A unique new world and interesting quests make this Fallout 3 expansion one of the best yet.
After riding a local ferry run by a shady boatman, your journey to Point Lookout is underway. If you've been bored of the decrepit buildings and empty plains of the Capital Wasteland, Point Lookout will be a whole new world. Sitting in the ambiance-filled world of Maryland, Point Lookout is a land shrouded in smoke-filled wetlands and hauntingly-intimidating hilltop mansions. The land is filled with your typical Fallout 3 enemies like Mole Rats and Rad Roaches, but once you reach the bog lands, things take a turn. Angry locals and Tribals will appear with weaponry unseen in the Capital Wasteland. Take out a local early on and grab their Double-Barreled Shotgun for yourself. You're gonna need it. Point Lookout is a strong departure from the urban scenery of the Capital Wasteland, and it's remarkably refreshing to see the Fallout 3 gameplay in a whole new world. The bogs and hills parallel each other, but both present unsettling natures. There's something truly scary about seeing a creepy local emerge from the boggy swamplands with an axe, chasing you through the forests calling out in his accented gurgle. In stark parallels, the silent, creepy sight of a giant mansion sitting atop a hill by the ocean is equally unsettling. Overall, Point Lookout is a spooky area with plenty of refined ambiance; you'll want to explore the region just to see how creepy the locals can be.
The main quest follows a woman whose lost daughter Nadine disappeared after her arrival at Point Lookout. The quest itself will surprise at many turns with encounters from a cranky old Ghoul, a mysterious cult, and an odd connection to the local flora, the Punga Fruit. As a main quest, there aren't a huge amount of new things to do. You'll mostly go from Point A to Point B (pardon the pun), fighting off the occasional enemies, but you'll rarely be forced to do much else than fight and travel across Point Lookout, looking at the scenery. Like many of Fallout 3's original quests, however, there are chances to make moral decisions. Unlike many of the original's quests, however, the morality line is even more uncertain, adding plenty of reasons to retread through Point Lookout just to see the opposite decision. What makes the main quest in Point Lookout so compelling is the overall environment; Point Lookout is a menagerie. The main quest will take you all over the region and you'll find many opportunities along the way to whip out a bobby pin or pick up a new weapon, even if these opportunities aren't tied to the main quest themselves. It's remarkable that an expansion alone can offer such a compelling main quest, and the penultimate confrontation of the main quest will surely keep you on edge till its conclusion. The main quest isn't the longest of inclusions, but it's compelling and has quite a few shockers to keep the player's attention.
The side quests are few, but satisfying. Investigative players will encounter foreign conspiracies, moonshine recipes, and ancient texts said to be the harbinger of evil. These side quests are diverse and compelling, just like the main quest, many of which require some traversal of hazardous terrain or some cleverness in how you use your items. They are definitely some of the most entertaining of quests, in contrast to many of the other quests in Fallout 3's expansions which focused on combat primarily. Point Lookout has more in terms of exploration, which is a definite breath of fresh air for the Fallout 3 universe. The low amount of side quests is a bit disappointing, but completing them is a serious challenge with plenty of opportunities to venture out and explore Point Lookout.
Point Lookout's price is the basic 800 Microsoft Points ($10 in the US). At around five hours for the main quest alone, there's a decent amount of value in exploring the haunted region. Side quests will extend the lifespan considerably, especially if you take the time to walk instead of warp from area to area. The Achievements available in Point Lookout are few, but are mostly tied to the main quest. The most significant of problems of Point Lookout is the lack of a new level cap. Unless you have the Broken Steel expansion as well, Point Lookout's level cap is a mere 20, compared to Broken Steel's 30. With so many enemies to fight in Point Lookout, it's a bit disappointing to have to stop progressing at Level 20. It seems that Bethesda will not raise Fallout 3's level cap anymore, which is disappointing, but that just means that you'll have to traverse through Point Lookout with a small incentive axed from the better package. If you have Broken Steel, you're in a better position, but those who aren't willing to shell out another 800 Microsoft Points for a new level cap with have to deal with this minor problem in Point Lookout.
The presentation technically isn't a step beyond the Capital Wasteland, but it's still impressive to see such a realized world in Point Lookout. The haunting hills contrast the boggy wastes brilliantly, resulting in a very creepy ambiance that permeates the expansion. The explosions of blood and battle animations remain well done, and the action as a whole is incredible. The game isn't perfect, however. It has its share of graphical hiccups, which can interrupt the ambiance a bit. While the presentation stays to what it does best, the world of Point Lookout is brilliantly realized, making a world that practically begs to be explored.
Pros
+ Haunting new world is a great change of atmosphere
+ Fun new quests, weapons, and areas
+ Reasonable price
Cons
- No new level cap hurts new EXP opportunities
- Main quest could've been a bit longer
- Some graphical glitches
Point Lookout is an excellent expansion to one of the generation's best role-playing games. The world of Point Lookout is realized in all of its ambiance-filled spookiness, and simply traversing from landmark to landmark is enjoyable. The main quest (though short) is a wild ride with plenty of creepy moments and moral choices, and the side quests have plenty of diversity. The new weapons, enemies, and items add plenty of new features to the Fallout 3 experience. Once you wrap up all of what the main quest has to offer, you'll have plenty of things to do; Point Lookout provides hours of unique gameplay fun. The lack of a new level cap does shut out some gamers from the game's prime, and it has its graphical issues, but Point Lookout is easily one of the best and most enjoyable deals on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Save up the 800 Microsoft Points and check out what Point Lookout is all about. Grab some Stimpaks, though; the locals are nasty.