provides for the populace

Along the way, you can choose to either side with the New California Republic, a group of

lawmen and soldiers who want to bring order to the Mojave desert, or Caesar's Legion, slave

drivers who take their practices from the Roman Empire, though it's more Caesar's Palace

Casino than Chariots of Fire, with legionnaires in football pads led by Emperor Caesar

(pronounced Kay-sar), both of which want control of the Hoover Dam, and the energy it

provides for the populace. marked cards


Character interaction is also emphasized, with Reputation taking the place of Karma.

Whenever you finish a quest or simply attack the wrong person, in addition to gaining karma,

you have a chance to gain fame or infamy with a certain organization, such as small towns or

even entire governments.


Notable gameplay changes include the addition of iron sights to weapons, so free aiming has

come a long way from the pseudo-zoom-in present in Fallout 3. There is also a brand new

Hardcore Mode.

Hardcore Mode is for the dedicated Fallout players, as sleeping, eating and drinking are all

required, and the player can only heal themselves with help of a doctor or with the right

skills. Companions can also be ordered around now, with a new Companion Wheel making partner

management a lot easier.

"New Vegas," of course, has gambling minigames available for those who are feeling lucky,

but if you're too good you'Welcome to the Rileys" — Kristen Stewart, her sexuality so bound

up in vampire-induced abstinence in the "Twilight" films, makes up for lost time here. In

director Jake Scott's film (son of Ridley), she plays Mallory, a 16-year-old New Orleans  infrared contact lenses

stripper who dabbles in prostitution. Visiting businessman Doug Riley (James Gandolfini)

stumbles upon her. Still hurting from the death of his 15-year-old daughter with his wife

Lois (Melissa Leo), he plays father and reformer to Mallory. The scenes between them are the

best parts of the film. With a believable and not overstated Southern accent, the always

excellent Gandolfini is a lovable lug. Stewart, in what may be her best performance yet,

warms to his caring while vacillating between hard rage. But when Lois arrives, she upsets

their wonderful dynamic, and the movie's final third loses its equilibrium. The fine acting

and Scott's slow, natural build hides the film's outlandish underpinnings. The save-the-

prostitute-with-a-golden-heart cliche treads too obviously. 110 minutes. Two and a half

stars out of four.