Fallout 3 Quest Mods Review #4 by TrickyTrack00
Mod Name: The Anvale Bunker
Mod Type: Quest/Dungeon
Original Creator: carnakt
Original Link: Mod DB - The Anvale Bunker; Nexus - The Anvale Bunker
Decently designed new dungeon/bunker type quest with strong suspense and horror parts. But, sadly, not properly finished questline and some weak gameplay parts.
First of all, I should mention that it was one of the most interesting bunker/vault/dungeon type mod content for Fallout 3 that I've ever played. Piece by piece, note by note, you can expect good horror aspect with right light/fx design and many similar vibes like from classic horror movie "The Thing" (not in narrative part, but in the overall atmosphere).
I liked structure of tasks, so that you can explore every part of this gigantic complex - level by level without running around and looking for another locked door. There wasn't a single moment when I felt lost or stuck (special thanks for "contex pop-up messages" that can help you to better understand where to go next).
Can't say if it was intentional or not, but original author chose "Explore" type of music for every new cell, but it would be better fitted with, of course, "Dungeon" selection to improve "mood" of that place.
Special plus for "made from scratch" locations, not another copy-pasted vanilla cells which you can see in enormous amount of new quest/dungeon type mods.
New weapon types were nice to use.
But there are some issues that I should also write in my review.
From gameplay perspective, especially before restoring power in the main atrium, I liked scripted enemies spawn points. It was nice to get a little "spooky" moments after completing your main objective. But by the time I reached "Medical/Lab" sequence, it became a bit tedious and very predictable. I could almost sense every new corridor and room which will definitely have new spawns and it wasn't as intense and engaging as in the beginnig of this "journey".
From the technical side of things, no big problems or bugs aside from one door in Laboratory sequence, where I couldn't find the right switch and preferred to use "TCL-ing" (maybe it was my fault, can't say for sure).
Also pretty "clean" mod if you'll look in FO3Edit.
To give final verdict for this mod is hard since it wasn't full finished and encountering script spawns upon script spawns for more than 2 hours can "damage" overall positive vibes from that project. But as it is, it's still one of the best well-developed and unusual new dungeon mod in the Fallout 3 modding scene.
So, should you try this mod in 2023? Maybe, if you like dungeon/vault/bunker type of new content with light horror aspect.
