Bethesda details first Fallout 3 DLC

By Robert Purchese Published 11 December, 2008

New perk, art, weapons, armour, gadgets.

Fallout 3 lead producer Jeff Gardiner has fleshed out the Operation: Anchorage DLC due for arrival in January.

For 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60), there will be roughly four-to-five hours of extra gameplay, Gardiner told IGN. And once downloaded, the extra content can be played through at any level - providing the player has left Vault 101. A quest objective and map marker will show you where to go.

Operation: Anchorage is a military simulation of a battle that happened long ago in Fallout 3 lore. The program exists today to help the government run counter-offensive training should the Chinese red army ever rise to power again.

As a simulation, adventurers will lose the use of their resources and have to survive within the rules of the software. The focus will be on stealth and combat, according to Gardiner, as part of Strike Team decked out with unique armour, weapons, tools and "exotic" gadgets.

Some of these you will be able to keep. Plus there will be a Covert Ops perk on offer, as well as new Achievements.

Operation: Anchorage should also look and feel "vastly different" to the majority of environments in Fallout 3, as the battle took place before the world was reduced to nuclear rubble. Gardiner said to expect plenty of bright ice and snow.

Apparently the team had a "massive amount" of art resources at hand to build the content from scratch, and has even found time to improve NPC animation and behaviour with the environment.

As Gardiner pointed out, Bethesda wants to try new things with DLC, rather that stick rigidly to the same formula.

"It's important to our team to use DLC as a way for us to flex our creativity, to try new things and answer the 'wouldn't have been cool if we did this?' question that always comes up towards a games completion; when it's too late to try them," said Gardiner.

"Don't worry, we're trying something a little different with all of our upcoming content so there will be plenty of the morally grey, multiple path quest lines everyone loves the franchise for."

Bethesda has two other batches of downloadable content planned: The Pitt in February and Broken Steel in March.

The former adds an industrial raider town in the remains of Pittsburgh, where players will face tricky allegiance decisions.

Broken Steel, on the other hand, recruits adventurers into the Brotherhood of Steel and lets play continue after the conclusion of the main quest. This, said Gardiner, also means a rise in the level cap, although by how much is unknown.

But before any of this, Bethesda plans to release a patch addressing bugs in all three versions of Fallout 3.

"We are releasing an update for all versions of Fallout 3 prior to the release of [Operation: Anchorage]. We take pride in fixing issues that are found by our fans and posted in our forums," concluded Gardiner.

Fallout 3 downloadable content will, remember, only be heading to Xbox 360 and PC. There are currently no plans for PS3 extras.

Head over to our Fallout 3 gamepage to find out more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Lutz #1 3 years ago

    I'm getting this at xmas... do I wait for the DLC and play it as one complete thing, or just play anyway... hmm...

  • zombies #2 3 years ago

    Play anyway!

    Then play through again making different decisions

  • evilashchris #3 3 years ago

    Get it now Lutz, It's amazing, and you'll still be playing when this DLC is out.

  • jaxon58 #4 3 years ago

    zombies speaks the truth.

  • bad09 #5 3 years ago

    I need to get on Fallout 3. It's gathering dust while I play through everything else at the mo.

  • jonsaan #6 3 years ago

    Maybe I'll just wait for the game of the year PS3 version that will come with all the DLC bundled. I can wait a year, it's bound to happen.

  • Dizzy #7 3 years ago

    All sounds awesome. Can't wait.

  • Mr_Dodger #8 3 years ago

    Sounds pretty good. Hopefully it'll be in full colour, unlike the sim where you rescue your Dad.

    I'd like to see a UFO come looking for their crashed buddy as well :)

  • SleepyMagpie #9 3 years ago

    I bought and played Fallout 3 the same day of release a couple of hours.. Must've hit a few less interesting quests, cos I was mildly disappointed. Now however, the game is growing on me A LOT.

    I only have one wish. That someone teaches the animator at Bethesda WHICH and HOW MANY frames to cut to maintain a good fluidity/processing cost ratio. Groan. I'd download that.

  • menage #10 3 years ago

    SOLD!

    Fallout 3 is so freaking good.

  • Steroyd #11 3 years ago

    Got this for £2.49 in a trade (for GTA IV no less hur hur hur), so I can't complain about anything really but damn Bethsada how the hell could you miss the freezing bug when msg icon pops up on PS3? Heaven forbid if this game got trophies lol.

  • Malek86 #12 3 years ago

    A little too late, I already finished the game with almost all locations explored, and deleted my savegames afterward.

  • Steroyd #13 3 years ago

    Well what do you know the PS3 Fallout 3 will get trophies... hope they patch that problem up before the trophy patch comes. :(

  • Bulbatron #14 3 years ago

    This game is superb. For the last month I've been doing little (game-wise) except alternating between this and Fable II. Having to choose which one to put at number one in Eurogamer's recent survey TORE ME APART!

    I wonder how they have made it possible to continue after the credits, given what happens at the end...

  • udat #15 3 years ago

    I need the level cap raised first, not last!

    My motivation to keep playing fell off a cliff once I hit level 20, which I have done having only "completed" about half of the game.

    Still, that's about 50 hours of playing, so still well worth the money!

  • menage #16 3 years ago

    @Mr dodger

    That ufo thing would be awesome.

  • Retroid #17 3 years ago

    /WANTS

  • Walshicus #18 3 years ago

    I want some DLC where you search the wastelands for new music to expand Three Dog's collection... or anything else that adds more variety to the excellent but highly limited music selection.

  • shinyshirthero #19 3 years ago

    well lets hope its better than the last dlc that bestheda released. Anyone else remember the shivering isles? What a brilliant piece of programming that was.

    I still haven't forgiven them for deleting my 400 odd hour oblivion character. And thats the reason why this is not getting bought. I'm voting with my wallet.

    Shame tho. It looks bloody brilliant.

  • Lexx87 #20 3 years ago

    Will be getting this around xmas so will wait for the patch and DLC I think!

  • domoslaf #21 3 years ago

    "Don't worry, we're trying something a little different with all of our upcoming content so there will be plenty of the morally grey, multiple path quest lines everyone loves the franchise for."

    Is it just me or this sentence doesn't make any sense at all?...
    Edited by 1 at 11/12/08 @ 12:27

  • StooMonster #22 3 years ago

    Installed the high resolution texture pack yesterday, and it makes the PC version even better.

    Although it did crash Windows Vista to the BSoD.

  • thedaveeyres #23 3 years ago

    "Is it just me or this sentence doesn't make any sense at all?"

    It's just you - it makes perfect sense.



    Can't wait for this!

  • Dark_Wolf_1991 #24 3 years ago

    If Bethesda increase the level cap from 20 to 50 then I will be a happy chappy! but other then that the DLC sounds frigging sweet and for the people who didnt pick up fallout 3 then I got 3 words for you.

    IT'S FRIGGING AMAZING

  • coomber #25 3 years ago

    Overhyped. I wouldn't pay another penny for more of this game.

  • qoobah #26 3 years ago

    It's important to our team to use DLC as a way for us to flex our creativity, to try new things and answer the 'wouldn't have been cool if we did this?'

    Oh, ha ha. Talk about "creativity" and "trying new things" from a Bethesda man? This made my day.

    I also think it's extremely overhyped. Shared the same fate as Oblivion - I started, liked it a bit, and then after 30 odd hours of doing the same things without any progression whatsoever (max level for the last 10 hours, max difficulty and combat still piss-easy) I stopped and never touched it again.

    More VATS insta-win-button combat for 5 hours and obsolete gear? I'll pass on this as well thankyouverymuch.
    Edited by 1 at 11/12/08 @ 13:54

  • NotSoSlim #27 3 years ago

    @ ScuffPuppy

    Nothing to do with Sony sorting there sh*t out. MS bought the DLC and Sony didnt. As stated the will release a Game of the Year Edition and probably give PS3 ownere the dlc then.
    Edited by 1 at 11/12/08 @ 16:07

  • metalangel #28 3 years ago

    Why oh why is the DLC that lets us continue on after the end (unlike Oblivion, Fallout does not let you continue to play after the main quest) coming out LAST?!? I think I shall have to seal my beloved character away in Vault 112 until March!
    Edited by 1 at 11/12/08 @ 18:54