Behind the Scenes of the Fallout Universe, Gaming’s Most Surprising TV Hit
The Fallout TV show is back to Prime Video, and it's safe to say that audiences were agreeably astonished by the caliber of its debut season. By depicting the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three different characters, it effectively portrayed various facets of the gamer's journey.
We followed vault-dweller Lucy, attempting to do the right thing and finding that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Max, the militant faction rookie, who begins to question his organization's leadership and creates plenty of trouble in powered exoskeleton; and Walton Goggins's character, a breakout character who has completely shed any moral compass out in the contaminated wastes.
Building Anticipation for the Second Season
The debut season's ending revealed a major secret about those responsible for the nuclear war that sealed a group of people in subterranean shelters for an extended period. It also posed numerous mysteries unresolved for the second season – and, this time, anticipations are considerably elevated.
“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” says the show's co-creator.
“Starting the initial season, everyone’s like, ‘Just get it right’,” adds Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the response to the show, so now people are arriving with more excitement and altered expectations.”
A New Vegas Vibe for the Next Installment
The new season is taking place in the neon-lit city, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the best writing and personalities in the series, even if it was technically flawed at launch.
“It embodies a desert vibe, a Southwestern essence, that’s so integral to that game,” explains Nolan. “That dusty, blasted-out Route 66 aesthetic of the game is so much rewarding to translate into the show.”
In the series narrative, a long time has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists make their way there. Nevertheless, the creators indicate that it does reference the fan's adventure.
Crafting a Tangible World
The Fallout TV series is praised for its tactile feel – its makers insisted on real props and environments were constructed, mirroring 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 filmed against a green screen,” observes another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an translation, especially of a interactive medium, is to appear as if it’s real.”
Indeed, almost everything you see on-screen is physical, even the notoriously frightening irradiated monsters known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are brought to life with puppets, and were by all accounts quite terrifying up close.
Made by Fans, for Fans
The Fallout series succeeds because it is crafted by talented film-makers who are also longtime fans, with the help of the game developers behind the video games. This common understanding for the lore is apparent in the finished show.
The second season is launching on a weekly basis rather than as a full-season drop, marking a change from the initial release. This approach will create a altered viewing experience, a dynamic the showrunners themselves are looking forward to observe.
“It delves deeper, it’s larger in scale, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of surprises,” teases the game director. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”