03-07-2009, 11:20 PM
   I recently bought the Operation Anchorage DLC for PC. After downloading the package, you have to log into live to register the content purchase. Now, actually playing the content is a bit confusing. I must've taken at least half an hour to figure it out. To play Operation: Anchorage! you have to log into your live account, then start your latest save game. You'll get an emergency broadcast shortly after starting the game and have the option of answering it or ignoring it until further notice. If you respond, you'll be yanked into combat by the Outcast Defenders and rush in towards their base. After helping them out, you go in the base and are asked to use a military simulation of the Liberation of Alaska from China(aka Operation: Anchorage!) to gain access to some extra loot in the real game. Gameplay-wise, Operation: Anchorage is a fun new experience to the fallout world. In Alaska, you have access to a new world map, new weapons, a new type of gameplay, and a bit more tactical and objective-based campaign.
The world map is a bit disappointing this time around, considering that it's much smaller than before. You'll easily explore every little tidbit there is and still be craving for more. You can easily explore Anchorage, Alaska within 1 or 2 play sessions. The new weapons range from the slow loading behemoth called the Gauss Rifle to many which you may have used, or even are using at the moment. However, some weapons seem to have extremely limited ammo, but at the same time, too much. Operation Anchorage does it's best to give you enough ammo to choke an elephant with at each checkpoint.
 If you liked to find scraps of food or to drink toilet water for health, you're out of luck this time around. The health system is covered by "health stations" scattered about Anchorage. This gives the game a bit more of strategic feel, but makes it unbearably easy. The Health stations are free to use and never run out of health. I personally felt this took too much challenge out of the game, but I digress.
 The story is, as the title suggests, the background of the liberation of Alaska, before the world became a radiation bucket. You are a soldier who, frankly, is no different from any other. You take orders, you give orders. Not much emotion this time around. Characters are lifeless and forgetable, which makes it all the easier considering that you don't care about the conversation half of the time. Throughout the whole venture, one thing remains clear. Kill all communists.
 The new scene for Fallout 3 is Alaska, a beautiful arctic wonderland that's a refreshing take-back from brown/green slumps of the wasteland. Character animations are beautiful, but the characters themselves lack any emotion. The lack of radio makes it seem like your in Alaska, but reminds you that you're in a simulation by giving all deaths a special "computer generated" animation. The setting fits the surrounding and it fits it well.
TL
R Summary
The Good things:
A cold deserted wasteland: The new settings are beautiful and really makes you wish you could explore more of it.
Frickin' Commies with Frickin' Lazer Beams: The new enemies are easy to hate, and even better, easy to kill. There's a lot of them, and they're just waiting to be blasted by a Gauss round.
More of the same: If anyone loves the VATs system, you're going to love seeing an enemies head fly off into the brinks of a mountain canyon as it slowly dissolves.
Extra loot: After completing the 3-4 hour experience, you'll get plenty of loot to help you out on your main quest you found in the simulation.
The Bad things:
Once you're in, there's no backing out: Once you start your epic journey, you can't return to the wasteland until it's done. Once you're out, you can't get back in. It's literally, a one-time thing. Huge bummer that it can only be done once a game.
Exploring a small room: Compared to the MASSIVE wasteland world map, Anchorage is a bit underwhelming. There's not much to explore, which is a shame for such a beautiful environment.
Bugs, Bugs, Bugs: Fallout 3 is known for its disgusting amount of bugs, and Operation Anchorage is no exception. You'll find trees floating in the air, completing quests you haven't even touched, NPC's feeling a bit touchy and opening fire on you, and countless others. Many good men died for no good reason. They tried to KILL ME.
Games for Windows Live: Without a doubt the worst system to ever debut its ugly face on the Windows operating system. I must've spent a good hour or two working with the cursed thing to work. Credit card only, no pay pal options, no direct payment, and slow. Very agitating system.
Operation Anchorage!, dispite its flaws, is a fun edition to the Fallout universe. Plus, you'll get a lot of use out of the new weapons and equipment afterwards. It's 10 dollars (800 MS points in Microsoft language) on the Windows Live marketplace. 315 MB download.
leave feedback.
The world map is a bit disappointing this time around, considering that it's much smaller than before. You'll easily explore every little tidbit there is and still be craving for more. You can easily explore Anchorage, Alaska within 1 or 2 play sessions. The new weapons range from the slow loading behemoth called the Gauss Rifle to many which you may have used, or even are using at the moment. However, some weapons seem to have extremely limited ammo, but at the same time, too much. Operation Anchorage does it's best to give you enough ammo to choke an elephant with at each checkpoint.
 If you liked to find scraps of food or to drink toilet water for health, you're out of luck this time around. The health system is covered by "health stations" scattered about Anchorage. This gives the game a bit more of strategic feel, but makes it unbearably easy. The Health stations are free to use and never run out of health. I personally felt this took too much challenge out of the game, but I digress.
 The story is, as the title suggests, the background of the liberation of Alaska, before the world became a radiation bucket. You are a soldier who, frankly, is no different from any other. You take orders, you give orders. Not much emotion this time around. Characters are lifeless and forgetable, which makes it all the easier considering that you don't care about the conversation half of the time. Throughout the whole venture, one thing remains clear. Kill all communists.
 The new scene for Fallout 3 is Alaska, a beautiful arctic wonderland that's a refreshing take-back from brown/green slumps of the wasteland. Character animations are beautiful, but the characters themselves lack any emotion. The lack of radio makes it seem like your in Alaska, but reminds you that you're in a simulation by giving all deaths a special "computer generated" animation. The setting fits the surrounding and it fits it well.
TL
R SummaryThe Good things:
A cold deserted wasteland: The new settings are beautiful and really makes you wish you could explore more of it.
Frickin' Commies with Frickin' Lazer Beams: The new enemies are easy to hate, and even better, easy to kill. There's a lot of them, and they're just waiting to be blasted by a Gauss round.
More of the same: If anyone loves the VATs system, you're going to love seeing an enemies head fly off into the brinks of a mountain canyon as it slowly dissolves.
Extra loot: After completing the 3-4 hour experience, you'll get plenty of loot to help you out on your main quest you found in the simulation.
The Bad things:
Once you're in, there's no backing out: Once you start your epic journey, you can't return to the wasteland until it's done. Once you're out, you can't get back in. It's literally, a one-time thing. Huge bummer that it can only be done once a game.
Exploring a small room: Compared to the MASSIVE wasteland world map, Anchorage is a bit underwhelming. There's not much to explore, which is a shame for such a beautiful environment.
Bugs, Bugs, Bugs: Fallout 3 is known for its disgusting amount of bugs, and Operation Anchorage is no exception. You'll find trees floating in the air, completing quests you haven't even touched, NPC's feeling a bit touchy and opening fire on you, and countless others. Many good men died for no good reason. They tried to KILL ME.
Games for Windows Live: Without a doubt the worst system to ever debut its ugly face on the Windows operating system. I must've spent a good hour or two working with the cursed thing to work. Credit card only, no pay pal options, no direct payment, and slow. Very agitating system.
Operation Anchorage!, dispite its flaws, is a fun edition to the Fallout universe. Plus, you'll get a lot of use out of the new weapons and equipment afterwards. It's 10 dollars (800 MS points in Microsoft language) on the Windows Live marketplace. 315 MB download.
leave feedback.