I’ll refrain from including the exasperating obstacle course of purchasing, downloading, and installing Bethesda’s first batch of downloadable content for Fallout 3 (I purchased the game itself over Steam, which only complicated things). It’s been covered elsewhere already, and I’d rather spend an evening babysitting Alma from F.E.A.R. than go through it again. I’ll just talk about the DLC pack, Operation: Anchorage, itself.
Once properly installed and running, you’ll pick up a distress call on your Pip-Boy: the Brotherhood of Steel Outcasts are requesting backup in the Bailey’s Crossroads district of D.C. If you decide to investigate (and it would sort of weird if you chose not to after buying the add-on), you’ll find the Outcasts skirmishing with a number of Super Mutants. Once they’re dealt with, you’ll be able to enter the Outcasts’ Outpost.
They’re none too keen on inviting a local into their lair, but something about you will interest them: your Pip-Boy. Seems they’re after some technology that is locked inside a vault, and the only way to gain entrance to the vault is by successfully completing a military simulation, that of the liberation of Alaska from the Communist Chinese. And the only way one can interface with the simulation is with a Pip-Boy 3000. I guess Butch passed on the offer, so it’s all up to you.
After climbing into the virtual simulation pod (similar to the one contained in one of the game’s Vaults) you’ll get to reenact events from the liberation of Anchorage, with the caveat that if you die in the sim, you die for real. I’m not sure what benefit there is designing a game that kills you if you lose, but hey, the U.S. military knows what they doing, right?
It being a simulation, naturally, you won’t be able to use any of your current weapons, armor, items, or aid — instead, the virtual you will be clad in winterized combat armor (making you look like you’re more fit for Counter-Strike than Fallout), armed with only a silenced pistol and a trench knife.
"this map sux... Dust plz"
Yes, you’re playing a character on your computer who is playing a character on his computer who will shortly have to use a few computer terminals of his own. It’s Operation: Recursion! Your character’s character will meet Benjamin Montgomery, a tough-talkin’, commie-hatin’ U.S. Army soldier, who instructs your character’s character to infiltrate the Chinese Outpost with the intent of taking out three massive artillery guns that are pounding on US forces. He’ll meet up with — well, let’s call it you, for simplicity’s sake — once you’re inside the outpost.
Hmm... should have put more points into Big Guns.
You’ll encounter a number of Chinese Soldiers and Dragoons as you proceed, the latter possessing stealth armor that makes them difficult to see while crouching, and impossible to hit in VATS unless they decloak. When killed, your enemies will fizzle out like a lost television signal, leaving behind no armor or weapons to loot. There are several locations where you can pick up new weapons and refill your health and ammo, however, and they’ll be pulsing red so they’re easy to spot.
Once you’ve knocked out the big guns, your screen will fade and you’ll find yourself at the U.S. Army Field Headquarters, faced with three new missions. To help you out, you’ll be assigned a strike team, the members of which you’ll be allowed to hand-pick. Basically, you have five points you can spend on your team, and each prospective member has a number of points attributed to them (a simple infantryman costs you just one point, a sniper costs you two, while an Infantry Bot will cost you four).
You can direct your squad to whichever objective you like. Your first two missions can be done in either order: one requires you to destroy two enemy fuel tanks (um… shouldn’t we be capturing that precious fuel instead of detonating it?), the other tasks you with clearing out a listening post of all enemy personnel. Once done with these two assignments, you’re ready for the the final mission, disabling a pulse field to allow U.S. power-armored soldiers to invade the Chinese HQ.
Zero percent is still a percent, right? I'm optimistic.
You’ll have to navigate through trenches, fighting off turrets and Chinese soldiers bearing flame throwers and rocket launchers, to push the oddly-unguarded pulse field “Off” button, and then the mission is capped with a boss fight against an extremely durable yet not particularly battle-wise foe. Let’s just say someone brought a sword to a grenade fight.
Once you’ve completed the simulation, you’ll be returned to the Outcast Base, and allowed to have your pick of the items in the now-unlocked vault. Prizes include the Chinese Stealth Armor and some of the weapons from the simulation, like the wonderful one-shot Gauss Rifle.
The Chinese invented the Gauss Rifle, but somehow never thought to use it themselves.
Overall, this is an enjoyable addition to Fallout 3, though it doesn’t allow for much in the way of role-playing: it’s just a long, knock-down, drag-out combat simulation, with bullets whizzing overhead and bombs falling at your feet. I didn’t have too much trouble getting through it, as I played through as a level 20 character, though I chose close-combat gear for the final three missions (shottie, pistol, and powerfist) and encountered far more snipers and distant turrets than I was prepared to deal with. For low level characters without a lot of skill points to fall back on, I could see this being a lot tougher.
I also felt Bethesda could have done a bit more with the virtual reality angle. The game’s other virtual simulation quest is brilliant, possibly the best part of the game: darkly comic with a real Twilight Zone vibe. While Operation: Anchorage doesn’t call for that same touch, I still think they could have put more of a spin on the virtual atmosphere.
After all, this is a proud moment in American military history, and yet it didn’t feel terribly heroic: no blaring Sousa marches, no enormous American flags flapping patriotically in the wind, no oppressed masses to liberate from the fiendish Red hordes, no American dames waving hankies and professing their love and gratitude. Surely, the United States government, when creating a simulation of this historic event, would have cranked up the patriotism module to its “Cartoony” setting. It’s what we do.
There were a couple incongruous moments, as well. At one point, my karma was lowered by virtually picking the virtual pocket of a virtual American soldier. Also, a simulation medic gave me some simulation Jet, which I promptly became addicted to, and remained so even after the sim ended. And, my beloved Abe Lincoln stovepipe hat, which I was wearing when I climbed into the pod, came out completely damaged when I exited.
Also, the one weapon I wish they’d allow you to access outside the simulation is missing: the Spider Drones, which are basically little legged landmines the Chinese have engineered. They scuttle across the ground at you: slow and easy to deal with if you see them coming, but I think they would make a great player weapon, perhaps a buildable one: the schematic could allow you to modify your standard landmines at a workbench with some scrap metal, a sensor, a fission battery, and maybe parts from a wind-up clock.
I think it’d be a fun addition to a player’s arsenal, especially for stealth players, allowing them to release the skittering landmine toward their enemies as a distraction, or to point them at a nearby car, which the drones could scuttle under and explode. Ah well, maybe the modding community will make this a reality: I’d love to see the little devils scampering after some fleeing raiders like a poor man’s Bombchu.
All in all, Operation: Anchorage is a fun diversion from the standard gameplay of Fallout 3. Not terribly deep, not much in the way of role-playing or bringing your character’s personality to the missions, but still a good chunk of exciting combat, beautifully realized Alaskan landscapes, and some cool prizes to walk away with.
48 Comments
February 3, 2009
Seems like a completely different game really.
February 3, 2009
Does seem like some wasted opportunities. Considering, as you say, how cool the VR stuff was in the original. No rogue AIs, 4th wall breakdowns, secret glitch areas? Bah.
But then, I foolishly bought the PS3 version of Fallout 3 so the whole thing seems like a wasted opportunity. Nothing like playing a great game and still feel like the designers are repeatedly kicking you in the groin. Cheers Bethesda!
February 3, 2009
Yay the new site. Funny, cool, and yay, I don’t have to install it on my computer. I just have to deal with red rings (right now infact >.<) Go Chris!
February 3, 2009
Haha, I love the counter-strike suit. Dust plz!
February 3, 2009
Nice Review, So all in all, Is it worth it? I’ve just started my replay (It was meant to be an evil character but I just couldn’t bring myself to nuking megaton and becoming a slaver, Another great example of the Depth in this Game.) and was wondering if I need any more quests to Uncover.
February 3, 2009
Man, over-the-top Patriotism would be awesome in that sim. I mean, imagine all the fun, from the fresh faced cadet who just wants to finish it all for the girl back home, but is shot in the back by the evil treacheries of the enemy, to the womenfolk fainting with pride, to the heroic speeches…
You should totally be able to lecture the boss on the virtues of free market capitalism at length. Then punch him out in one hit due to “clean living”.
Someone needs to make that a mod.
February 3, 2009
I was vastly disappointed with the Simulation boss…I love how you can talk him into suicide by just saying “Its over…give up!”
February 3, 2009
There could also be a subplot about fiendish Commie Fluridation schemes and women in the sim to whom you could deny your Precious Bodily Fluids (while not avoiding them.*
*Hope that reference isn’t too obscure.
February 3, 2009
Perhaps the Lincoln hat could not fit in the simulator, so had to be crunched down, therefore damaging it?
February 3, 2009
If Dr. Strangelove is too obscure, our civilization isn’t worth preserving.
February 3, 2009
The terminal in the room next to the simulation pod has some interesting insight into the mind behind the simulation, apparently the one in charge of the project was rather… obsessive and erratic, repeatedly forcing complete redesigns and various idiosyncratic elements into it, which explains a bit.
I beat it in about three hours with a level eight focused on big guns and unarmed, though going back with a level 16 specialized in small guns, things were much easier. It’s always funny when punching someone does more damage than an assault rifle burst. It’s not hard, or particularly deep, but it’s fun, and I’m sure a decent modder could
rip offdo something better with the resources it adds in (being only a .esm and some .bsas, I think, no executables or protections on it…).February 3, 2009
“On no account will a Commie ever drink water, and not without good reason.” I did my Media seminar on Dr. Strangelove… perfection!
Love how the site looks now Chris, everything seems more defined. The grey tones really helped define everything! Also these in-depth posts make me love FPS above 1Fort, if it continues like this. Fantastic.
As for Operation: Anchorage? I’m sticking with user made mods, if only due to GFWL. A good one is IPip Player. Listen to your own .mp3s!
February 3, 2009
Funny post. Liked the CS armor.
But blog needs moar fps and less cRPG.
:P
February 3, 2009
I haven’t tried this myself but my friend told me a neat trick that he did. You can keep your gear from the simulation if you put Gary 23’s body (you find him in the room to your left just before the room the simulator machine is in) in front of the simulator machine before you enter it. When you exit the simulation if you’re fast enough you can search Gary 23’s body and put all your equipment in his corpse before the game removes it from your inventory. You can then search his corpse again and take all the equipment you put in there. So now you’ll have the winterized combat armor and whatever weapons you had when you finished the simulation and just like in the simulation they won’t degrade.
February 3, 2009
Loved the piece, just didn’t care for the “all in all” of the last paragraph. Made me feel like I was reading an academic essay.
February 3, 2009
@Jimmy!: That’s odd, feeling like I was reading an academic essay made the piece of writing work for me. Different strokes for different folks I guess…
February 4, 2009
I need this game D:
But first I need £50
February 4, 2009
After you blow up the guns and are teleported to the american camp, if you have high intelegence and science you can try and hack your way out of the simulation by talking to Benjamin Montgomery :D
I think the main addition is the stealth suit. It might not seem much but the addition of the stealth field really fixes stealth based characters. The pitt looks like it will contain real choices and so will broken steel, but OA is still great fun.
February 4, 2009
its spelt ‘Bombchu’. what?? I’m just replaying the games is all! It’s not like I memorised every part! Honest!
February 4, 2009
I liked OA, mainly because i like simple FPS games. Though i did exploit the simulation a bit, by dropping all my equipment, and then asking for a different set of guns from the quartermaster, so that i could actually choose what to use during the battle.
And if anyone is using Gauss after the sim (and i bet you are), there’s a mod fix to its pathetic VATS damage, caused by some weird glitch:
h ttp://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=3463
February 4, 2009
Again, LOVE the long posts!
February 4, 2009
Dang, Putzy, I googled it and still got it wrong. Thanks for the correction.
February 4, 2009
Strange, I was under the impression that new essays, etc. would appear LESS frequently. Oh well, it’s still good. Keep it up Chris!
February 4, 2009
Eh, I thought OA was ok. The greatest part was actually all the new equipment you get. Although, if you havent completed “You gotta shoot em in the head!” getting the Winterized power armor acts like getting the one in Fort Constantine.
February 4, 2009
I might consider getting this if I can handle the pain of getting the DLC for Fallout 3 on Steam.
One random idea that popped into my head that would have been a really excellent moment would be if they had a battle where you don the power armor and invade the HQ, and right after you finish it, there’s this kind of cinematic moment when you see all of the ICBMs launching in the distance, and landing off in all directions, until one lands right near you as you look up and see it right before it hits…I should probably write this down.
February 4, 2009
I think now would be a good time as every to actually play through O:A.
February 4, 2009
“After climbing into the virtual simulation pod (similar to the one contained in one of the game’s Vaults)”
I seem to recall a comment on the virtual reality thinger with one of the outcasts:
“Oh great, are there going to be more psycotic little girls?”
“umm……no….”
The government probably made the simulation really realistic to the subject’s mind, explaining why when you die in the simulation, you die in real life. That would probably explain why you stayed addicted to Jet.
Other inconsistancies:
Soldiers saluting you in the field is not supposed to happen, the snipers prioritize officers in RL
February 4, 2009
This really makes me want to go out and buy Operation: Anchorage now. I did not realize the plot involved experiencing a simulation; I thought somehow you would be actually transported to a portion of Alaska itself for one to explore.
February 4, 2009
I wish I could be so entuhsiaistic (sp) about Fallout 3 as you, Chris. Your reports always find me want to play it, but it was a large disappointment for me, despite trying several times to play it. It’s like when Pentadact comments on Far Cry 2 and I find it utter crap from the very beginning.
I’m not going to buy O:A, despite finding your review sounding awesome. I already consider the money spent on F3 wasted…
February 4, 2009
I’m already liking this sight better. I love the longer posts and pictures. Plus, I didn’t ever play much of TF2 (I wasn’t good at it). So yeah, good job, Chris!
February 4, 2009
Way to spell site, Addicted.
February 4, 2009
Can’t explain the hat and the jet, but I can certainly explain the karma.
Virtual or not, you decided to do something amoral. So bad player character, we punish you with some negative karma!
Its like the virtual reality was made by a certain ex lawyer we know and “love”
On another note, a cool mod to put in is the ability to play other Steam games through Fallout3. Single player only, of course, an negative actions in game, although good in game, are negative karma in Fallout3 itself. Probably impossible.
February 4, 2009
It’s pretty nice so far, the best part was that I needed to cross half the wasteland to get there :P
February 4, 2009
There was another firstpersonshouter on wordpress, I think. Chris didn’t do much with it. There was something about the best games of 07, but that was pretty much it.
PS- Shut up, Joeman.
February 4, 2009
New TF2 blogpost!
This one’s about crits.
“…you’ll see that point isn’t reached until you’ve done 550 recent damage, a feat that occurs about as often as our backstab code works correctly.”
February 4, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V-wyhT2s6s
That link is the start of a 33:30 speedrun of Fallout 3. You can find the rest via the related videos. It’s amazing.
Also Operation Anchorage is enough for me to want to get an unpirated version of Fallout 3 when I go grab Left 4 Dead. I hope I can carry over my saves.
February 5, 2009
Ha, Dust plx. Cs_Office, ALASKA EDITION.
February 5, 2009
Christoper!
L4D DLC news.
Valve.
Blog.
Nao.
^_^
February 5, 2009
But… I did the hero-in-the-radiated-room-thing and died. How will I be able to play through downloadable content?
February 5, 2009
Yay I’m glad you’re already updating.
My only request: If at all possible, could you make pictures clickable?
I often like looking at high/full resolution photos, even if it’s of really inane stuff.
February 5, 2009
Yeah, I was planning to set up a gallery for the full-size images for when people click the smaller ones, just haven’t gotten to that yet. It’s definitely on the list.
February 5, 2009
COME ON OLE YOU GOTTA SPOILER ALERT MAN! :(
February 5, 2009
I take it Survival mode in L4D will be some sort of arena with endless zombies, or something.
Either way i feel weird for bying the game and not playing it at all. Sucks to not have friends with the same game interests.
February 5, 2009
It’s not bad when you find some cool guys on a random server.
February 6, 2009
hey all, I recently did something so unbelievably extraordinary that I can choose any laptop I want and my parent/guardian will pay for it. The problem though, is I dont know which one. If someone could tell a really good top-of-the-range gaming laptop, it would be awesome.(include specs)
February 7, 2009
Cupajoe, presumably you’ve just finished reading a blogpost detailing every major event in the Fallout 3 addon, so I thought spoiler alerts to be unnecessary. Also, if you haven’t finished Fallout 3 you probably wouldn’t have any idea what I was referring to.
Still, [SPOILER ALERT] my question remains valid. I’m dead and I don’t want to start over. Any point in getting the new content?
February 8, 2009
Whoa, this place is all differenty. Looks great here - I’m on my EEE, 1024×600. Nice job.
February 18, 2009
lol bombchu.
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