Amazon Prime’s Fallout is the highly anticipated adaptation of the legendary video game franchise from Bethesda Studios. Set in Los Angeles, California hundreds of years after a cataclysmic nuclear war that wipes out society, the series follows three characters with unique backgrounds as they come crashing into each other’s way.
But does this video game adaptation deliver on the sky-high expectations of Fallout fans? In this High Five Review, we’ll take a look at what makes this series one of the best video game adaptations we’ve had so far.
Delivering an Excellent Atmosphere
Still from Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime’s Fallout does an amazing job in setting up the eerie atmosphere of the show. The mix of purposeful silence with retro pop songs that plays throughout the series perfectly captures the current state of the world in the series —a world that’s been left behind but is somehow still here.
The show takes place in multiple locations throughout the American West Coast, an area that has been featured frequently in the show’s source material. From the claustrophobic view into life inside one of the vaults, to the exploration of a desolate and abandoned Los Angeles coastline, and even in the dirty and trash-filled settlements of what remains of humanity, the show also does a great job in translating what it felt like when you explored the world in the video game.
It’s still the same world, and fans of the videogame should feel giddy with the excellent job the show has done adapting it for a wider viewing public.
An Intriguing Plot and Deep Lore
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Bethesda Studios is known for imparting their expansive fictional worlds with deep and excellently written lore to make their game feel lived in, and with their involvement in the series, the show was guaranteed to get a story that is faithful to the games.
The show is more than just an adaptation of the action elements of an open world role-playing game, it’s also a story that explores different facets of human society—the extent of humanity’s greed and hubris, their capacity to destroy themselves, how far human experimentation will go in the name of progress—and ultimately challenging the idea of a black-and-white morality.
While it’s not a requirement to play the game to enjoy the series, knowing the lore from the game certainly enriches your understanding of everything that’s happening in the world of the show. Keen enjoyers of the game’s lore will notice that many story elements within the series have already been mentioned in the games themselvs such as the Vaults that appear in the show (Vaults 31-33), and the story of one of the show’s main characters, “The Ghoul.”
Compelling Main Characters
The series follows three main characters: Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), a vault-dweller from Vault 33 who decides to venture into the Wastelands after her Vault is attacked by raiders; Maximus (Aaron Moten), a low-ranking member of the Brotherhood of Steel who yearns to eventually don a Power Armor; and “The Ghoul” (Walton Goggins) a mysterious radiated human, bounty hunter, and remnant of the old world.
The viewpoints of each character offer different perspectives on the Wastelands that they all explore in the show. Lucy’s journey revolves around the dangers of the remnants of human society, as she grapples between her ideals about humanity and the cut-throat dog-eat-dog reality that everyone else lived outside the Vaults. Max’s journey sees the dangers of the Wasteland itself as he faces irradiated animals and mutated beasts. As a remnant of the world before the nuclear apocalypse, “The Ghoul” serves as a lens to the old world and everything that led to the circumstances of the current day.
The cast are picture perfect for the roles they are playing, and their performances truly elevate the show. The longer the story goes, the more compelling each character becomes, with Walton Goggins in particular offering a standout performance.
Embracing What Made the Game Special
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A common folly for other video game adaptations is to remove or shy away from the elements that made the game so great (looking at you, Halo). Fallout is one of the few adaptations that fully embrace every aspect of the source material they’re adapting. From simple elements like stimpacks and Pip-boy, to the more iconic ones like the T-60 Power Armor. They even brought in wacky weapons like the Junk Jet.
Several key elements from the game also show up in the show’s action sequences like the slow motion killshots, being constantly shot at by multiple enemies, and even the bad aim, making for an exhilarating viewing experience that makes you appreciate the show’s roots.
The show even adapted one of the most iconic elements of the Fallout games by showing interactions with random eccentric people in the open-world. This dedication to actually adapting the source material contributes to a refreshing and genuinely enjoyable watch, especially when you view it as a fan of the games.
A Well-Rounded Show
Still from Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime’s Fallout is an action-packed post-apocalyptic drama that delivers on the expectations of its source material’s fans, while still offering an enjoyable experience to the casual viewer. It’s a show that offers plenty of comedic moments, while also reminding viewers about the dangers of unchecked greed and humanity’s hubris. The show offers plenty of commentary to certain topics that are still relevant today.
It’s a show that rarely misses a beat and provides a perfect balance with its compelling storytelling and technical executions through stunning writing, interesting characters, gorgeous set designs, amazing costumes, spectacular music, and memorable performances from each actor. What’s even better is that a second season for the series is already confirmed.
While the show on its own is great, Amazon Prime’s Fallout is already worthy of being placed on its own pedestal among its peers in the best video game adaptations of all time. SEA Wave rates it a 4/5.
Catch “Fallout” on Amazon Prime and let us know what you think about the show in the comments below.