Fallout: New Vegas lead writer says "you can't just make your tyrants cardboard villains," but wonders if Obsidian "done a little too well" there

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Fallout: New Vegas lead writer says "you can't just make your tyrants cardboard villains," but wonders if Obsidian "done a little too well" there News By Scott McCrae published 22 December 2025

"[I had] to write a character who had tried to present a robust argument for authoritarianism"

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Fallout: New Vegas' lead writer, John Gonzalez, worries that he did too good a job when writing the fascist Caesar's Legion.

Part of what made Fallout: New Vegas so engaging – and ultimately the best Fallout game – was the sheer number of factions and powers vying for the attention of your courier, and as a result, you can have a ton of different variants on the game's ending depending on who you sided with throughout the story. And while a lot of these options feature a ton of shades of gray when it comes to morality, it's pretty clear Caesar's Legion – a group of slavedriving authoritarians with whom your first interaction is walking into the aftermath of a massacre they performed in the town of Nipton – is supposed to be evil.

However, speaking to PC Gamer, Gonzalez says, "If you want to write a story where one of your main themes is actually freedom, like liberty from tyranny, you can't just make your tyrants cardboard villains. You have to make them as substantial as possible in some way. That was really the driving force with Caesar, but occasionally I've wondered if that was done a little too well."

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When you do eventually meet Caesar himself, who looks like a dork cosplaying the aesthetics of the Roman Empire instead of the intimidating brute you may expect from his actions, you have the chance to discuss his philosophy with the player. Gonzalez says, "[I had] to write a character who had tried to present a robust argument for authoritarianism."

"One of the things about writing fiction, if you're going to try to write it in a way that's not preaching to a choir, or that's not propaganda," Gonzalez continues, "is that you have to try to make your adversaries as strong as possible." And while you don't exactly see too many New Vegas fans proudly identifying with the Legion, it certainly has its fans, which may prove Gonzalez's point.

Bethesda was scared of making Fallout 3, but by Fallout 4 it had chilled out: "we don't have to be so reverential now."

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks CATEGORIES Xbox Series X PS5 PC Gaming Platforms Xbox PlayStation Scott McCraeSocial Links NavigationContributor

Scott has been freelancing for over three years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.

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