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“Fallout: New Vegas 2″ - The game that’ll never surface

In recent months, rumours have once again left the Vault and surfaced, about the possibility of a new Fallout title in the works. Hot off the heels of the late 2015 release of Bethesda’s Fallout 4, fans have been clambering for details on another game following the latest series iteration being met with mixed reception. Given that there was around 2 years between the release of Fallout 3 in 2008 and the release of Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas in 2010, a similar time frame would allow for another title, presumably by Obsidian once more, to hush the cries of the ever vocal Fallout fanbase. But, that game actually happen? Are these New Vegas 2 rumours true or are they as fictitious as the lies spun by Vault-Tec themselves...

As reported by Kotaku, these rumours just won’t die. So, let’s make one thing clear: a New Vegas 2 is not going to happen. Is it all doom and gloom though? Not necessarily.

What’s key to the Fallout series is it’s reliance on the universe it has created. The themes in their wonderfully unique art-deco/sci-fi universe are what hold it together. Patriotism, atomic warfare, 50′s/60′s aesthetic and so much more are all pivotal in creating the vibrant world we all love but you have to remember that they are nothing less than essential. The over-the-top Americana and post-Red Scare is why we are yet to see the games leave the United States. It’s why the games more recent outings feature such recognisable areas of the US, even to audiences outside of the continent itself. The Capitol Building and Washington Monument. MIT and Fenway Park. And, more appropriately, the Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam.

These iconic locales provide something familiar and grounded in an otherwise bizarre world and it’s for this reason another game in the New Vegas region won’t take place; it is literally a case of “been there, done that”. Should another non-Bethesda Fallout game take place, there’s no need to tread the same ground.

But keep in mind another core aspect of the original New Vegas was it being able to build on things established in the original two games. The New Californian Republic were still about and expanding into new territory. The Enclave was gone with only a handful of ex-members remaining, now in hiding. Familiar faces like Marcus the Super Mutant were back in town.

Perhaps there is room for not just the expansion of the NCR, but expansion upon New Vegas. It isn’t beyond the realms of possibility to see a future game be heavily based upon the events and landscape of New Vegas’ past. This is a precedent already established by Obsidian, given their team featured many of the people who worked on the original Fallout games, having tied the older games with the new. Furthermore, the DLC offered up by the game offered further adventures in nearby areas, like Honest Hearts, Zion Canyon.

We could see a Fallout game that’s heavily inspired by the games before it. There’s even the possibility that we will see a new area the borders with locations seen before. Revisiting areas we’ve seen before, even only in a limited capacity, isn’t something new to games. Let us not forget the fate of Borderlands Fyrestone. What better way to link games than to have a clear and undeniable tie to what came before it?

But what is more likely is that if another game comes about, it’ll feature a new place with a new Fallout spin. Already ideas have been floating around about a “Fallout: New Orleans”, as reported by IGN. It’s hard to deny the simple things: the name works nicely. Why not go from New Vegas to New Orleans to, hell I don’t know, New York. While a little on the nose, it’s a super simple and super easy way to differentiate the “side games” from the main ones. 

What’s important about the concept of “Fallout: New Orleans” is that it is something different. One of the many gripes fans have with Fallout 4 is that it was little more than more Fallout 3, according to some anyway. It’s at least clear in Fallout 4 that Bethesda aimed to include more of a variety in environments and colour, as evidenced by their concept art and of the existence of places like the Glowing Sea, coasts to the East, Far Harbour and Nuka World.

New Orleans offers the chance to provide a huge variety in locales, whether it be the harbours, variety in urban areas and multicultural influences and, of course, the joys of a radioactive Bayou. Keep in mind that the existence of Fallout 4 means that plenty of assets and the updated engine is already in place. All that’s needed is a few ideas and a passionate team to bring a new Fallout game our way.

There is some skepticism in regard to if Obsidian and its employees would return to the series given the chance. Following a little Fallout falling out between the developers, who knows if an opportunity would present itself and if it would even be acted upon should that opportunity become a reality. Furthermore, it’s apparent that Bethesda are eager to acquire studios they think bring something special to the table. Just look at Tango, Machine Games, ID Software, Arkane Studios. All of them were brought under the Bethesda umbrella to create games they were all passionate about. Even if Obsidian wasn’t approached for a further Fallout game, there’s always the chance a different studio will be given that chance.

One thing is clear though; there are a number of routes the future of the Fallout franchise can take. Bethesda might be busy on other games and properties, but we may still see a Fallout game come out sooner rather than later. Will it be “New Vegas 2″? No. But it may not be far from it.

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Overland Finally Gets a Release Date

Overland, the post-apocalyptic turn-based tactics game from Finji, has finally been given a release date for the full version of the game. While early builds have been available to some for a while now, the game is approaching its first finished build and will be releasing on nearly every platform under the sun incredibly soon.

The games developers announced that Overland is not only coming soon but will be available within a matter of weeks on September 19th. Leaving no stone unturned, it will be available for Linux, Mac, and Windows PC but home consoles too, with the game also releasing on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One too. Finji, on top of all of this, have also said that the game will be coming to iOS.

With the success of games like FTL and Into The Breach, games of a similar style like Overland seem to be able to find comfortable homes in more recent times. The game itself sees you travelling across the post-apocalyptic remains of the United States after the arrival of alien-esque creatures. In the words of the team themselves, “fight scary creatures, rescue stranded survivors, and scavenge for supplies like fuel, first aid kits, and weapons”

A new trailer for Overland was released (as seen above) to give folks a better look at the game before it releases to the mass and, yes, you can pet the dogs and take them with you on your travels.

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LEFTWRITEB: A Time to Respec

After a good few weeks (and then some) since my last post, some may be wondering where I’ve been and why the content on the site has decreased a tad. I mean, E3 2019 came and went and not a single new post went up. That said, it’s time to explain and elaborate on how the site will be going through a bit of a respec going forward.

As personal circumstances change, the free time available to spend creating content is something that ever changes and so to must the way I use this site. Equally important in this is the landscape of gaming related content, especially in the written form. Once upon a time, I had the ability to write about the more breaking pieces of news promptly as they happened. But that’s no longer the case and, to be honest, that isn’t necessarily the end of the world.

The thing about games journalism is that it’s a field that has become increasingly cannibalistic. Rather than offering unique insights and something new, most sites will regurgitate news pieces from other sites. When you compare the volume of unique pieces compared to news/fluff pieces, you realise it’s incredibly disproportionate. When you’re all discussing the same things it’s a little inevitable and something that Leftwriteb is just as guilty of. But why would you come here when you can read the latest news from a million and one other places?

That’s why, going forward, the focus will be shifted. Rather than churning out a larger volume of less interesting pieces, the aim will be to post more lengthy and in-depth pieces instead. Quality over quantity. It’s fairly common-sense really but that’s how things will change. It is, I would think, more exciting to see something new that is lengthy and full of the unknown than a news piece that likely seems like all the others dotted around the web.

That’s not to say that news pieces will disappear from the site, of course. Sometimes there are events or announcements that are so important or so stupid that they simply need to be shared. The site will continue to try and bring you the finest pieces of writing and entertainment around, but this time we are just going to be a little more selective. Anything of real interest will still surface in the News section but don’t expect a breakdown of every tiny thing that surfaces within the industry.

Thank you to those who have visited the site and supported it so far and I hope you all come to agree with me that this change is a positive one that will help Leftwriteb continue to grow. With plenty of drafts in the pipeline for deeper dives on news, issues and opinions with the realm of videogames, there’s plenty of meaty articles on the way.