Behind the Scenes of Fallout, Gaming’s Most Surprising Television Success
The post-apocalyptic TV series is back to its platform, and it's fair to say that audiences were agreeably astonished by the excellence of its debut season. By depicting the atomic-age, nuclear-ravaged United States through the eyes of three distinct characters, it managed to capture different facets of the gamer's adventure.
We followed Lucy the vault dweller, striving to uphold her morals and finding that the ruined world made that exceptionally challenging; Brotherhood initiate Max, the Brotherhood of Steel initiate, who begins to question his cult's leadership and unleashes significant chaos in powered exoskeleton; and Walton Goggins's character, a standout performance who has entirely abandoned any moral compass out in the contaminated wastes.
Setting the Stage for the Second Season
The show's first season conclusion unveiled a major secret about those responsible for the atomic conflict that condemned a population in bomb-proof bunkers for centuries. It also raised numerous mysteries unresolved for the second season – and, on this occasion, expectations are significantly higher.
“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” says Jonah Nolan.
“Starting the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just get it right’,” states the game director. “We are thrilled with the feedback to the show, so now people are bringing more excitement and altered expectations.”
A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two
The second season is set in the neon-lit city, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the sharpest dialogue and personalities in the franchise, even if it was technically flawed at launch.
“It embodies a arid atmosphere, a Mojave vibe, that’s so essential to that game,” notes Nolan. “That parched, desolate iconic highway vibe of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”
In the show's timeline, a considerable period has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Yet, the creators hint that it acknowledges the gamer's experience.
Crafting a Tangible World
The Fallout TV series is notable for its physical authenticity – its creators prioritized physical models and sets were built, echoing the cobbled-together nature of the towns in the games.
“As a sci-fi fan, so many series I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” comments another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an adaptation, especially of a interactive medium, is to seem like it’s tangible.”
In fact, almost every element you see on-screen is real, including the notoriously frightening radioactive creatures known as the apex predators. In the show, they are created using animatronics, and were by all accounts rather intimidating up close.
Made by Fans, for Fans
The Fallout series works because it is developed by skilled directors who are also passionate gamers, with the help of the game developers behind the franchise. This common understanding for the universe is apparent in the finished show.
The new batch of episodes is debuting on a weekly basis rather than as a all-at-once release, representing a shift from the initial release. This schedule will create a new weekly discussion, something the team themselves are looking forward to witness.
“It has more depth, it’s bigger, it’s wittier, it has a lot of revelations,” teases the game director. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”