Behind the Scenes of Fallout, the Gaming World’s Most Astonishing Television Success
The Fallout TV series has come back to Prime Video, and it's safe to say that audiences were pleasantly surprised by the quality of its debut season. By illustrating the retro-futuristic, nuclear-ravaged United States through the eyes of three separate characters, it effectively portrayed various facets of the player's journey.
There was vault-dweller Lucy, striving to uphold her morals and finding that the ruined world made that very difficult; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction initiate, who starts challenging his faction's leadership and creates plenty of trouble in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a standout performance who has long since lost any ethical bearings out in the contaminated wastes.
Building Anticipation for Season Two
The show's first season finale unveiled a major secret about who helped cause the atomic conflict that condemned a group of people in underground vaults for centuries. It also left numerous mysteries unanswered for the second season – and, this time, expectations are considerably elevated.
“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” remarks one of the series creators.
“Going into the initial season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” adds the game director. “We are ecstatic with the reception to the show, so this time people are arriving with more eagerness and different expectations.”
The Mojave Beckons for Season Two
The new season is taking place in the neon-lit city, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the most compelling narratives and cast in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.
“It’s more of a desert vibe, a Mojave vibe, that’s so essential to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway vibe of the game is so much enjoyable to bring 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 characters arrive there. However, the creators suggest that it acknowledges the fan's adventure.
Crafting a Tangible World
The Fallout TV series is notable for its tangible quality – its production team insisted on real props and locations were fabricated, mirroring the improvised nature of the outposts in the games.
“Being a genre enthusiast, so many shows I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a blue screen,” says co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The primary goal of an adaptation, especially of a video game, is to feel like it’s real.”
In fact, pretty much everything you see on-screen is real, including the legendarily scary radioactive creatures known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are brought to life with puppets, and were reportedly quite terrifying up close.
Made by Fans, for Fans
The Fallout series succeeds because it is crafted by accomplished storytellers who are also dedicated players, in collaboration with the visionaries behind the video games. This common understanding for the world is clear in the end result.
The second season is debuting on a weekly basis rather than as a full-season drop, marking a change from the previous season. This approach will allow for a different weekly discussion, something the creators themselves are excited to engage with.
“It has more depth, it’s bigger, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of surprises,” promises the game director. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”
