Fallout 3: Operation: Anchorage

I finished the Operation: Anchorage DLC for Fallout 3 over the weekend.  It was fairly entertaining.  It’s basically a straightforward FPS sidequest, where all of the missions are linear explorations of areas of Anchorage.  

In the Fallout 3 world, back in the day the Chinese invaded Alaska, and the US drove them out in the Battle of Anchorage.  (Sorry, no Palin-bots).  Through a simulation, you’re re-enacting parts of this Battle to access a vault with a bunch of good ammo/guns/etc.  When you enter the simulation, you’re stripped of all of your equipment, though your player retains their skill levels and perks.  Also, enemies digitally vanish after you kill them, there’s no picking up their items (though there are health and ammo ‘dispensers’ everywhere, so you don’t have to worry about that, and the weapons don’t degrade at all).  

If you enjoyed Fallout 3, you’ll enjoy the DLC.  It’s not an open-world type of thing, you’re basically running into caves, etc. to take down Chinese soldiers.  There’s not really a story, just executing missions.  

If you’re early in the game, or still have some levels to level up with, I’d recommend doing the DLC when you can.  There are a ton of enemies, so you’ll get lots of XP.  Because all of your equipment is pre-designated, you don’t feel like you’re wandering in somewhere with the lower-level equipment you start the game with early on.  

If you’re late in the game, especially if you’ve maxed out your level, I’d wait until the level cap is increased in the third DLC before playing this.  In fact, I’m going to wait until the 3rd DLC comes out with the cap increased before playing the 2nd DLC, because I felt like I was just killing people with little to no reward.  My high-level character has none of the badass equipment I spent so long accumulating, so I actually feel weaker, and I’m not gaining any levels because I’m already at 20.  

So there you go.  Operation: Anchorage is fun, and if you’re not near the level cap I’d say go ahead and do it (especially because you’ll get Power Armor Training (or so I am told) way before you normally would in the main quest).  If you are maxed out, wait until the 3rd DLC comes out, but definitely play Operation: Anchorage.  
 
Small gripes: 1. Clearer description of how to access the DLC.  When I boot up the game, I should know where to go.  I shouldn’t have to wait 5 minutes for a radio signal to kick in.  2. If you’re going to leave ammo near ammo dispensers for me to pick up, please don’t strew them across the ground.  Put them in a fucking crate so I can get them all at once.