You're not alone in your mission. Like any good heist plot, you're teamed with a group of misfit characters. The team aspect is one of Fallout: New Vegas: Dead Money's more enjoyable aspects. Each of the characters has their own unique backstory and quirks. There's a mute who communicates through gestures, a ghoul with a knack for slipping out of trouble and a mutant whose dual personalities can't seem to get along.
Part of your job is to convince them to come along with your quest, so interaction is a key. These interactions are Dead Money's strong suit, but the related gameplay doesn't exactly match up. Although the idea is to get everyone to work together, you're never able to use more than one companion at a time. Gameplay is guided by story, taking away some of the personal narrative that drives open-world games like Fallout. It's enjoyable, but underwhelming considering the scope of the base game.
The only play choice I loved was having to scrounge around for new gear. It's not the most enjoyable experience, but I sort of liked the idea for the added tension. One of my favorite parts of Fallout 3 was the first few hours out of the Vault when you had nothing, so I thought it was fun to have to start from scratch. Be aware though, you want to be at least level 20 before jumping into the quest.
Story is a driving force behind the entire expansion. It's the sole reason you'll want to finish the expansion (well, that, and once you start you can't leave). This was the case with Fallout 3's expansions, and like a majority of those expansions, Dead Money places the story above fun design. Dead Money builds on New Vegas's weaker aspects, so while it's an entertaining story, the gameplay isn't as enjoyable.
