The DLC of Fallout 3 is a world of ups and downs all of its own. They each offer wild and weird stories from all corners of the wasteland. And now, we’re going to rank them and find out which is the best.
5. Operation Anchorage
Operation Anchorage is a fun combat-focused DLC that doesn’t feature much in the way of a story. It’s mostly a way to have a bunch of combat encounters in a setting that takes away all the items you’ve accrued so far. Essentially, you have to fight off a Chinese invasion in a VR simulation that may or may not be an accurate depiction of the actual events of the Liberation of Anchorage.
In fairness, this is one of the most important events in the Fallout universe, and getting to experience it firsthand is neat. But overall it feels pretty forgettable, unfortunately. At least you get a winter-themed version of the T-51b armor which looks great.
4. Mothership Zeta
This may very well be the strangest DLC in all of Fallout. The Lone Wanderer is quite literally abducted by aliens in this one and has to bust out of their ship and make it back to the wasteland in one piece. Aliens have always been present in the Fallout universe in some way dating back to the original Fallout. But to see them be straight-up confirmed in Mothership Zeta is always funny to look back on.
Gameplay-wise Mothership Zeta has fun encounters, an awesome location to explore, and cool weapons to use. It’s got everything a DLC would need to be good. The only downside is how wacky it is and while that’s all well and good, it doesn’t have the same impact as a few of the other ones on this list.
3. The Pitt
I wouldn’t classify many of the DLCs of the Fallout series to be horror-themed since that’s what Fallout is anyway generally speaking. But The Pitt is even more of a horrifying experience than what the games usually are in a few ways. The atmosphere, characters, and storytelling is all top-notch and sells The Pitt as being a place you’d never want to visit in a million years. In that sense it’s similar to a few of New Vegas’ DLC experiences. So it’s fair to say that The Pitt is an excellent DLC in Fallout 3.
The Pitt’s central moment comes at a point when you need to make a choice. And no matter which you decide, there’s going to be some downsides. That moral dilemma is key to what makes The Pitt memorable and is a key part of Fallout as a series. Unfortunately, The Pitt is pretty short so it’s not going to keep you busy for more than a couple hours.
2. Point Lookout
Point Lookout is technically the biggest DLC in Fallout 3 in terms of scale but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best. It takes place in a swampland that wasn’t as impacted by the bombs like the Capital Wasteland. So it’s a slightly more lush environment than what Fallout 3 usually offers. But that doesn’t mean its any less dangerous to explore. In fact, Point Lookout has some of the creepier locations to find in Fallout 3.
This DLC is cool for the fact that you get a whole new bit of land to explore. Unlike the rest of Fallout 3’s DLC offerings, this is nowhere near as linear. And that makes it a far more engaging experience than something like Operation Anchorage. It also helps that Point Lookout has an interesting story with a cast that will keep you guessing.
1. Broken Steel
Broken Steel has quite a funny history as it undoes what some claim to be Fallout 3’s biggest mistake. Once the main story is finished Fallout 3 usually goes to the credits and stops you from continuing after that point. But Broken Steel undoes this by adding in a whole new epilogue storyline that has you cleaning up some of the leftovers of the Enclave and continuing to explore the Captial Wasteland.
Even if you disagree that this isn’t the best DLC, it’s easily the most important. Bethesda games depend on letting the player explore the world at their own pace and stopping post-game exploration was a poor choice because of that. In its own right, Broken Steel has an engaging storyline and brings the story of Fallout 3 to a satisfying close.
That does it for the ranking of the best Fallout 3 DLC. But if you want to see where the Fallout series as a whole ranks, check out our ranking of every Fallout game.
