Fallout Season 1: Another Way to Visit the Wasteland

As with any adaptation of a video game to another medium, there is always the fear of what will happen. In recent years, we have been very fortunate to have a track record of more hits than misses, either in terms of box office, awards and nominations, or simply satisfying their fans. A few years ago, Prime Video announced its intention to venture into the world of video game adaptations, starting with Fallout. Is the first season, produced by Jonathan Nolan, the right move?

The Wasteland, The Wasteland Never Changes

Fallout as a video game has come a long way since its release in 1997. It is important to recognize that many place this franchise by its more recent stage as a Action RPG than the original form when it was an isometric RPG intended only for the PC. However, despite these changes, it is the extensive lore, the way it tells this alternate timeline where people hid in vaults to escape the nuclear bombs, and the sarcastic and satirical humor that has united this franchise. And thankfully, the Fallout series retains all of these elements.

Fallout follows three characters who represent different factions and visions of the Wasteland. The main characters are Lucy (Ella Purnell), a naive and good-natured inhabitant of Vault 33 who goes out into the outside world in search of her father; Maximus (Aaron Moten), a member of the Brotherhood of Steel who seeks to prove his worth to the group and bring law and order; and finally The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), a bounty hunter ghoul who is a survivor from a world 200 years in the past, before the bombs.

The paths of these characters cross when, for different reasons, they must find Dr. Wilzig, the bearer of an artifact that could change the surface world forever. Overall, the story works by jumping between the different characters and how their respective groups survive in this world. While the world of Vault 33 is a prosperous, controlled, and mission-driven world, the Brotherhood of Steel seeks to control all the technologies of the past, though their lust for power has corrupted them. The world of the Wasteland is one of survival at all costs, and it is only a misunderstanding away for something to go wrong.

The acting of our three main characters is quite good, each with a motive that drives them, but also with the doubts and caution inherent in this world. However, the one who carries the show is Walton Goggins, whose dual performance, first as The Ghoul, but also as his former life as actor Cooper Howard, is impressive.

The way Fallout is told is well-paced, and you can expect twists and turns that are a hallmark of the franchise. If you are a fan of the franchise, you know that there are details and stories to discover and that not everything is as simple as it seems. Something to mention is that Fallout as a video game is not something that stands out for such a deep story, but in how the world is built, and wow, the series has understood all of this well. However, this means that there are times when there are elements that are not entirely well explained, but eventually the story will lead you to the reasons.

In terms of special effects and all the visual elements, the Fallout series does a great job of transporting us right into the wasteland, the vaults, and even its pre-bombed past. The series’ particular aesthetic, and many of the mutants and enemies, are rendered quite faithfully without feeling weird. The costumes work, the Brotherhood armor even more so, and the various mutations that appear look as you would expect.

Is it necessary to have played Fallout to understand the story?

The Fallout series achieves an important goal: getting people who aren’t familiar with the game to want to know what it’s all about. At a time when we are seeing more and more video game adaptations, they must remain accessible without alienating fans. It’s a task that the producers themselves know is difficult, but in the end, the story that the series weaves is quite understandable, and like other adaptations, you’ll enjoy it more if you know the source material.

One of the elements that makes Fallout a great adaptation is that, as we mentioned at the beginning, the essence of the lore is what is being conveyed. This series would not work if we were living what is in other games. Here, the elements of factions, experimentation, mutations, and the history that you find in the games are very well taken and made simpler and more digestible for those who may not be as familiar with that world.

Speaking of adaptation, it should be noted that how the elements of the game have been brought to the series is very well done. From details as essential as the costumes, sound effects, gameplay elements, and several easter eggs that will surely keep fans entertained. There’s also a moment when the characters consciously decide to go on a side mission instead of following their main mission. Of course, not everything we know about Fallout is going to be included in just 8 episodes, but the elements that do appear are enough to keep us engaged in the story, though there are bound to be things that will annoy some fans.

Fallout is an adaptation that does a great job of distilling over 25 years of gaming history into an 8-episode series. The adventure of Lucy, Maximus, and The Ghoul manages to understand what made video games work and transport it into an adaptation that may not have the most original story, but it transports the essence of the game. The work produced by Jonathan Nolan is a strong step forward in the wasteland and we can’t wait to see its sequel.