Fallout New Vegas Finally Feels Like Real Vegas
Fallout New Vegas is a classic PC RPG that many players still love, but one part of the game has always felt a bit underwhelming: the New Vegas strip itself. The casinos are stylish but strangely quiet, the streets are mostly empty, and for a place inspired by Las Vegas there is one glaring omission. You cannot play poker.
For over a decade players have been limited to slot machines, blackjack, and roulette. Those games fit the casino theme, but they miss one of the most iconic parts of real world gambling. Thankfully, a new mod steps in to fix that and make the Mojave feel a lot more like the Vegas we know today.
Modder W00Z has released a Fallout New Vegas mod called wGames Introducing Video Poker that adds fully functional video poker machines to the casinos across the strip. It is a small change on paper, but it makes the in game casinos feel much more alive and authentic for PC gamers still roaming the wasteland.
How Video Poker Works In Fallout New Vegas
The mod adds a classic form of video poker known as Jacks or Better. If you have ever used a real casino video poker terminal you will feel right at home with how it plays in game.
- You approach a video poker terminal and place your bet in caps.
- The machine deals you five cards.
- You click on the cards you want to hold.
- The remaining cards are discarded and replaced.
- Your final hand determines how many caps you win.
The lowest paying winning hand is a pair of jacks which simply returns your money. Higher ranking hands such as two pair, three of a kind, a straight, a flush and stronger combinations start to pay out more significantly. It recreates the exact rhythm of real video poker but tucked neatly into the Fallout New Vegas world.
The mod integrates naturally with the game. New video poker terminals are added to the major casinos including:
- The Tops
- Gomorrah
- The Atomic Wrangler
- Other casinos across New Vegas
There is a nice attention to detail too. The card backs you see on the machines are themed to match each casino. That means the machines in The Tops will not look exactly like the ones in the Ultra Luxe, which helps each location feel more distinct during your play sessions.
Customization Options For PC Players
Because this is a PC mod, you get a range of options to tweak the experience so it fits your style of play. One of the most interesting choices involves the Luck stat from Fallout New Vegas. Normally your character's Luck affects the odds in casino games, giving high Luck characters a better chance at walking away rich.
With this mod you can choose to disable the effect of Luck on video poker entirely. That creates a more traditional casino experience where the odds are less affected by your character build and more in line with standard video poker math. If you like role playing a high Luck gambler you can leave it enabled, but if you want a purer challenge where the house edge feels more realistic you can turn it off.
The developer also lets you customize the visual and audio style of the machines. You can pick between:
- A classic blue screen look that feels like many real world casino terminals.
- A green monochrome style that looks more like something built from salvaged pre war tech.
Beyond the color palette you can adjust the sounds and the speed of the machines. If you want fast dealing and snappy hands you can speed things up. If you want a slower more relaxed pace while you wander around the casino floor, you can tone it down.
There is even a setting related to the Ultra Luxe, the most refined casino on the strip. In the base game it positions itself as a classy high end establishment and does not lean heavily on the same slot filled atmosphere as the others. The mod lets you decide whether the Ultra Luxe should also install video poker terminals or stay more exclusive and old fashioned.
Why This Mod Is Worth Installing On Your Rig
For PC gamers still playing Fallout New Vegas or returning with a modded setup, this video poker add on is a simple way to make the strip feel fresher and more believable. It gives you another reason to hang out in the casinos beyond grinding blackjack or testing your luck at the roulette wheel.
Video poker is a big part of the real casino experience in cities like Las Vegas, Reno, and Atlantic City. Bringing that into New Vegas helps bridge the gap between the games setting and the real world inspiration behind it. It also adds a fun new activity to break up quests, exploration, and combat. After a tough battle in the Mojave you can wander back to the strip, grab a seat at a terminal and see if you can turn a few spare caps into a fortune.
Like many advanced mods, wGames Introducing Video Poker does rely on a chain of other mods and frameworks. Before installing it on your PC you should carefully read the description and requirements on its Nexus Mods page. Make sure you install the listed dependencies in the correct order to avoid crashes or conflicts with your existing mod setup.
If your Steam library is feeling a bit quiet, this is also a good reminder that PC gaming has an almost endless stream of mods and enhancements to revive your favorite titles. From new mechanics like this video poker system to total overhauls, PC players always have tools to reshape their games in creative ways.
If you have a stable modded Fallout New Vegas build already running smoothly on your system, adding video poker is an easy recommendation. It makes the casinos more compelling, it fits perfectly with the setting, and it gives you one more reason to boot this classic back up on your gaming PC.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/15-years-later-a-heroic-modder-has-finally-added-video-poker-to-fallout-new-vegas/
