Fallout 3: The Pitt Member Review for the Xbox360

While most of the gaming community agrees with the overall critical acclaim of Fallout 3, the expansions for it is what keeps the game going and like the ever smoking chimneys of those run-down steel factories of The Pitt, it still runs, albeit slowly but surely. You can really compare The Pitt to a diamond in the rough, while its full of bugs as this review is being written, it holds a true story line worthy of the game, within it two choices to join the force you think is for the right cause, which keeps you constantly guessing who really is the good guy here. Like the previous expansion of Fallout 3, you receive a radio signal on loop and receive the quest, making it easy access as most, if not all people like it. You meet a slave named Wernher who wants you to help free his people from the tyranny of the slavers in an area known as "The Pitt", also known as Pittsburgh. Wernher tells you about the troubles going on around there, especially the mutations of people turning into diseased mutants called "Trogs" due to the pollution going on around there. Now heres the plot turn for you- he wants you to nab the "Cure" from the leader of the slavers named Ashur, its up to you to either team up with the slaves and rescue them from their terrible affliction of disease and mutation, or help the slavers put the slaves back in line, as always in the Fallout series, the choice is yours. There is nothing to really complain about in the plot, sure it will keep you guessing who is really fighting for the just cause, even making it so vague to choose between a side. But if no one sees it, thats what made a plot line great! Predictable plot lines kill the momentum and also your ultimate decision It really takes some thought to choose a side because of the certain circumstances of the plot, sure the slaves need the cure, but will they really use it, or abuse it? And as for the slavers, will they really give the cure to the slaves when the time comes, or will they keep it to themselves and allow the slaves to suffer becoming one of the dreaded Trogs? The game is kept in motion by its amazing plot line on what side is good or bad. The city as you know it is a beautiful mess, with true grit and dirt to it more than any part of the Capital Wasteland. The Pitt is horribly polluted around the town, smokestacks climb the sky to see the huge clouds of smoke slowly rise into the sky, darkening it to a mere twilight type of light. The areas of the game, simply put- are astoundingly beautiful and awe inspiring. The crumbled buildings, the smoky sky, and the rubble filled ground all tie in to make the city a wreck, but a good looking one, just like a piece of abstract art. The voice acting is also great as always in the game, there are definitely more obscenities than are normally said in the Capital Wasteland, but that only adds to the grit that is seen in the city, it really ties into it really well. The models of the people there are also new, you can see their skin having open sores on their faces due to the early stages of radiation sickness slowly eating away at their skin, showing you that these people truly need help from their horrid affliction. The overall scenery is excellent in nature and it will be sure to blow you away once you've seen and experienced it. New weapons in the game allow you to increase your probably already giant arsenal of weaponry. The new weapons are good, albeit lacking. The power of the new silenced assault rifle "The Infiltrator" is mediocre compared to other rifles, although you will look like a complete badass with it on you, like a covert ops agent. The new Auto-Axe however is a ton of fun. once you have that weapon, prepare for a bloodbath after you open up trog after trog with your whirling blades of death. You will have a real blast with it if you're in to melee weapons. There is also some new armor to be had as well, ranging from the basic gas mask from a raider, to the new Tribal Power Armor that brings a whole new addition to your wardrobe, and believe me, you will not be disappointed! There are other features of this game that most may love, such as the new ammo press machine in The Pitt, converting bullets to new ones of a different type, and also some money making opportunities. But these a few, far between, and short lived. And are the only real reason why you will ever go back to the Pitt after you completed the quest line, which leads me to another thing- the quest line is too short. The only real flaw is the how short the content is, a mere 4 hours of gameplay is only had for most people unless you're trying to find all the steel ingots. While its not fully expected for an expansion from XBL to add more than 8 hours of game play, it should be thought as to why they didnt add anything to keep The Pitt going on after the quest was completed, as I walk around Pittsburgh, all I can really do is be insulted by the slavers and press my ammo into something more suitable for my use. While you can always make another character and enjoy the quest line again, they could have atleast have made the arenas a repeatable mini-quest to earn bottlecaps or something of the like. The bugs are considered minor to me, you may get a crash a couple of times, but not to worry! as Bethesda is fixing it as I write this review. To finish, the expansion is a must-buy for any Fallout 3 fan, you will definitely enjoy the short, but wild ride through the burning streets of Pittsburgh, and the plot will always keep you guessing, so if you haven't bought it yet, what are you waiting for, grab ten bucks and join in on the fun!