When Fallout 3 launched last fall,
it offered gamers a deep and complex action-RPG game with plenty of unique
gameplay elements and a fully-realized post-apocalyptic wasteland. What further
excited gamers was the revelation that Bethesda, publisher/developer of the
game, would be launching more content via Xbox LIVE. Now, the fruits of this
announcement have seen the light of day with the first content expansion, titled
Operation: Anchorage.
Operation: Anchorage follows your
character through a simulation that takes place early on in the war that
resulted in the nuclear destruction of the world. A VR training mission, you
must stop the Chinese Army from invading Alaska by recapturing Anchorage. Along
the way, you’ll uncover a variety of story elements that help explain the events
preceding the destruction of civilization as we know it.
From the start, it is clear that the
main focus of Operation Anchorage is action. There really isn’t any exploring to
do, just enemies to kill. The enemies are pretty cool, too, ranging from
standard soldiers to Chinese Dragoons capable of going invisible. There are also
tons of snipers and flamethrower units gunning for you, keeping you on your
toes.
Upon completing the simulation,
you’ll unlock the vault in the real-world, giving you access to several cool
exclusive weapons and armor. Among the new gear you can get are a sword, a
stealth-boosting ninja outfit, a new scoped laser railgun, and a set of
winterized combat armor. All of these items have great stats, and look pretty
cool should you just want to run around in them.
The problem with Operation Anchorage
is that the whole affair is very short and quite linear. Due to the constant
ammo and health refreshers placed generously throughout the map, there’s really
no reason that any Fallout 3 player shouldn’t be able to blow through the pack’s
four missions in a few hours. While there is a subquest that has you searching
for ten pieces in intel in order gain the Covert Ops perk (which will grant you
a permanent boost in Lockpick, Science, and Small Arms), there’s still not a lot
here beyond the combat. Additionally, once you’re done with the simulation,
that’s it, and you can’t come back to it unless you load up a previous save. All
that you’ll have is your new equipment to remind you of your Anchorage exploits.
Graphically, even though Operation
Anchorage doesn’t change technically from the original Fallout 3, the look is
still quite different. While the environments are still barren and devoid of
life, the rocky, snow-covered mountainsides are a nice contrast to the original
game’s dirt-and-rock wasteland.
Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage is a
nice diversion for gamers who loved the original game and are champing at the
bit for more content. However, at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), it doesn’t quite
offer up a lot of content for more budget-concerned players.
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Gameplay: 7.5
The action never lets up in Operation Anchorage, and the spoils that you get
are great for the actual game. However, there are some problems with the DLC, as
it feels way too short for a $10 purchase and way too linear.
Graphics: 8.5
While not technically different from the original game, Operation: Anchorage
features some nice looking new snow mountain settings.
Sound: 8.0
Same as the original Fallout 3.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.0
An interesting take on expanded content, Operation: Anchorage gives some
nice insight to the Fallout universe.
Overall: 7.9
Operation Anchorage has no shortage of action, but the experience is awfully
short-lived.
