Inside the Fallout Universe, Gaming’s Most Unexpected Television Success

The Fallout TV series has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that audiences were delightfully shocked by the quality of its first season. By portraying the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the perspectives of three separate characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the player's adventure.

There was vault-dweller Lucy, trying to do the right thing and finding that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction new recruit, who starts doubting his cult's leadership and creates a lot of havoc in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a breakout character who has entirely abandoned any moral compass out in the irradiated badlands.

Setting the Stage for a New Chapter

The debut season's ending revealed key information about who helped cause the atomic conflict that sealed a population in underground vaults for hundreds of years. It also posed plenty of questions open for the next installment – and, now, hopes are considerably elevated.

“We'd gladly accept ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” says Jonah Nolan.

“Going into the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” states the game director. “We are thrilled with the reception to the show, so now people are bringing more enthusiasm and different expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for the Next Installment

The upcoming season is set in New Vegas, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the sharpest dialogue and personalities in the franchise, despite the fact that it was a bit broken at launch.

“It has a sun-baked feel, a Southwestern essence, that’s so integral to that game,” says Nolan. “That dusty, blasted-out Route 66 vibe of the game is so much rewarding to bring 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 characters arrive there. Yet, the creators hint that it acknowledges the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is notable for its tangible quality – its production team prioritized authentic items and sets were constructed, echoing the improvised nature of the settlements in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, 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 translation, especially of a interactive medium, is to feel like it’s authentic.”

In fact, virtually everything you see on-screen is physical, even the infamously terrifying irradiated monsters known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are brought to life with animatronics, and were reportedly quite terrifying up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series resonates because it is made by accomplished storytellers who are also passionate gamers, in collaboration with the original creators behind the source material. This mutual respect for the universe is apparent in the finished show.

The new batch of episodes is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a binge-able batch, representing a shift from the initial release. This approach will allow for a new audience reaction, a dynamic the team themselves are excited to engage with.

“It has more depth, it’s more expansive, it’s wittier, it has a lot of surprises,” teases the game director. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”