Project Purity Completion

Lore & Background

The source mentions that Broken Steel alters the ending of the game, increasing the level cap to 30 and allowing play past the main quest completion, but it does not describe the state of the water supply, the role of James, or the specific actions taken by the Lone Wanderer during the purification process.

In Their Own Story

It focuses entirely on the structure and content of the five downloadable packs: Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel, Point Lookout, and Mothership Zeta. For instance, it details the virtual reality simulation in Operation: Anchorage where the Lone Wanderer fights Chinese forces to defeat General Jingwei, or the slave revolt in The Pitt involving Ashur and Wernher. However, no specific scenes, quotes, or plot points regarding the activation of Project Purity are recorded in this source.

Reader's Guide

It notes that Broken Steel increases the level cap to 30 and changes the ending, while Operation: Anchorage was released on January 27, 2009, and The Pitt faced launch glitches before being re-uploaded on March 25, 2009. The source confirms that Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt were eventually made available for PlayStation 3 in October 2009 after delays, but it contains no instructions or walkthroughs for the main quest's conclusion.

Did You Know?

• Broken Steel is the only DLC that alters the game's ending and increases the level cap to 30.
• Operation: Anchorage was delayed on PlayStation 3 until October 1, 2009, due to bug fixes and compatibility testing.
• The Pitt was pulled from Xbox Live just hours after its March 24, 2009 release due to a download availability issue, not save corruption.
• Inside the Operation: Anchorage simulation, enemy corpses disappear instantly, preventing players from looting them.
• Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta were originally intended for simultaneous multi-platform release but arrived months later on PlayStation 3.

The Broken Steel Expansion

Broken Steel has the largest effect on Fallout 3 among the five downloadable content packs. It fundamentally alters the game by changing the ending and increasing the level cap to 30. This expansion allows players to continue playing past the completion of the main quest line, a feature that was initially denied for PlayStation 3 users before being resolved in later updates. The 2009 Game of the Year edition includes this pack alongside the other four pieces of downloadable content.

Operation Anchorage Simulation

Operation: Anchorage is the first DLC pack, released on January 27, 2009, for Xbox Live and Games for Windows. It places the Lone Wanderer in a virtual reality simulation of the Sino-American War's Battle of Anchorage in 2077. Within this simulation, players are stripped of their equipment and must use provided replacements. Gameplay mechanics differ from the main game: health and ammo are replenished at supply stations, items do not decay, and enemy corpses disappear without loot. The pack features new quests, items, four achievements, and culminates in a single combat duel against General Jingwei.

The Pitt Controversy

The Pitt is the second DLC pack, released on March 24, 2009, for Xbox Live and Games for Windows, but was immediately removed due to severe glitches that made the Xbox 360 version unplayable. After investigation by Bethesda and Microsoft, a fixed version was re-uploaded on March 25, 2009, with further fixes arriving on April 2. The pack features new weapons, armor, four achievements, and approximately four to five hours of gameplay set in the industrial raider city of Pittsburgh. It allows players to choose between siding with Wernher or Ashur without a karmic penalty.

Platform Exclusivity and Release

Initially, all five DLC packs were available only on Xbox Live and Games for Windows. Analyst Colin Sebastian speculated this was due to an exclusivity deal with Microsoft. Game director Todd Howard stated that the PlayStation 3 would not receive updates enabling gameplay beyond the main quest at that time. However, in May 2009, Bethesda announced existing packs (Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Broken Steel) would come to PS3. Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt were released on PS3 on October 1, 2009. Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta were planned for simultaneous release but launched months earlier on Xbox and PC.