparse and overall where the game allows the player to get a perk that allows them to permanently kill the Ghost People more easily. Sorry for not explaining this earlier but the Ghost People encountered in the villa are among the more difficult enemies in the entire game to kill, rising from the dead when dropped after a few short seconds unless dismembered.

Overall I greatly enjoyed the 'Dead Money' add-on and would certainly recommend it to others. I also think that other games could take a pointer or two from how it generates it atmosphere and not just the toxic red clouds that pollute the in game environment. Take care and see you all next week.