Fallout 3: Point Lookout Best DLC by Far

Point Lookout is the fourth and penultimate DLC for 2008's Fallout 3. After agreeing to search for a woman's missing daughter, you board a small steamboat and set sail for the Maryland national park, which lies to the south of the capital wasteland. Once you arrive at the port, you'll be pleased to notice your PipBoy shows an expansive new area to explore. The port is relatively quiet, almost too quiet, invoking a strange seaside ghost town. Once you're out of the port, the true exploration begins...

The bulk of the terrain, which is almost an island, is covered in dense swampland. The topography of this new environment is rich and atmospheric; shacks, caravans and tents lie amidst murky bogs, reeds and trees. This contrasts well with the eerie, Lovecraftian coast with its lighthouse standing tall above a shipwreck graveyard: an indicator of either the keeper's incompetence or untimely demise. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Point Lookout is the sense that you're discovering uncharted territory that hasn't been felt since you first stepped out of Vault 101. Without a map and compass, you'd certainly become confused, disoriented and, finally, carrion. So, be thankful for these items as well as the fact you get to bring all your gear along for the trip.

All this free roaming is not without adversity though and it won't be long before you encounter the local swampfolk, who look like they've wandered straight off the set of Wrong Turn. The inbred populous, who don't take too kindly to strangers, will assail you with a range of new weapons including double-barrelled shotguns, lever-action rifles and limb-cleaving axes. As well as these undesirables, you'll also engage more familiar enemies in the form of swamp-ghouls, swamp-lurks, tribals and tech- wielding merchants.

There are various new items and clothing available including confederate garb, endless bags of yeast and the native punga fruit, which has benefits in the form of HPs and RAD depletion. The yellow fruit features in abundance throughout the map and is of great importance to the locals: popping up on purpose-built farms and notably during the main quest in one of the most memorable sequences of the entire Fallout series.

As for the quests themselves, the largest multi-parter sees you travelling all over the territory, warring with and infiltrating a local tribe before siding up with one of two ancient enemies, involving plenty of action and back-story. Perhaps the most original quest in the game, however, is 'The Velvet Curtain' which involves you retracing the steps of an undercover Chinese agent and subsequently following his original orders. The primary quests in Point Lookout are original, gripping and genuinely enjoyable. Your actions and decisions impact upon the lives of the area's inhabitants as well as the area itself so that once you've completed the DLC, you'll be craving more. The best DLC for Fallout 3 by far.