Fallout 3: Broken Steel

One Might Say that the ending of Fallout 3 was a bit of a non-ending. It didn't make too much sense and - without spoiling anything - had one gigantic, lumbering, nucleated plot hole. This is why it's welcome that Broken Steel demands that you've reached the point just before that said ending, so that it can conveniently re-write it at the last second and provide a slightly more sensible one.

Broken Steel is probably the most substantial Fallout 3 DLC yet, feeling like a cohesive part of both the Fallout lore and the main plotline of the game rather than an afterthought. The Wanderer can continue to explore Washington State, reach Level 30, and can gain several new, if not mind-bendingly awesome, perks. The advancement of the storyline is substantial and a great big step in the right direction.

Broken Steers storyline, as is the case with all of the DLC so far, is a bit damp. While literally explosive at first, it comes to a somewhat abrupt end, and the world itself remains unchanged. After what is apparently a significant act - which we won't spoil - you're left with a remarkably untouched wasteland. Considering the magnitude of what happens at the end of Fallout 3, during the weeks before Broken Steel takes place and its eventual conclusion, you're left with a big gun and nothing much else.

Ultimately, Broken Steel is satisfying. It's consistently engrossing, explosive and impressive to the eye, and while its conclusion bares a remarkable similarity to the events in Raven Rock, we can forgive Bethesda. It's no Shivering Isles, and it still lacks the depth that we want from Fallout DLC, but it's very much worth your time and money.