I found exploration in NV to be pretty lacking honestly - jagged brown landscapes, cookie cutter vaults and the central hub of New Vegas itself was deeply underwhelming after much buildup. The characters as well left a mixed impression, with a few standout faction leaders and ultimately forgettable companions. Quality Fallout vignette storytelling once it gets going with multiple ways to approach resolutions, but those would be my caveats.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Help me choose: Skyrim vs Witcher 3 vs Fallout: New Vegas
- Thread starter Gorilla Shark
- Start date
Abilidebob
Member
Remember that after you finish TW3 you'll get The Witcher effect, where any game you try to play after it you'll be asking yourself why it isn't TW3. So as much as I love TW3 I'd play it after you finish the others.
Herp Derpington
Member
I can't recommend TW3 enough. It's such a well fleshed out story and believable world that going to anything else is a step back and hard to do. NV though is a fun world to run around in and it has a fairly interesting story. Still once you play TW3 it's going to be difficult to enjoy anything else on the same level.
Phrozenflame500
Member
If you liked Fallout 3 you'd probably love Fallout NV. You can't really go wrong with any of them honestly.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
Outside of maybe Breath of the Wild, The Witcher 3 might be the best game of the generation so far for me so yeah, I'm going to go with that.
EekumBokum
Member
Witcher 3 + DLC and you have a strong contender for game of this generation, and potentially of all time depending on how much it resonates with you.
plasmawave
Banned
NV. If you like exploration The Witcher 3 is not for you.
AnathemicOne
Banned
Divinity: Original Sin 2 obviously.
But in all seriousness (get D:OS2), if you want to mod and tailor your experience go for Skyrim. If you want an in-depth narrative go with Witcher 3.
But in all seriousness (get D:OS2), if you want to mod and tailor your experience go for Skyrim. If you want an in-depth narrative go with Witcher 3.
fluffydelusions
Member
He's playing on XB1 so no D:OS2 though I'd totally recommend that game to anyone with a gaming PC.
catpurrcat
Member
Coincidentally I did 4 hrs of skyrim and 4 hrs of witcher today, back to back, intros for both. Witcher is the way to go, from story to graphics to dialogue.
Both are a bit of a slog at the beginning though. Being weak is awful.
Both are a bit of a slog at the beginning though. Being weak is awful.
Baraka Obama
Banned
Witcher 3 because as much I love New Vegas the game is fucking hideous and filled with bugs.
I agree there is no real wrong answer here. So first wait for sale. Though as pointed out here you like Bethesda. The skyrim world/game is (to me) different than Fall Out. So its a good choice but I am going to go a bit different, since you have played 3 and 4 I would recommend going with Witcher simply because it's 'different' than the other ones. The world has a Skyrim flavor, it's very deep with lots of content, and its newer than the ones you are looking at. And repeat, you can't go wrong...wait for a sale.
I'm not sure I'd recommend New Vegas on a console, though on PC, with mainly bug-fixing mods, it IS one of the best games ever made.
I still put it a notch below The Witcher 3, anyway. Haven't played Skyrim yet.
As I side note, while in these threads people usually recommend you go for the best, I'd actually advise playing them from worst to best. Oldest to newest is not a bad order either when dealing with similar games, as the graphics get better and the games get QOL improvements.
I still put it a notch below The Witcher 3, anyway. Haven't played Skyrim yet.
As I side note, while in these threads people usually recommend you go for the best, I'd actually advise playing them from worst to best. Oldest to newest is not a bad order either when dealing with similar games, as the graphics get better and the games get QOL improvements.
Skyrim's plot, quest design, and overall writing are rote at best. Melee combat is a disaster, though archery is inoffensive. However, it is a very good "walking sim" as the kids say these days. Pick a direction, wander around, see the sights, check out a few dungeons and cities. Every once in a while you'll stumble on something surprising and cool. But don't check out too many dungeons or you'll realize that 90% are copy-pasta corridors.
I haven't played NV, but by reputation it is a bit like Skyrim in structure but with much stronger plot, writing and quest design. Some people say the world isn't as fun to wander around and get lost in, others disagree *shrug guy*.
Witcher 3 is a bit different than the other two in that it is a fundamentally a linear, story-driven RPG that happens to be set in an open world, rather than an open world game that happens to have a questline that is designated "the story". Plot and writing are top-notch, but quest design is a bit of a mixed bag -- there are a lot of great quests, mostly along (or branching off of) the critical path, but a lot of simplistic, repetitive "follow trail and kill monster" quests. However, even the repetitive side quests are elevated by the fantastic writing and world-building. Combat mechanics are also the strongest of the bunch, but some people hate hate hate the way Geralt controls.
Personally, I think Skyrim is pretty dated at this point. Now that open worlds are no longer novel, there's not much of anything it does better than the competition. NV is (probably) great but might feel rough and janky on console. But it's hard to go wrong with Witcher 3.
I haven't played NV, but by reputation it is a bit like Skyrim in structure but with much stronger plot, writing and quest design. Some people say the world isn't as fun to wander around and get lost in, others disagree *shrug guy*.
Witcher 3 is a bit different than the other two in that it is a fundamentally a linear, story-driven RPG that happens to be set in an open world, rather than an open world game that happens to have a questline that is designated "the story". Plot and writing are top-notch, but quest design is a bit of a mixed bag -- there are a lot of great quests, mostly along (or branching off of) the critical path, but a lot of simplistic, repetitive "follow trail and kill monster" quests. However, even the repetitive side quests are elevated by the fantastic writing and world-building. Combat mechanics are also the strongest of the bunch, but some people hate hate hate the way Geralt controls.
Personally, I think Skyrim is pretty dated at this point. Now that open worlds are no longer novel, there's not much of anything it does better than the competition. NV is (probably) great but might feel rough and janky on console. But it's hard to go wrong with Witcher 3.
Strangelove77
Member
Witcher 3 easily.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Fallout New Vegas by a light-year.
UnnecessaryTodd
Member
I haven't played Witcher 3 but I think it's the safest option of the three to have a good time.
Personally I think Skyrim is a failure of a game. It's so vast but there's no depth to anything. It's very cookie cutter for a lot of its content.
Fallout New Vegas has some fantastic quests and if you like the style of the Fallout post-apocalypse then it would definitely be my vote for the game to play, especially with the dlc and enhancement mods that exist.
Personally I think Skyrim is a failure of a game. It's so vast but there's no depth to anything. It's very cookie cutter for a lot of its content.
Fallout New Vegas has some fantastic quests and if you like the style of the Fallout post-apocalypse then it would definitely be my vote for the game to play, especially with the dlc and enhancement mods that exist.
I'm inclined right now to say NV has the best combination of all the things OP wants. It's got triple-digit hours worth of exploration and well-written quests with good characters. Witcher 3 has the same thing, probably to an even greater degree than NV.
"Customization" is where the decision gets complicated though. Witcher 3 probably has the least of that out of all three games -- you're playing as one character, though you have some choice in gear and character build. The combat isn't really the big focus of TW3 though. Skyrim might actually have the best degree of customization depending on what you want. It might be the best "sandbox" game out of all three -- with an environment that works just like Fallout 3. NV is built on the same engine but focuses more on "RPG" mechanics like character building and multi-path quests.
Out of the three games, right now I think NV might have the best or most balanced combination of exploration, story, quests, and customization. It should be noted though that out of the three, TW3 is the best "console game." You only really get the most potential out of NV and Skyrim on PC.
"Customization" is where the decision gets complicated though. Witcher 3 probably has the least of that out of all three games -- you're playing as one character, though you have some choice in gear and character build. The combat isn't really the big focus of TW3 though. Skyrim might actually have the best degree of customization depending on what you want. It might be the best "sandbox" game out of all three -- with an environment that works just like Fallout 3. NV is built on the same engine but focuses more on "RPG" mechanics like character building and multi-path quests.
Out of the three games, right now I think NV might have the best or most balanced combination of exploration, story, quests, and customization. It should be noted though that out of the three, TW3 is the best "console game." You only really get the most potential out of NV and Skyrim on PC.
poodaddy
Member
This and it's not even remotely close. Witcher 3 is your winner OP.
Complistic
Member
Another vote for Witcher 3, but you should find time to play new Vegas as well sometime after.
Masterspeed
Member
Well, in my opinion the Witcher 3 is literally the best video game ever created.
poodaddy
Member
Your opinion aligns with fact.
Do you want fantastic (side)quest design and proper roleplay potential? Go for New Vegas.
Do you want a great story and lovable/believable characters embedded in a well-realized fantasy world? Go for The Witcher 3.
Do you want to relax, explore, kill stuff, and be rewarded constantly for that loop? Go for Skyrim.
I immensely enjoyed all three for different reasons, so it's really a matter of what you want out of a game at this moment in time I think. You can't get an awesome story, great side quests, rewarding exploration, and customization all out of one of these games. Prioritize and choose, I'd say. Skyrim hits most of those marks, but is just not the best in the majority of them. If that's fine by you and you're just looking for something that combines all of that in a single fun package, then go for Skyrim by all means. However, I think that if you're willing to compromise in terms of exploration, New Vegas is the best option that combines most of what you're looking for. I found Witcher 3 a bit wanting in terms of its gameplay loop outside of the story and characters (which are phenomenal), even at the highest difficulty. Not super rewarding exploration either, but it had a lot of beautiful sights and variety; that's for sure.
I personally think that New Vegas is the best game (in the sense that it delivers the most compelling gameplay) of the bunch, closely followed by The Witcher 3 with Skyrim as a distant third. Nonetheless, there's a lot to love about all of them that's completely subjective.
You've indicated that you liked GTA V and BotW a lot. From my perspective, the uniting factor between GTA V and BotW is the malleability of their gameplay through the layering of various mechanics/rulesets as well as the potential for experimentation to bear unexpectedly hilarious fruit. I think you'll find that reflected best in New Vegas, even though you've mentioned that to be potentially problematic. It's super easy to run on a modest PC though (and cheap as chips), if that's an option at all. I think you'll be fine with BC though, especially if you read up on the most common bugs by googling around.
I should note that all of my experience with these games is based on their PC versions, so I dunno how 'compromised' they were to make them run on consoles. Additionally, my love for the characters in The Witcher 3 stems from having gone through the previous games in the series as well, and that definitely had a multiplicative effect on my enjoyment of their presence and characterization in TW3.
Do you want a great story and lovable/believable characters embedded in a well-realized fantasy world? Go for The Witcher 3.
Do you want to relax, explore, kill stuff, and be rewarded constantly for that loop? Go for Skyrim.
I immensely enjoyed all three for different reasons, so it's really a matter of what you want out of a game at this moment in time I think. You can't get an awesome story, great side quests, rewarding exploration, and customization all out of one of these games. Prioritize and choose, I'd say. Skyrim hits most of those marks, but is just not the best in the majority of them. If that's fine by you and you're just looking for something that combines all of that in a single fun package, then go for Skyrim by all means. However, I think that if you're willing to compromise in terms of exploration, New Vegas is the best option that combines most of what you're looking for. I found Witcher 3 a bit wanting in terms of its gameplay loop outside of the story and characters (which are phenomenal), even at the highest difficulty. Not super rewarding exploration either, but it had a lot of beautiful sights and variety; that's for sure.
I personally think that New Vegas is the best game (in the sense that it delivers the most compelling gameplay) of the bunch, closely followed by The Witcher 3 with Skyrim as a distant third. Nonetheless, there's a lot to love about all of them that's completely subjective.
You've indicated that you liked GTA V and BotW a lot. From my perspective, the uniting factor between GTA V and BotW is the malleability of their gameplay through the layering of various mechanics/rulesets as well as the potential for experimentation to bear unexpectedly hilarious fruit. I think you'll find that reflected best in New Vegas, even though you've mentioned that to be potentially problematic. It's super easy to run on a modest PC though (and cheap as chips), if that's an option at all. I think you'll be fine with BC though, especially if you read up on the most common bugs by googling around.
I should note that all of my experience with these games is based on their PC versions, so I dunno how 'compromised' they were to make them run on consoles. Additionally, my love for the characters in The Witcher 3 stems from having gone through the previous games in the series as well, and that definitely had a multiplicative effect on my enjoyment of their presence and characterization in TW3.
StereoVsn
Member
Overall on a console I would go with Witcher 3 followed maybe by Skyrim depending on mod availability to fix a lot of things.
If a PC is available (doesn't have to be new by any means) then I would actually go with New Vegas with some mods to fix issues and spruce up the graphics.
If a PC is available (doesn't have to be new by any means) then I would actually go with New Vegas with some mods to fix issues and spruce up the graphics.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Haven't played NV as I don't care about Fallout. But Witcher 3 is just lightyears ahead of Skyrim in every way. Playing Skyrim after Witcher 3 feels like going 15 years back in time, to clunky shit controls.
JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
I think Witcher 3 is the best of those but Jesus they're all great and you should make an effort to play all three. New Vegas would be my second choice.
TheAdmiester
Member
New Vegas easily.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
This is one of the toughest choices ever.
In this case since you like story and quests, I would recommend The Witcher 3. Skyrim is an equally good game but in the story department it's sparse compared to The Witcher 3.
Honestly though all 3 are great games and once you finish one, I would recommend picking up another one from the list.
In this case since you like story and quests, I would recommend The Witcher 3. Skyrim is an equally good game but in the story department it's sparse compared to The Witcher 3.
Honestly though all 3 are great games and once you finish one, I would recommend picking up another one from the list.
This right here.
Though if just playing on an Xbox and not PC with mods, TW3 will definitely be the more smooth experience. Vanilla NV is still awesome, but the modding community really did a lot to make the game really shine and stay relevant graphically all these years later.