Exploring Fallout, the Gaming World’s Most Unexpected Small Screen Triumph

The post-apocalyptic TV series has come back to streaming services, and it's fair to say that viewers were delightfully shocked by the caliber of its debut season. By illustrating the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three different characters, it succeeded in capturing different facets of the gamer's journey.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, trying to uphold her morals and finding that the barren landscape made that very difficult; Max, the militant faction initiate, who begins to question his faction's authority and unleashes significant chaos in robotic power armour; and Walton Goggins's character, a breakout character who has completely shed any ethical bearings out in the contaminated badlands.

Building Anticipation for Season Two

The show's first season ending disclosed a major secret about those responsible for the atomic conflict that condemned a group of people in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also left plenty of questions open for the second season – and, now, expectations are significantly higher.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips the show's co-creator.

“Starting the first season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” comments Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so this time people are bringing more enthusiasm and different expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The new season is set in New Vegas, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the most compelling narratives and cast in the franchise, despite the fact that it was technically flawed at launch.

“It has a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so essential to that game,” says Nolan. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much rewarding to translate into the show.”

In the series narrative, a long time has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Yet, the creators hint that it will honor the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is praised for its tangible quality – its production team insisted on physical models and environments were constructed, echoing the cobbled-together nature of the outposts in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many series I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all standing in front of a blue screen,” comments another of the showrunners. “The primary goal of an adaptation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to feel like it’s real.”

Actually, almost every element you see on-screen is real, even the infamously terrifying mutated beasts known as the apex predators. In the show, they are brought to life with practical effects, and were apparently rather intimidating up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series succeeds because it is made by skilled directors who are also dedicated players, in collaboration with the game developers behind the source material. This common understanding for the world is apparent in the final product.

The second season is debuting on a weekly basis rather than as a full-season drop, offering a different experience from the first season. This approach will allow for a altered audience reaction, something the showrunners themselves are excited to engage with.

“It delves deeper, it’s more expansive, it’s funnier, it has a lot of revelations,” says Howard. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”