Price, release date, and more details on the third downloadable expansion for Fallout 3.
Dogmeat is your friend. You'll never be alone again.Bethesda has confirmed that Broken Steel, the third downloadable pack for Fallout 3, will be released for Xbox 360 and PC on May 5 for 800 Microsoft points, which totals out to ten bucks or around 80,000 bottle caps. This is the pack that raises the level cap and rewrites the game's ending in order to make room for more missions and perks.
It looks pretty cool and way more interesting than the two previous downloadable releases. If you haven't yet finished Fallout 3, or if you don't really want to know anything about the specifics of Broken Steel, you might want to stop reading right about here.
The new conclusion of the main quest still has you dealing with the activation of the water purifier that is the centerpiece of Project Purity. The twist is that you'll survive the radiation if you go in yourself, and other options--such as sending in the radiation-resistant mutant, Fawkes--are also now available. This effectively takes care of the most ridiculous thing that happened in that entire game. Previously, Fawkes had some lame excuse that prevented you from "outsmarting" the game's ending. Man, even mentioning it now still gets me all hot and bothered. Other sidekicks can also venture in.
Yeah, but what does the President think of all this?The new post-activation content has you wake up in the Brotherhood of Steel's Citadel two weeks later. With purified (or perhaps slightly contaminated, depending on how you handle the final events) water flowing into the Wasteland, things have changed. Now, you'll have quests dealing with the distribution of this water, including looking after various caravans sent out into the world. The Enclave, however, is still the major threat, and the Brotherhood of Steel enlists you to help build a new weapon--a totally sweet Tesla cannon--and infiltrate the Enclave's stronghold at Adams Air Force Base, a new in-game location that, like The Pitt and the Anchorage simulation, exists outside of the main map. Getting to this new base requires you to get into the White House (or, at least, what's left of it) and activate a rail way system. The entire mission set is said to be a bit longer than the previous releases, and unlike the old ending, finishing the new content in Broken Steel doesn't roll credits and force you out to the main menu. You're now free to explore the world as much as you like. With additional experience levels and perks to earn, it sounds like you'll have plenty to do.
The new level cap stops at 30, though you'll start to feel some additional effects of the new content around level 18, when new enemies will begin to appear, including a new "Overlord" type of super mutant, Enclave Hellfire Troopers, and more. You'll also be able to pick new perks as you level from 20 to 30, such as "Puppies!," which spawns a new Dogmeat companion in case your existing one gets killed.
All told, it definitely sounds like the downloadable pack that Fallout 3 fans have been waiting for. It definitely looked a lot cooler than Anchorage or The Pitt to me.
