Fallout 3 – Operation Anchorage Review
New DLC Exclusively for PC and Xbox 360 Adds Hours of Gameplay
Released on January 27th on Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live, Operation Anchorage is the newest downloadable content available for Fallout 3 – and it certainly delivers!
While travelling the desolate Capital Wasteland, the vault dweller picks up a strange radio transmission bidding him to assist the Outcasts, an emergency signal that guides the player into the Outcast hideout. The catch? The player is expected to undertake a simulated mission to unlock the hideout's armory in exchange for a cut of the loot!
Lethal Simulations, Explosive Gameplay
The simulation itself is a prewar training exercise for the U.S. Military prior to their offensive on Anchorage, Alaska in an attempt to retake the territory from the invading communist Chinese. The Fallout universe operates on a distinctly different timeline than our own history and so this is in line with the canon of the Fallout narrative.
Stripped of weapons and inventory and offered only the most basic of weapons and ammunition, the player must escort his allies or squadmates through a series of tactical missions – destroying field artillery, invading enemy compounds, and making sure to pick up lots of hardware and intelligence on the way.
The challenge level of the simulation is quite unique and completely different than that of the main game due to these changes – health is no longer offered in portable form via the stimpak, and neither weapons nor ammunition can be scrounged but must rather be found at various refill stations.
The inability to carry stimpaks can increase the difficulty of this episode greatly, especially for all-guns-blazing type players who rely heavily on stimpaks to offset the great amount of damage they will inevitably accrue (and deal out)!
Death in the simulator means cardiac arrest – truly lethal punishment for your failure. Players shouldnot take this mission lightly, as it is fairly challenging and introduces some new gameplay elements.
A Cool Blue Palette and Final Impressions
Perhaps most striking about the Operation : Anchorage simulation is the completely different colour palette being introduced into play, a wintry blue that blends very well with the beautiful scenery and textures.
This affords a rather refreshing change of pace from the somewhat industrial palette of the capital
wasteland which offered grittier, dirtier texturing. The minimalist score returns here with the wind howling in the snowcapped hills as you navigate your way from outbuilding to outbuilding, through the communist camp, and pass abandoned mines.
Will players find this DLC to be worth the 800 point asking price? Undoubtedly. For fans of the Fallout universe and those who find themselves in love with Bethesda's Fallout 3, this is simply a must have piece of content.
Not only does it add a few hours of exciting gameplay and a change of visual and aural atmosphere – it also unlocks a new perk and perhaps a special surprise beyond the doors of the locked armory in the Outcast compound! All in all, Operation : Anchorage is a well-crafted and welcome addition to the Fallout canon that is worth the price of admission.
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