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Don't feel bad, he looks better this way, really
The Capital Wasteland of Fallout 3 has become, for me at least, something akin to a favourite amusement park. Whenever I go there I head to my favourite places first and then cruise around looking for anything I might have missed on my last visit. Every once in a while I’m drawn back by a big new attraction that promises new thrills and experiences.
Point Lookout is the spook house, or ghost train, of Fallout 3. Not that the game wasn’t scary in parts before. The subways infested with skin challenged feral ghouls certainly have some tense moments and the first time I ever encountered a Mirelurk I almost crapped in my pants. But Point Lookout is an environment that’s custom made to give you chills, damp cold chills. From its misty boardwalk where you can just make out the silhouette of a rusted ferris wheel, to the deep dark depths of the swamp, where you hear the perverted giggle of the inbred hair lipped locals just before the axe swings at your head. As I said, made for scares.
As with the previous DLC after downloading it the next time you fire up the game you’ll quickly get a quest. A tramp steamer has pulled into dock just down the road from the Arlington library offering to take anyone who wants to go, and can pay, to Point Lookout. Before you hop on the boat a desperate woman stops you to ask that you search for her daughter, so that’s your main story quest. Point Lookout itself has a Louisana Bayou feel about it, the whole place seems murky and humid and there’s plenty of voodoo weirdness to creep you out. It won’t be long before you meet Desmond, a foul mouthed ghoul and former government spy. He’ll take over directing you along the main story quest but you’ll quickly find that Point Lookout is a big place, much bigger than even Adams Airforce base from the Broken Steel DLC.
Adding a boardwalk certainly makes the wasteland more... cosmopolitan
There are several side quests and people to meet as you wander around the marshes. The place just feels like a horror movie and when a lumbering shape comes out of the undergrowth towards you, butcher knife in hand, you expect to see a hockey mask for a face. The ‘locals’ you encounter are new enemies to the game falling some where between Super Mutants and Raiders in terms of threat level. You also encounter a fair number of feral ghouls, some gun toting smugglers and swamp versions of Mirelurks. High level characters take note, you will encounter Feral Ghoul Reavers, sometimes more than one at once. If you’re not familiar with them, these bastards soak up bullets, run like greased lightening and slap you for a lot of damage. There’s actually a perk that enables more effective Ghoul killing that you’ll want to try for as soon as you can.
Oh my god you should not be, luckily Mr. Winchester can remedy that
There are several new perks you can get by fulfilling quest objectives but the new equipment and clothes in the game is more for novelty and atmosphere purposes. Expect lots of overalls, confederate hats and double barrel shotguns, just don’t expect any new power weapons like the Gauss Gun or Tesla Cannon. There are a few unique items around the place for the dedicated and fans of the Pint Sized Killers horrid clown mask will be pleased to know they can finally get the real world version (previously it was only accessible in the Tranquillity Lane VR mission). Obviously its hard to top Broken Steel for depth of content but Point Lookout does a pretty decent attempt. The quests themselves are never particularly difficult but make up for it purely by being a lot more interesting and engaging than some of the regular type quests. Fans of the head screw moments from Fallout 3, such as the vault with the hallucinogenic gas, will be more than happy with some of the story lines ‘trippier’ elements. At the very least Point Lookout offers more memorable experiences than the previous DLC has done rather than handing you a bunch of killer gear.
I've been to this house, it has a bath tub, free game tip, don't look in it
I was a bit nervous that Point Lookout wasn’t going to fit well as part of the main games world. It’s the first bit of DLC that didn’t have any previous link to the existing game world. But Bethesda have created an amusing diversion from the Capital Wasteland. It remains to be seen whether or not Fallout 3 will jump the shark with their next DLC which apparently features the vault dweller being abducted by aliens with flying saucers. But Point Lookout certainly offers a survival horror environment for people who felt the original game just wasn't scary enough.
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Comments
You have convinced me to get all the DLC now :)