This time was different, I had started playing an Unarmed/Melee/Explosives character who gradually used the Power Fist only. I usually ignore close combat/fisticuffs but I really, really enjoyed Unarmed and the Power Fist especially, and later the Saturnite Super-heated Fist. I enjoyed it even more than my run as a INT 1 CHA 1 Melee-focused tough guy.
Honest Hearts
Everyone's least favourite DLC. I had already racked up all the assorted achievements and challenges from my previous two playthroughs, so I decided to just power through this. I made sure to grab all the unique weapons and whatnot but made no special effort to stick around here too long. I agree with Nocturnal Rambler in that meeting the legend of the Burned Man himself robbed him of his Mystique, even though I quite liked his dark religious persona. I never really paid much heed to the Burned Man myth prior to this, then it's all you seem to hear about. There's not much here, the companions are intriguing but the quests are empty fetch quests and clearing out dungeons and monsters.
Both of the endings are kind of crappy.
Dead Money
I was worried that my playthrough might end here but I deliberately got the Them's Good Eatin' perk prior to doing this, allowing me to find Thin Red Paste and Blood Sausages on enemies, which are potent healing items. This helped a lot as I was playing Hardcore for the second time ever and really needed extra healing items. Also I was Unarmed primary and thought I may need to rely on the Holorifle or whatever.
Nope! It was much easier this time around, I used the Police Pistol to shoot out alarms and whatnot and convinced the three companions to work toward the Gala event. I had my limbs crippled numerous times (I had the Small Frame trait) but managed to hoard chips which allowed me to buy Doctor's Bags form the various vending machines. I almost never alerted any of the Holograms and beat all the Ghost People to death with the Bear Trap punch. The Casino was very easy to manage as well. I decided to defeat/confront Elijah in the Vault rather than trap him (I'll do that next time). I tried to grab all the gold bars and run but no joy. I will definitely have to do that next time.
Old World Blues
I really, really enjoyed playing this the first time and I also enjoyed it the second time. The Sink and all the AI there are great fun, though I didn't bother with all the fetch quests this time around. The Think Tank personalities are entertaining as well. Dr. Mobius is fantastic I loved everything about it, even if the constant hammy lines from him get a bit grating at times. I had no trouble doing this Unarmed either, though I used the Proton Axes to deal with robots. Probably my favourite of the lot. Some of the loot is amazing, such as the Saturnite Heated Fist and the Stealth Suit. The latter I would normally put away but I ended it using it extensively, not minding the resulting Med-X addiction. This was probably the most fun to play and you can really tell the designers had fun making it, it reminds one of those old films from the 1950's on where they tried to imagine what the future would be like.
Lonesome Road
I powered through this and even brought the Anti-Materiel Rifle and Fat Man to counter Death Claws and whatnot. Didn't need these as much but they really helped, especially the AM Rifle with Explosive Rounds. I could still use Paralyzing Palm in close combat VATS and beat up Tunnelers and Deathclaws that way. The main quest was just bizarre, I didn't really like it. I didn't hate it but I chose to just ignore whatever Ulysses said about my past and whatever his plan was, to nuke the route to Vegas apparently and thus both sides would lose? Whatever, I punched him five times and ate his flaming corpse. I elected to stop the launch and 'sacrifice' ED-E, as I had my own plans for how to end the game and I didn't need reputation hits at this stage.
Conclusion
Old World Blues still holds up and Dead Money is refreshing in that it requires you to set aside items you're used to. Honest Hearts is pretty but a little dull while Lonesome Road is not what its cracked up to be, but was fine for a linear DLC.
Probably rank the NV DLCS: OWB>DM>LR/HH
Also: (BS)>OA>PL>[TP]/MZ
And: (BS)>OWB>OA>DM>PL>LR/HH>MZ/[TP]
