Fallout 3 DLC: Point Lookout: review

• Format: PS3 (version reviewed), PC, 360
• Unleashed: Out Now
• Publisher: Bethesda
• Developer: Bethesda
• Players: 1
• Site: http://fallout.bethsoft.com/

A boat has docked down near The Citadel. The boatman’s keen for you to take a trip, will you? Of course you will! Row, row, row your boat, gently down the streeeam…

As you arrive at Point Lookout the first thing to hit you is the ominous looking weather, and when you get off it all seems a bit too quiet. A little jaunt around, regardless of which direction you head in, will instantly make you uneasy; the whole place has a very strong Chainsaw Massacre/Silent Hill feel to it and for the first time in a long time you’ll no doubt become very jumpy. In amongst the noises of the insects are odd splooping noises (yes, we can make words up at CG!) from surfacing gases in the swamplands and will give you good reason to keep your weapon out and at the ready. It’s also apparent that Bethesda have pulled a lot of their inspiration for Point Lookout’s landscape from The Shivering Isles (part of the Oblivion universe) and this is no bad thing. Some of the swamps are deep, and this makes sneaking around a lot more difficult which increases the fear factor somewhat.

The enemies you will encounter here are varied and interesting, the silhouette of large lumbering Trackers in the distance is enough to remind anybody of Leather Face’s gait. The pot-bellied locals are not very fond of tourists around here either and getting in the way of them will result in you looking down the nasty end of a double barrel shot gun, which as it turns out, is a very powerful gun. You would do well to find yourself some decent armour for your time spent here as there is very little in the way of extras to keep yourself protected.

The more friendly faces of Point Lookout can be quite odd in their manner too, and doing a bit of detective work will soon give you reasons as to why. One of Fallout’s many talents is being able to tell stories without any narrative, and PL has these stories in spades! There are all kinds of clues laying around here that tell you about forgotten science teams doing research, or Chinese spies being hunted by the American government. All of which you can follow up, and find an ending to their stories. Speaking of which, if any of you have ventured to the Dunwich Building in the Capital Wastes you’ll know about the strange obelisk that lays beneath, and that a conclusion was never made. Well, within Point Lookout dwells the answer. This seems to be the point of PL, a sinister, dark place that tells you stories if you’re brave enough to delve deep into the murky swamps and huts that contain them.

There are a few nice new weapons to find too, the aforementioned double barrel shotgun packs one hell of a punch and those of you who never found old Abe Lincoln’s rifle can pick up a Lever-Action Rifle of similar (though less powerful) effect. There’s also a gun known as the Backwater Rifle – a devastating gun – for those with the brawn, brains and stomach to track it down.

A menacing DLC indeed, Point Lookout has a vast area to explore and will make you wish you had eyes in the back of your head. Running from swamp-things, dodging axe-wielding maniacs and getting full-on doses of hallucination inducing plants will make you wonder why you came here in the first place.

4/5