Fallout 3 DLCs Ranked from Best to Worst

Fallout 3 and its five add-ons Broken Steel, The Pitt, Mothership Zeta, Point Lookout, and Operation: Anchorage expand the post-apocalyptic setting with new challenges, enemies, and places worth checking out.

Game	Release	Genre	Developer
Fallout 3	2009-10-13	Role-playing (RPG) & Shooter	Bethesda Game Studios
Fallout 3 Broken Steel	2010-07-16	Role-playing (RPG) & Shooter	Bethesda Game Studios
Fallout 3 The Pitt	2010-07-16	Role-playing (RPG) & Shooter	Bethesda Game Studios
Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta	2010-07-16	Role-playing (RPG) & Shooter	Bethesda Game Studios
Fallout 3 Operation Anchorage	2010-07-16	Role-playing (RPG) & Shooter	Bethesda Game Studios
Fallout 3 Point Lookout	2010-07-16	Role-playing (RPG) & Shooter	Bethesda Game Studios

These DLCs give players more ways to explore the wasteland, continue the story beyond the main campaign, and pick up gear, characters, and secrets scattered across the ruins. Each expansion brings something different: higher level cap, tougher enemies, or new gear. With all of them, Fallout 3 becomes way more than a one-and-done RPG.

Fallout 3

Release date:	2009-10-13
Genre:	Shooter & Role-playing (RPG)
Developer:	Bethesda Game Studios

Fallout 3 is the base for a massive, destroyed world. It’s an open-world story packed with choices, consequences, and survival.

Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios

You get a solid storyline and a huge map to explore across the D.C. ruins where your actions seriously shape the world around you.

With all five expansions, the game keeps going after the credits roll. The journey doesn’t end when the main quest does.

You may like it because
Huge post-apocalyptic world Storyline and exploration through the D.C. ruins Your choices shape the game world Add-ons bring new quests after the main story ends

Fallout 3

Release date:	2010-07-16
Genre:	Shooter & Role-playing (RPG)
Developer:	Bethesda Game Studios

The third add-on lets you keep playing after the main campaign ends. You team up with the Brotherhood of Steel to wipe out the Enclave once and for all.

Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios

It bumps the level cap from 20 to 30 and adds new perks and gear. The enemies hit harder: albino radscorpions, feral ghoul reavers, Hellfire troopers.

You’ll find new loot like Hellfire armor, a heavy incinerator, and the Tesla Cannon. There are new spots on the map too including Adams Air Force Base and Presidential Metro.

You may like it because
Story continues after the main game Level cap goes up to 30 New enemies and gear Side quests like delivering clean water

Broken Steel

Release date:	2010-07-16
Genre:	Shooter & Role-playing (RPG)
Developer:	Bethesda Game Studios

One of the shorter expansions. It drops you into the gritty ruins of Pittsburgh. Released with Operation: Anchorage in some packs and it’s about the same length as Broken Steel.

Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios

The map has a dirty industrial feel and adds a new area to explore.

Not the biggest DLC but a solid option if you’re in the mood for more Fallout without a huge time sink.

You may like it because
New industrial setting Part of the complete Game of the Year Edition Story length matches the other main add-ons It allows for continuing adventures in the post-apocalyptic universe

The Pitt

Release date:	2010-07-16
Genre:	Shooter & Role-playing (RPG)
Developer:	Bethesda Game Studios

This one takes things to space. You get abducted by aliens and have to fight your way out of their massive ship.

Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios

You’ll team up with prisoners from different time periods: a samurai, a cowboy, a little girl to escape.

You can walk in space and after you’re done the ship becomes your base. New alien gear includes the disintegrator and drone cannon and you’ll face off against aliens and drones. No physical copies of this DLC were ever sold.

You may like it because
Set in space not the wasteland Alien gear and outfits Weird team-up with characters from different eras Exploration and alien combat

Mothership Zeta

Release date:	2010-07-16
Genre:	Shooter & Role-playing (RPG)
Developer:	Bethesda Game Studios

This one shifts things to a murky swamp near the coast of Maryland. The map’s big about one-fifth the size of the Capital Wasteland and it’s way tougher than most other DLCs.

Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios

You can go back and forth by ferry but it costs caps. The main story runs 3 to 4 hours.

The enemies are brutal: swampfolk, ghouls, swamp-based mutants. You’ll find new weapons like the Lever-action Rifle and Microwave Emitter.

You may like it because
Big swamp map Most open-ended and mysterious DLC New nasty enemies Ferry lets you go back and forth freely

Fallout 3 - Point Lookout

Release date:	2010-07-16
Genre:	Shooter & Role-playing (RPG)
Developer:	Bethesda Game Studios

This is the first DLC. You enter a VR sim of a key battle: liberating Anchorage Alaska from the Chinese. You can’t use your gear inside but weapons don’t degrade and they’re super durable.

Image credit: Bethesda Game Studios

You command a strike team and use new healing stations. If you collect 10 intel briefcases you get the Covert Ops perk.

After finishing the sim you unlock a hidden armory with rare loot like the Gauss Rifle and Chinese stealth armor. You also get the Power Armor perk early.

You may like it because
VR sim of a key battle Rare gear unlocked after finishing You lead a strike squad No karma loss from the mutiny that follows

Operation Anchorage

Fallout 3 and its DLCs Broken Steel The Pitt Mothership Zeta Point Lookout Operation Anchorage keep the game fresh with new maps enemies quests and weapons.

Each one does its own thing: space missions swamp survival Brotherhood battles. Together they give you plenty of reasons to come back for more.