Just when you thought it was safe to escape the clutches of your console, emerging from the depths of DLC comes the third instalment in Games Xtreme's look at some of the more interesting things you can download. DLC is a funny old game and there are some truly outrageously priced bits and bobs, however, some companies actually produce a decent package for your hard-earned Microsoft points.

First up today is Fable 2 and: See the Future.

This aptly titled tidbit of DLC follows on from Knothole Island, not so much in story since they're not connected at all but rather in design and style. You have replaced the Mayor of Knothole with your good old friend, the weird item salesman who gave you the damn box in the core story and now you get to buy all sorts of interesting items from him, some of these are weirdly compelling and there are potions that change your dog's breed, our favourite of these so far has been the Husky Potion. Yes, we are lame; we brought the dog back on Knothole Island.

So, back to the main area, you'll find this fellow on Bowerstone's docks and amongst his particular trinkets are some cursed items, these items will transport you to realms new and interesting, as well as giving you some cool loot in the process when you explore. You'll have to do a bunch of small quests when you get to each pocket-dimension and solve some puzzles here and there. Its adventure lite and action packed.

There isn't really anything in the way of new monsters or new items, there are a few nifty little things you can pick up from each cursed area along the way and there is an interesting place near the end, where you can battle foes like in the Crucible. This is much harder than the arena in Fable 2 and should provide a good challenge for gamers who want the best out of Fable 2's 2nd DLC.

All in all though, See the Future isn't at all bad for 560 msp. If you love Fable 2 and you're itching for more content, it's a fairly good buy. You can also rack up another 250 Achievement Points and the full list is here.

• The Nutcracker (10) Score 25 groin shots, or see another Hero do so.
• The Paramour (10) Make love 25 times, or see another Hero do so.
• The Concierge (30) Open all the Demon Doors in Albion, or see another Hero do so.
• The Visionary (50) Take a look into the future, or see another Hero do so.
• The Con Artist (25) Find all 10 of Murgo's statuettes, or see another Hero do so.
• The Howler (10) Scare five people while dressed as a balverine, or see another Hero do so.
• The Ghastly Jester (10) Make five people laugh while dressed as a hobbe, or see another Hero do so.
• The Repugnant (10) Disgust five people while dressed as a hollow man, or see another Hero do so.
• The Gladiator (30) Score a total high score of 20,000 points or more in the Colosseum, or see another Hero do so.
• The Multiplicator (20) Achieve a multiplier of 10 or more in the Colosseum, or see another Hero do so.
• The Combatant (20) Defeat the necromancer in the Colosseum, or see another Hero do so.
• The Fowl Player (10) Dress as a chicken and kick five chickens during the Colosseum battles, or see another Hero do so.
• The Colourist (15) Collect the dyes hidden in Murgo's magical items, or see another Hero do so.

Moving on from Fable 2, we're back in the post apocalyptic nightmare that is Fallout 3 (the world, not the game) and with Bethesda's second DLC, the much longer and more involved: The Pitt. Since you might not have played Operation Anchorage yet, Bethesda proved that they could do a short-sweet pack with that DLC and it's still worth it for the new weapons (Gauss gun) and other things you can get as loot from the DLC. Most of it carries over from the sim in OpA to the core game of Fallout 3 and you should get some good levels from it.

The Pitt isn't a sim! So prepare to be astounded and amazed at the loot. Well, perhaps not astounded and amazed, but quietly (or vocally) pleased to see what Bethesda have managed to include for your pleasure. So regardless of my babbling on like a brook here, the Pitt is set in Pittsburgh and kicks off when you encounter an escaped slave. Following a set of directions you prepare to infiltrate the city and find out what's going on. The Pitt brings new weapons, new encounters, and dozens of new NPCs and extra perks to the Fallout 3 table that extends the game experience significantly beyond what they offered in Operation Anchorage.

It has some bugs, so beware that everyone's experience might not be as clean as ours. We only encountered marginal problems with it and overall the addon is definitely worth the cost. Kudos to Bethesda (this time) for allowing us to go back and return to the city, which is still teeming with life and places to explore after you tackle the main quest and the side missions. There's some nice loot and a really badass axe you can find too, which makes things all the more interesting in your main core game once you've put in around 8 or so hours into this.

The Pitt racks in at 800msp and is definitely miles better than Operation Anchorage in terms of value. Just make sure that you save regularly and make a few backup saves. If you're lucky and miss a lot of the glitches you'll have a rewarding and fun time exploring the new city and meeting the colourful inhabitants. How you decide to do your thing in the Pitt is left up to you, good or evil, you're the guy or girl with the gun (or axe).

Next up is the turn of Saints Row 2. With more story left untold and tonnes of player/community feedback from the last Ultor Exposed DLC, THQ and Volition are at it again with Corporate Warfare. The main core story tells the tale of what happened to the missing Saint, Dex. Expect lots of ramped up action and a harder mission set this time through, with more over the top insanity and explosions than before. Whilst the 3 missions are fun, the actual DLC is made up of new vehicles, new clothing options and more new stuff than you can shake a stick at.

This has all come from player and community feedback as well. Whilst it is definitely a more rounded package and offers more boom for your dollar, clocking in at around 560 msp this time around. It is still a bare-bones mission pack compared to some of the other game DLC on offer, this isn't to say that Corporate Warfare isn't bad since it adds in a new kind of Helicopter Assault mode where you drive and your buddy soars high above Stillwater in a chopper protecting you.

This mode is extremely fun and I wish that more Heli-Assault missions in SR2 played like it. I'd rather have someone watching my six as I drive around like a lunatic, than have to watch the AI go through the motions for me. The 3 missions in the core story won't take you that long to complete but they offer an interesting variety of fun-packed madness. I would recommend this to a Saints Row 2 fan immediately and especially if you have buddies that play SR2 a lot co-op.

A warning for both DLC packs, you NEED these packs to play with your friends and vice-a-versa. If you don't have the packs or your friends don't have them, then you'll be stuck with a mis-matched version and won't be able to join games.