The best DLC so far and an absolute must buy.
The Pitt, Bethesda's valiant second effort, also looked cool with its "Mad Max beyond the Thunderdome" vibe and automatic axes (a bold new idea which needs to be brought into every game hereafter), it was just too bad it was released utterly broken, and was over all too soon. Broken Steel seemed to be the "third time's the charm" release, upping the level cap to 30, fixing Fallout 3's original rage-inducing ending, and continuing with the main story. Aside from an occasional epic battle however it had few truly memorable moments, and like every release prior felt like it was over all too soon.
Hence, I walked into "Point Lookout" which less than the highest of hopes; frankly my biggest wish was that it wouldn't have any sort of trademark game-stopping glitch Bethesda's become known for. Which is why I'm still surprised at how GOOD this release was. Point Lookout is easily the best of the downloadable content to date, and contains some of the best moments I've had in Fallout 3 altogether.
Point Lookout introduces you to the new region through riverboat trip to the lands south of the Capital Wasteland, a "mysterious, untouched territory filled with treasure and adventure!" There's a twangy southern ditty playing unnervingly in the background, as the delapidated ruins of a boardwalk carnival slowly come into focus. The buildings have a thick coat of grime plastered about, and one can almost make out a shambling figure moving in the distance, veiled by the mist. Something about this place feels all wrong. "Mystery and adventure!" indeed; though one can admire Point Lookout's tourism board's attempts at trying to put a positive spin on the region, in reality it looks to be about a half-shade away from hell on earth. The setting has a very cool and creepy southern-fried horror ambience to it, and from the moment you set foot off the boat on to somewhat-dried land you can't help but know that something seriously messed up is going on 'round these parts. It's the closest Fallout 3 has come to successfully pulling off a horror movie atmosphere, which I absolutely loved.
The new characters and creatures of Point Lookout are... memorable, to say the least. Few moments can compare with your first encounter with Point Lookout's native "inhabitants." I'd be spoiling the surprise somewhat by going into greater detail, but let's just say Bethesda surely got their inspiration for these macabre creations from the movie "Deliverance." There are also multitudes of swamp ghouls and mirelurks, as well as the ubiquitous "smugglers," all of which want you dead. Numerous new items can be found, such as a double-barreled shotgun and various southern garments (if you've ever wanted to dress up your wastelander as a Confederate soldier then do I have good news for you!), and plenty of strange miscellaneous items, like the peculiar punga fruit, revered by the natives as a holy object, and bags upon bags of yeast, something I found odd and unsettling.
The numerous side quests throughout Point Lookout run the gamut from searching for and exploring underground caves, to finding Chinese spy-stations, and making moonshine. You know, things everyone in the south does. The quests won't put you into any particularly memorable situations, but they're all fun in their own right and will help extend Point Lookout's lifespan, which tops out at around 6-8 hours depending on your propensity for exploration. The real show stopper is the release's main quest, however, which has you doing any number of crazy things. You'll go from helping a southern-dandy ghoul defend his homestead from crazed African "tribals" (a scene with implications I don't want to touch with a ten-foot pole), to fighting evil mad-scientists, to going on a crazed drug-trip through a sacred swamp, one of the weirdest Fallout experiences ever and bar none the highlight of Point Lookout.
The problem I had with this release was in its story, or rather its lack of one. You're never given a reason why you're completing these missions, you're just a dog on a leash. You can ask why one group wants to kill another, or why this individual wants you to find this certain book, but you're always rebuffed with an explanation of "you can't possibly know what's going on here." It's all a cop-out by Bethesda as it feels like they just didn't want to have flesh out the region's history, a shame since Point Lookout looks rich with back-story. There are also a few small glitches here and there, mostly to do with problems in the NPC's voice-synching, but it's a relatively minor issue that never caused me any sort of gameplay repercussion.
Fallout 3: Point Lookout is a great addition to the Fallout 3 universe, and easily my favourite downloadable expansion. The setting and new enemies are memorable, the missions are varied and entertaining, I experienced no trademark Bethesda bugs, and with it lasting from start to finish around 7 hours it's well worth your ten dollars. Any fan of Fallout 3 would do well to download this right away.
By Chris Norris-Jones - Systemlink Blog
