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Garden of Eden Creation Kits for All

Bethesda announces new missions and the very anticipated editor for Fallout 3.

By John Gillooly on 26 November, 2008

There have been many announcements of downloadable content (DLC), lately, largely because a month or so has passed since the wave of big Christmas games. Announcing DLC plans now helps drive the sales beyond the initial rush, reassuring mere mortals that the fun hasn’t stopped yet.

Bethesda was one of the first companies to release DLC with its infamous Horse Armour Pack for Oblivion, and after the value for money-related outcry over the lack of substance, it righted its wrongs with future Oblivion content. So, the promise of more content for Fallout 3 is reassuring, especially when Bethesda promises not one but three releases in coming months.

According to Bethesda’s press release, the content packs are currently unpriced (although 800 Microsoft Points seems the standard rate these days) and contain the following:

Operation: Anchorage. Enter a military simulation and fight in one of the greatest battles of the Fallout universe – the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska from its Chinese Communist invaders. An action-packed battle scheduled for release in January.

The Pitt. Journey to the industrial raider town called The Pitt, located in the remains of Pittsburgh. Choose your side. Scheduled for release in February.

Broken Steel. Join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel and rid the Capital Wasteland of the Enclave remnants once and for all. Continues the adventure past the main quest. Scheduled for release in March.

Again, one must stay pretty uncommitted, as these kind of descriptions could mean anything. There’s no idea if they are 20 minutes or four hours of gameplay, and probably won’t be until they are released. One hopes they might add at least a handful of new songs to the radio.

But much, much more exciting than this paid content is the potential behind the free December release of the cutely dubbed G.E.C.K. (Garden of Eden Creation Kit). This is the name given to Bethesda’s editor for Fallout 3, which should enable an explosion in user modification for the much beloved game. I’d be prepared to put money on the fact that the Fallout 3 haters at No Mutants Allowed will use the opportunity to make the game they believe Fallout 3 should have been. Like all great fan remakes, it will probably take five years to complete, and be released when people no longer really care, but it probably would end up certifiably awesome.

In the meantime, everyone can prepare themselves for the inevitable consequence of an editor release. Namely, pondering the sanity of wandering the radioactive wastes naked.