Exploring Fallout, the Gaming World’s Most Surprising Television Success
The post-apocalyptic TV series has come back to its platform, and it's safe to say that fans were agreeably astonished by the quality of its first season. By depicting the atomic-age, nuclear-ravaged United States through the eyes of three separate characters, it succeeded in capturing different facets of the player's experience.
There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to uphold her morals and finding that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Max, the militant faction rookie, who starts doubting his faction's leadership and creates plenty of trouble in robotic power armour; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has completely shed any sense of morality out in the contaminated wilderness.
Building Anticipation for the Second Season
The debut season's conclusion revealed a major secret about those responsible for the global annihilation that condemned a population in bomb-proof bunkers for centuries. It also posed several enigmas unanswered for the next installment – and, on this occasion, anticipations are significantly higher.
“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” says the show's co-creator.
“Heading into the initial season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” comments Todd Howard. “We are ecstatic 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 located in the neon-lit city, the setting of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the sharpest dialogue and personalities in the franchise, even if it was somewhat buggy at launch.
“It’s more of a arid atmosphere, a Southwestern essence, that’s so integral to that game,” says the co-creator. “That parched, desolate Route 66 feeling of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”
In the series narrative, a considerable period has passed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Nevertheless, the creators suggest that it does reference the player’s journey.
Crafting a Tangible World
The Fallout TV series is praised for its tangible quality – its makers ensured physical models and locations were fabricated, mirroring the cobbled-together nature of the towns in the games.
“As a sci-fi fan, so many series I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” comments co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The key objective of an translation, especially of a video game, is to feel like it’s tangible.”
Indeed, almost everything you see on-screen is physical, even the legendarily scary radioactive creatures known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were apparently pretty frightening up close.
Made by Fans, for Fans
The Fallout series succeeds because it is developed by accomplished storytellers who are also longtime fans, alongside the visionaries behind the franchise. This mutual respect for the world is clear in the final product.
The second season is being released on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, representing a shift from the previous season. This format will allow for a different weekly discussion, a dynamic the team themselves are looking forward to observe.
“It delves deeper, it’s more expansive, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of twists,” teases the game director. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”