By: Jesse Baguchinsky
The second of the downloadable content packs for Fallout 3 takes you out of the wastelands of Washington D.C. and into the post apocalyptic world of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, commonly called The Pitt. Unlike Operation Anchorage, The Pitt brings back more of the traditional Fallout 3 game play, complete with more expansive areas than Alaska and moral choices that affect the story’s conclusion. This add-on will add about four to five hours onto your Fallout 3 experience and fans will be glad to see the return of the familiar style of game play.
When you load up The Pitt, you get another radio signal similar to what happened with Operation Anchorage. This time you are asked to help an escaped slave find a cure for a disease plaguing the slaves of a steel mill in the Pitt. This disease turns the people into nasty sub-human creatures called Trogs. After taking your first-class train ride and crossing the main bridge into the Pitt you are beaten senseless by slavers and “disguised” as a slave. After this point you are taken to the steel mill and you can take on the quests however you see fit. Unlike Operation Anchorage, the quests in The Pitt have multiple resolutions and most of them deal with how good or evil you want to be.
Like the other environments in Fallout 3, the steelyard in Pittsburgh looks great. Just like Anchorage it has its own unique look and feel. The smokestacks constantly blow out clouds of pollution and the steel mill is always at work cutting or forging metal into who knows what. The characters still aren’t very attractive, but the new equipment fits right in with the rest of the over the top weaponry. The signature weapon, the Auto-Axe, looks like a circular saw and a fire ax had a baby and there’s not really much more to ask for in terms of melee weaponry. Just like the rest of the areas in Fallout 3, the Pittsburgh Steel Mill looks completely unique and has a completely different style from the rest of the game.
When you enter the steel mill for the first time it’s easy to tell you’re in a steel mill. The constant metal clanking against metal and the roars of the machinery fit the environment very well. Also, the sound of the Auto-Axe running is always pleasant to hear… in a maniacal chaotic sort of way. The other audio such as the music and the voice acting are all on par with the rest of Fallout 3, so that is a plus.
The game play goes back to what Fallout 3 was made for. Wider areas make different attack strategies possible and the choices that affect your karma will more than likely affect how the story will end. The quests are varied and some can be completed in multiple ways so it’s fun to come back with a different character and see what happens if you finish the quest using a different method. If you didn’t like the game play during Operation Anchorage you will be pleased to know that The Pitt doesn’t revolve completely around running and shooting.
Like in Operation Anchorage, you will be stripped of your weapons, but it will only be for a short period of time. This will allow players to experiment with the Auto-Axe and the handful of other new equipment found in The Pitt. Most of the new weapons are fun to use for a short period of time, but they probably won’t be useful in the long run. The best thing about the new equipment is after you’re done showing everyone in the Pitt who’s boss, you can take your newly acquired Auto-Axe and have show-and-tell with the Raiders and Super Mutants in the Capital Wasteland. Odds are, all they’ll bring are guns and body parts.
If you’re craving more out of Fallout 3, then The Pitt is a good buy. It brings back the open-ended quests and the exploration that made the original game great. The story is good enough to come back to after you’ve beaten it and it’s interesting to see what can happen if you do things differently. The steel mill looks and sounds like a steel mill and the equipment you get supplements the game nicely. Overall, ten dollars is worth the extra four or five hours of game play The Pitt brings because if you like Fallout 3 then you’ll probably like The Pitt and want to replay it.
Other Fallout 3 Reviews
Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage
Published by: Bethesta Softworks
Developed by: Bethesta Softworks
ESRB Rating: M for Mature, 17+
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Genre: Action Role Playing Game
I’ll wait until the GOTY edition comes out. I mean, say what you want about Bethesda but they know how to bundle some good stuff. I mean, Fallout 3 plus all 5 expansions for only 59.99? That’s a helluva deal.
Yeah. That is definitely a good idea for PS3 owners. Especially if they don’t have the game yet.
My only complaint was that I thought the end of this expansion left a bit to be desired, after liberating all thous people you’d think you would get more than some free ammo.