Turning video games into movies has been happening for at least 30 years, and for the most part, these adaptations have earned themselves a pretty harsh reputation. If you look at movies like the original Super Mario Bros. movie released in 1993, complete with live-action goombas and mustacheless Luigi, one might understand why they’ve received that reputation.
More recently, these video game adaptations have moved from the big screen to streaming platforms for watching at home. Initially, shows like this did poorly; take Halo as an example. Paramount turned the FPS (first-person shooter) into a Sci-Fi TV show in 2022. Although the show was picked up for a second season, it’s mostly had negative reviews since its release. But, as streaming platforms have advanced, these video game shows have started to take off.
Shows like The Last of Us, which debuted on HBO in 2023, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which debuted on Netflix in 2022, have been received amazingly by audiences all around the world and are even beloved by people who have never even heard of/played the original games. The Last of Us won 8 Emmy awards for its first season and has been renewed for a second.
Continuing this trend is the latest of video-games-turned-TV series: Fallout. On April 10th of this year, Amazon Prime released its adaptation of the beloved post-apocalyptic game series. Around since the ’90s, Fallout has involved six different role-playing video games and many more spin-offs.
With a series that is so beloved and with lore so developed, fans asked, how could it be done and not be terrible?
I’m here to say that so far, it’s fantastic, having been received very well by not just regular people but also by the Fallout community.
The Fallout game series follows a series of stories set in a post-apocalyptic parallel universe. With its art deco style and unique take on what a post-nuclear world might look like, Fallout has become well-renowned to gamers across the globe. Its unique combat system and diverse role-playing game mechanics make it easily recognizable as a Bethesda game (the company that produced the game). The same company has released games immensely popular in the gaming world, such as Skyrim, Elder Scrolls, Starfield, etc.
After watching just a few episodes of the show, I realized some of the things that make this show so likable and successful. As someone who went into watching this after only playing a few hours of Fallout: New Vegas, I was curious to see what it might look like. I can confidently say that it does make me want to drop $40 on Fallout: 76 to go wander the wasteland with my friends.
Like I said, I didn’t know much about Fallout before watching the show, so I probably was a bit easier to please than some of the franchise’s superfans. I was curious to see how they felt about the show. Laura Merchant, a Fallout fan and family friend of mine said, “As a Fallout fan, I was so excited for the show. I felt the series stayed extremely true to the lore and style of the games. Each episode had easter eggs that blended well and didn’t feel forced.”
Another friend of mine, Brayden Styka, said, “The show made me feel nostalgic. It brought me back to when I played Fallout 4 for the first time.”
As multiple fans have reported, the show is faithful to the universe, with so many iconic props and groups being represented and shown immediately. The gore and combat the games are known for are equally represented immediately with the opening fight in the first episode. It holds true to everything that makes Fallout, Fallout. Gore, dark humor, the iconic art-deco style, and, of course, the power armor.
The power armor the Brotherhood of Steel used in this show is so cool.
Rather than using CGI, Amazon opted to use fully made practical Power Armor suit props that actors could wear. This choice made all of the scenes with the iconic armor feel so much more immersive and real. You can truly see their genuine reaction to seeing someone with the armor fully donned in the actor’s faces.
I really enjoy the protagonist of this show; she adds a lot of humor and light-hearted vibes to many areas of the show. Having a female lead represent the series was a controversial choice but a very good one, in my opinion. Ella Purnell does a fantastic job of acting the part of a polite yet badass vault dweller trying to make her way in the wasteland freshly out of a vault.
I think that Fallout is a great example of how advanced directors are getting with these video game adaptations. As someone who had barely played one of the franchise’s games, I could understand the premise of the universe and was easily immersed in the show. These studios have really done their research on what audiences enjoy about the base material and have done a fantastic job applying it to their shows. I think that even someone who has not heard of Fallout should give this show a try. There are quite a lot of adult themes and quite a bit of violence, but if that doesn’t bother you, then definitely give it a watch. It will make you laugh, and it’ll definitely make you want to down a cold bottle of Nuka Cola with your very own Pip-Boy. Make sure to save those bottle caps!
