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

The post-apocalyptic TV series has come back to its platform, and it's safe to say that viewers were delightfully shocked by the caliber of its first season. By portraying the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three distinct characters, it managed to capture multiple facets of the player's experience.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to act with integrity and learning that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel initiate, who begins to question his cult's dogma and creates a lot of havoc in mechanized battle suit; and the Ghoul, a breakout character who has entirely abandoned any ethical bearings out in the contaminated wastes.

Building Anticipation for a New Chapter

The show's first season ending disclosed key information about who helped cause the global annihilation that condemned a society in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also raised numerous mysteries unresolved for the upcoming chapter – and, on this occasion, expectations are significantly higher.

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

“Starting the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” states the game director. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so now people are coming in with more enthusiasm and new expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The new season is set in the neon-lit city, the location of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the sharpest dialogue and characters in the franchise, despite the fact that it was somewhat buggy at launch.

“It has a desert vibe, a Southwestern essence, that’s so integral to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway vibe of the game is so much fun to incorporate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a significant amount of time has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists make their way there. However, the creators suggest that it will honor the fan's adventure.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is praised for its physical authenticity – its production team insisted on real props and environments were constructed, echoing the makeshift nature of the outposts in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many series I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” observes co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The whole point of an translation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to feel like it’s authentic.”

Actually, almost everything you see on-screen is real, even the infamously terrifying mutated beasts known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using animatronics, and were apparently quite terrifying up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series resonates because it is crafted by accomplished storytellers who are also longtime fans, with the help of the visionaries behind the source material. This shared passion for the lore is clear in the end result.

The new batch of episodes is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a binge-able batch, offering a different experience from the first season. This schedule will foster a different viewing experience, a dynamic the showrunners themselves are eager to engage with.

“It has more depth, it’s larger in scale, it’s wittier, it has a lot of revelations,” teases the game director. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”