Fallout 3 goes pre-apocalyptic - but with mixed results

Operation Anchorage seems to get quite a hard time from Fallout 3 players. Most critics argue that it's too short, too reliant on combat and not heavy enough on the moral choice options or exploration - and the general consensus is that it's probably one of the least essential DLC packs released for the game. Having said that, I actually quite enjoyed the experience regardless of the greater emphasis on linearity, and taken in the context of the broader game I found that it actually presents the player with a welcome change of scenery and pace. Anyway, here's a brief rundown of my thoughts and observations on the DLC.

Firstly the negatives. In addition to the relatively brief experience that is Anchorage, I felt that the missions were fairly unimaginative (especially in comparison to the main game), and in particular I found the group combat sections to be pretty redundant. The A.I. simply wasn't up to what I had been expecting, and I ended up having to keep calling for backup because all my guys kept blindly charging towards certain death. A minor part of the overall experience perhaps, but worth noting nonetheless. I also felt the variety of enemies was a bit sparse, and fairly soon into the missions I felt like I'd already seen pretty much everything the Chinese could throw at me. The lack of side-quests didn't help either, and this was compounded by the complete lack of exploration offered by the map.

Thankfully there are a couple of factors that make Anchorage worth the investment. The story successfully expands on the history of the Fallout universe, and offers the player a chance to see firsthand the pre-apocalyptic U.S. of the franchise - or at the very least, a simulated approximation of the setting. The audio logs hidden throughout the DLC are also a nice touch. But perhaps the most significant positive as far as I was concerned was the kickass gear you are rewarded with upon completion of mission. I'll go easy on the spoilers, but some of the stuff in the armoury is my favourite in the entire game, and I would highly recommend playing through Anchorage early on if only to gain access to the goodies. Overall, the price tag of Anchorage as a standalone DLC is probably not as generous as the others available for Fallout 3, but as part of the GOTY Edition it certainly seems like a much fairer deal.