Fallout 3: Broken Steel

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 145 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 85 out of 145
  2. Mixed: 43 out of 145
  3. Negative: 17 out of 145

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  1. JaydenPickens
    Feb 20, 2019
    7
    Broken Steel continues the main story from the game. it's interesting and I've enjoyed it. You can finish the dlc in under 3 hours. Some side missions are cool, others not so much. Pickens approves!
  2. [Anonymous]
    May 9, 2009
    10
    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.
  3. juxtapose519
    Nov 10, 2010
    8
    I don't know where all the "It's too short" comments are coming from. It has more quests and content than any of the other expansions (with the possible exception of Point Lookout, which I found so drab and boring that I didn't finish any of the side quests). The added level cap is more than enough of a reason to get this DLC over any of the others, but on top of that it actually felt likeI don't know where all the "It's too short" comments are coming from. It has more quests and content than any of the other expansions (with the possible exception of Point Lookout, which I found so drab and boring that I didn't finish any of the side quests). The added level cap is more than enough of a reason to get this DLC over any of the others, but on top of that it actually felt like a continuation of Fallout 3 rather than a crappy side mission. Operation Anchorage and Mothership Zeta were just quick combat missions that felt tacked on. Broken Steel actually added new content to the Capitol Wasteland and changed the world that I had come to know and enjoy. To me, the missions were the most exciting of any of the DLCs, and the Tesla Cannon is easily the greatest weapon in the game and reason enough to complete it.

    To all the people who are saying that Bethesda cut content from the main game and threw it in Broken Steel just so they could charge us more money for it just plain need to get over it. Fallout 3 was a HUGE game, and I doubt that any more than 1% of the people who played it ever completed all the quests. There was a ton of content that was cut from Half-Life 2 and used in the HL2: Episodes that was merely cut DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS. The situation is likely the same here. It doesn't mean it was an intentional ploy by Bethesda to get more money out of us.

    Broken Steel was awesome. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't the money grab people keep making it out to be. Buy it.    … Expand
  4. erezike
    Jun 30, 2014
    0
    I created an account on metacritic just for this dlc, this poor excuse for an rpg story drops the player on the most annoying railroaded adventure ever seen in an rpg game. You are forced into the service of the brotherhood of steel who don't even bother asking you if you want it or not, you are given orders to do this and do that by the most annoying character I ever met(paladin Tristan)I created an account on metacritic just for this dlc, this poor excuse for an rpg story drops the player on the most annoying railroaded adventure ever seen in an rpg game. You are forced into the service of the brotherhood of steel who don't even bother asking you if you want it or not, you are given orders to do this and do that by the most annoying character I ever met(paladin Tristan) who is the anti-commander, instead of leading his troops he just barks orders at the player and sends him to far off locations, the majority of this dlc time is the time it takes to get to these locations on the edges of the map. this dlc brings nothing new or good to the game, people talking about the level cap are hilarious, if you want more perks or stats just use the console, I highly recommend to steer away from levels above 20 because the game leveled list become too ridiculous after that.

    Stay away from this dlc, only terrible roleplaying opportunities and poor combat scenes await you here.    … Expand
  5. AnonymousMC
    Jul 31, 2009
    5
    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    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.    … Expand
  6. anonymous
    Dec 6, 2009
    0
    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 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.… Expand
  7. AnonymousMC
    Jun 14, 2009
    4
    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.
  8. zdogjr
    Jun 5, 2009
    9
    this has to be my favorite dlc for the game yet. i love the new weapon and perks you get, and the contiuation of the story. my only real complaint is that its a bit short even with the side quests and the reason why you survived the radiation from project purity is just plain stupid
  9. MadisonLi
    Jul 2, 2009
    8
    i enjoyed the sizable package of new items a lot, but the best was the high HP enemies to unload ammunition upon. I had initially hoped to be fighting a much tougher and larger end game, like say maybe an enclave version Liberty Prime, something that'll let me expend my nukes and stuff, but an abundance of heavy handed enclave troops is about as good.
  10. AlexV
    May 11, 2009
    8
    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 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.… Expand
  11. KSnow
    May 31, 2009
    2
    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 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.… Expand
  12. inkblowout
    Aug 31, 2015
    8
    I believe that this DLC should have been in the final version of the game because this seems like an extortion racket from Bethesda. Never the less I enjoyed this DLC. You get to see your choices from the original story to take effect in broken steel as well as a few missions fighting with the botherhood of steel. (Because the final mission in the original story was okay but nothingI believe that this DLC should have been in the final version of the game because this seems like an extortion racket from Bethesda. Never the less I enjoyed this DLC. You get to see your choices from the original story to take effect in broken steel as well as a few missions fighting with the botherhood of steel. (Because the final mission in the original story was okay but nothing compared to broken steel missions.)

    And also during the final mission of broken steel you probably make the biggest choice in fallout 3 (not spoiling it.) and it take a huge change in the game. Also you get a extended level cap to 30 and also you also have some new weapons and armor, side missions and not to mention you get to free roam after you finish the entire broken steel DLC. The DLC plays kinda short but I would get this DLC. it's necessary to get this for story completion and the free roam addition.    … Expand
  13. nurfedx
    Nov 19, 2021
    10
    One of the best games to the series and an All-time Classic. Also, the last Decent Fallout Game!
  14. Alexander_1996
    Oct 3, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all, why should it be a DLC? It doesn't provide any new setting and doesn't create any new problem you are suppose to eliminate - you literally continue your main story. Even more, you are ALLOWED to continue your game ONLY if you have this add-on. What? Seriously? I can't come up with any reasonable reason why this happened besides because Bethesda decided to make more money by selling basically the last sequence of the main story for additional money. I would understand if the main story was already long as hell but no, it is pretty short for such big open world.

    Okay, now about the add-on itself. It is awesome. It completes neatly your confrontation with Enclave and is full of many exciting fights especially the last one where you are one (or with your faithful companion Super Mutant Fawkes) against the last Enclave remnants in the heart of their main military base which you had to find by lurking in God forgotten metro tunnels full of feral ghouls and sentry boats after fighting with Liberty Prime side by side. By the end of the DLC it started to remind me Operation Anchorage add-on but this time in real world (maybe in 2477 someone will have to complete Operation Adams Air Base in order to get access to an armory or something).

    Broken Steel is the right ending to the Fallout 3 main story and it is a shame it wasn't build into the main game from the very beginning.    … Expand
  15. Jackie_Jackson
    May 26, 2022
    5
    Этот анклав блин всё сидит на своей базе со своими кампухтирами хоть бы сходили пробзделись
  16. nastyjes
    Mar 19, 2023
    2
    Side quests are not bad. New perks are boring. New mobs are unbalanced and absorb damage like sponges. The main quest is terrible.

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. 3DJuegos
    74
    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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  2. VideoGamer
    90
    Put simply, if you love Fallout 3, Broken Steel is an essential purchase.
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  3. GameFocus
    95
    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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