Inside Fallout, Gaming’s Most Astonishing Television Success
The post-apocalyptic TV show has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that fans were pleasantly surprised by the caliber of its initial run. By illustrating the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three different characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the player's adventure.
There was vault-dweller Lucy, attempting to do the right thing and discovering that the ruined world made that very difficult; Max, the militant faction new recruit, who begins to question his faction's leadership and causes plenty of trouble in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a standout performance who has completely shed any moral compass out in the contaminated wilderness.
Setting the Stage for a New Chapter
The debut season's conclusion disclosed a major secret about those responsible for the nuclear war that condemned a society in bomb-proof bunkers for hundreds of years. It also left several enigmas unresolved for the upcoming chapter – and, now, anticipations are significantly higher.
“We'd gladly accept ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” says one of the series creators.
“Going into the first season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” comments the game director. “We are thrilled with the response to the show, so now people are arriving with more eagerness and different expectations.”
The Mojave Beckons for Season Two
The second season is taking place in New Vegas, the backdrop of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the best writing and cast in the franchise, even if it was technically flawed at launch.
“It has a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so essential to that game,” says the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway vibe of the game is so much enjoyable to translate into the show.”
In the show's timeline, a significant amount of time has passed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists make their way there. Yet, the creators suggest that it does reference the player’s journey.
Crafting a Tangible World
The Fallout TV series is notable for its tangible quality – its makers ensured physical models and locations were constructed, echoing the improvised nature of the outposts in the games.
“As a sci-fi fan, so many series I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all standing in front of a green screen,” says another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an adaptation, especially of a video game, is to seem like it’s tangible.”
In fact, pretty much everything you see on-screen is practical, even the infamously terrifying radioactive creatures known as the apex predators. In the show, they are portrayed by animatronics, and were apparently quite terrifying up close.
Made by Fans, for Fans
The Fallout series resonates because it is developed by skilled directors who are also dedicated players, with the help of the visionaries behind the source material. This shared passion for the universe is apparent in the final product.
The new batch of episodes is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, representing a shift from the initial release. This approach will create a different viewing experience, something the creators themselves are looking forward to witness.
“It's richer, it’s larger in scale, it’s wittier, it has a lot of revelations,” teases Howard. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”