I love Fallout New Vegas. To be fair, I love all the Fallout games – I’m not looking at you, Brotherhood of Steel – sit down. Plenty agree, with it consistently ranking at the top among many fans of the series, so much it’s pretty much become a meme at this point. That said, I wouldn’t be a true Fallout New Vegas fan if I didn’t admit that it’s got some big problems, with tons of bugs that can get stuck in your craw unless you download the right mods. How it feels can also turn many away, but one modder has released a big animation overhaul that helps it feel much more up-to-date.
Mod maker Wombat has recently released the Enhanced Locomotion mod for Fallout New Vegas, and it’s done wonders for the post-apocalyptic RPG. Overhauling all first-person animations, it makes the game feel slicker and smoother, with much less rigid movement. One of the core achievements with this mod is how it integrates with the existing New Vegas experience – animation lengths are maintained so the balance and gameplay remains unaffected, it’ll just feel a heck of a lot better.
It doesn’t take long using the mod or watching a video to pick up just how complementary yet revolutionary this mod is, especially if – like me – you’ve spent years of your life tucked away in the Mojave Wasteland. Weapon sway and how your character strafes, runs, and hops about feels much more naturalistic. You don’t realize how static the game’s movement once was until you see it changed, and now I wonder if I’ll ever be able to go back to how it was before.
Hopefully this will help ameliorate some of the issues many Fallout fans have with the game, especially those weaned on later entries like Fallout 4 or Fallout 76. It’s sometimes hard to check out an earlier title in the series and fully immerse yourself in it, especially when that experience is admittedly a little janky. Mods like this preserve the core experience while giving newer players a way in, and that can only be a good thing. With the Fallout 5 release date still hiding somewhere over the horizon, heading back to the series’ high points is a great way to pass the time while you wait.
In addition to movement improvements this mod also fixes some animation-related issues that have plagued the game since release, such as the cessation of momentum when jumping sideways with a melee weapon.
You can head over to Nexus Mods to grab the full Enhanced Locomotion mod here, or if you’re looking for something else our guide to the best Fallout New Vegas mods will surely be of assistance.
Should you want to try a different direction, our list of the best apocalypse games on PC will help you find your next favorite game, and our best story games guide will find you that gaming narrative you crave.
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