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Fallout 3: Broken Steel

EMAIL PRINT pc

6.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 21 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: May 5, 2009

Summary

(Downloadable Content) Continue your existing Fallout 3 game and finish the fight against the Enclave remnants alongside Liberty Prime. Broken Steel moves the level cap for your character from 20 to 30, allowing you to experience even more of the game, including new perks and achievements. Story: You may have dealt the Enclave a serious blow at Project Purity, but their forces are still out there, and still pose a grave threat to the people and security of the Capital Wasteland. In Broken Steel, you'll continue your current Fallout 3 character past the events of Project Purity, and work with the Brotherhood of Steel to eradicate the Enclave threat once and for all. Travel to new locations like the Olney Powerworks, wield destructive new weapons like the Tesla Cannon, and fight powerful new creatures like the Super Mutant Overlord. [Bethesda Softworks]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Fallout 3 Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage Fallout 3: The Pitt

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

GameFocus

Broken Steel certainly changes the game for the better and is a must buy for all Fallout 3 owners. Even the subtle changes to normal characters in the Wasteland are noticeable such as those slackers in Megaton who complain about the water. Bottom Line is that there is much to explore, must to experience and much to disintegrate in the game and this is why the final score is so high for the expansion.

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Gaming Age

All in all, Broken Steel winds up being a great diversion and a good excuse to re-visit the Capitol Wastelands. Between the continuation of the storyline, the tougher enemies, and the great amount of action given, it's well worth the $10 to take a ride with the Brotherhood of Steel one more time.

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PC Gamer UK

Broken Steel enhances the entire Fallout 3 world with new items, quests and monsters, extending an awesome experience. [July 2009, p.88]

VideoGamer

Put simply, if you love Fallout 3, Broken Steel is an essential purchase.

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Gamer 2.0

With a solid new campaign, an improved level cap, dozens of new perks and tons of powerful weapons at your disposal, Broken Steel is hands down some of the best content Fallout 3 has to offer.

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GamingXP

The level barrier is raised to level 30 with this DLC, which is a very cool aspect. Sadly the RPG parts of Broken Steel are not so well done.

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AtomicGamer

If you almost bought The Pitt but held off because $10 seemed maybe just a bit too much, then go ahead and pick up Broken Steel because it's definitely worth the cost this time.

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IGN

Lifting the level cap breathes new life into a great game, but shouldn't totally overshadow a new series of quests that is a lot of fun.

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PC Format

Worth every one of your 680 pennies for a bit more Fallout 3 and the lack of a proper ending to put a stop to your fun. [July 2009, p.92]

Game Revolution

One of the finest examples of downloadable content that other developers should emulate.

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Game Over Online

The bottom line here is that Broken Steel is more Fallout 3, and if you’re a fan that can’t possibly be a bad thing. Like with the other DLC, the story will probably only take you a few hours to go through and then you’re left with the goodies.

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PC Zone UK

Satisfying. [Nov 2009, p.73]

Cheat Code Central

A solid set of new missions. The real benefits come with being able to fix the ending and explore more of the world afterwards.

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Worth Playing

With solid quests adding flavor to the endgame and with new ways in which to scratch your itchy trigger finger while Perking out your Monty Haul avatar, fans who haven't gotten their fill of Rad Away, Nuka-Cola, and Fancy Lads Snack Cakes may find that this add-on might be as good a reason as any to head back into the wastes.

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GameStar

Broken Steel raises the maximum level to 30, adds 14 new special talents and allows you to explore the world even after finishing the game. That’s all good, but it’s probably coming out too late for most Fallout gamers.

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3DJuegos

Broken Steel is important in the sense that it continues the individual campaign of Fallout 3, however, its technical features and lack of novelty are a bit of a shame. The extension that we are discussing here offers a slightly longer duration than its preceding expansions, but it is less intense that the action in Operation Anchorage and less interesting than the captivating The Pitt.

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Edge Magazine

While it lacks the scope or density of Oblivion’s The Shivering Isles, it’s the most you’re going to get out of Fallout’s current batch of DLC. And as a long-anticipated reopening of the game’s original map, it at least gives you something to live for.

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Absolute Games

I don’t recommend buying Broken Steel, because it’s a matter of principle – let's not encourage trade in endings. You won’t miss anything important anyway – this DLC is only slightly better than its mediocre predecessors.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.2 (out of 10) based on 21 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

anonymous gave it a0:
Just to be clear for anyone who hasn't realized it yet: Bethesda purposely shortened the main quest and gimped the ending of Fallout 3 in order to sell it to you at a latter date. It approaches a mild form of extortion, and judging by the success of this and other comparable DLC, it's a sure thing that a growing number of incomplete games like this will be sold and resold to you again and again in the foreseeable future. As customers we should not accept this.

[Anonymous] gave it a5:
1) What is this Broken Steel DLC about? -> It is about the level cap and freeroam-after-ending. -> I had a strong feeling that the last portion of original game (such as ending, level cap) were removed so it can be repackaged into purchasable DLC pack. It's a very cheap marketing tactics I really have seeing dev practicing such things to the loyal fans. 2) Does this DLC pack involve choice/decision making and its consequence,aka roleplaying? ->Barely, most of the content is focused on combating enclave remnant force. Only choice that you are making is either leave Citadel to be burned or not...which I dont think it qualifies to be an RPG thing. 3) The Level-up perks for lvl 22-30, are they good? -> No, not at all. -> most of the perks they added should be for level 4-12. -> there is nothing special or unique in terms of high level actions or roleplaying. -> lvl 30 perk, Nuclear anomaly is suppposed to be the strongest perk in the entire game..but it is bugged and kills player at frequent occasion. 4) Then, what is so good about this DLC? -> again, Level-caps and Freeroam after Ending were taken as hostage by the dev. Any player who enjoyed should buy it.

[Anonymous] gave it a4:
what is this garbage? sure the level cap and extended story is nice, but am I the only on who finds the broken steel campaign ridiculously hard? And also, what are with all of these 2 second quests? I got all of them in less than an hour!, Piece of crap, only good thing is raised level cap and being able to play forever, not that I would want to after this DLC did to it.

K Snow gave it a2:
This extension adds a few hours play to the original game -- that took days or weeks to play. There isn't a sense of continuing the main story, but of completing a few extra quests that aren't central. For those playing the original offline, be prepared for an ordeal getting the update online -- the worst experience I've had registering online. Compared to the original, this rates a 2. It's a lot of trouble to download, register and install, and it isn't any bargain in terms of replay.

Alex V gave it an8:
It's good but a bit short. I actually enjoyed the Pitt more, but this one does a good job of allowing you to explore the wasteland more fully adding extra value (get the explorer perk to help find interesting places you've missed). There's some nice new high level super mutant, animal and ghoul varieties. I do rather think it could have been 50% larger (I'd certainly pay more and would like more side quests and a longer and tougher main mission), as with the other DLCs it's rather bite-sized. Definitely worth getting for Fallout 3 fans.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
This DLC creates a whole new opening to fallout's ending. Which people wants to find out more about the capital wasteland and explore more. People who wants to find out items and do exciting side quests with a whole new variety of weapons and armors. Fallout is an RPG game. So let it be a RPG game.

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Fallout 3: Broken Steel

Game Info

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