Fallout: New Vegas - Dead Money

 PC
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 241 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 101 out of 241
  2. Mixed: 75 out of 241
  3. Negative: 65 out of 241

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  1. JimCorbett
    Apr 30, 2013
    5
    I didn't really care for this DLC. The enemies are boring and the environment is boring as well. You don't have many decisions to make and when you do choose, you don't really feel like you did something (whether it be good or bad) like you did in the core game.
  2. JaydenPickens
    Feb 20, 2019
    6
    Loved the story and the new characters, but besides that everything else was worse than in the main game. Didn't like the survival elements and mutants, that can't be killed unless you stab them with melee weapon. This really made the encounters with enemies more annoying than fun. Also those unkillable holograms... whoever came up with this idea, should be stuck in a box and sent toLoved the story and the new characters, but besides that everything else was worse than in the main game. Didn't like the survival elements and mutants, that can't be killed unless you stab them with melee weapon. This really made the encounters with enemies more annoying than fun. Also those unkillable holograms... whoever came up with this idea, should be stuck in a box and sent to space, because in space no one can hear you scream... I mean breathe... there's no air and you'll die. Still this dlc is not bad, play it. Pickens approves!… Expand
  3. squidgee
    Aug 5, 2012
    5
    I didn't really like this dlc. Lasting around 5-6 hours, I found the environments later to be repetitive and the quests required you to backtrack a lot which made the gameplay rather tedious. I also felt that this dlc was very stealth oriented as some of the enemies you can't even fight back. Luckily I had a decent sneak skill so this wasn't too much of an issue, but I can imagine howI didn't really like this dlc. Lasting around 5-6 hours, I found the environments later to be repetitive and the quests required you to backtrack a lot which made the gameplay rather tedious. I also felt that this dlc was very stealth oriented as some of the enemies you can't even fight back. Luckily I had a decent sneak skill so this wasn't too much of an issue, but I can imagine how frustrating the holograms would be for players who didn't invest in sneak a lot. Story is good at least and the characters are somewhat interesting. Still by the time I finished Dead Money I still felt it was kinda disappointing.… Expand
  4. jbell0385
    Aug 31, 2014
    5
    Good:
    - Strips you of all equipment (refreshing twist)
    - Interesting story and characters. Bad: - Gameplay pacing is horrible. Speakers, poison fog, mazes, keys, and bear traps slow your progression to a snail pace. The dlc needs to be rebalanced to speed up the pacing a bit. Explanation: The stories are very intriguing as always in the New Vegas world. You will find little    Good:
    - Strips you of all equipment (refreshing twist)
    - Interesting story and characters.

    Bad:
    - Gameplay pacing is horrible. Speakers, poison fog, mazes, keys, and bear traps slow your progression to a snail pace. The dlc needs to be rebalanced to speed up the pacing a bit.

    Explanation:
    The stories are very intriguing as always in the New Vegas world. You will find little notes and voice recordings here and there that cement you into the world.

    However, the story progression gets incredibly bogged down by the horrible new obstacles introduced in Dead Money. Every new mechanic introduced in Dead Money primarily slows the gameplay down. For example, there are radios sprinkled throughout that restrict you from going into a particular region. It feels like playing Monopoly but making a rule that you have to divide every dice roll by 2. The gameplay mechanics don't add more excitement - instead they add more frustration and boredom.

    If you're on the fence about spending money on this, I would say "no".    … Expand
  5. DeusXCom
    Aug 3, 2014
    7
    The first New Vegas DLC I played and it started pretty good. Original idea, new characters and overall the entire story and writing are a really of high quality. As for the fun factor, that's not as awesome and even gets into the frustrating territory in some places, but it's still a good try for a Fallout survival horror, worth playing and memorable unique experience. 7/10
  6. EchoingHell
    Nov 18, 2011
    5
    A disappointing DLC, to say the least. I fear that the long and, dare I say it, boring storyline is repetitive and exceedingly tedious. The tense gameplay and constant sense of anticipation makes for good thrills early on, but the incessant state is definitely annoying as it continues. However, the addon was really well made with a storyline that was gripping and intriguing but, theA disappointing DLC, to say the least. I fear that the long and, dare I say it, boring storyline is repetitive and exceedingly tedious. The tense gameplay and constant sense of anticipation makes for good thrills early on, but the incessant state is definitely annoying as it continues. However, the addon was really well made with a storyline that was gripping and intriguing but, the gameplay was terrible to say the least. I think 5 is far too much based upon the gameplay but the storyline brings the average suitably close. I would not recommend this addon to anyone excluding speed-runners.… Expand
  7. Courier101
    Dec 26, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good...lord, first DLC...and i think bethesda tried to let everyone die for a while, SPOILERS!!! yay
    first off, you start with no gear, no stimpacks and no GUNS, you have a jumpsuit and a holorifle, (pump action energy weapon Woo!!) with about 20 rounds, then you have to run around, dodging poisonous clouds, creatures you have to cripple just to kill, and with that explosive collar around your neck...not listen to any music or you explode, starts out fun, its a new dlc hell yeah, quickly though. you lose everything, then when you have to save people...oops, you need speech and bartering skills, and honestly...who leveled that stuff, so if your not grinding out trying to boost your speech, you may never get out of there, all in all, annoying, but fun, oh...and greed is only human, but if you dont hurry up...BOOM    … Expand
  8. hodub
    Jun 8, 2012
    5
    This DLC was probably the most tedious of the four for Fallout: New Vegas. The environments are dark and dank, and hazards are everywhere. It's generally quite easy to die, and most enemies can only be killed by decapitation or dismemberment. Some are completely immune to direct attack, but can be "removed" by other means. The redeeming factor is that you get a couple of nice modifiableThis DLC was probably the most tedious of the four for Fallout: New Vegas. The environments are dark and dank, and hazards are everywhere. It's generally quite easy to die, and most enemies can only be killed by decapitation or dismemberment. Some are completely immune to direct attack, but can be "removed" by other means. The redeeming factor is that you get a couple of nice modifiable weapons and decent armor to take back with you to the Mojave.… Expand
  9. Tysn
    Feb 27, 2011
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While Dead Money features both a well written storyline and interesting set of characters, it is dragged down by a few serious design flaws. The problem isn't that the gameplay is slower paced, it's that the means of making it so end up being extremely tedious as the game goes on. The first problem is in the design of the Villa, which has almost no variance in architecture and makes up over half of the DLC. Areas look so similar that it doesn't even feel like you're exploring, instead it's like running around a hedge maze. The second problem is with the speakers mechanic, where you have to either run past the speakers or destroy them to avoid death. The problem with this is that you have no idea whether or not the speakers in a particular section are meant to be destroyed or ran past. This inevitably means that in most speaker sections, you have to run around looking for the speaker to see whether or not it is destroyable. But because the time you have before death is very short, it's almost guaranteed that you will die by that time if you don't know exactly where the speaker is, resulting in an endless string of quicksave-quickloads for all the speaker sections, which are present throughout the entire DLC.

    Overall it's a shame that these problems exist because as mentioned, the storyline is actually pretty good. But the gameplay leading up to those parts just feels like a chore.    … Expand
  10. braeden
    Jul 9, 2014
    5
    Pros: Unlike in 'Old world blues' you actually get ammo, stimpaks and other basic stuff pretty nicely. The enemies (although generic and boring) are also better balanced and it doesn't take gazillion shots just to kill one.

    Cons: Pretty much everything else. Level design is boring, dialog is boring, lots of pointless running around and all your equipment is taken away (stuff you get is    Pros: Unlike in 'Old world blues' you actually get ammo, stimpaks and other basic stuff pretty nicely. The enemies (although generic and boring) are also better balanced and it doesn't take gazillion shots just to kill one.

    Cons: Pretty much everything else. Level design is boring, dialog is boring, lots of pointless running around and all your equipment is taken away (stuff you get is very basic). To add to the fun, you have exploding collar on you neck which explodes every time you fail to destroy or avoid transmitters placed everywhere (which often are more or less hidden). Basically lots of repetition and loading save games. So much fun!

    If you want to try the DLCs I would recommend the 'Old world blues', which is easily the best (read: least bad) one. If you like it, then maybe try the other ones.    … Expand
  11. PrincessRose
    Dec 5, 2014
    6
    At first I was thrilled for this DLC it just seemed so tense and suspenseful, I thought wow this is great fun. That feeling of fun did not last for long as it became tedious and frustrating. I rather unique concept though.

    I usually enjoy lengthy gameplay, but felt this dragged on way too long and I felt glad when I finished it. I would not have bought this DLC, but I got the ultimate    At first I was thrilled for this DLC it just seemed so tense and suspenseful, I thought wow this is great fun. That feeling of fun did not last for long as it became tedious and frustrating. I rather unique concept though.

    I usually enjoy lengthy gameplay, but felt this dragged on way too long and I felt glad when I finished it.
    I would not have bought this DLC, but I got the ultimate edition of FNV which included all DLC for only $5 extra. That said Iam still likely to play it on other characters just because of the cool loot you get.    … Expand
  12. whitespider999
    Mar 3, 2012
    6
    Hit and miss. It does some interesting things badly. It removes what makes the original game so liberating and mixes in some new styles that don't work - however are refreshing. It's frustrating, yet kind of cool. Again, it's worth getting all the dlc for this game. This is ultimately a weak link - however it's worth playing.
  13. Chapa9dj
    May 23, 2011
    7
    Quite frustrating but entertaining as well.
    Got to admit, i was expecting something a little bit better.
    Still, i think it's well worth the $10 buck.
    I must have played it for over 7 hours.
  14. White-Drow
    Nov 1, 2012
    7
    I played it on hardcore, on hard and, at least at the beginning, it was not a cake walk by any means. You're naked bar some grease monkey suit and a collar and you just have to compulsively scavenge fountains for some casino tokens to buy food and whatnot. Granted later on that feeling of having to be on your toes and go against "ghosts" and hostile environment that literally eats youI played it on hardcore, on hard and, at least at the beginning, it was not a cake walk by any means. You're naked bar some grease monkey suit and a collar and you just have to compulsively scavenge fountains for some casino tokens to buy food and whatnot. Granted later on that feeling of having to be on your toes and go against "ghosts" and hostile environment that literally eats you alive with next to bare hands, wanes quite dramatically, mainly because of the too much med packs and stuff you pick up along the way. But still it can be quite challenging. Also some unique features compared to vanilla and other dlcs make things more interesting: find holotransmitter to kill immortal holograms, dissmember ghosts or they rise again, find and destroy speakers before your head pops off and the like. Npcs are also miles more memorable then, say "honest hearts" had and couple of them are old acquaitances from "old world blues" and BoS questline and have some interesting revelations about them. Overall: Good: Interesting mechanics, npcs and gear, difficulty (at first), decent story and lore about your companions. Bad: Difficulty (halfway through it just turns from hard to easy), lack of enemies (you got ghosts, holos and that's it), dissapointing main baddie (he threatens you, then he's almost apologizing, then he's explaining everything like a teacher, then he threatens again, makes no sense), lame last fight (psst... Bethesda... gre-nades. Ok? Sitting behind the boxes and finishing fight in full health, when he has turrets on his side is not my idea of "great" fight. It's lame is what that was.)… Expand
  15. SolidCenturio
    Jan 27, 2017
    6
    Dead Money is how a realistic Fallout game would've felt like, since scarcity of supplies and environmental hazards actually come into play. It's a great addition to the base game because of its tragic story, a unique and perilous setting, as well as new weapons and armor that's somewhat stronger than those found in the wasteland. If you're playing on hardcore difficulty and found that theDead Money is how a realistic Fallout game would've felt like, since scarcity of supplies and environmental hazards actually come into play. It's a great addition to the base game because of its tragic story, a unique and perilous setting, as well as new weapons and armor that's somewhat stronger than those found in the wasteland. If you're playing on hardcore difficulty and found that the Mojave isn't that hard, you'll definitely be challenged by the Sierra Madre Casino, because you are stripped of your inventory when entering the place, the poisonous air takes a bit of your health away every second, and the enemies won't die unless you tear off their limbs from their body. There's also the matter of managing your food, water, and sleep, so you really have to manage your resources well. Overall, a good and challenging DLC, offering everything for those who play for the story, gameplay, or both.

    And there you have it.    … Expand
  16. AkumaJack
    Apr 24, 2017
    7
    Is not a bad DLC. The gameplay is rather boring maybe but the setting is good. (reminded me of the first Bioshock somehow). The story is nice too but this one, along side with lonesome road, is more "linear" than both base game and the other two dlcs. still good imo.
  17. NathanKallis
    Aug 11, 2017
    5
    5/10 (Play it)

    Dead Money takes a more survival focus as the Courier is forced to make it through the Sierra Madre. From the start the player will have to endure extremely difficult obstacles, with less of a focus on fighting your enemies, but rather trying to navigate the ruins of the resort to complete the quest-line. Resources are far more limited then in any other part of the game,    5/10 (Play it)

    Dead Money takes a more survival focus as the Courier is forced to make it through the Sierra Madre. From the start the player will have to endure extremely difficult obstacles, with less of a focus on fighting your enemies, but rather trying to navigate the ruins of the resort to complete the quest-line. Resources are far more limited then in any other part of the game, and there are portions and features in this DLC that are just not fine-tuned enough to work correctly, resulting in infuriating deaths that don't feel to be the player's fault. Besides the flaws in the gameplay, the story is a good tie in to some events that are mentioned in the base game. The environment gives a very gloomy look, but still shows the player the charm and beauty of what the resort was like in the past. The companions are nothing special, as they serve more as a way to progress the story rather then be a companion to the player. This DLC introduces a lot of interesting concepts and story hidden within the world, and it should satisfy anyone who is into a more survival based playstyle. Despite the frustrations I had with it, I did enjoy it somewhat when I looked past the frustrating parts and the unpolished or seemingly unfair sections of the game. It is definitely worth playing through at least once, for the unique experience it brings to New Vegas as well as for its story.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. CPUGamer
    Jun 26, 2011
    70
    For ten dollars, I had enough content to enjoy myself and certainly liked it more than some of the other Fallout related DLC I have completed in the past.
    Read full review
  2. GameShark
    Mar 31, 2011
    83
    Really, though, it's the characters, not to mention their well done dialog, and story resolution that make the DLC something any fan of the main game should experience.
    Read full review
  3. PC Games (Russia)
    Mar 21, 2011
    80
    Chris Avellone and his team at Obsidian are great storytellers. They managed to create a thrilling and captivating experience that will make you remember why you once loved Planescape: Torment. [Apr 2011, p.95]
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