Get some. Xbox Evolved 8.<blockquote>In addition to the main quest, which is about a six-hour endeavor, you also have a handful of side quests throughout Point Lookout along with a vast terrain to explore. Most DLC's don't deliver on this kind of vast material (Burnout's recent DLC comes to mind), but Bethesda is working on a different spectrum here. They are giving us a world that continues to grow and grow and become more fascinating. The beautiful artwork and design present in Lookout is astonishing. The character and world designs continue to impress. There are some pop-up issues here and there, but they are minor compared to the world canvas that Bethesda continues to add on to.</blockquote>Game Vortex.<blockquote>Before jumping on the ferry to Point Lookout, make sure you stock up on Stims and ammo. Point Lookout isn't scavenger friendly, so you'll likely lose some of your equipment if you're not careful. Character builds play a large role in just how big an impact the lack of items has on difficulty. Melee and characters adept with rifles will have few problems, but more high-tech focused (like my energy weapons-based character), might need to snag a double-barreled shotgun off a dead hick for backup. On a positive note, the area's lone store is well-stocked, but pricey.</blockquote>DarkZero 8.<blockquote>Speaking of which, Point Lookout’s ‘story’ is brilliantly presented, consisting of several threads that seemingly intertwine over the course of a variety of missions. There are numerous points on the map that will lead to another branch of the story, whether it be fleshing out Point Lookout’s history, or something far more immediate, and it can be surprising just how much one gives way to the other. Though on arrival it can seem a bit vague as to what it is exactly that you’re supposed to be doing, it soon becomes apparent that Point Lookout as a whole, rewards exploration over simply following the blip on the radar. There are missions that seem to be tucked away behind closed doors and in unassuming locations that bring a flash of excitement when their hiding place is discovered. The methodical habit of moving from objective to objective that can be all too easy to develop over the course of Fallout 3’s main game, although not done away with completely, is highly discouraged. The story itself is something of a bizarre journey, beginning with an all-out gun fight through an ageing Victorian mansion, and building steadily over numerous sub-missions to its ludicrous yet brilliant finale. It would be unfair to describe these in any real detail, after all; the best part of Fallout 3 is the vast quantity of surprises. Point Lookout is full to bursting with neat little ideas, things that couldn’t work outside of the video game medium – it toys with your mind, and plays on your preconceptions of how Fallout’s missions work.</blockquote>Boomtown 7.<blockquote>All previous pieces of content released for Fallout 3 have had brilliant script writing, with a story and main quest that grips you and makes you want to keep playing. The same can be said about Point Lookout. It does however have one disappointing part to it, and that’s the ending.
Again, I won’t spoil it for you, but you have choices to make at the end. Do you go for option A, or option B? There is even an option C depending on how you play the game. One of these endings is disappointing in the way it is written, as it finishes quite quickly and abruptly. You finish off the main quest and part of you expects something else to happen, someone to speak to you maybe, a room to unlock, but it never happens. You just don’t get the feeling that it’s finished. </blockquote>Cheat Code Central 4.3/5.<blockquote>In fact, almost all of the enemies you’ll run into in Point Lookout are far tougher than the past few DLC installments, and their primitive weapons do a lot more damage than you’d expect. We went in armed with a full arsenal and an experience level ranging in the mid-20s and still wound up taking frequent dirt naps. Even with the heaviest weaponry you may have accrued from past adventures, including the über-powerful Telsa Cannon from Broken Steel, you’re going to find yourself sucking down all the stomachs you can get your hands on and running like hell more often than you’d care to admit. Perhaps to balance out the challenge, the expansion also introduces a new Punta fruit that litters the area. These can be chomped on to decrease your radiation level and heal a few health points, and you’ll want to collect all that you can find. The challenge is certainly a welcome one, yet it’s a little unexpected given the kinds of adversaries you’ll tussle with. These thick-skinned rednecks make Super Mutants look like wimps.</blockquote>GameDaily 9.<blockquote>The town of Point Lookout lacks the bombed out look of the Wasteland, replaced with an aged seaside boardwalk with a Ferris wheel and a bland backdrop -- irradiated swamplands, stuffed animals attached to the limbs of trees, decrepit country homes, a mansion, a military base (if you look hard enough) and a staple in any coastal town, a lighthouse. The overall vibe feels like the Blair Witch Project movie, without the shaky puke cam.</blockquote>Gamervision 8.5.<blockquote>The main missions all revolve around the Calvert Mansion and its primary inhabitant, a ghoul named Desmond. After helping him fend off an invasion by a strange tribe, you’ll find yourself traveling all over Point Lookout in order to find out just what’s going on. One particular chapter of this expansion’s story will have you enjoying a very reflective acid trip. It could have been handled poorly and been a disaster of a mission, but Bethesda really nails the experience, and instead of being a joke, the whole turn of events is rather creepy and real. I won’t say how it all concludes, but the main story you’ll be trying to complete is full of twists, action, and is well worth the price of admission. The side missions in the expansion are all pretty unique, and one group in particular will add more depth to the history of the Fallout universe. All told you’ll probably spend upwards of four hours trying to get all 100 achievement points, which is par for the course so far on Bethesda’s add-ons.</blockquote>Gaming Nexus B.<blockquote>I did run into a few bugs it seems here and there as I was playing the game. Various times when I was walking in the open areas I would encounter a stutter in the game where it would just not stay smooth when walking. One time the PipBoy screen was so bright I couldn't read anything on it. Another time the position of the PipBoy was up too high and the screen cut off the top quarter of the screen. I've also had the game lock up on me so there are some issues that need to be resolved. The only one that I couldn't get to go away of course was the lockup but any other issue I had to toggle a few things here and there in some screens and it seemed to fix it.
What Point Lookout has going for it is a unique location and a different setting. The enemies are tougher and the swamp areas are done well. While the items aren't going to be that interesting for folks in the higher levels, those around 17 and up should get some nice useful items out of the deal as well as finding some great challenges to deal with in fighting tribal folks, inbred monsters, and swamplurks. There's a good solid 3 hours of the main quest and another few hours for the side quests as well. You're also welcome to travel back and forth from Point Lookout to the Capital Wasteland during and after the end of the main quest so there's that benefit of revisitation. It's not as good as Broken Steel in my opinion but it is about the same as the Pitt for me in terms of how much I liked it. A solid DLC, I'm eagerly awaiting the next one titled Mothership Zeta. But for now, Point Lookout's a good departure into an area not inhabited by mutants and Raiders while offering up some good challenges even for seasoned characters.</blockquote>
Again, I won’t spoil it for you, but you have choices to make at the end. Do you go for option A, or option B? There is even an option C depending on how you play the game. One of these endings is disappointing in the way it is written, as it finishes quite quickly and abruptly. You finish off the main quest and part of you expects something else to happen, someone to speak to you maybe, a room to unlock, but it never happens. You just don’t get the feeling that it’s finished. </blockquote>Cheat Code Central 4.3/5.<blockquote>In fact, almost all of the enemies you’ll run into in Point Lookout are far tougher than the past few DLC installments, and their primitive weapons do a lot more damage than you’d expect. We went in armed with a full arsenal and an experience level ranging in the mid-20s and still wound up taking frequent dirt naps. Even with the heaviest weaponry you may have accrued from past adventures, including the über-powerful Telsa Cannon from Broken Steel, you’re going to find yourself sucking down all the stomachs you can get your hands on and running like hell more often than you’d care to admit. Perhaps to balance out the challenge, the expansion also introduces a new Punta fruit that litters the area. These can be chomped on to decrease your radiation level and heal a few health points, and you’ll want to collect all that you can find. The challenge is certainly a welcome one, yet it’s a little unexpected given the kinds of adversaries you’ll tussle with. These thick-skinned rednecks make Super Mutants look like wimps.</blockquote>GameDaily 9.<blockquote>The town of Point Lookout lacks the bombed out look of the Wasteland, replaced with an aged seaside boardwalk with a Ferris wheel and a bland backdrop -- irradiated swamplands, stuffed animals attached to the limbs of trees, decrepit country homes, a mansion, a military base (if you look hard enough) and a staple in any coastal town, a lighthouse. The overall vibe feels like the Blair Witch Project movie, without the shaky puke cam.</blockquote>Gamervision 8.5.<blockquote>The main missions all revolve around the Calvert Mansion and its primary inhabitant, a ghoul named Desmond. After helping him fend off an invasion by a strange tribe, you’ll find yourself traveling all over Point Lookout in order to find out just what’s going on. One particular chapter of this expansion’s story will have you enjoying a very reflective acid trip. It could have been handled poorly and been a disaster of a mission, but Bethesda really nails the experience, and instead of being a joke, the whole turn of events is rather creepy and real. I won’t say how it all concludes, but the main story you’ll be trying to complete is full of twists, action, and is well worth the price of admission. The side missions in the expansion are all pretty unique, and one group in particular will add more depth to the history of the Fallout universe. All told you’ll probably spend upwards of four hours trying to get all 100 achievement points, which is par for the course so far on Bethesda’s add-ons.</blockquote>Gaming Nexus B.<blockquote>I did run into a few bugs it seems here and there as I was playing the game. Various times when I was walking in the open areas I would encounter a stutter in the game where it would just not stay smooth when walking. One time the PipBoy screen was so bright I couldn't read anything on it. Another time the position of the PipBoy was up too high and the screen cut off the top quarter of the screen. I've also had the game lock up on me so there are some issues that need to be resolved. The only one that I couldn't get to go away of course was the lockup but any other issue I had to toggle a few things here and there in some screens and it seemed to fix it.
What Point Lookout has going for it is a unique location and a different setting. The enemies are tougher and the swamp areas are done well. While the items aren't going to be that interesting for folks in the higher levels, those around 17 and up should get some nice useful items out of the deal as well as finding some great challenges to deal with in fighting tribal folks, inbred monsters, and swamplurks. There's a good solid 3 hours of the main quest and another few hours for the side quests as well. You're also welcome to travel back and forth from Point Lookout to the Capital Wasteland during and after the end of the main quest so there's that benefit of revisitation. It's not as good as Broken Steel in my opinion but it is about the same as the Pitt for me in terms of how much I liked it. A solid DLC, I'm eagerly awaiting the next one titled Mothership Zeta. But for now, Point Lookout's a good departure into an area not inhabited by mutants and Raiders while offering up some good challenges even for seasoned characters.</blockquote>
