Guide Written by: Brandon "Fertilizer Shovel" Cackowski-Schnell

I don't know about you, but sometimes I tire of the hustle and bustle of big city, Capital Wastelands living. Sometimes a man needs to get to where things move just a mite bit slower, where the swamp gases make a pleasant gurgling sound, where wild fruit with crazy healing powers grow and where folks will stop to say "hey y'all" right before they try to carve your face off. Yes, when I get tired of fighting off Enclave soldiers and Talon mercs, I take the ferry to Point Lookout, find myself a bottle of moonshine and forget all of my troubles as well as my name and in some unfortunate situations, my gender and sexual preferences. Now you too can visit scenic Point Lookout and be touched by its scenic grandeur, and by touched I mean that someone will cut a hole out of your head. But in a good way!

All in all, I think I like this piece of DLC best of all of them. Oh sure, after all of my level cap griping it was good to finally hit level 30, even if another level cap followed, but after 50+ hours in the Wastelands, it all starts to look the same. Point Lookout has a different vibe, different, tougher enemies and doesn't get bogged down with all of that morality stuff. The main quest doesn't bother to tell you which way is better, it's all about who you want to side with. Plus, it has a living brain in a jar which is great fun no matter where you are.

The achievements this time around are the usual mixed bag of quest achievements and pointless milling about. I'm all for exploring, but putting in an exploration achievement when the exploration needed to get the achievement doesn't really get me anything just seems lazy. Still though, it's a small area and the sight of inbred swamp folk hanging around on a children's playground is certainly something I've never seen in Megaton. If you're looking for a nice break from the wastelands, Point Lookout might just cure what ails ya.

Just as with any of the other pieces of DLC, once you boot up Fallout 3 after downloading the content, move from one area to another such that you'll see a loading screen and you'll get a message that there's a ferry at a dock on the Potomac that is itching to send you off to Point Lookout. This will also conveniently start the "The Local Flavor" quest for you. Point Lookout has some tougher beasties to deal with so this ain't a vacation destination for those just starting out. As a reference point, some of the tribals I came across took a couple of shots to go down and that was with a level 30 player playing on Very Easy.

You won't be able to take any of your companions with you as this is a completely separate map so send them off to their meeting place, or don't as the game will do it for you once you board the ferry. There aren't many energy weapons in Point Lookout, so make sure to either bring spares for repair purposes, or get everything repaired before you leave. As Point Lookout is basically one giant swamp filled with irradiated water stock up on Rad-X and Rad-Away or a Radiation Suit lest you come back from your jaunt with a shiny new case of radiation poisoning. Finally, you will need to purchase passage to Point Lookout, so either sell stuff ahead of time so that you have about 400 caps worth of cash, or bring along gear you were looking to sell any way. Ready? All righty then, let's head on out.

Achievements and Walkthrough

The Local Flavor - 20 pts

Once you've received the message that the Duchess Gambit is waiting for you to board it, head on down to the marker on your map. The fastest way to get there is to fast travel to the Arlington Library and then make your way through the city to the dock. You'll come across a Talon Merc camp along the way, complete with Sentry bot, so deal with them as you move along.

After speaking to Catherine, talk to Tobar, the dude on the boat. He'll tell you all about Point Lookout. Once you've heard enough, if you still want to make the voyage, buy a ticket from Tobar. He'll tell you to take a nap, so find a cot in the back of the boat, close your widdle eyes and dream your way to a swampy, inbred infested hellhole, er, I mean Point Lookout.

As you're sailing up to the dock at Point Lookout, Tobar will point out that the Calvert mansion is burning. Rather than take it as a sign of possible flaming death, Tobar tells you that for a plucky looter like yourself, it's a beacon for finding cool stuff. That's our Tobar, where you and I may see immolation, he sees opportunity. Tobar will give you the location of a nearby store and hotel should you need to sleep or buy stuff. If you're all set with what you need, follow your map to Calvert Mansion.