Old World Blues, the third expansion for Fallout: New Vegas, is everything DLC should be. It expands the original game’s world both physically and in terms of narrative, and offers many hours of gameplay that ultimately leaves you craving more. It begins with you being transported to an area of the Big Empty known as the Big MT Research and Development Center, which lies within a huge crater. You soon learn that your spine, heart and brain have all been extracted and replaced with technological equivalents, which, give you special traits and benefits. You may be wondering how you could possibly function without a brain but worry not: this is not a documentary, it’s Fallout.

Finding yourself in a complex named The Sink, you soon encounter the Think Tank - five brilliant scientists who’ve had their grey matter preserved and initially regard you as a ‘penis-fingered’ cretin. You’re subsequently informed your own head-organ was swiped by the maniacal Dr. Mobius who resides across the Big MT in the Forbidden Zone Dome. In order to retrieve it, you must save the Think Tank from their own experiments, and to be able to leave the confines of the area, you must obtain three rare technologies for them. At this stage, it’s possible to wrangle the K9000 cyberdog gun one of the DLC’s first original weapons: an assault-cannon which has the brain of a dog. Yes. As you’re based at The Sink, you’re given your own quarters which contain not only the essential amenities, but also a central computer, auto-doc and a host of other appliances (such as a rage-filled toaster and Muggy, a previous DLC and even the main game itself. As such, the Big MT is a joy to explore: full of thousands of items, plenty of engaging stories, visual nourishment and a slew of new enemies.

The first time a gang of Cyberpunk-like, biker-goggled lobotomites wielding glowing proton-axes assailed me, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Old World Blues was going to be The One. This is because, subjectively, that’s exactly what I want to happen in a game set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It’s also great to see the nightstalkers take a more prominent role in the action, as they were previously underused and didn’t live up to their potential. Here, however, their existence has been fully explained and they seem deadlier than ever, especially when cornered by a rampaging pack in a confined space, where you’ll be hissed at, mauled and shunted in the groin until your soul just gives up and somersaults out of your body. There’s plenty of other new enemies also, all of which are simultaneously pleasing to encounter and formidable, but no more surprises will be revealed at this juncture.

The quests are adequately compelling; you’re often required to partake in various tests at research centres in order to unlock relevant upgrades and data and these can soon become quite challenging. The primary story quest is brilliant, very compelling and can be handled in a number of different ways which will have a suitable effect on the area. Much like Dead Money, Old World Blues offers a compelling narrative that is propelled by your actions and understood by interaction and exposition, however, here it’s far less frustrating and far more rewarding. The characters’ intentions make sense and your interactions with them are often lifted by the script, which is expertly absurd, sarcastic and humorous - exactly how it should always be in any Fallout game.

If it’s not been made clear already, Old World Blues is essential, easily worth both the time and monetary investment not only to your own gameplay experience but also to that of your character. Besides the raised level cap, new traits, arsenal and items, once completed, the Big MT can be revisited at will. And unlike other DLC, this is one you’ll actually want to revisit again and again.