The Big Picture
Fallout
‘s live-action adaptation will showcase a unique sci-fi world post-nuclear tragedy.
Before the Great War,
Fallout
‘s world was a retrofuturistic paradise.
Prime Video’s
Fallout
series will be set in New California, notably Los Angeles.
After almost thirty years, one of gaming’s most beloved and revered franchises is finally getting an official live-action adaptation with Fallout. With just about every major installment in the series, the Fallout games consistently revitalized the RPG genre, giving players plenty of choice to approach situations and tactics in this post-apocalyptic Wasteland as they see fit. They are given complete and total freedom to traverse this wholly unique sci-fi world that exists in the shattered pieces of a fallen United States, something that the Fallout show will no doubt emulate.
However, the world of Fallout is so much more significant than a mere Mad Max clone. That’s because the world that existed before the nuclear tragedy in Fallout is far different from our own. It was one that had remarkably advanced and futuristic technology and yet was still entrenched in the culture and traditions of an immediate post-World War II America. The world of Fallout is one of the most memorable and unique in all of video gaming, and the various ins and outs of this vast universe are probably too expansive to contain here, but we’ll do our best.
Fallout
In a future, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles brought about by nuclear decimation, citizens must live in underground bunkers to protect themselves from radiation, mutants and bandits.
Release Date April 11, 2024
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Seasons 1
Creator(s) Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Streaming Service(s) Prime Video
Before the Fallout, the World was a Retrofuturistic Paradise
Fallout is widely considered to take place in an alternate timeline, with the branching-off point being the conclusion of World War II. As anyone who watched Oppenheimer already knows, nuclear energy and radiation were among many key factors in the Allies’ victory in the War. In our world, the threat of a full-scale nuclear war created a sense of mutually assured destruction, creating a sense of justified fear in the world that still remains to this day. In the slightly satirical world of Fallout, nuclear radiation does not have nearly the same stigma applied to it, viewed as something with boundless potential applications for daily life.
Soon enough, nuclear power greatly overtook electricity in popularity, and the next century or so would be a time of great prosperity, particularly for the U.S. Technologically, it was a true golden age, as soon the world had widespread access to flying cars and robotic assistants (almost all of which had some level of nuclear power attached to them). Culturally, though, the world remained almost permanently entrenched in one reminiscent of the 1950s and early 1960s, with the same music tastes, fashion sense, and preference for black and white television. At first glance, this bright and vibrant world looks like an ideal setting for a nuclear family, so to speak, but this was merely a facade to the ever-growing threat of war.
While the general population of America in the year 2077 never legitimately considered nuclear war a real possibility, the threats were still there. Another aspect of 1950s life that carried over to Fallout’s future was America’s war against Communism, with them being in regular combat with nations like China. This led to some companies preparing for the worst while making a profit off it too, the most prominent of them being VaultTec – the organization that created hundreds of elaborate Vault Shelters throughout the country. Their foresight was sound, as in 2077, the nuclear war began, and America was completely obliterated in the violent aftermath.
America Becomes a Wasteland After the Great War in ‘Fallout’
Image via Bethesda
Most of Fallout’s stories take place about 100–200 years after the so-called “Great War,” and the retrofuturistic paradise that existed before has now fallen into chaos and disarray. Apart from the obvious knowledge of nuclear radiation being omnipresent in the world now, the dangers the world possesses now are indescribably horrifying. Those unfortunate enough to traverse this wasteland will have to contend with sadistic bandits, bloodthirsty Super Mutants, and other mutated animals and monsters just to name a few.
As for the average human trying to survive in this world, there are essentially three general categories that most fall into. The first are the Vault Dwellers, who are the descendants of the lucky few who had access to VaultTec’s shelters. They’re able to thrive in an isolated underground society where every member has an assigned role, though many aren’t aware that most of these shelters were intended to conduct questionable experiments on the residents. Those not affluent enough to afford a seat in a Vault Shelter and unfortunate enough to survive the Great War became Wastelanders, and they’re the ones who have to consistently hold their own against the world’s many dangers.
The third option for Great War survivors is arguably the most unfortunate one. Some humans not in the Vaults survived but were subjected to a near-lethal level of radiation that permanently scarred and disfigured their bodies in the process. Commonly known across the Wasteland as “Ghouls,” most of these people were alive long before the war started, thus meaning that many of these Ghouls are several hundred years old. They’re also impervious to most forms of radiation and drugs, but the trade-off for this immortality is that every Ghoul eventually goes feral and becomes a bloodthirsty zombie. We’re set to follow the adventures of at least one Ghoul in Prime Video’s Fallout, with Walton Goggins seemingly playing a tough-as-nails bounty hunter who used to be a Hollywood Western star before the bombs fell.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Fallout universe has several different organizations and factions that have varying degrees of severity. Most of these factions are limited to certain areas of the Wasteland, but some are more ubiquitous. Examples include the noble Brotherhood of Steel, who we’ll meet through Aaron Moten’s character, as well as more nefarious ones like the Enclave. Also, aliens. Yes, aliens canonically exist in the Fallout universe. They probably won’t show up in the show, but it would be pretty funny if they did.
Where Does Prime Video’s ‘Fallout’ Show Take Place?
Prime Video’s Fallout show is being considered as less of a direct adaptation of the Fallout games and more as a new story set in the world of those games. That essentially means that the show and the games share the same canon. When, exactly, the show takes place in the timeline of the games isn’t known, but that likely won’t impact the overall story. The games have visited a variety of places across the U.S., such as Washington D.C., Nevada, Massachusetts, and more. Prime Video’s Fallout will be taking fans back to a location we haven’t officially seen in the series since the first two Fallout games.
That location is Southern California, more commonly known as New California. More specifically, the series will be taking place in the remnants of what used to be the heart of movie making, Los Angeles. It’s a setting that fans of the series have long wanted to see, given that the games are always chock-full of Easter Eggs and references to classic filmmaking. It may still be a while before we get to play in the City of Angels, but the fact that the Prime Video series will be exploring LA is no doubt exciting.
The complete first season of Falloutpremieres on Prime Video on April 11, 2024.
Watch on Prime Video