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

The post-apocalyptic TV show has come back to streaming services, and it's fair to say that viewers were pleasantly surprised by the excellence of its debut season. By portraying the atomic-age, nuclear-ravaged United States through the perspectives of three separate characters, it managed to capture various facets of the gamer's experience.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to do the right thing and finding that the wasteland made that incredibly hard; Brotherhood initiate Max, the Brotherhood of Steel initiate, who starts challenging his organization's authority and creates plenty of trouble in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a fan-favorite figure who has completely shed any ethical bearings out in the radioactive badlands.

Setting the Stage for a New Chapter

The show's first season ending revealed a major secret about who helped cause the nuclear war that sealed a group of people in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also posed numerous mysteries open for the upcoming chapter – and, on this occasion, anticipations are considerably elevated.

“We'd gladly accept ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” says Jonah Nolan.

“Heading into the initial season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” states a key figure from the games. “We are ecstatic with the feedback to the show, so this time people are coming in with more enthusiasm and different expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The second season is set in the neon-lit city, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the sharpest dialogue and cast in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It has a arid atmosphere, a Southwestern essence, that’s so key to that game,” says Nolan. “That dusty, desolate iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much enjoyable to translate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a significant amount of time has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. However, the creators indicate that it does reference the fan's adventure.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its tactile feel – its production team prioritized authentic items and sets were fabricated, mirroring the makeshift nature of the settlements in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many productions I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” observes another of the showrunners. “The whole point of an translation, particularly of a video game, is to appear as if it’s tangible.”

In fact, pretty much every element you see on-screen is practical, including the infamously terrifying mutated beasts known as the apex predators. In the show, they are created using practical effects, and were apparently pretty frightening up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series resonates because it is crafted by talented film-makers who are also longtime fans, in collaboration with the original creators behind the franchise. This mutual respect for the world is apparent in the finished show.

The new batch of episodes is launching on a weekly basis rather than as a binge-able batch, offering a different experience from the initial release. This schedule will allow for a different viewing experience, a dynamic the creators themselves are excited to engage with.

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