Behind the Scenes of Fallout, the Gaming World’s Most Surprising Television Success

The post-apocalyptic TV series is back to streaming services, and it's fair to say that viewers were delightfully shocked by the quality of its initial run. By illustrating the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three separate characters, it effectively portrayed multiple facets of the player's journey.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to uphold her morals and discovering that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who begins to question his cult's leadership and creates a lot of havoc in robotic power armour; and Walton Goggins's character, a standout performance who has entirely abandoned any ethical bearings out in the radioactive wilderness.

Building Anticipation for the Second Season

The show's first season conclusion revealed a major secret about those responsible for the global annihilation that condemned a population in bomb-proof bunkers for centuries. It also left numerous mysteries unresolved for the upcoming chapter – and, on this occasion, anticipations are considerably elevated.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips one of the series creators.

“Heading into the initial season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” adds a key figure from the games. “We are ecstatic with the reception to the show, so now people are arriving with more eagerness and different expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The new season is taking place in the neon-lit city, the backdrop of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the most compelling narratives and characters in the series, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It’s more of a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” explains the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway vibe of the game is so much rewarding to bring into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a significant amount of time has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. Yet, the creators hint that it will honor the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is notable for its physical authenticity – its makers ensured authentic items and locations were fabricated, mirroring the improvised nature of the settlements in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many series I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a blue screen,” observes co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The primary goal of an translation, especially of a interactive medium, is to appear as if it’s tangible.”

In fact, almost each creature you see on-screen is real, even the notoriously frightening mutated beasts known as the apex predators. In the show, they are portrayed by animatronics, and were by all accounts quite terrifying up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series works because it is crafted by talented film-makers who are also dedicated players, in collaboration with the game developers behind the source material. This shared passion for the world is apparent in the finished show.

The new batch of episodes is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a binge-able batch, representing a shift from the initial release. This schedule will allow for a altered audience reaction, a dynamic the showrunners themselves are looking forward to witness.

“It delves deeper, it’s more expansive, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of revelations,” promises Howard. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”