Inside the Fallout Universe, Gaming’s Most Surprising Small Screen Triumph
The Fallout TV show is back to Prime Video, and it's fair to say that fans were agreeably astonished by the excellence of its first season. By portraying the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the perspectives of three separate characters, it managed to capture different facets of the player's experience.
We followed vault-dweller Lucy, attempting to act with integrity and learning that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Brotherhood initiate Max, the Brotherhood of Steel initiate, who starts challenging his cult's dogma and unleashes significant chaos in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a standout performance who has completely shed any ethical bearings out in the contaminated wilderness.
Building Anticipation for Season Two
The debut season's finale revealed a major secret about those responsible for the atomic conflict that trapped a group of people in bomb-proof bunkers for an extended period. It also posed plenty of questions unanswered for the next installment – and, now, expectations are significantly higher.
“We'd gladly accept ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips the show's co-creator.
“Going into the initial season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” comments Todd Howard. “We are thrilled with the feedback to the show, so now people are bringing more eagerness and new expectations.”
The Mojave Beckons for Season Two
The upcoming season is taking place in New Vegas, the location of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the most compelling narratives 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,” notes the co-creator. “That parched, desolate Route 66 feeling of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”
In the show's timeline, a considerable period has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists make their way there. Yet, the creators indicate that it does reference the gamer's experience.
The Importance of Physical Sets
The Fallout TV series is notable for its tactile feel – its creators insisted on authentic items and sets were constructed, mirroring the makeshift nature of the towns in the games.
“Being a genre enthusiast, so many shows I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a green screen,” comments co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The key objective of an translation, especially of a interactive medium, is to appear as if it’s real.”
Actually, almost everything you see on-screen is real, including the infamously terrifying radioactive creatures known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are brought to life with animatronics, and were apparently quite terrifying up close.
A Labor of Love
The Fallout series succeeds because it is made by talented film-makers who are also dedicated players, in collaboration with the game developers behind the source material. This common understanding for the lore is apparent in the finished show.
The new batch of episodes is launching on a weekly basis rather than as a all-at-once release, marking a change from the previous season. This approach will create a different audience reaction, something the team themselves are looking forward to observe.
“It delves deeper, it’s more expansive, it’s wittier, it has a lot of twists,” promises the game director. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”