Christian Kiley

Amazon has released the new show Fallout, based on the best-selling video game series. It has received critical acclaim and positive reviews since its debut. However, it is difficult to discern whether the show was made for legions of longtime fans of the games or serves to introduce newcomers to the franchise.

The game series started with the release of Fallout in 1997. The series has gone on to see much success through Bethesda developed Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, and Obsidian released Fallout New Vegas. The games drop players into a post-apocalyptic world with a touch of retrofuturism, where many strange things populate the wasteland, including mutated humans, giant bugs, and factions running around in giant suits of armor. The immersive gameplay of the series is amplified by the bleak aesthetics of America’s Camelot era, a post-war period of traditional family values and economic boom, laid to waste by nuclear holocaust, set to music from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. 

The show follows three protagonists. First is Lucy (Ella Purnell), a vault dweller forced to leave the safety of an underground bunker in search of a family member, a theme fans of the series will immediately recognize. Next is Copper Howard (Walton Goggins), a mutated human (known as a ghoul) who survived the nuclear holocaust. Lastly, Maximus (Aaron Clifton Moten), a member of the Brotherhood of Steel. Fans of the series will be familiar with all these staple elements of the series. This might not be obvious to those just being introduced to the world, but as the series progresses the details of Fallout unravel through exposition and environmental storytelling. The story follows the intertwining adventures of the protagonists, and also shows flashbacks that help the audience better understand the world of Fallout.

The roleplaying series has made a niche for itself in the gaming community, amassing a community of diehard fans of the franchise. There are several subreddits dedicated to the games and even its own wiki page. The release of the show was met with excitement from the community. However, many people who have never played a single game in the franchise are likely to view the show as well. The show gives satisfying homage to the games for the old guard of fans, such as familiar places like Shady Sands and New Vegas, and familiar plots like malfunctioning microchips and the search for missing family. There are a multitude of other references and callbacks to the games throughout the eight episodes that people will have fun discovering for themselves.

While the series gives room for people to enjoy the fan service, it also leaves enough mystery and intrigue for newcomers to investigate these places and themes for themselves in the games.

After the show’s release, Bethesda Studios has seen a surge in game sales, suggesting that the show is intriguing newcomers to try the games out for themselves.