A few years ago, I stepped into the shoes of the Courier, and ventured into the Mojave Wasteland. I made friends, made even more enemies, and brought peace to the New Vegas strip. For me, this as continuing a long tradition of traversing the wastes. I grew up with Fallout, even going so far as to play that atrocious Xbox game 'Brotherhood of Steel' that came out years back. For me, the wastelands has long since been home.

My wife, on the other hand, is a recent convert. Not just to the wastelands, but to a lot of gaming in general. I Introduced her some months ago to Skyrim, and a few hundred hours of game-time later, I think it's safe to say it's been a hit. Eventually, though, Alduin had fallen, the civil war was over, Lord Harkon was slain, and Miraak was put in his place. Mods can only get you so far for adding to the game, and eventually, you just, well, run out of game to play.

Then the Steam Winter Sale rears it's head, and Fallout: New Vegas is a whopping $2.49. At that price, I figure I'm not really out anything if she doesn't like it, and, if nothing else, two and a half bucks is a hell of a deal for a nostalgia trip. So, I boot it up for her, put the controller in her hand, and sat back. As the opening cinematic rolled, I looked at Benny like an old friend. A butthole of an old friend, but an old friend nonetheless. I get to watch as she jumps when Benny shoots you, and laugh as Doc Mitchell examined her. I even took the time to install a mod that allows you to answer 'two bears high-fiving' to the last test, because, seriously, it's two bears high-fiving.

It's always an interesting thing to see, watching someone delve into unfamiliar territory. Here was a woman that laughed as she fought two and three dragons at a time suddenly run from anklebiting praying mantises. It's easy to forget sometimes that these kinds of games can go vastly different with the decisions of two different players. I lamented a bit when she decided that Primm was safest in the hands of the NCR, and elated when she welcomed the Legion in Nipton with a shower of dynamite instead of running off to 'spread the word of the glory of the Legion'. I was proud when she sent Jason Bright and his brotherhood to the skies, instead of simply getting rid of the ghoul problem. She even did one better than me, and negotiated a truce in Boulder city, instead of leaving a trail of bodies. With the exception of the Legion, she has not made an enemy of anyone yet, even going so far as to become friends with the Powder Gangers.

I've had to fight the urge to funnel her towards the same conclusions I made, as the beauty of this game is that it is her journey, and not mine. I may disagree with how she handles one situation or another, but, taking the path that she's on, I'm excited to see just how many people answer her call when the Battle of Hoover Dam comes calling. I regret nothing when it came to my time in the Mojave, but, I'll admit, I was pretty lonely come time to face the music. It'll be good to see what it's like when you actually have favors to call in.