I downloaded and played The Pitt this weekend. It’s the second downloadable expansion for Fallout 3, following the short but ambitious Operation Anchorage.
Let me say, I am disappointed. The Pitt follows a slave rebellion in the burned out husk of Pittsburgh. That’s a vague but promising start. Three hours later I was master of the pit and the slave rebellion was over.
I’m a more aesthetic gamer than most. I can appreciate the game that burns bright and fast, but I expect the game to meet a certain level. Sadly, this expansion was infinitely forgottable. The story, as I’ve already aluded, was over quickly. It was a standard ‘free the slaves or help the slavers’ vignette, similar to a number of missions in the original Fallout 3. The download promised a morally vague world, but the macguffin thrown in and only realized at the very end, held far too little impact. Granted, as an experienced player with a maximimum level adventurer I didn’t expect a massive amount of challenge, I also didn’t expect it to be so thoroughly easy as well. Two or three quick jaunts through the burned out husk of Pittsburgh was not enough to inspire in me any particular morale confusion.
Visually, Fallout 3 has always been gorgeous. Pittsburgh, however, was somewhat of a disappointment. The bridge was well realized and there was some new artwork in the city, but most of it was the same burnt out remains as always, with some added rust and the firey skeleton of a steel mill. The art work, while interesting, was less impressive that Operation Anchorage or the original Fallout.
Without much of a story, or visuals, the download just fell flat. The characters were only vaguelly memorable, but again, there was so little back story, so little time spent with them, that none of the characters came particularly to life. It is a complaint that could go to Fallout 3 in general, but it had enough other merits to recommend it. I wanted to like The Pitt, I really did, but aside from a few cool weapons and a rather exciting gladiator contest there just was enough to interest me.
I hope the third download adventure, coming soon, will be much more exciting!
