🔗 Share this article

The Fallout TV series has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that fans were agreeably astonished by the caliber of its initial run. By depicting the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three distinct characters, it succeeded in capturing various facets of the player's experience.

We followed vault-dweller Lucy, striving to act with integrity and learning that the barren landscape made that very difficult; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel initiate, who starts challenging his faction's leadership and creates plenty of trouble in robotic power armour; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has completely shed any moral compass out in the radioactive wastes.

Building Anticipation for Season Two

The debut season's conclusion revealed key information about those responsible for the atomic conflict that condemned a group of people in subterranean shelters for centuries. It also left numerous mysteries open for the upcoming chapter – and, now, hopes are considerably elevated.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips Jonah Nolan.

“Starting the initial season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” comments the game director. “We’re over the moon with the feedback to the show, so now people are arriving with more enthusiasm and different expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The upcoming season is located in the neon-lit city, the backdrop of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the sharpest dialogue and characters in the series, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It embodies a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so essential to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much enjoyable to incorporate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a long time has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. Yet, the creators suggest that it acknowledges the gamer's experience.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is praised for its physical authenticity – its makers insisted on authentic items and locations were constructed, echoing the improvised nature of the settlements in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many shows I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a digital backdrop,” observes co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The key objective of an adaptation, especially of a video game, is to seem like it’s authentic.”

Indeed, pretty much everything you see on-screen is physical, even the infamously terrifying irradiated monsters known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are portrayed by puppets, and were reportedly pretty frightening up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series succeeds because it is developed by accomplished storytellers who are also passionate gamers, in collaboration with the original creators behind the video games. This mutual respect for the lore is clear in the final product.

The second season is launching on a weekly basis rather than as a full-season drop, offering a different experience from the initial release. This schedule will create a new weekly discussion, something the showrunners themselves are looking forward to witness.

“It has more depth, it’s larger in scale, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of revelations,” promises the game director. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”