By now gamers have a good idea of what they can expect when new Fallout 3 downloadable content is released - a new mini-story that loosely connects to the original Capital Wasteland plot, new enemies, new perks, new weapons, and a new location.
Point Lookout, the fourth round of Fallout 3 DLC, sticks with this tried and true formula, so you're not going to find anything new here. But don't let this familiarity discourage you from diving in anyway. What Bethesda does works, and much like a favorite TV show that takes long breaks between seasons (Heroes, Lost), its good to see what the creators of something you've followed so closely have in store for you next.
After you've downloaded the new DLC, you'll receive a message notifying you that there's a boat docked on the Potomac River across from the Jefferson Memorial. Once you arrive you'll see the Duchess Gambit and its pilot Tobar the Ferryman. From Tobar you'll buy an overly priced ticket to Point Lookout, a peninsula modeled after the real state park of the same name.
The map for this latest DLC is huge, it's about 1/5 the size of the Capital Wasteland but feels much bigger. Since Point Lookout wasn't directly hit by bombs during the war, there's actually some trees and shrubs here, giving your eyes a nice respite from the harsh wasteland. While the Point appears fairly normal, radiation has certainly done a number on the place. There are plenty of new enemies, with Swamplurks, Ruzkas (a type of Yao Guai), Tribals (a hippy cult), and Swampfolk (mutated rednecks) all waiting to kick your ass.
The main missions have you doing a wide variety of activities, from defending a mansion to joining a cult and taking a "spirit walk", and will certainly keep you entertained. And, as always with Bethesda DLC, there are plenty of fun side missions to complete.
While Fallout 3 fans won't be disappointed by this new adventure, Point Lookout is easily the weakest of the four DLC offerings. The enemy AI is uneven. When I first landed on the peninsula, I was routinely getting my hat handed to me, but as the story progressed, enemies were oddly easier to kill. This latest DLC also seems to be lacking Bethesda's typical dark humor. Its almost as if they wanted to make a survival horror level and couldn't quite pull it off.
But the new weapons are the biggest letdown. Normally gamers can count on getting some goodies with Fallout 3 downloadable content, but instead we get a double barrel shotgun, a rifle, an axe, and a shovel. If only they offered a banjo, then we'd have a complete Deliverance set.
If you enjoy spending time in the world of Fallout 3, Point Lookout is still a great value. While some gamers will whine about its brief play time, they just need to get over it. Spending 800MS Points ($10) on 4-5 hours of Point Lookout is a much better deal than blowing $10 for 2 1/2 hours of Transformers 2.
Pros: Its more Fallout 3 goodness, shooting inbred swine never gets old, the psychedelic journey you take to join the Tribals is a trip
Cons: New weapons are not enticing, uneven AI
GamePro Score: 4.0
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