🔗 Share this article

The post-apocalyptic TV series has come back to Prime Video, and it's fair to say that viewers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of its first season. By portraying the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three different characters, it managed to capture various facets of the player's experience.

There was vault-dweller Lucy, attempting to uphold her morals and finding that the barren landscape made that very difficult; Brotherhood initiate Max, the Brotherhood of Steel initiate, who begins to question his faction's authority and unleashes significant chaos in mechanized battle suit; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has long since lost any moral compass out in the contaminated wastes.

Building Anticipation for Season Two

The debut season's conclusion disclosed key information about who helped cause the atomic conflict that condemned a population in subterranean shelters for an extended period. It also left several enigmas open for the upcoming chapter – and, now, hopes are considerably elevated.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips the show's co-creator.

“Going into the first season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” comments Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the feedback to the show, so this time people are bringing more eagerness and different expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment

The second season is taking place in the neon-lit city, the setting of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the sharpest dialogue and cast in the series, despite the fact that it was somewhat buggy at launch.

“It embodies a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so essential to that game,” says Nolan. “That dusty, desolate iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much fun to translate into the show.”

In the series narrative, a significant amount of time has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. Nevertheless, the creators suggest that it does reference the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is praised for its tangible quality – its production team prioritized physical models and sets were built, reflecting the improvised nature of the outposts in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many series I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a digital backdrop,” says another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an adaptation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to seem like it’s tangible.”

In fact, almost each creature you see on-screen is physical, including the notoriously frightening mutated beasts known as the apex predators. In the show, they are brought to life with practical effects, and were by all accounts rather intimidating up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series works because it is made by accomplished storytellers who are also dedicated players, alongside the visionaries behind the source material. This common understanding for the lore is apparent in the finished show.

The new batch of episodes is being released on a weekly basis rather than as a full-season drop, representing a shift from the first season. This format will create a different weekly discussion, something the team themselves are excited to witness.

“It's richer, it’s more expansive, it’s wittier, it has a lot of revelations,” promises the game director. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”