14 DAY TRIAL // An in game screenshot taken from the upcoming Fallout: New Vegas video game shows a description of the all new Hardcore mode, suggesting that those players who are strong enough to complete the game on this difficulty setting will be receiving a special reward for their effort.
The actual quote in the game says, “Stimpacks heal over time and cannot mend broken limbs, Rad-Away removes radiation over time, ammunition has weight, and dehydration is a constant concern.”
We knew this much about the Hardcore mode from statements the developers have been making but the in game description also adds, “You may turn Hardcore mode on or off at any time in the Gameplay menu, but if you activate Hardcore mode now and maintain it through the end of the main storyline, you will receive a special reward.”
Josh Sawyer, who is the project director on Fallout: New Vegas, has been quoted as saying, “You get a very high value achievement.”
With the language coming from the developers differing from the one seen in the in game descriptions it's not clear whether players of Fallout: New Vegas should get their hopes up that they will get a special item after completing Hardcore mode or whether they will only receive an achievement confirming their superior abilities.
New Vegas is not actually a sequel to Fallout 3 but a parallel story that takes the player, who is no longer a Vault dweller, to the West, into the largely undamaged Las Vegas strip and its surrounding areas, allowing him to create a destiny while arbitrating the fight between Caesar's Legion and the New California Republic.
The new Fallout will use the same engine and overall mechanics like its predecessor but will add small twists, like ammo that can be fabricated and a new in game card game called Caravan, alongside updated graphics and well built stories.