Broken Steel marks the endgame for me in the Fo3 part of my TTW runs... and as such, I LOVE this DLC for its challenge.
When it released though, not as many people were singing this DLC for its rewarding gameplay as much as they were DECRYING IT for featuring a new ending to the base game of Fo3 that allowed gamers to continue playing after the credits.
And yeah, I agree... paywalling a better ending than the terrible one we got with Fo3 is kinda lame. But at least nowadays you can find this thing bundled with the maingame of Fo3 for dirt-cheap prices.
So what exactly is the meat and potatoes of Broken Steel? Well, the post-main-story draw of it all. Broken Steel picks up where the main story left off, and sees players taking on the very last bit of Enclave forces left in the capital wasteland. Featuring several new locations, like the Adams AFB, the mobile base crawler, and my favorite location, the presidential subway, Broken Steel offers even the toughest lone wanderers serious challenge.
This is brought about via several new enemy types, the most prominent of which being Enclave Hellfire Troopers (who wear the best armor in the game), Feral Ghoul Reavers (who are bullet-spongey, massively-high DPS monsters), and Super Mutant Overlords (with the highest HP of any non-behemoth super mutant, equipped most commonly with the new tri-beam laser rifle).
These enemies, on top of seriously challenging gauntlets of combat like Old Olney Powerworks, make Broken Steel feel like the hardest part of Fo3. While it lacks any significant gameplay additions such as a choice-based story like The Pitt, or an entirely new explorable location like Point Lookout, Broken Steel makes up for these shortcomings by being just FUN.
But that kind of substance can only last so long before you start to realize the cracks underneath. Broken Steel is fun, yes, but those aforementioned enemy types spawn WAY TOO OFTEN even if you haven't started the DLC/are the recommended level for it. On top of this, Broken Steel's scummy handling of adding a post-game isn't the best look. Also, the convenience of this DLC does not last long. The combat encounters are, to tell the truth, samey across the entire time you play this thing. But being able to test out Vengeance (the gatling laser) in brand-new power armor in an all-out war against the Enclave in the Adams AFB is an experience I won't soon forget.
When it released though, not as many people were singing this DLC for its rewarding gameplay as much as they were DECRYING IT for featuring a new ending to the base game of Fo3 that allowed gamers to continue playing after the credits.
And yeah, I agree... paywalling a better ending than the terrible one we got with Fo3 is kinda lame. But at least nowadays you can find this thing bundled with the maingame of Fo3 for dirt-cheap prices.
So what exactly is the meat and potatoes of Broken Steel? Well, the post-main-story draw of it all. Broken Steel picks up where the main story left off, and sees players taking on the very last bit of Enclave forces left in the capital wasteland. Featuring several new locations, like the Adams AFB, the mobile base crawler, and my favorite location, the presidential subway, Broken Steel offers even the toughest lone wanderers serious challenge.
This is brought about via several new enemy types, the most prominent of which being Enclave Hellfire Troopers (who wear the best armor in the game), Feral Ghoul Reavers (who are bullet-spongey, massively-high DPS monsters), and Super Mutant Overlords (with the highest HP of any non-behemoth super mutant, equipped most commonly with the new tri-beam laser rifle).
These enemies, on top of seriously challenging gauntlets of combat like Old Olney Powerworks, make Broken Steel feel like the hardest part of Fo3. While it lacks any significant gameplay additions such as a choice-based story like The Pitt, or an entirely new explorable location like Point Lookout, Broken Steel makes up for these shortcomings by being just FUN.
But that kind of substance can only last so long before you start to realize the cracks underneath. Broken Steel is fun, yes, but those aforementioned enemy types spawn WAY TOO OFTEN even if you haven't started the DLC/are the recommended level for it. On top of this, Broken Steel's scummy handling of adding a post-game isn't the best look. Also, the convenience of this DLC does not last long. The combat encounters are, to tell the truth, samey across the entire time you play this thing. But being able to test out Vengeance (the gatling laser) in brand-new power armor in an all-out war against the Enclave in the Adams AFB is an experience I won't soon forget.