Story-wise it's absolutely fantastic. Gameplay-wise its not my favourite.
As a setting, the Sierra Madre is an absolute triumph. The blood red skies and haunting sound design accompany a staggeringly dense series of levels. Its a uniquely bleak atmosphere for an already bleak and melancholic game. The lack of Fallout's usual levity is especially evident in the companions. They are all uniquely scarred both physically and mentally. The only one of the three with any sense of humor is Dean Domino, but even he is revealed to be the despicable mastermind of the entire Sierra Madre scheme. The story's overt themes of letting go to begin anew links all three companions, and their stories are all quite compelling.
This bleakness is also weaved into the gameplay, and while it does aid in the oppressiveness of the atmosphere it isn't exactly fun to play. The devs took New Vegas' core gameplay and created a sort of halfway point between the normal and hardcore modes. It's a more survival oriented experience but doesn't fully commit. Combat gets pretty repetitive as well, as there is only 3 new enemy types which all look the same. There is also a much greater focus on melee combat, which is much less dynamic than gunplay.
I also swear that the games already prominent technical issues went into overdrive. My number of crashes was easily in the double digits and I persistent issues with the audio cutting out. Unfortunately no part of this game will let you forget it's rushed development.
Overall this is a very creative DLC. The story is amazingly well written and the setting is a true achievement, but the gameplay gets stale over it's runtime. A solid start to a strong lineup of expansions.
As a setting, the Sierra Madre is an absolute triumph. The blood red skies and haunting sound design accompany a staggeringly dense series of levels. Its a uniquely bleak atmosphere for an already bleak and melancholic game. The lack of Fallout's usual levity is especially evident in the companions. They are all uniquely scarred both physically and mentally. The only one of the three with any sense of humor is Dean Domino, but even he is revealed to be the despicable mastermind of the entire Sierra Madre scheme. The story's overt themes of letting go to begin anew links all three companions, and their stories are all quite compelling.
This bleakness is also weaved into the gameplay, and while it does aid in the oppressiveness of the atmosphere it isn't exactly fun to play. The devs took New Vegas' core gameplay and created a sort of halfway point between the normal and hardcore modes. It's a more survival oriented experience but doesn't fully commit. Combat gets pretty repetitive as well, as there is only 3 new enemy types which all look the same. There is also a much greater focus on melee combat, which is much less dynamic than gunplay.
I also swear that the games already prominent technical issues went into overdrive. My number of crashes was easily in the double digits and I persistent issues with the audio cutting out. Unfortunately no part of this game will let you forget it's rushed development.
Overall this is a very creative DLC. The story is amazingly well written and the setting is a true achievement, but the gameplay gets stale over it's runtime. A solid start to a strong lineup of expansions.