Fallout 3: Broken Steel Preview

By Christian Donlan Published 21 April, 2009

The end of the end.

When it arrives on 5th May, Broken Steel will be the third piece of DLC released into the wilds of Bethesda's irradiated Washington. You'd think by this point the development team could have found the time to include that appearance by the mutated cast of the West Wing (chirpily arguing over seatbelt legislation or bludgeoning vagrants with radioactive trinkets) I've been requesting for so long now in the rambling handwritten letters I've sent them daily, but once again they've chosen to look elsewhere for inspiration.

Luckily, even if Bethesda isn't listening to me it has been listening to everyone else. The result is the game's latest care package has at least one feature everybody will be pleased with.

It's always a shame when a good thing comes to an end, particularly when that good thing is a game so stuffed with side-quests and distractions it's inconceivable to reach the conclusion without a few threads left hanging. So when Fallout 3 reached its abrupt finale, banishing the protagonist from its wastelands in a haze of reactor smoke, a lot of players felt miffed.

DLC to the rescue. Broken Steel reverses Bethesda's original decision before the first gunshot's been fired, flinging the doors to the Capital Wasteland open again. The action kicks off two weeks after the end credits originally rolled as you wake up back in the Citadel.

'Fallout 3: Broken Steel' Screenshot 3

Matthew Perry really likes Fallout, apparently. Could that be any more of a mutant?

Even more promisingly, unlike Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt, the narrative doesn't then send you off on a parallel plot. Nor does it set you rummaging through old simulations in order to find you something to do. Instead it dumps you back into Washington itself, where old rivalries are still brewing and fresh mysteries await.

In some ways the city's changed since you've been away. Project Purity is now up and running, and offering a range of side-quests that see you distributing clean water to the outer reaches of the wastelands.

In other ways it's business as usual; the main storyline zeroes in on the ongoing fight between the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave. Liberty Prime wasn't enough, it appears, and the Brotherhood has a new mission for you: tracking down the pieces needed to build an entirely new weapon. Titled the Tesla Cannon, it's designed to turn the tide once and for all.

What ensues is a sizeable trek in search of the necessary components - a radioactive riff on Supermarket Sweep that plays out in a now familiar mix of puzzles and combat scenarios. You'll travel across the map from Olney to Adams Air Force Base, an entirely new DC location. There things must either get really exciting or simply conclude, as that's all Bethesda's revealing at the moment.

To get to the base, you'll first need to navigate the forgotten Presidential Metro system running under the nuked remains of the White House. It was the venue for a pitched battle between sentry bots and armies of ghouls when I dropped in to visit. Watched over by a mysterious computer system named Margot, a ride through such shadowy confines is a tempting notion, and another claustrophobia-inducing chunk of intrigue from a game that uses its world famous setting to endlessly good effect.

Bethesda's also thrown in the requisite toys. New enemies include a fresh breed of super mutant named The Overlord, and the heavily-armoured Feral Ghoul Reaver who, from what's been shown so far, is a bit handy with grenades.

New weapons start with the Tesla Cannon itself, which fires extremely powerful blasts of electricity. Its ballistic strength is balanced with a relatively long reload - a fact you can forgive as it appears to be capable of knocking aircraft out of the sky in a single shot.

'Fallout 3: Broken Steel' Screenshot 2

The President has his own train. So did George Bush. Its name was Percy and it had a face on the front.

Tesla's not the only new gadget; The Overlord has his own make of laser and there's a new flame weapon of some kind. It seems to work like a kind of mortar, lobbing fire over its target in lazy arcs. On top of that there's a range of new perks, the only one revealed so far being Puppies, which allows you to collect a fresh (and identical) relative of Dogmeat whenever you're careless enough to let him get killed.

You can also expect more Achievements, new armour, and, most excitingly for Matthew Perry, if the recent news stories are to be believed, the upping of the level cap from 20 to 30..

Bethesda's promising it will be a struggle to work your way up those last ten levels. While the main quest of Broken Steel will most likely weigh in at around four or five hours, rendering it the longest piece of extra content yet, levelling and completing the various side-quests are designed to make it well worth the 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60) it will cost.

There's no reason not to believe that will happen: from even the most cursory of developer-led guided tours, this latest DLC already feels more substantial and relevant than either The Pitt or Operation: Anchorage. It's not quite as elaborate an expansion as Oblivion's Shivering Isles, but in many ways it's something more important. By rectifying the problems many people had with Fallout 3's original ending, Broken Steel won't just expand on the game's world - it will reopen the doors for those who never got to see everything the first time around.

Fallout 3: Broken Steel will be available on Xbox 360 and PC from 5th May for 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60).

Picture of Christian.

About Christian Donlan

Chris Donlan writes about games for Eurogamer and some magazines. His heroes include Eugene Jarvis, Errol Morris, and Linus Van Pelt.

Read more articles from Christian by visiting the Christian Donlan archive page.

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Comments (52) 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

    Soudns ace.

    I'd love to know if Bethesda are planning a disc based version of the expansions, like they did with the Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine for Oblivion.

  • EssAitch #2 3 years ago

    Puppies \o/

  • FWB #3 3 years ago

    So what kind of new weapons are available to those of us with small arms and explosions? Laser guns are for pansies.

  • Venkman90 #4 3 years ago

    That puppies perk means I am actually going to pick up Dogmeat now. I want a canine follower but don't want to worry about him being killed and vanishing.

    Sounds awesome :D

  • Lutz #5 3 years ago

    So what kind of new weapons are available to those of us with small arms and explosions? Laser guns are for pansies.

    I'm maxed out in all guns types. Mwahahaha.

  • FWB #6 3 years ago

    Shame you won't hear me when I sneak up from behind and put a silent cap in your head. I'll then go and charm your family out of all your property.
    Edited by 1 at 21/04/09 @ 15:29

  • MetalDog #7 3 years ago

    Sounds good - but I want all the DLC on disc. No disc, no sale, so come on, Beth!

  • ZuluHero #8 3 years ago

    why - whats wrong with downloading it?

    I cant wait for this - im hoping that it isnt plagued by gamestopping bugs like the recent Pitt though.

  • MetalDog #9 3 years ago

    Because my ability to lose data knows no bounds, but I still have discs from a decade ago that I still use. I'm a gaming packrat, I like my stackable solids!

  • JeremyRPS #10 3 years ago

    I've been holding out so I can get all the new expansions all in one package, think that'll happen?

  • Eraysor #11 3 years ago

    Just having an extra ten levels to mess around with is good enough for me. Going to the White House also sounds rather nifty.

  • Spanky #12 3 years ago

    I'd prolly be on level 30 now as i got to 20 about a third of the way through and having done most of the rest of it + the pit and anchorage... bugger.

  • mrmonkey101 #13 3 years ago

    Havnt got round to playing Fallout 3 yet, am i better to wait for this before i start it?

  • YobRenoops #14 3 years ago

    Blaine is the truth.

    Blaine is the truth.

    What has four wheels and flies? A garbage truck, and that is the truth.

    Blaine is the truth.

    You have to watch Blaine all the time, Blaine is a pain, and that is the truth.

    I'm pretty sure that Blaine is dangerous, and that is the truth.

  • FWB #15 3 years ago

    Unless all you plan to do is rush through the main story then you might as well start now. The 5th May isn't far away. I've had this game since Dec - granted I started playing about a month ago - and am nowhere near the end of the non-DLC stuff.

  • symmetry #16 3 years ago

    Me = Customer.

  • metalangel #17 3 years ago

    At long last my game can resume and then, I presume, conclude properly. Based on the achievements, I suspect it involves some kind of communications dish... To call in help from the West Coast, or perhaps from an orbital weapon like the BOMB-001 that was meant to be in the original Fallout 3. And yet the game still assumes I want to help the BoS and not the Enclave.

  • ZuluHero #18 3 years ago

    "Just having an extra ten levels to mess around with is good enough for me. Going to the White House also sounds rather nifty."

    hang on - i've been in the ruins of the white house though?

  • Bloodhunter #19 3 years ago

    "this will recifty the problems people had with the ending to Fallout 3"

    fallout 3 shouldve ended with this but instead i have to pay £7 to finish my game off

  • Evolution #20 3 years ago

    Going to look a bit here I'm sure but...

    I am the one I am the one
    The godlike terror train
    The superior, artificial brain
    Feel free to call me Blaine

  • schnide #21 3 years ago

    @Bloodhunter

    Fallout 3 could've ended abruptly with a picture of Bethesda shitting on your Nan and you'd still have had more of an experience in that game than you would in most others released over the past five years. Fallout 3 is excellent value for money whichever way you look at it, and this is better DLC for the money than most other developers are providing.

    Power to them (although a little more money to their bugtesting department wouldn't go amiss).

  • Altrezia #22 3 years ago

    Yes yes yes yes yes!!!

  • Masaroth #23 3 years ago

    Personally rather liked the fallout 3 ending, as the story was based from birth to death so felt like a good place to end.

    Fiqure they should have made the last 5-6 levels a lot harder to achieve, as i can understand people being pissed with it once theyd hit max, as it was too easy to get to that point compared to the old fallouts.

  • seasidebaz #24 3 years ago

    God. Damn. PUPPIES.

    /instabuy

  • kangarootoo #25 3 years ago

    "fallout 3 shouldve ended with this but instead i have to pay £7 to finish my game off"

    There is always one isn't there.

  • Sunyavadin #26 3 years ago

    It had DAMN well better let me side with the Enclave.

  • MisterCraig #27 3 years ago

    So already we know it's 'more important' than the pitt and anchorage... yet it costs the same. Why weren't the other two put together? or made cheaper? Were getting up to 20 quid for DLC! Madness!

    This last DLC seems to be the most worthwhile, at least.

    And I second the doggy armour! It was instant reload if dogmeat became dogmeat for me, too.

    Edit: Maybe a pistol attached to the head would work?
    Edited by 2 at 21/04/09 @ 18:28

  • FWB #28 3 years ago

    hang on - i've been in the ruins of the white house though?

    Not completed the game yet so I might be wrong here, but are you sure you're not confusing Capital Hill (which is in the game) with the White House?

  • bdgr #29 3 years ago

    blaine is a pain but you have to take the train

  • makeamazing #30 3 years ago

    All sounds great, now just need it on a special edition CD for PS3... dont want to get it for PC

  • Vortex808 #31 3 years ago

    @ FWB

    The white house is a location you can visit too. I've been there, there's some tunnels with an amusing scene of death for someone years back and a few mini-nukes in the white house itself. Not much exciting considering, but hopefully i can fast travel there now for the new dlc :-)

  • metalangel #32 3 years ago

    Instead of puppies, why not have the robodogs from Fallout 2?

    "Whirrrrr.... I am... not... a ... daggit"

  • migasUK #33 3 years ago

    is it coming to PS3?

  • Vandit96 #34 3 years ago

    OMG OMG!

  • Daikon #35 3 years ago

    Any word on when dog armour will become available?

  • lmephisto #36 3 years ago

    I have checked the achievements for this and they add again the lvl 30 with good karma ,evil ,neutral.......WHY??????
    But the dlc looks truly nice!!

  • Fab4 #37 3 years ago

    I can't wait!!! Fallout 3 has been one of the best games I've played on the 360. Then again, I also think that about CoD3, so you may not want to take my PoV so seriously :)

  • bratmandu #38 3 years ago

    Want, I like the idea of it using a lot of the same locations from the main game. Gives more depth to the original world.

    That's why I liked knights of the nine so much in oblivion, almost all of it took place in the main game's maps.

    I liked shivering Isles too, so hopefully broken steel is the equivalent of knights of the nine and we are yet to see a shivering isles sized bit of dlc for fallout 3? (maybe that's what 'fallout: new vegas' is).

  • jack_klugman #39 3 years ago

    Three paragraphs in and you're handing our plot spoilers with no warning? Very professional, Donlan - thanks a bunch. Some of your readers may be interested in downloadable content for a game they're still in the middle of playing, y'know.

    I'm genuinely very annoyed about this. Any chance we can get an edit, retraction or warning?

  • Lemming81 #40 3 years ago

    Love all the Dark Tower love :D

  • metallicorphan #41 3 years ago

    @imephisto

    just save the game somewhere when you are level 29 good,get your level 30 good,reload start killing people but not too many to get neutral...get your level 30 neutral,reload and kill some more until you are very evil,and go for the level 30 again...then reload and be good for the rest of the game ;)

  • MisterCraig #42 3 years ago

    @ jack_klugman

    Hey man, I feel your pain even though I've finished the game myself. Particularly because it is such a long game.

    To be fair though, there isn't really much in the way of spoilers there. I wouldn't panic, you'll still get plenty of compelling stuff out of the story. Even though the ending itself isn't all that great, this will hopefully make a nice change!

    On another note, I'm not a big fan of the 'reach level X good evil and neutral' achievements either. It all seems slightly lazy to me.

    Anyway, who out there has bought the last two DLC packs? If you have, how would you honestly rate them? I still have so many areas to look through in the game, but I don't feel the urge to sinse I maxed 20 so early in the game (played on hard mode). Upping the cap to 30 would encourage me to get back out there.

  • Vistrix #43 3 years ago

    Why does Bethesda have such a huge problem with the PS3?

    They should be seriously supporting the PS3 instead of the 360, simply due to its open platform.

    100% community modding and keyboard/mouse support alone would make it sell very well on the PS3.

  • bratmandu #44 3 years ago

    @ Vistrix

    "100% community modding"

    What?

  • beckyh #45 3 years ago

    I haven't purchased the other two packs yet, just haven't got round to it. I have the points card ready though. Maybe I will buy them tonight. Been a long time since I played the game so will have to re-acquaint myself with the controls.

  • lmephisto #46 3 years ago

    @ metallicorphan

    Yeah thanks for the tips i did the same for lvl 20 as well but still they are annoying achievements they could add something different.

  • metalangel #47 3 years ago

    Particularly as other previews fall over themselves to avoid spoilers. EG don't seem to have noticed the vocal brigade who comment in every Fallout 3 DLC news that they are holding off finishing the game until Broken Steel.

  • autogunner #48 3 years ago

    i played such a goodie goodie character that it made sense for me to sacrifice myself for the good of the wasteland, might pick this up tho but there is better things to spend a tenner on me thinks

  • Farzlepot #49 3 years ago

    FWB said:
    "So what kind of new weapons are available to those of us with small arms and explosions? Laser guns are for pansies."

    Small arms are for pansies! There's nothing more macho than stomping your iron-clad, Power Armoured feet through a helpless settlement, spinning up your minigun and laying waste to anything that dares to move!

  • radiocip #50 3 years ago

    nice

  • Grayvern #51 3 years ago

    Yay I can finally use the laser gatling I picked up right at the end finish off the last few quests, download the pit and finally enjoy some more exploration.

    Once Id finished I didn't feel like doing the final section again, + i never play through again cause in fallout I always end up taking the average charisma but intelligent fast talker who also have massive skills with all the weapon types.

    Since the pit has a scoped assault rifle ill go there first and then play through the extended, however I have one remaining objection, that is:

    where the bloody hell is my laser sniper rifle. (as a side note the normal sniper rifle was way underpowered considering it's rarity, and its ap cost made it basically unusable in proper combat)
    Edited by 2 at 01/05/09 @ 00:22

  • Farzlepot #52 3 years ago

    The sniper rifle wasn't very rare; I managed to find three of them before I was level ten. If you find it underpowered, hunt down the Victory rifle instead! It has more durability than a regular sniper rifle, can be repaired by regular sniper rifles, deals more damage than regular sniper rifles, and even better, a critical hit will momentarily knock your foes down on their arses!