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Hi, I'm Holly, and I'm a Fallout 3 addict. (Hi, Holly!) I've been playing Fallout 3 for a couple of weeks now. I'm 90 hours in to my first game and refer to FO3 as "my digital boyfriend". I heard news of the Game of the Year edition about a week or so after I started playing (with a borrowed disc, shame on me) so, the timing could not have been more perfect. $100 worth of content for half the price (or thereabouts, in the case of XBOX 360 and PS3). Who was I to say no?
What follows is less a review of Fallout 3 and more a review of the 5 expansions that take this take this Game of the Year edition from ho-hum re-release to must-buy compilation.
I have few complaints about Fallout 3 in general. Using the VATS targeting system in a close range situation with NPCs can suck (a critical hit on Star Paladin Cross doesn't feel nearly as good as when its a Feral Ghoul). The game itself is undeniably buggy, subject to random crashes even after installing the latest patch. The women have faint mustaches and all the characters look frighteningly similar (explainable within the Fallout 3 world but irritating nonetheless). Most of the voice acting is superb but a few characters stand out as less than perfect (Moira, for one, might as well be communicating by scraping her nails on a chalkboard). I'm not a huge fan of the convoluted compass and local map system. And don't even get me started on the less than shocking twist ending.
The rest however, from the skills and perks system to the execution of the theme, setting, scenery and characters is all top notch. The graphics engine is stunning. I won't get into the ins and outs of Fallout 3 as there simply isn't enough space and time, but let's just say, it lives up to the hype. The combination of survival horror, science fiction and RPG is addictive as crack. And I would know, I was addicted to crack!
No, I'm just kidding. It was heroin.
The Fallout 3 Game of the Year edition includes the original Fallout 3 game and its five DLC packages for $49.99 (PC) or $59.99 (XBOX 360 and PS3). The contents are as follows:
Operation: Anchorage
While I didn't think I'd enjoy a military simulation, I found myself really getting into this one. In fact, I was surprised and disappointed when it ended. Both the final battle and your return to "the real world" seemed abrupt.
In Operation: Anchorage, your mission is to aid the Outcasts by performing a military simulation of the events of the retaking of Anchorage by American forces in 2077. You will find Stimpaks and body-raiding to be replaced with health and ammo dispensers that are only distributed every so often, essentially forcing you to creep and snipe your way through each enemy. (Instead of coming in guns a blazin' which is fun, but hardly realistic in terms of a "military simulation".) The gameplay is further spiced up by allowing you to recruit strike teams whom you can direct and command in battle as you work your way through the ice packed cliffs of Alaska.
This add-on is very valuable in terms of early game advantages. You not only gain the power armor (and the ability to wear it) much sooner than originally intended, but you can also get Chinese Stealth Armor, one of the most valuable items in the Fallout 3 universe. If you're unconcerned with the short gameplay, then these items make the Operation: Anchorage add on a must have.
The Pitt
If the makers of Fallout 3 were hoping to produce a sense of dread and "ugh I gotta get the fuck out of here" with The Pitt, then they succeeded. Masterfully. Set in the hellish ruins of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Lone Wanderer becomes embroiled in the conflict between the slaves of the irradiated ruins who work the city's mines and their "king", the vile Ashur.
This is one add-on that is well designed but shallow in execution. I neither wanted to go on side quests (of which there are precious few) nor did I want to explore the deeply depressing surroundings. The place is a skull sucking pile of Hell, and they meant it to be. Screaming slaves, tightly packed buildings, piles of rubble, the distant glow of the hot ore...its all there. It's miserable, and even worse, there's not much of it.
For what they took out in roamable game play they should have replaced with more side missions. While I couldn't wait to get it over with, it may have been contributed to by my utter boredom at having so little to do. As tiresome as "kill this, fetch that" can be, I still felt restless.
Their incorporation of so many Pittsburgh in-jokes and icons throughout The Pitt is nothing short of brilliant, but it can't save an entire DLC package. If you have limited funds and can't decide which of these to buy on an individual basis, I would save this one for last. An achievement bonus, a character-specific piece of Power Armor and a few new weapons may be your only motivation in buying and completing The Pitt. You might also feel like taking a gander at The Pitt's versions of mutated ghouls, the Trogs. They redefine the words "creepy little bastards".
If you decide to not pick up the GOTY edition and instead buy the DLCs on an individual basis, I would recommend holding off until you have money to burn when it comes to The Pitt.
Broken Steel
Its nice to get some closure on what happened after the events of the original conclusion to Fallout 3's main story line, and while the end result is not spectacular or sensational, it follows up just as the story should. The Lone Wanderer awakens after a two week coma to continue defeating the Enclave and help in supplying water to the Wastes alongside the Brotherhood of Steel in the wake of Project Purity's success. After fulfilling a few missions for the Citadel, you're sent to the Enclave's last stand to infiltrate their lair and take them down by turning their weapons against them.
The gameplay eventually leads you to a military base for one final showdown and a fireworks show that will make you smile, if not downright hoot and holler. Just sit back and watch, 'cause its beautiful. You'll find some new power armor with this addition, so keep an eye out for it and equip as soon as possible.
As Broken Steel extends the storyline from Fallout 3's ending and boosts your level cap to 30, this is one you really can't do without.
Mothership Zeta
I had my doubts about this expansion, I have to admit. Since I didn't play the first two Fallouts, I wasn't aware that there was any hint of UFO presence. So when I first saw the mothership wreckage and heard about the expansion, I almost wrote it off as cheesy.
However, once I started reading that there was already an alien connection within the Fallout story, and realized that in the realm of 1950s horror sci fi it made perfect sense, I was feeling a little more open minded.
I'm glad I withheld judgement and gave it a chance, because it was a great experience. After tracking a radio signal from the alien ship wreckage, Mothership Zeta sends The Lone Wanderer into outerspace, hovering miles about D.C. as they outwit their alien captors and win their freedom back to Earth. From the moment you awaken in the examining room til you secure passage back to the Capital Wasteland, you will be on your toes piecing together the past stories of various captives, and thwarting the alien's plans for the destruction of Earth via a powerful death ray.
Without giving too much away, there were at least three times during Mothership Zeta when I actually stopped and marveled. Some of the scenes literally took my breath away. The characters and the handling of their back story through the use of scattered holodiscs was typical of Fallout 3 yet perfectly timed and distributed for maximum effect.
The alien weapons and gear here are invaluable and worth the price of the package alone. For those of you who swear by the Alien Blaster, you will be very happy with a new item called Alien Epoxy. That's all I'm gonna say, don't want to spoil it.
Point Lookout
Here the FO3 crew returns to what it does best: provide beautifully atmospheric gameplay that inspires you to wander for hours. While I like, nay, adore open world freeplay, for some reason I rarely deviate from a game's linear storyline. Before, I thought it was just my style, but now I'm wondering if I simply wasn't inspired enough. You're talking to a girl who insisted on getting all GTA: San Andreas tags, oysters, and photos without consulting a single walkthrough guide. And yet for all my GTA love, I've never deliberately logged on with the intent to just wander around and enjoy myself. That changed completely when I started Fallout 3. I've never felt that sort of fascination and immersion in all my years of gaming. While the four other add-ons are done well in terms of the visual experience, its Point Lookout that makes me want to spend hours doing nothing in particular except enjoying the scenery. I highly suggest you hold off on playing this one til you've exhausted yourself in the Wastelands, 'cause its like a breath of fresh air. The blue-gray dusk set against the Maryland sky as you creep your way through bogs, dodging the voodoo totems while swillin' moonshine is not to be missed.
Point Lookout sends The Lone Wanderer on a boat ride to the swamps of Point Lookout, Maryland, where they investigate Chinese espionage and encounter drug crazed locals, dingbat cult members, and of course, a Ghoul or two. The characters and missions you encounter are among the best of all the downloadable content add-ons. You'll see some new enemies and of course be able to pick up a few new items. With this addition comes Wild Punga Fruit, which is not only growing everywhere in Point Lookout, but is also the only known food in the FO3 universe that removes RADs.
YAY! - Beautifully intact in its original form. Adds worthy new challenges for seasoned players. Bonuses, weapons, and items encountered truly enrich the entire experience.
NAY! - With the 25+ extra hours of gameplay, and its addictiveness as a whole, you'll no longer have time to eat, sleep, or shower! The Pitt is lackluster and drags down the other add-ons by association.
For those of you who really hate reading, or only learned to read numbers:
Operation: Anchorage 7.5/10
The Pitt 5/10
Broken Steel 7.5/10
Mothership Zeta 9/10
Point Lookout 10/10
Fallout 3 GOTY edition average 8/10
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