Fallout: New Vegas is an open-world role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic Mojave Desert, where players navigate the politics and dangers surrounding a fought-over Las Vegas standing in for the old world's excess. Faction choices, dialogue, and V.A.T.S.-assisted combat shape a branching story.

Deep role-playing systems let players build a character around combat, speech, or survival skills, with the outcome of the game's central conflict shifting dramatically based on which factions the player chooses to support.