If there's one thing fans really hated about Fallout 3, it was that the ending was pretty crappy, because unlike Oblivion, once the game was done so was your adventuring. Bethesda rectifies that problem with the latest downloadable content for Fallout 3, entitled Broken Steel. In it, you'll pick up the adventure following the end of the game, and off you go to help the Brotherhood of Steel lay the final blow to the Enclave. It's a fun adventure and the best Fallout 3 DLC yet.

Following the events of Fallout 3's ending (yes, that means you need to complete the game to experience the new content), you find yourself back at the Citadel, having been incapacitated for two weeks. The Enclave is falling to pieces, but they're still not completely gone, and seem to be making a comeback. The Brotherhood of Steel want to squash this uprising before it gets out of hand again, and so you're enlisted to help out.

Hellfire Troop

As the first mission began, I must admit that I had my doubts as to whether Broken Steel would be any fun or not. For starters, it seemed a little too linear (much like the Operation Anchorage DLC), and with the inclusion of a certain character present I hardly shot a bullet at all to begin with. I don't want to spoil anything, but I did have a sense of déjà vu as if I was playing the ending again. My initial impression was soon changed, however, and within a moment I knew Broken Steel was going to be something special.

The latest DLC doesn't feature too much in the way of morality choices (except a few quests and a whopper of a decision – more of that in a little), instead going more towards the run and gun of Operation Anchorage, though on a larger scale, and featuring some really intense fire fights. I'm usually only challenged by Deathclaws in tight corridors, but with Broken Steel there were constant fights happening that tested my skill, and most were in very open areas, giving the battles an epic feel.

Broken Steel is also quite unique in that it takes you to several different areas, unlike the one or two sets of the first two DLC expansions. During the course of my adventure I waded through the sewers, climbed through dilapidated buildings, searched an abandoned science facility, navigated through the metro ruins, and fought the Enclave on their own turf by way of an air force base used for battle staging. It felt like a more natural extension of the normal Fallout 3 game, instead of completely taking place on some map not normally associated with the regular Fallout 3 game.

Besides having a good story and fun gameplay, however, fans really want new DLC to get new stuff, and Broken Steel delivers a good amount. First up, fans will be thrilled to know that the level cap has been raised to 30 (up 10 from the previous 20). I was at about level 18 ½ when first starting the DLC and ended up at about 22 ½, so there's a lot of experience points to be had with the main quest by itself. Each level will also net you more points to put into your skills and new perks for you to choose from. The perks range from the cool and fun (Dogmeat can't die since she has puppies or exploding when you take too much damage), but others are just merely okay or pretty worthless (instantly set your affinity to good, evil, or neutral).

Helping you gain those levels are a collection of new enemies, which are more re-skinned current enemies than anything else; that's not to say they aren't welcome, however, as they prove to be the toughest enemies yet in the game. You'll experience the Hellfire Enclave soldiers the most, and they feature a brand-new armor (it looks pretty cool though not the best you can get) and a Heavy Incinerator weapon that throws fire at foes (you will be on fire a bunch during this DLC). You'll also run across brand new turrets, Feral Ghoul Reavers (a pain in the butt to kill), and though I didn't run across them yet without going looking for them, albino scorpions and Super Mutant Overlords.

Tesla Cannon

Broken Steel also has its share of new weapons and armor you can get: the Hellfire armor, Heavy Incinerator, and Tesla Cannon are the star attractions. I've yet to stumble across the downed alien aircraft in the main game, so I was also pleasantly surprised to find an alien blaster among the weaponry and lots of ammo for it. The Hellfire armor looks cool, but it's not the best in terms of armor values. The Heavy Incinerator is fun, but the Tesla Cannon is the winner, though it is slow to fire and reload.

So what about that big morality choice I referenced earlier? Well, though there aren't really any chances to do anything nasty throughout the course of the DLC, there is a final choice that can drastically change the landscape of your Washington, DC. Just take my advice and when you think you're at the final moment of your quest, SAVE – even if you don't play as an evil character you'll still want to experience it.

Broken Steel suffers from the same problem as the rest of the Fallout 3 DLC – it's just too short. I was able to beat the DLC in only two or three sittings, which wasn't much time at all. Despite that qualm, Broken Steel is a must have experience that really adds a lot to the regular game, thanks in most part to the level cap increase and tougher enemies. Broken Steel - it's a blast!

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