Great action RPG gaming experience, set in the not-so-common post apocalyptic environment that characterizes the Fallout[fallout.wikia.com] franchise. New Vegas offers players a chance to embody the Courier, a man (or woman) carving their way throughout the Mojave desert in pursuit of a man in a checkered suit who stole from you, shot you twice in the head, and left you for dead, buried in a shallow grave.
The plot is fairly devised, with multiple choice main and side quests, though sometimes the developers force you to take actions you normally wouldn't to advance the story. Also, New Vegas is riddled with bugs, both annoying and game-breaking. Thankfully, the immense community of modders[newvegas.nexusmods.com] has always been there to help fix and add content to the game. I highly recommend patching the game using the Unnoficcial Patches, as they fix a lot of problems the official patches didn't. Feel free to peruse the Nexus mod inventory, you won't be dissapointed.
As for the gameplay, players from Fallout 3 shouldn't have a problem adapting to this game, but it can be though for new people because of the hit-squads... New Vegas features a faction reputation system that changes through your actions, improving relations if you help a community or going to hell if you start killing them. Depending on who you side with, who you help, what you do, or even how you do it, your faction reputation changes. And if it seeps too low, kaboom! The faction and their allies now send hunting parties after you, to make sure you don't bother them anymore. Moreover, if you play in Hardcore Mode, your character will need to eat, drink, and sleep, or they will get increasingly negative penalties to their abilities that will ultimately lead to their death, unless taken care of. It's not as easy as it sounds, especially if you are hurt, out of provisions, or behind the enemy lines.
All in all, Fallout: New Vegas is a great game (provided that it is patched and/or modded), and will provide hardcore games many hours of entertainment. It also has a high degree of replayability, allowing players to use different characters, and solve problems through different approaches. Highly reccomended!