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Fallout 3 is now regarded as one of the top titles in the last few years because of its near-unparalleled depth, challenging gameplay, brilliant game design, and stunning vision of a futuristic post-apocalyptic world that is very believable. It is a testament to publisher/developer Bethesda for taking the time and the effort to create such a wondrous landscape. In the last several months, Bethesda has gone one better and released several DLC's for the Xbox 360. The quality has varied from very good (Broken Steel) to average (Anchorage). The fourth DLC, Point Lookout, falls in the former category thanks to an involving quest and a world that is quite different from what we've seen thus far. The land South of D.C. (Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland) has turned into a swampy wasteland in Lookout, where inbred hicks and swamp gas are as common as mutated animals and other assorted freaks.
Our protagonist, this time, catches a ferry ride down South to Point Lookout with a woman looking for her lost daughter, Nadine. The main quest follows this storyline and other characters like the ghoul Desmond, who seems to be more trouble than he's worth. The story itself is nothing remarkable and the story arc is similar to what we've seen in past games, especially the source material. Another solid effort done here by the developers, who seem to have perfected a more minimalist approach to storytelling. The details don't bog us down like other titles. The little side stories we encounter along the way are both enriching and informative, as always, and the voice-over work and dialogue manage to avoid being cringe-worthy, which is a rarity these days. Even with the silent protagonist syndrome (a common malaise with FPS titles) at least the player is given the choice of putting the words in his mouth.
Hey is that Sloth from "The Goonies"?
The characters encountered in Lookout are certainly more violent and unstable than recent entries and this puts the onus on the gamer to be prepared and to be ready. You can't just waltz in here straight out of the vault because you will get killed. While not required, you really need to finish the main quest before you head on down South. This might mean more work, but hey, it's better than getting your limbs chopped up by some psycho with an ax.
In addition to the main quest, which is about a six-hour endeavor, you also have a handful of side quests throughout Point Lookout along with a vast terrain to explore. Most DLC's don't deliver on this kind of vast material (Burnout's recent DLC comes to mind), but Bethesda is working on a different spectrum here. They are giving us a world that continues to grow and grow and become more fascinating. The beautiful artwork and design present in Lookout is astonishing. The character and world designs continue to impress. There are some pop-up issues here and there, but they are minor compared to the world canvas that Bethesda continues to add on to.
That said, like most DLC's, you won't find this game to come close to Fallout 3's overall length. You should be able to mop up most of the achievement points with a few solid days of hard work. There is a lot of exploration to do and the quests are engaging, but it's never enough. There are also a few minor bugs I encountered. Nothing serious, but you might want to give the 360 a break after playing for an hour and a half because it can freeze up on you. Hopefully Bethesda and Microsoft fix this. It's not as bad as when Lost and the Damned first came out, but it'll be irritating nonetheless. Aside from new characters and creatures, there aren't very many new items or weapons you'll find here aside from a double-barreled shotgun, which isn't as useful as you'd think. There aren't very many significant upgrades, if any, to be found. Just a new world to explore, which should be enough for the dedicated.
If you loved Fallout 3 and the DLC's, then you'll need little persuading to drop 10 bucks for this title. Those who are new to the Fallout experience should wait and finish the main game first before you go hunting for hicks who look like they stepped clear out of the John Boorman classic Deliverance. Watch your step and keep an eye out for that maniac with the axe. Enjoy.
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Bethesda has a good thing going and they aren't skimping on the guilty with their Fallout 3 expansions. Not as good as Broken Steel, but a very worthwhile experience at ten bucks for avid fans.
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