Brink – Post Mortem
Last month saw the release of the revolutionary new team shooter, Brink. Brink made lots of promises to spice up multiplayer gaming, and it seems reviewers are mixed as to whether or not it delivered on those promises. Our own Patrick Adams seemed to agree that it left players wanting a bit more in his review of the XBOX 360 version, here. I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on a PC copy, so I thought it would be a perfect time to reflect on the past month and it’s patches, as well as look forward at the new DLC, in a Post Mortem atmosphere.
Video Game Apocalypse: Day 2
News time children! It’s Day 2 of our apocalyptic journey.
Fallout 3
(Xbox 360, Ps3, PC)
Where would our apocalyptic week be without stepping out into the Wasteland? Fallout 3, the popular open world RPG from Bethesda Studios, places players in a post-nuclear apocalyptic Washington D.C. area. The Earth has been badly scarred by the nuclear world war that occurred several years before. Human life has been reduced to handfuls of survivors. Everything seems, contaminated by radiation and if the radiation doesn’t kill you, the mutated animals, landmines, scavengers, raiders, feral ghouls, and super mutants certainly will! While mankind struggles to survive, all isn’t as bleak as it seems. Pockets of civilization appear to be emerging again and begin building themselves up around the wreckage of the past to survive into the future. In the game, you go from Wasteland straggle to Wasteland master…but how you there is your choice.
One of the great things about this game is it lets you play as you see fit. From the moment your character leaves the “safety” of Vault 101, you are given the freedom to go wherever, whenever you want. You never know who you’ll encounter in either direction you travel. Wherever you go there always seems to be new surprises and people looking for help. The game also gives players several choices throughout missions. While these choices are your generic chocolate or vanilla flavors (aka: apparent good vs. evil), the consequences are great between choices and creates a unique experience individual to the player. Whole cities can be saved or leveled based on the simple choice of helping someone you just met.
The combat also does a wonderful job blending a mix of first person shooter and RPG shooting using the V.A.T.S. (Vault-tech Assisted Targeting System). Activating V.A.T.S. stops the action and zooms in an enemy and allows you to pick a specific region to attack along with a probability of hitting that region. Once all V.A.T.S. selections are made, the game goes into a satisfying slow-mo showing your character shooting at the enemy. While it sounds like it may slow the pacing of the game it doesn’t.
It felt good to step back into the dusty world of the Wasteland and travel down the blown apart trail. The game is huge and is made even bigger with all its expansion packs. Hopefully I can bring my 360 and game with me to the other side on Saturday so I can finish it. It might just take me close to eternity to complete it all the way.
Day 3 Preview: These guys really aren’t interested in your body.
Daily Bits for 8/12/10
In today’s Daily Bits: BioShock goes on forever, Ubisoft’s DRM may just be a RUSE, Bethesda and id are Steaming and the PSP Phone is announced…sort of.
Irrational announces Bioshock Infinite
Irrational Games has announced its latest project, BioShock Infinite, will be released in 2012. BioShock Infinite takes place in 1912 and is unlike anything we have ever seen when it comes to the series. Ken Levine is bringing an entirely different game to fans of the series, this time set in the floating city of Columbia.
So a new BioShock game. At first, I was not overly interested in this; I was a fan of the first one, but not the overwhelming fan many are, and I have not played the sequel. this has me intrigued, however, and with Ken Levine back at the helm, I think it is worth a look. Read Joystiq’s detailed preview and catch the trailer here.
Is Ubisoft relenting on its Always Connected DRM?
Good news PC gamers: Ubisoft may have seen the error of its ways. The company has announced that the soon to be released RTS RUSE will not use the “always connected to the internet” DRM that has had many gamers up in arms. It will instead use Steamworks API, which means you will only have to do an initial online registration with the game.
I know Ubisoft is claiming it will still use its DRM system for upcoming games, but I personally think that is a bit of a smokescreen. Once they move off that horrid system, the community will not let them go back.
Get the id/Bethesda library on Steam for $70
To mark the start of QuakeCon 2010, Steam is offering the entire library of id/Bethesda games on its service for and amazing price. That’s right, you can get Fallout 3 GOTY, the Elder Scrolls games, the Quake series, the Doom series and many others for just $69.99! It’s a savings of over $230, but hurry; the sale ends August 15th.
Okay, Rogue Warrior is one of the games, which sells for $19.99, but you still save over $200 if you don’t count that horrendous excuse for a game.
Sony Ericsson working on PlayStation branded Android phone
File this under huh? Sony Ericsson is banking on being able to combine the success of the Android platform for smart phones with the PlayStation brand, making what it is calling a “gaming phone.” The phone is supposed to integrate the sliding of the PSP Go, giving gamers actual controls attached to their phones. According to Endgaget, the phone is due out sometime this October.
Sony is experimenting again, and my hopes of this working are about as high as my hopes were for the success of the PSP Go. In other words, I think this is going to fail, and fail hard. Anyone remember N-Gage?
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Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com
Fallout: New Vegas Official Trailer and Release Date
Fallout: New Vegas has been officially given a “Fall 2010″ release time frame. Here is the game summary taken right from the press site:
Experience all the sights and sounds of fabulous New Vegas, brought to you by Vault-Tec, America’s First Choice in Post Nuclear Simulation. Explore the treacherous wastes of the Great Southwest from the safety and comfort of your very own vault: Meet new people, confront terrifying creatures, and arm yourself with the latest high-tech weaponry as you make a name for yourself on a thrilling new journey across the Mojave wasteland. A word of warning, however – while Vault-Tec engineers have prepared for every contingency,* in Vegas, fortunes can change in an instant. Enjoy your stay.
Here is the official teaser trailer:
Rogue Warrior
I want to be very honest with this review of Rogue Warrior. I played about an hour of it and decided that it was not worth my time to continue. With all the triple A titles that have recently been released I am surprised that Rogue Warrior even made it to stores let alone with a $60 price tag. Games like Rogue Warrior make me wonder if the people who developed the game really even support it. How could you? Are they blindly thinking they are creating something worth playing or are they just doing it for a quick buck? I may never know.
Bottom line, Rogue Warrior is not worth the purchase and probably won’t ever be, even if you can get it for $10 used. The controls are janky, the campaign is very short (from what I read, only 2 hours), the F-word is constantly used and the multiplayer is not even worth touching.
I really respect Bethesda and hope that they will continue to publish great games but I have no idea what they were thinking taking on Rogue Warrior.
WET
I first saw WET when it was announced a while back and I wasn’t very impressed. I thought it was a joke and I was positive it would be a flop or not even get published. Well, the day has come and WET has been released into the wild and boy did it exceed my expectations by far.
WET reminds me a lot of Stranglehold, the emphasis is on slo-mo and acrobatic kills. Basically you do certain actions like jump, wall-run, or slide which then trigger slow motion that lasts about 5 seconds. One of your guns aims automatically and you aim the other gun manually, this makes it possible to kill two people at the same time. Combine this acrobatic gameplay and a highly stylized art direction and you have the basis of WET. WET reminds me of the Kill Bill movies and I think it was made like this on purpose. You will even see drive-in commercials in between some of segments. The whole art direction, I would say, was made to make WET look like a movie.
Rubi Malone, the main character, wields guns and a sword. Guns are for slow motion combat and the sword is for close combat. There are certain areas in the game that I like to call “battle areas” and you will know you are about to enter one of these areas when a cut-scene of Rubi doing some gun-slinger tricks plays. In these areas you are to destroy the enemy spawn points by slashing them with the sword. Once all spawn points are destroyed you are to defeat the rest of the enemies. After you complete a level you are taken to a screen where you can purchase new moves and perks. You gain “style points” in each level based on how well you do. Once you complete a chapter of the game you are taken back to your “junk yard” which is basically where you can practice all of your skills. There are also challenges to be completed there. I wasn’t sure I actually liked the idea of the junk yard, I felt like the game would be better suited as a campaign with no stops from start to finish. There are also other sequences in the game that stick out from the rest and make you go “Wow” like the “Rage Mode.” Rage Mode happens at random points in the game and basically just makes the graphics look similar to MadWorld but with red, black, and white. To watch Rage Mode in action check out my video here. There are also quick time sequences in the game. One of them took place on a highway during a fast paced car chase while Rubi leaped from one car to the other shooting enemies in slow motion. It was these sequences that made the game feel unlike any other game I’ve played.
WET is a great looking game, the art direction is fantastic and I was also impressed with how gritty the game is. Usually I am not a fan of intense violence but it fits well in WET. Again, WET feels like a movie and I almost wish they would turn it into one as I think it could be very enjoyable. One last thing I want to add is that the soundtrack to the game is stellar. It fits the game perfectly and really adds to the action on the screen.
I was a little surprised to hear that Bethesda decided to take on publishing WET but I can see now they made a great choice. Hopefully WET will get the attention it deserves. The bottom line is that I really enjoyed it, it’s pure fun, very artistic, and I would recommend picking it up if you like Stranglehold or if you like the idea of a Kill Bill game.
If you are interested in WET check out my play-through of the demo here. You can also download the demo on Xbox 360 or PS3.
Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta
Never let it be said Bethesda hasn’t supported Fallout 3 since it’s release late last year. Demonstrating a dedication to the post apocalyptic behemoth of sandbox gaming the company has consistently released new DLC episodes on such a regular basis it’s clear they thinking about these scenarios and all the possibilities they explore as they developed the main game.
Now that we’ve explored every nook of the wastes, the world beyond and even the past, there was only one more frontier we had yet to venture: The final frontier. I tip my hat once again to Bethesda as I have in past reviews for their willingness to experiment with the DLC and use it to do things they couldn’t try in the main game. Unfortunately however, differen’t hasn’t always been good and the DLC, though mostly positive has had it’s areas of disappoint. In attempting new things the DLC has too often strayed from the core gameplay, that special myriad of mechanics and genres, that makes Fallout 3 work.
Overall the DLC has been a slow positive return to that formula, a gradual rise to near perfection and into outer space. Mothership Zeta is the last DLC Bethesda has currently planned and takes us far beyond the arid desolation of earth into the cold metallic recesses of an alien spaceship. Sadly after the greatness of Broken Steel and Point Lookout, Mothership Zeta is an unfortunate and puzzling reversion to some of the same things that plauged the lesser of these installments. It isn’t a complete disappointment but it has similar problems as Operation Anchorage, the first and worst of the DLC. Whereas Point Lookout finally got it right as a simple continuation of the open ended adventuring that made Fallout 3 so much fun, Mothership Zeta returns to the constrictive “corridor-shooter” style gameplay that frustrated in Operation Anchorage.
With a game that succeeds in the freedom and expanse of an open world it baffles me why the creators have at times aspired to more linear, scripted gameplay in the DLC. Mothership Zeta is not as annoying as I found much of Operation Anchorage to be, you can still scavenge after all, but it still reduces the gameplay to relatively simple, straightforward objectives and mindless run and gun action. As the DLC progressively went from mediocre to great, I didn’t think I would have to go through this routine again. I think I’ve remarked on the flaws of this approach at least to some degree in each of the DLC reviews, thoroughly in my frustrated review of Operation Anchorage.
To those who complain that Fallout 3 is an FPS disguised as an RPG, that it’s merely a shooter and little else, let me assure them: It’s very definitely not. How do I know? Because it’s a great game but when it’s reduced to simple FPS gameplay it isn’t. So there’s definitely something else to it. It’s the sum of it’s parts. When you strip away the exploration, and the dynamic nuance, strategy and variety it’s freedom represents, and you trap it in a narrow hallway with limited options and 5 enemies blitzing you, you’re quickly reminded how much this game is not an FPS. This may be outer space, but Halo it aint. There are a lot of reasons why but, without going in to detail, the controls are stiffer and less fluent in frenetic combat situations, the weapons less accurate or, in some cases, responsive, and the subtleties of an RPG style damage system makes straight firefights harder to assess tactically. It’s just not an FPS. Trust me.
Mothership Zeta begins when you explore the source of a mysterious radio transmission and are promptly abducted. Beamed aboard the alien craft you soon meet others who have been similarly collected for insidious experimentation at the hands of your extraterrestrial captors. after some introductions you’ll find yourself striking a blow for humanity and leading a charge to commandeer the spaceship. The gameplay is simple but well executed, if only Fallout 3 were a better shooter. Meeting a motley crew of abducted humans from various places and time periods, they station themselves behind you at specific locations, throughout the game as you clear sections, complete objectives, and reach new areas. They remain in tow as you press deeper into the alien vessel. Among these characters are a woman who can repair your weapons and a medic who can modify alien substances into healing biogel, as well as a little girl that reminded me of a little sister from Bioshock as she crawled through doors and vents to open them to you.
The game consists of simple forward progression as you make your way through each new section of the ship mowing down stereotypical aliens on your merry rampage to the bridge. A scenario of this kind would have been far better served in a game like Timesplitters, right down to the humor. Each section has objectives to complete along the way although I found 9 times out of 10 this consisted of nothing more interesting than blowing up the same type of generator over and over again. Meanwhile you’re assaulted by the alien crew who wield a variety of fancy laser guns and electric batons. This kind of simplicity works fine for shooters but only draws attention to Fallout 3′s shortcomings as such. With the RPG model, why are we limiting the game to rudimentary, over simplified action with little to no emphasis on story, character development or strategy?
As far as the story goes there’s not much of a driving narrative other than the obvious imperative to escape. It’s true that given the situation I really don’t need a complicated drama to motivate my actions. Fighting for freedom is obvious and so are the reasons. Instead of an overarching story the scenario itself is informed by pop culture and the tongue and cheek references to abduction, alien experimentation, spacemen and flying saucers. Audio sound bytes from human prisoners that fill out the story a-la Bioshock and each member of your team has their own story, however I found myself willing to bypass both since they were basically just standard stage dressing. The story exists in the background. It’s there if you’re interested. I’m a little surprised how little else they attempted, but what’s here works on an indirect level.
Enemy AI is serviceable but not great by any standard. Enemies charge you or shoot depending on what type of weapon they have but other than that they aren’t very creative and the minimal intelligence suffers from the cramped quarters. Often times I found myself surrounded by several enemies as they assaulted me with batons. This annoying scenario was often repeated and it wasn’t helped by the fact that the combat suffers from the slight over durability of certain enemies. Most are fine but the force field protected soldiers are frustratingly resilient.
Abduction is not altogether without benefits though. You find and collect a surplus of foreign substances and items that have advantageous uses such as the Alien epoxy, which can be used to repair weapons and the Adapted Bio-Gel which is good for restoring a whopping 180Hp. You’d think the new weaponry would be the coolest yet but it’s fairly modest in terms of damage and function. There is a pistol, the Alien Atomizer, and a rifle, the Alien Disintegrator. Both are fun to toy around with but ultimately somewhat dismissible, especially compared with some of the cool toys in DLC past. The other notable weapon is the Drone Canon, which sounds cool but is just plain bad. It’s a heavy weapon that launches a ball of energy that explodes after bouncing around a bit. Since it doesn’t explode on contact but deflects against surfaces, accurately placing a shot is a guessing game. I actually had it bounce right off my target only to explode harmlessly off to the side and after only a few shots I put it away.
The best part of scavenging is how little everything weighs and how valuable it is. You will, in the course of the game acquire a ton of equipment, all of which can be traded for large sums of money. I went up fairly light and returned with about 30,000 caps worth of loot. You heard me right. Your money problems are over. Honestly, though it’s a little excessive and unbalances the game slightly but it’s nice to get something for your trouble. You can also return to the ship after the quest is completed but many doors are no longer accessible.
To be fair, Motherhsip Zeta is not a terrible campaign. The design of the alien craft is visually appealing with blinking lights, buttons and screens practically everywhere, though at times the disarray of bells and whistles can be distracting during quests and make knowing exactly which button to push a little confusing. Responses to this DLC seem generally positive but playing it I found myself more often than not underwhelmed by the gameplay. It isn’t badly designed but, like Operation Anchorage it fails to deliver on the potential we know Fallout 3 is capable of and I experienced a similar sense of aggravation in some situations as I did with that first DLC episode. It gravitates to it’s weaker FPS side and given the content, we’ve been there and done that in better shooters. Mothership Zeta gets a very moderate recommendation to only the Fallout 3 die hards like myself. It simply pales in comparison to what was offered in Point Lookout and is an unfortunately mediocre finale to Fallout 3′s DLC.
Fallout 3: Broken Steel
Broken Steel, the final chapter of Fallout 3′s immediate DLC, is the best yet, for several reasons. Incorporating some of the best aspects of both the original game and the other two DLC installments, the episode feels surprisingly epic, featuring some impressive combat sequences and offering a variety of reasons for players to return to the Fallout universe and remain there for a while longer.
Operation anchorage was frustrating but modestly entertaining. The Pitt was a marked improvement but still just a side note. Broken Steel surpasses them both, in length and enjoyability, extending the main quest of Fallout and taking advantage of the D.C. Wasteland while still providing several large additional maps.
It’s hard to evaluate the episodic enclosure of Fallout 3′s DLC considering the strength of the main game was it’s expansive freedoms and successful moderation of boundaries. The condensation of it’s size was one of the flaws in Bethesda’s approach to DLC but they have all been fun diversions. Broken Steel smartly concludes this package with great additions to the existing game that make it a must buy for fans. If you’ve been on the fence about the DLC, now may be the best time to pick them all up. The various additional creative weapons, armor and bonus features alone are very nearly worth the price of the downloads and when used within Fallout 3′s main quest are extremely entertaining.
Broken Steel is a great way to conclude the series of add-ons not simply because it includes the standard additions of two new weapons and a new suit of armor, or because it’s slightly longer and more epic than the previous DLC, but because it finally delivers on the much anticipated promise to raise the level cap. Now players can grind away all the way to 30 and the points needed to do so are substantial. The quest to once again max out will last far longer than Broken Steel, which is of course the point.
This feature alone has had players eagerly awaiting it’s release, with some fans even holding off on the other DLC until they could take advantage of it. What makes Broken Steel the best installment so far is the way it provides players with so much, with little additional effort. I don’t think it’s actually that much bigger than Operation Anchorage or The Pitt but it’s the features it offers and the way it incorporates them that make it seem so big.
It extends the main quest of Fallout 3, returns to the massive world of the Wasteland, and offers the incentive of a raised level cap and new perks to reinvigorate this post apocalyptic adventure. Combined, these elements result in easily the most satisfying and worthwhile episode yet and as the crowning achievement of the trio, alongside them justifies the entire package.
Broken Steel begins where Fallout 3 ended and allows players to continue on, joining the Brotherhood of Steel in their campaign against the Enclave. If you’ve played through Fallout 3 you know why this would be difficult to do. Without giving too much away Bethesda essentially chose to alter the ending, which is a little awkward and detracts from the original story. However it’s story was never it’s most compelling or outstanding feature so I doubt any tears will be shed. As a continuation of the main quest this means you will need to finish Fallout 3 before you can begin Broken Steel. Most people who have already done so will have at least one saved game nearby so this shouldn’t be a problem.
It’s a little odd since now, instead of a full fledged ending you will have, Broken Steel. The story line simply continues and you are thrust into action alongside the Brotherhood who, armed with Liberty Prime (the enormous robot) are conducting an extermination crusade against the remnants of the Enclave. Make no mistake, this is a combat quest. There is a lot of fighting and fortunately it’s all a lot of fun. There isn’t a lot of necessary structure to the story-line other than what I’ve already explained. The game takes you from one location to the next completing objectives, gathering intel, and eradicating the Enclave. The story for the main game was passive but well done. Here it’s just okay, so it’s fortunate we barely need it. A great story wouldn’t have hurt but what’s offered is serviceable and it’s just so much fun mopping up the Enclave that I didn’t need an abundance of narrative. To quote Aliens, “I only need to know one thing: Where. They. Are.”
The fight eventually leads you to a military air base which boasts some memorable sequences and a generous gratuity of Enclave to dispatch with the copious selection of “hot death” at your disposal. Speaking of which the new Heavy Incinerator may be the hottest “flavor” yet! Picture this: A flame-thrower machine gun. It’s easily one of the coolest weapons ever and the most fun in Fallout 3. That actually should have been the first thing I mentioned in this review because after that there really isn’t any reason to go on. Once you get your hands on a gun that shoots giant balls of fire incredible distances rapidly, you’ve already gotten your money’s worth. Because of it’s incredible range it works great in broad expanses as a first strike weapon that allows you to light your enemies on fire before they even realize they’re being attacked: It’s hilarious. In addition there is an accompanying suit of armor that is my new favorite. The other new weapon, the Tesla Canon, is almost as cool. A heavy, one shot, reload, deal that blast enemies with cocoon of electricity then delivers a crippling surge, the TC definitely has it’s applications.
Though, as far as I could tell, unrelated to the main events of Broken Steel there is also the Tri-Beam Laser, an upgrade to the standard Laser Rifle. Not to be outdone by the weapons, certain enemies have also been upgraded as well. Super Mutant Overlords, and Feral Ghoul Reavers make an appearance as tougher versions of their respective casts. Incinerator wielding Enclave also make things interesting.
Besides the combat and some pretty impressive set pieces, what really makes this experience great is how these events unfold within the context of the Wasteland. Though most of the action still takes place on a few exterior locations, the way the quest is grounded within the primary overworld, allows players access to familiar amenities, and lends to the feeling that this campaign is huge, certainly bigger than it would seem on its own.
The fact that it requires players to complete the game means that most will be playing with fairly leveled up characters, the amount of weapons, perks and other advantages available at this stage in the game (including the additional armaments from previous DLC) is staggering. Again the general feeling is a newfound immensity to a game that has gradually shrunk with the 100′s of hours spent in it.
What Bethesda has done to extend the playability of the game is commendable. One of the best ways they’ve done this was incorporating the logical progression of the main story-line into the world itself. There are various changes to the wasteland that reflect the events that transpired at the end of the main game as well as the pivotal choices the player can make at that point. It’s this natural evolution of the environment that attributes a sense of novelty to locations hours of playtime have since exhausted. In addition to the primary campaign against the Enclave there are a few side quests that branch into these new developments.
These additional quests are brief but satisfying and contribute to value, scale and enjoyment of Broken Steel. Bethesda was smart and with all the incentive features at work here, it’s clear that this DLC is intended, not only to last longer than the others but inspire a renewed interest in the Fallout 3 experience as a whole as players return to the Wastes in pursuit of level 30. If you haven’t checked out Fallout 3′s DLC yet, if you’ve been waiting for a reason to do so, rest assured, that reason is here. Whether you decide to pick up the others, which are worth it for the additional weaponry, or not Broken Steel is a must for fans of the game. You really owe it to the Wasteland to do something about the Enclave. Do it for Dad.
Fallout: Vegas Style
Bethesda has just announced the next game in the Fallout 3 universe: Fallout New Vegas.
According to Pete Hines of Bethesda, the game will not be a sequel to Fallout 3 but a new game that takes place in the same universe, just in Las Vegas this time. Not much else was revealed at the company’s London press conference. The game is due next year for the 360, PC and PS3.
Looks like a lot of us will be wasting a whole lot more time in the ruins of a post apocalyptic Sin City.
Fallout 3:Operation Anchorage
Operation Anchorage, the first of three DLC installments for the acclaimed Fallout 3, has a lot to live up; EDG game of the year for instance. When I first heard what Bethesda was planning I was excited but a little confused and skeptical as to why they would choose to explore such a far removed episode as the liberation of Alaska from Chinese communists, an event that took place 200 years prior to those in Fallout 3. The primary source of my curiosity and mild apprehension was the dismissal of the Capital Wasteland in favor of a completely new area. I was excited to see they where putting so much development into the project but wondered how the expansive open ended quality of Fallout 3 would function or even survive in such an exclusive environment and quest. I was confident Bethesda would deliver, however and looked forward with great anticipation.
As the resident Fallout 3 geek here at EDG, I was excited when the opportunity to experience this first of the DLC trio and offer my impressions finally came. I was enthusiastic from the beginning and wanted to like it from the very beginning. Unfortunately some confounding design choices and a flawed decision to take the emphasis off the RPG and sandbox components and instead focus on Fallout 3′s functional but unimpressive FPS attributes make this a surprisingly mediocre endeavor.
A computer simulation of the liberation of Alaska from Chinese Communists, Operation Anchorage is primarily a combat mission that attempts to encourage strategy with some rudimentary options but largely eschews the open ended freedoms that make the Fallout 3 experience so diverse, dynamic, and compelling. Instead it reduces it to an exercise in linear run and gun action as it confines players within cramped interiors and the conceptually limited scope of the Alaskan military campaign. Employing the idea of a simulation has allowed Bethesda to explore a drastically different scenario than anything seen in Fallout 3, changing the place and even time, in a sense, but at what cost? I applaud the creativity and their willingness to go above and beyond for the DLC, however by effectively discarding the capital wasteland they have also ignored the games quintessential feature and greatest strength in favor of a restrictive shooter that emphasizes the games flawed FPS mechanic by focusing almost entirely on it.
The quest begins within the Capital Wasteland and can be accessed through any new or previously saved game. After a few moments of playing you will pick up a radio distress call from the Brotherhood Outcasts that leads to their main headquarters and an exciting confrontation with super mutants in the downtown area. This battle is actually the most fun I had with the entire quest. Upon repelling the invading freaks and making your way inside the base the Outcasts, as rudely as possible, request your help accessing a vault filled with preserved technology. It seems only by completing a combat simulation of the liberation of Anchorage will clearance to open the vault be granted and apparently your Pip-Boy is required to interface with the simulation (how or why is a little unclear but no matter).
When talking with the gruff Protector McGraw I was tempted to end our discussion prematurely by bragging about how I had wiped out the Outcast contingent at Fort Independence (cold hearted psychopath that I am…what can I say, their armor is worth a lot of caps) but I wanted to liberate Alaska so I resisted the impulse. Instead I satisfied my immature sense of humor and insatiable desire to be a jerk by hacking a computer behind my hosts back as he lead me to his commander. Very soon I was donning a neural interface suit and climbing into the simulation pod, which works the same way as the Tranquility lounger on steroids. Rather than a quaint antique monitor the interior is engulfed in shimmering incandescence and instead of a dinky little tune an sepia Americana, I was greeted on the other side by the crisp blue sky and breathtaking cliff side vista of the Alaskan Wilderness. Nice. But I have just described the best parts of the entire campaign.
The graphics, while not substantially improved were still a little cleaner and the unique art style and new environments all looked very sharp and inviting after so much time in the depressing monochromatic wasteland. I could almost feel the crisp winter wind in my lungs. Overall there seemed to be a slight yet noticeable visual upgrade but the animation remained still relatively mediocre.
The operation officially begins where you have presumably landed by parachute as you receive instructions from a fellow commando to infiltrate the Chinese strongholds for a sabotage mission. As I began to make my way across the rugged cliff side however I encountered the first of a number of frustrating design choices. The removal of all existing weapons and items makes sense and I had anticipated it, but the inability to scavenge, an integral part of Fallout 3′s gameplay, makes the experience feel unnecessarily sparse. Enemies vaporize upon death along with their weapons and the inability to rummage through traditional item caches such as metal boxes, as well as a general lack of other resources such as gun cabinets, foot lockers, and medical boxes constantly frustrated my efforts to embrace the have-it-your-way mentality Fallout 3 thrives on. Instead weapons, ammunition and health are all dispensed at specific locations by gadgets that glow/flash to make them easy to spot (think, the items in Bioshock). With such formal limitations, the ability to shape your own fate by choosing your own weapons, items, and methods feels lost here and the empowering cavalier spirit of the original, contradicted.
The game is broken into two main segments. The first is extremely linear and finds you making your way through the enemy base to rendezvous with another soldier and do some strategic demolition (Yay blow stuff up!) The second, more open, puts you in the field commanding a squadron of soldiers you select with three objectives to complete. Both scenarios are very combat oriented which is essentially the flaw of both and unfortunately, that of Operation Anchorage as a whole.
The first sequence is a dry “corridor shooter” (similar to something you’d find in a typical FPS) in the sense that it requires the player to simply and without deviation, navigate hallways gunning down enemies until they reach the end. Practically devoid of inventory or character customization, the ability to approach situations at the player’s discretion, or other similar freedoms, I found myself frustrated by my lack of options and the sudden inflexibility of the experience. Exterior areas are equally restrictive and invariable as you make your way up narrow pathways that meander precariously across the cliff face. They still present several long distance skirmishes, however, as remote enemies try to gun you down from across the rocky chasms. Unfortunately these altercations are seldom very enjoyable since the sporadic accuracy of Fallout’s automatic weapons make them somewhat ineffective at range and the distance likewise nullifies the percentages of V.A.T.S. The inability to rely on stimpacks or scavenge aid or ammo may have been meant to increase the tension but I just felt slighted out the very fundamentals I had become accustomed to.
The second portion of the game affords the player greater freedoms in how they approach their objectives as well as a larger environment to explore. You take command of a small hand picked platoon to accomplish specific missions. It is still obviously objective based, combat centric and to spite interchangeable weapon sets and squad members, suffers from the same lack of variety as the first. The idea is that you select specific soldier types based on intel for each specific objective, which was a great idea and one I was excited about at first. It’s enjoyable, but the “strategy” element is negligible and between my indestructible AI buddy and the Sentry Bot I chose as a team member I found that “rush in like an idiot, guns blazing” was an effective strategy no matter what the specific conditions of the objective. To be fair though this concept has great potential and demonstrates the designers interest in developing interesting ideas. I just think it would have benefited from a more extensive development period.
Both sections work on the basic level of Fallout 3 combat, but really don’t bring anything new to the formula or do anything to enliven it. Instead they simply reduce it to it’s rudimentary form, which by itself is not particularly engaging, and introduced arbitrary restrictions that seem contrary to the nature of the established formula. The gameplay relies too much on combat alone and makes you forget your playing an RPG. When I leveled up during the mission it actually seemed out of place and irrelevant. Since I was engaged in a straightforward combat scenario, broader strategies and character enhancement seemed pointless.
One of the things observed in most reviews as well as anyone who has spent some time with the game is that Fallout 3 “is not a first person shooter.” Even with the dynamic of V.A.T.S. it’s combat is only a small fragment of the greater whole. Fallout 3 is comprised of a multitude of choices and the freedom and environmental expanse in which to exercise them. It’s strategy and depth lies not in it’s individual mechanics or the strength of a single part but the versatility they afford together and the ability to overcome adversity with the skillful application of a variety of tools and methods. To be able to approach a situation your way, or avoid it completely lends it it’s engaging realism and satisfying sense of accomplishment. It is the sum of it’s parts, a synthesis of gameplay mechanics that could be criticized on their own but together harmonize as an amazing experience. Only through the coalescence of it’s FPS, RPG and Sandbox elements does it transcend the individual flaws of each. Operation Anchorage falters by relying far too much on just one component.
Obviously this is only a side quest and not the entire Fallout 3 experience but the difference between this and the other side quests is it exists in its own enclosed world. The Capital Wasteland is gone and with it most of the flexible gameplay that makes Fallout 3 so enjoyable. It is distinguished by this isolation, ostracized from the fundamental freedom upon which the main game is built, and therefore has too be judged on it’s own and not it’s relation to Fallout 3 as a whole. It has to stand on it’s own merits. Unfortunately it’s merits are combat and as we’ve already established the FPS mechanics at work here are not on par with Halo or CoD4. Essentially Operation Anchorage shoots itself in the foot by straying from it’s foundations and identifying itself as more of a shooter at the same time not allowing the player enough room to experience it with the sense of self reliance and ingenuity that define the Fallout 3 experience.
I don’t mind Bathesda creating something completely new and unique but since they so clearly distinguished it from it’s origins why couldn’t they have invented more in terms of gameplay as well. Since they fabricated a completely new environment, why not use the opportunity to get creative with the play mechanics, tweak the RPG system, or do something innovative with V.A.T.S. They could have introduced some new features that would have complimented and enhanced the basic combat system instead of just leaving it out to dry. Since it’s a simulation the new rules wouldn’t have had to apply to the rest of the game but could be discarded at the mission’s conclusion.
Closing Thoughts
Operation Anchorage is not absolutely terrible to spite my critical appraisal. The change of scenery is nice, the combat, while over relied upon, still works, and it introduces some new weapons and armor that are made available upon completion. In particular, there is a stealth suit with cloaking capabilities that’s a lot of fun to play around with in the wasteland when OA is over. I just think certain design choices hold it back and as big fan of Fallout 3 I can’t help but be a little disappointed with it’s disregard for what I feel are some of title’s best features.
At around 3 and a half hours I also feel that 800pts ($9.99) is a little steep. It would offer more value if it was a more open ended experience but the cut and dried, A to B objectives, restrictive map design, and lack of player choices leave little room for anything but running and gunning commies (don’t get me wrong I love sticking it to the Reds as much as the next guy.) If you’re a big fan of Fallout 3, as I am, check it out. However if you played Fallout 3, thought it was great, but have since moved on this isn’t enough incentive to justify a returning to the good fight. That being said I’m still excited about the next two DLC installments; The Pitt coming in February and Broken Steel, in March. Stay tuned for our coverage as more details surface. Here’s hoping Bathesda renews the sense of freedom and choice that makes Fallout 3 so great.