Fallout 3: Broken Steel Review

By Kristan Reed Published 7 May, 2009

Get your fix.

Version tested: Xbox 360

As marvellous as Fallout 3 was, there can't be many players who were happy when it closed off the Wasteland once you finished the story. For a game with so many interesting side-quests, and such a vast map, there were plenty of incentives to keep coming back. The recent addition of the Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt DLC merely re-emphasised that.

But the more immediate problem with playing Fallout 3 beyond, say, 50 hours was the level cap, which ensured that you couldn't gain any more experience or upgrade your perks and stats once you hit level 20. For me at least, this took away one of the key reasons I'd spent so many hours meticulously checking out every last nook and cranny. Once you'd hit that ceiling, much of the 'clean-up' process of finishing all the remaining side quests was less exciting than it could have been.

Fortunately Broken Steel goes a long way to fixing all of that. By raising the level cap to 30, and introducing 14 new perks, suddenly there's a greater sense of reward. Better still, Broken Steel changes the game ending to allow players to carry on playing for as long as they like, which is particularly helpful for those who didn't dash through the game when it first came out, and should also tempt a few who got bored when they hit the level cap.

I'll avoid spoilers for those of you who haven't reached the story conclusion, but suffice to say you wake up two weeks later in The Citadel, where the Brotherhood of Steel is looking after you. It turns out that pockets of Enclave resistance are still posing a serious threat, and predictably it's up to you to mop up the remnants. But what seems like a straightforward clearout operation down at a secret southwestern Enclave base hits a major setback, and you're forced back to The Citadel for a rethink.

'Fallout 3: Broken Steel' Screenshot 1

The Heavy Incinerator is just plain unfair. In a good way.

At this point, Broken Steel already feels more in-keeping with the better moments of the main game, with a trio of missions that take place in distinct and separate parts of the Wasteland, as opposed to keeping the player hemmed in. That said, the first two of the three new missions aren't exactly taxing, and take place in the same kind of environments you've seen hundreds of times before, facing familiar enemies.

A couple of hours in, it's hard not to be bored by more of the same. Exploring the shattered innards of the Old Olney power plant is a distressingly familiar exercise, while the underground exploration in the Presidential Metro under the White House barely feels any different to the dozens of other subterranean journeys you'll have taken under DC. Fighting yet more identical ghouls and sentry bots feels like a cut-and-paste exercise, and this lack of inspiration is disappointing after all the initial promise.

But all is not lost. Towards the end of the Presidential Metro section you finally meet the bastard-hard Ghoul Reavers, who are not only handy with grenades, but evidently resistant to almost anything you can throw at them. Sadly, their appearance is all-too fleeting, but it sets the tone for the rest of the game. Once you've emerged from the Presidential Metro at the Adams Air Force base, you'll grab the super-powerful Tesla Cannon energy weapon, and discover an elite band of Enclave Hellfire Troops laying in wait.

They, and their new Heavy Incinerator weapons, are more than a match for your best efforts. For probably the first time since you first come across the Deathclaws, you're forced back into hiding, frantically reaching for the stimpacks and returning fire whenever the brief opportunity arises. With only one shot per reload - and a long reload time - the shockwave blast of the Tesla Cannon might be your best bet, but it's also a real headache if you can't quite get a bead on your foe.

For the next hour or more, the game never lets up, with wave after wave of Enclave attacks, hunting in packs and flushing you out at every opportunity. If you're willing to crank up the difficulty level, you're in for arguably the toughest section in the entire game, and savegame management is a must. It's tense and it's tough. You'll breathe a sigh of relief almost every time you see these armoured death machines crumple, which is exactly the way it should be at this stage of the proceedings.

On top of all this, Broken Steel also houses six additional side-quests, none of which will be apparent until you talk to specific individuals, and all relating to the newly purified water available to the Wasteland. In trademark Bethesda fashion, there's a fair bit of moral hand-wringing over the right thing to do, but your karmic leanings will inevitably be your guide. As ever, the fun part is working your way through the permutations, and usually the hardest option is the most fun. None are particularly rewarding in terms of loot or XP, but it's always fun to have extra tasks on the go. Sadly, none of them award any Achievements, unlike the three main missions.

'Fallout 3: Broken Steel' Screenshot 2

"Freedom is the sovereign right of every American." So said he.

Elsewhere, two other notable new enemies add an extra challenge for those doing a bit of exploring. The Super Mutant Overlords are of particular interest, and often come armed with the lovely new Tri-Beam Laser Rifle, while the deadly Albino Rad Scorpion provides another challenge with its recharging health abilities. Cheating sods.

For those of you scouring for new Achievements, Broken Steel's may well be the toughest yet, especially for those of us who start the pack on level 20. By the end of my five-hour runthrough, I'd barely ranked up to level 24, so getting to 30 will likely take hours of patient Wasteland-wandering for the determined player.

With any luck, Broken Steel won't be the last portion of DLC that Bethesda serves up. If it could perhaps combine some of the novelty value of previous DLC packs with the kind of challenge it serves up toward the end of Broken Steel, there's still going to be a healthy audience for continuing expansions. What we don't need, however, are any more lazy cut-and-paste missions, which merely repeat what we've already experienced several times over. While it undoubtedly reinvigorates Fallout 3 overall, the first half of Broken Steel demonstrates a worrying degree of complacency.

Even so, Broken Steel is an essential upgrade to Fallout 3 that any committed fan will want to grab immediately. If you've held out buying any DLC for the game so far, we'd advise you start with this before getting the others, because the process of acquiring new perks and skills will enrich the game no end. Sadly, for those of you who've kept up to date, you might want to consider going back to an old savegame before you played Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt to really make the most of what Bethesda has unlocked with this release.

7 / 10

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Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (54) Latest comment 1 year ago

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

  • mkreku #1 3 years ago

    The new perks are absolutely horrible. They're basically built-in cheats. One or two of them were good, but.. geez.

  • rotmm #2 3 years ago

    So better than Darkfall then

  • Vice.Destroyer #3 3 years ago

    well, it's better than Darkfall only in the rare instance of the DLC actually loading. If you're a PC player.

  • simiankid #4 3 years ago

    Old Olney power station?

    I used to live in Olney, a tiny village north of Milton Keynes. I can't believe its in Fallout 3! Does that mean there's pancake racing in the game? [link url=http://www.northamptonch ron.co.uk/news-features/Pantastic-day-for-fun-running.501356 2.jp
    ]http://ww w.northamptonchron.co.uk/news-f...[/link]

    EDIT Autolink buggered.
    Edited by 3 at 07/05/09 @ 14:08

  • krudster #5 3 years ago

    Yes, the new perks are basically cheats, but merely being able to access the ones you didn't use is pretty handy. Finally got Strong Back. At last.

  • krudster #6 3 years ago

    I used to work in Olney... Olney Galleries back in '97!

  • PearOfAnguish #7 3 years ago

    I suspect this DLC will not play nicely with the mod I used to increase the level cap...guess I'll have to start over.

  • simiankid #8 3 years ago

    I used to work in Olney... Olney Galleries back in '97!

    No way! I remember that place, despite being only ten when I left in 1990. 'Tis a tiny world, sir, tiny.

  • Vickery #9 3 years ago

    Looks like Eurogamer actually spent time playing this, unlike some of their other 'reviews'. Well done!

  • Whizzo #10 3 years ago

    Can PC gamers finally download the bloody thing now?

  • menage #11 3 years ago

    This was already a sale the moment it was announced. Now to get the whole DLC pack and it's back to the wastelands. I even intentionally held off playing the game anymore.

  • RedSparrows #12 3 years ago

    Glad I got this DLC pack first, not last. The last mission of BS is excellent, and fun. It was jarring to run into the Reavers, first time for a long time that I had to reload after dying. Then the air base is one giantly long war of fun attrition.

    I missed some side quests too. Trouble is, I have to find them, I have nowt else to do with my main character. I have an evil one just out the vault, but evil is nasty :(((

  • geeza2020 #13 3 years ago

    you are over-encumbered and cannot run!

  • symmetry #14 3 years ago

    Can you get to level 21 if you haven't finished the main campaign yet?

  • Mark1412 #15 3 years ago

    It was two weeks later!

    The new perks kind of suck but if you want to choose them because you're too lazy to find things like schematics (or don't have the time) you're only disadvantaging yourself by not choosing some of the better perks from the original list.

    Getting to 30 doesn't take too much time either so long as you don't play it solely like a linear FPS. I was 26 by the time I finished the Broken Steel missions.

  • Mark1412 #16 3 years ago

    Symmetry you can, so long as you have Broken Steel downloaded a message will pop up saying your level cap has been raised.

  • Fab4 #17 3 years ago

    I like the Nuka Recipe perk...I used to body swerve the cola machines...not any longer :)

  • symmetry #18 3 years ago

    Mark1412 - awesome, thanks.

  • schnide #19 3 years ago

    I have a savegame just before I'm about to activate Project Purity. Does that mean if I download BS (unfortunate acronym after an already unfortunate first part of the title) then I can load that up, and carry on playing after the game ended before?

  • MORZTAN #20 3 years ago

    Is "Broken Steel" a reference to the first Red Steel?

  • RedSparrows #21 3 years ago

    No.

  • Feanor #22 3 years ago

    It is a reference to the first Broken Sword game, though.

  • consignia #23 3 years ago

    BS is a reference to Ben Shepard of GMTV fame.

  • gohda #24 3 years ago

    not as good as halo

  • schnide #25 3 years ago

    Cheers Smuggo, I'll give that a download then. Finally time to use the other half of those MS points I bought.

  • lennon #26 3 years ago

    Is that Olney as in the small market town in Bedfordshire?

  • Vergis69 #27 3 years ago

    This stuff was probably removed from the game before release so they could sell it as "Extra" content.
    For that reason I wont be getting it.

  • Drakron #28 3 years ago

    Yes, the new perks are pretty damn awful ... the "Almost Perfect" is more of "Almost a Cheat" (if it did not come so late and so making it completely useless), not to mention of the Karma ones (what were they thinking???)

    And I do not like the Incinerator because its really ends up bogging down the frame rate with all the flame effects due to its rate of fire.

  • SixFootHalfling #29 3 years ago

    "This stuff was probably removed from the game before release so they could sell it as "Extra" content.
    For that reason I wont be getting it. "

    Yes Fallout 3 lasted over 120hours, but they kept this 5 hour bit out just to sell in a heartless way.

    In fact, I hear they kept Fallout 4 out of the game so they can sell you that later as well

    Fucking moron

  • Ryuken #30 3 years ago

    So, after all these DLC packages it sounds like the devs should have gone for a true addon in the first place then. Silly Bethesda.

  • gdlwalker #31 3 years ago

    "Sadly, for those of you who've kept up to date, you might want to consider going back to an old savegame before you played Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt to really make the most of what Bethesda has unlocked with this release."

    Perhaps waiting for Fallout 3 DLC for the PS3 isn't a bad thing after all if they are released on disc.

  • Pulsar_t #32 3 years ago

    I'll play these things when they bother to package real endings with them, not some rushed 30 second 'combined outro'.. Mass Effect otoh was short and enjoyable, therefore vindicating the short endings it offered.

  • Lamb #33 3 years ago

    Is there a Terminator mod for this game yet???

  • Ignatius_Cheese #34 3 years ago

    So no need to rush out to finish any remaining side quests before finishing the "original game" and moving onto Broken Steel any more? That sounds ideal :o)

  • Lamb #35 3 years ago

    Hello Skynet wouldn't this game be ideal for it? Heh heh

  • rashy #36 3 years ago

    I have to ask after the darkfall inaccurate review, that was largly written on bias, and with disputes about the reviewer actually playing the game for any length of time can I trust this review as truth? or is this review actually written by someone with an interest in the product or an opposing one?

  • Kluff #37 3 years ago

    No, of course you can't trust this review since you can't trust anyone!
    The world is full of dirty liars that spout subjective and biased nonsense. Boo-hoo!

  • Waldo #38 3 years ago

    Since when did EUROFLAMER allow TROLLS to review games?! It's obvious the "reviewer" only played the game for 10 minutes! The review is full of factual errors and out-and-out LIES and SLANDER! I registered here just to post this comment AND WILL NEVER VISIST THIS SITE AGAIN!

    The HARDSTYLE forum I post in is in the process of launching a class-action lawsuit against this website, which no-one has ever even heard of!

    PATHETIC! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!

  • metalangel #39 3 years ago

    He must have played it, why else is it nearly three days late being posted?

  • Pastici #40 3 years ago

    Oh metalangel :(

  • Pulsar_t #41 3 years ago

    Some people take this stuff too seriously.

  • lmephisto #42 3 years ago

    7??? I think that's unfair rate for this dlc! This dlc was great! I mean it had everything and i wasnt bored at all!
    New weapons and new enemies much more tough than before! Honestly i got sad when i finished it it was briliant ! I wont spoil the game with information but it was certainly much better than the pitt and operation Anchorage and if someone new on fallout 3 gets the full pack now he will love it because of the so many things its going to do .

    If i was me rating the dlc it would be 9/10 because once more i enjoyed fallout 3.

  • wonton #43 3 years ago

    I don't even own the original yet, so hopefully in a year or two there will be a gold edition, combining all the dlc into one box.

    I love all in one deals.

  • Farzlepot #44 3 years ago

    Most of the new perks aren't much use to me, with the exception of the Quantum Chemist perk (I'm a prolific Nuka-Grenade user, because after maxing out your Explosives and Demolitionist skills you're almost putting out Mini Nuke levels of destruction with those things, but after finishing that Nuka Cola Challenge quest there aren't many Quantums left to make them with). While it's nice to be able to go back and get the perks I skipped previously, I do worry that being able to max out everything detracts from the tactical choices the game forced you to make before the level cap was raised.

    And I'm serious when I say everything. Big Guns, Small Guns, Energy Weapons, Explosives, Medicine, Speech, Science, Lockpicking and Repair are all at 100 already, to say nothing of the perks I've used, and I've only hit level 25 so far. The rest are somewhere around the 30/40 mark aside from Unarmed, which is less, and Sneak, which is more. It's got so bad that I'm putting the points into Bartering now!

    And of course, when you finally reach level 30 there's a perk there that will bring all of your SPECIAL stats up to at least 9, virtually maxing everything out there too.

    While I do agree that the level cap was hit too soon, I don't agree that raising it is the answer. This game was clearly only balanced with 20 levels in mind, and adding another 10 on completely removes any sense of decision making you were forced to make before. Why specialise, when you can do everything at once?

  • ThreeDogNana #45 3 years ago

    Dear Follow gamers I have an important question
    I have Fallout3 on Xbox 360
    If I wanna play games adds on (Operation encourage, the Pitt, Broken Steel) should I be online, in other words after I purchase them can I go off line and enjoy these contents? I need an answer for this question :)

  • Grayvern #46 3 years ago

    Agree with Eurogamer although if he'd gotten 50 ingots in the pitt he'd know that the tri laser was like a worse metal blaster.

    The reavers were nice as enemies although as i had dogmeat and fawks and was level 24, not that hard as they tried to kill dogmeat as I pumped laser into them.

    I disagree about the end though I found the enclave a bit too easy with fawks also the tesla cannon wasn't that useful to me.

    Id partially disagree with some of the comments on levelling and skills in that the points you put in at the start determine playstyle while points invested at the end grant you less of a bonus as youv'e already missed countless oppertunities to use many of them, unless you really want to go back and go through every explorable area again.

    However it is troubling for future dlc because they're will be no challenge at all.

    @ threedognana yes you can play dlc offline after downloading.

    For me I would really liked them to have gotten around to fleshing out the weapons lists with different options, and perhaps more interesting guns, theyre sorely missing a laser sniper rifle after all.

    however I may not be downloading after dlc as I kow have the purifier and revet city crash glitch and no older savegames to go to.
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/09 @ 18:16

  • Farzlepot #47 3 years ago

    Well, just reached level 30 and, surprise surprise, every skill my character has, except for Barter (63) and Unarmed (44) is now at 100. I have every perk of combat value, along with numerous others, and my character can do everything. EVERYTHING! What's the point?

    I did enjoy the DLC itself though. Not quite as good as The Pitt in my opinion, but an entertaining journey all the same.

    @ThreeDogNana

    You have to be online to purchase the DLC, obviously. Once it's downloaded and installed however, you should be good to go!
    Edited by 2 at 10/05/09 @ 22:52

  • lmephisto #48 3 years ago

    Did they fixed the problem with the achievements?

  • MrE26 #49 3 years ago

    BROKEN Steel is right, fucking thing keeps crashing on me when i enter VATS.

  • Gecks #50 3 years ago

    given that your character is just 'a guy', the kind of abilities and stats easily available to you in one non-DLC playthough was ridiculous, and now you can become essentially a super-supermutant? compare and contrast the perks and stat loadouts of fallouts 1, 2 and 3.

    bethesda don't understand RPGs.
    Edited by 2 at 14/05/09 @ 16:15

  • Collymilad #51 3 years ago

    You guys are boring.

    Stop whining and play the fing game. Just because you CAN do everything doesn't stop you making choices about how you play the game. Or do you have to be forced into those choices?

  • Gecks #52 3 years ago

    what choice is there available to stop me being overpowered? i played F3 through to the end, not doing half the available sidequests, and still hit level 20 before the end. i was deliberately avoiding sidequests towards the end because i wanted some sort of challenge during the end 'boss' but i think i could have walked it at level 10. 'hard mode' just exacerbates the problem because you get exp quicker.

  • Zebula77 #53 2 years ago

    Playing the PS GOTY edition right now, and I was giong crazy not finding where the Broken Steel part was. So I've gotta finish the game to get it? Ok, that definitely answers a lot of questions lol.

    Shame the game is STILL so incredibly buggy - enemies getting caught in the ground, bouncing all over the place, the game freezing every now and again and low, LOW frames per second in the Anchorage bit. Shocking that a GOTY edition doesn't run smoother.

    Still, on my third playthrough and most definitely enjoying it. Looking forward to getting past that 20 level cap, too.

  • AnnabelC #54 1 year ago

    An investment fraudulence investigation called Operation Broken Trust was a sweeping nationwide probe organized in the aftermath of the <a title="Operation Broken Trust nails 500 con artists for investment fraudulence" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/mo neyblog/2010/12/06/operation-broken-trust-fraud/"&g t; financial crisis</a>. The United States of America Department of Justice has leveled criminal and civil charges against at least five-hundred individuals in Operation Broken Trust, the govt announced Monday. Operation Broken Trust nailed schemers who stole up to $10.5 billion from thousands of ordinary residents.