logo

izigame.me

It may take some time when the page for viewing is loaded for the first time...

izigame.me

cover-Fallout: New Vegas - Honest Hearts

Saturday, September 17, 2022 2:47:53 AM

Fallout: New Vegas - Honest Hearts Review (Barnaky)


Honest Hearts is Underrated

I know this DLC is remembered fondly by most if not all FNV fans but it's quite overlooked when compared to Old World Blues and Lonesome Road and for good reason.
HH (Honest Hearts) is a really good DLC but unfortunately it is the most lacking in terms of content and even in the story department when compared to the others. (Not that the story sucks at all, it's just short)
In this guide, I'll be touching on:

Story
Our Main Characters
Main Conflict in Zion
Daniel is dumb. (My Criticisms)

As usual, MAJOR STORY SPOILERS! Don't read if you care about that sorta thing. Let's begin.

"Honest Hearts brings honest actions." (Story)

FNV's second DLC, Honest Hearts explores stories that we haven't seen in Fallout up to this point. It was written by lead writer, John Gonzalez and creative director on FNV, Josh Sawyer.
Though the theme is vaguely similar to Fallout 2 with all the tribals, it sets itself apart very well.
HH is about faith and old world values and traditions, though this is mostly background stuff, HH is really about the fate of the inhabitants of Zion national park.
You meet many characters but the most compelling ones are Joshua Graham and Daniel to an extent... (More on that in a second)
HH has you going with the Happy Trails Caravan to go make contact with New Canaan after having radio silence from one side for some time.
Happy Trails is in some serious need of money so the trip is a last-ditch effort to save the company from going out of business.
You arrive in Utah at Zion national park and it is probably the coolest location you can go to in FNV because of how much of a contrast it is to New Vegas both geographically and thematically.
As you're taking in the view of the valley, you're ambushed by a tribe named the White Legs, a warlike tribe. You are randomly aided by a friendly tribal named Follows-Chalk.
Follows-Chalk takes you to Joshua Graham and he basically says "I understand you want to leave this place but you gotta help us first." You're given a fetch quest and told to give the items you find to Daniel.
Daniel also has some stuff for you to do when you meet him but let's talk about Joshua and Daniel.
Joshua Graham is a compelling character.
He is a former member of Caesar's Legion who was held responsible for the Legion defeat at first battle for the Hoover Dam and for his failure he was set on fire and thrown into the Grand Canyon despite being one of, if not the most toughest bastard the Legion had.
Graham is interesting because after surviving instead of exacting revenge on Caesar, he's left that part of his life behind and became a war chief for the Dead Horse tribe.
Graham is really cool but let's talk about Daniel.
Daniel is a New Canaanite missionary, a pacifistic man who cares deeply about helping the world through the love of his God. He is in charge of the Sorrows, a tribe that shares a similar sentiments and values as Daniel.

Main Conflict in Zion

The main conflict in HH is about the White Legs, a tribe that's vying for the chance to join in the Legion's ranks and in order to do that their goal is take control of Zion and kill all the Dead Horses and Sorrows.
How you can do this is presented through Joshua and Daniel. It's served not in a grey area or black and white way but in a "Do what you think is best" which I will be talking about in my criticisms in a minute.
To sum it up, Joshua wants to stay in Zion and defeat the White Legs, Zion's too good to give up in his eyes because this place is their home and in comparison to the wasteland, it is the epitome of paradise in Fallout.
Daniel sees things differently, he wants to take the Sorrows and leave Zion because he doesn't want them to be exposed to the bloodshed that would insue and thereby making them a warlike tribe. (Me b*tching about Daniel starts in the next section)
The ending to this DLC is really good, I won't spoil a single thing but there's a choice to be made that basically settles Joshua's inner fire and effectively puts him at ease and ends the legend of the Burned Man.
In this interaction it's obvious that Joshua's vindictive nature comes from something much deeper than a bitter hatred for the enemies of the good people within the valley but being able to say something that changes Joshua is really cool.
Anyway, let's talk about Daniel before I forget.

Daniel is dumb.

Well, not really but Daniel's argument for leaving is basically "No more bloodshed because the Sorrows have seen enough, they want peace." and I think that's an okay stance to take but really, how can a character like this exist with such a lighthearted approach to the world in the universe of Fallout?
This isn't a criticism of the writing it's blatantly obvious who the devs want you to side with but Daniel's whole "let's hold hands and sing kumbaya" idea of how this'll work out is simply unrealistic.
The man literally talks about how he wants to protect the Sorrows yet Spoilers! he lies to Waking Cloud about her husband's death because he's worried she would be less effective. Daniel is a goodwilled person, but his sheltering is dangerous.
Beyond that, compared to the other DLC's there really isn't a whole lot to do beside the main quests which sucks until you find the notes in the caves.. and no I will not elaborate on this because of how cool the story behind those are.
The side quests are really cool for what they are, especially the ones for the temporary companions like Follows-Chalk and Waking Cloud.

This Review Was Short...

Like I said, this DLC is cool but it is small compared to the other ones, definitely not filler but in terms of content it's not a lot. I'm sure after my Dead Money review you all appreciate a much shorter review... Thanks for reading!