Bethesda adds even more to the universe of Fallout 3 with the recent release of Point Lookout on the XBox 360 and PC.
Point Lookout allows the player to travel to the city of Point Lookout, Maryland, which was a seaside resort area before the bombs dropped. While none fell directly on Point Lookout, the city has become all but forgotten by the rest of the world. The DLC adds new missions, including one interesting side quest which has the player following in the footsteps of a Communist Chinese double agent, and a variety of new weapons. The most common are powerful single-shot hunting rifles and double-barrel shotguns. Also included are even more enemies specific to the area, such as new breeds of Mirelurks and deformed residents of the swamps surrounding the city.
Oliver Motok (left) battles for his next meal of pork rinds
One of the best reasons to purchase this DLC set is the sheer amount of new things it adds to the game. Not only does the player gain the ability to collect the previously mentioned weapons, but there are new armor sets and health recovery items. Upon completion of the main quest line of the DLC, the player is rewarded with a weapon known as a “Microwave Emitter”, which is incredibly effective against robotic enemies. While some enemy types are found in the Capital Wasteland, most are brand new to Point Lookout. The Swamp People, which look like something straight out of The Hills Have Eyes, are by far the most interesting and tough enemies in the entire universe of Fallout 3. When in large groups, these enemies will often start doing a little ritual dance that is quite humorous to watch from afar.
The new missions are by far some of the most interesting to date. The side quest mentioned earlier adds a bit more to the history of this ruined world, and is only found of the player searches Point Lookout’s abandoned motel. The main quest allies with a foul-mouthed Ghoul named Desmond, the events of which are by far the strangest in the game so far. There is even a short quest that has the player searching for an evil book of rituals for a local resident, and either hand it over or destroy it.
While the DLC does include a couple downfalls, they are minor at the most. One of which is the difficulty of the enemies in the area, particularly the residents of the swamps. These enemies are highly territorial and work well in groups, where one will rush at the player with a melee weapon and others will take potshots to dwindle down the player’s health. However, these enemies will only attack if you invade their land, which is distinctly marked by totems. Another negative aspect to the DLC is the fact that the player cannot take any of his or her followers to this new area. In fact, the captain of the riverboat which takes you to Point Lookout refuses to allow the player passage if he or she is not alone. This would normally not be a problem, but it is easy to get attached to a follower, especially when the player spent the last ten hours fighting alongside them.
Overall, this is one of the best sets of DLC Bethesda has released. It includes some of the most interesting missions, weapons, and characters in the world. Although it is not suggested to be played right from the start of a new game, as the difficulty may be a bit too tough for those in the lower levels, it is a great addition. For those trying to decide which DLC to get first, Broken Steel is always recommended purely for the extra ten levels, but this is a close second.
