Fallout 3 Operation Anchorage review

Fallout 3 was one of the best games of the year 2008 and this week Bethesda Studios released the first dlc (downloadable content) for the game (800 MS points on the Xbox 360).

The expansion will put the player through a series of events that lead to using a VR simulation of Alasca’s liberation from Chinese Forces and is focused in combat or stealth action. The new scenario is a breath of fresh air, with snowy and rocky areas making you forget the sandy yellow tones of the desert in Fallout 3.

The player will have to fight through the chinese soldiers and will encounter new enemies, including 2 Chimera Tanks and stealth soldiers. There’s also the possibility of commanding a small army of 4 people maximum with different classes, like infantry, missile commando, granadier or even Mr. Gutsy.

It’s a nice surprise to see the flexibility of the game engine created by Bethesda, the expansion can be played around 2/3 hours and will leave you craving for more. In the end you can expect to get new loot, including the new and powerful Gauss Gun/sniper, a T-51b armor and a chinese stealth armor.

So is it worth it? Depends how much you value your 800 MS points, the duration of the dlc is short but it’s a nice break from the sandy looks from Fallout 3 and if you favor combat there’s plenty of action.

There’s an interview with Bethesda from IGN regarding the dlc.

Btw, here’s my 2 recommendations for future expansions:

* The Radio Expansion: Fallout’s soundtrack is pretty good but the game has 40+ hours of gameplay, why not launch a dlc with one more radio station and music?

* The proper ending Expansion: One thing missing from the game is epilogue endings. Unlike previous Fallout games, you don’t experience in the end of the game, the consequences of your actions in the future. A big dissapointment but could eventually be fixed.