I was trepidatious about the idea of a "Fallout" series when it was announced. Though there are definite signs of an upswing in this department, generally, adaptations of video games have been poor. "Fallout" though could be used as the template for how to adapt an open world game into a show.
Two hundred years after nuclear war devastates the earth, the inhabitants of Vault 33 await the time when the surface is safe enough to repopulate. They are attacked by raiders though, and overseer Hank MacLean ((Kyle MacLachlan) is kidnapped. His daughter, Lucy (Ella Purnell) decides to risk leaving the vault to rescue him. Maximus (Aaron Moten) a squire with the Brotherhood of Steel, heads out with his Knight on a mission to locate a missing Enclave scientist, but he's not the only interested party and a ghoul bounty hunter Cooper (Walton Goggins) is also on his tail.
"Fallout" succeeds by being extremely loyal to the world created in the video game series, but not directly adapting the storyline of any of the games. It's a pretty similar starting point, leaving the vault to track down your missing father, but from there it's an entirely unique story that cleverly builds on the lore but doesn't directly adapt it. Which is sensible because everyone's experience of the Fallout games is different, with the choices you make affecting the available plot. That, in and of itself, isn't enough. Netflix's awful "Resident Evil" series did something similar, but "Fallout" works for the traditional reasons too, because the casting, humour, visual effects and storyline are also really good.
The attention to detail though is the most impressive aspect of the endeavour, stim Packs look like stim packs, radaway makes an appearance, Sugar Bombs. The hacking looks like the hacking in the game, the guns look like the guns, the way the vault opens. It's all only really for the benefit of the people that have played the game, but it demonstrates an appreciation and respect of what you're adapting.
It does seem like it's a series that could run and run and tell alternative stories within this established world and I'm looking forward to all of it.
Two hundred years after nuclear war devastates the earth, the inhabitants of Vault 33 await the time when the surface is safe enough to repopulate. They are attacked by raiders though, and overseer Hank MacLean ((Kyle MacLachlan) is kidnapped. His daughter, Lucy (Ella Purnell) decides to risk leaving the vault to rescue him. Maximus (Aaron Moten) a squire with the Brotherhood of Steel, heads out with his Knight on a mission to locate a missing Enclave scientist, but he's not the only interested party and a ghoul bounty hunter Cooper (Walton Goggins) is also on his tail.
"Fallout" succeeds by being extremely loyal to the world created in the video game series, but not directly adapting the storyline of any of the games. It's a pretty similar starting point, leaving the vault to track down your missing father, but from there it's an entirely unique story that cleverly builds on the lore but doesn't directly adapt it. Which is sensible because everyone's experience of the Fallout games is different, with the choices you make affecting the available plot. That, in and of itself, isn't enough. Netflix's awful "Resident Evil" series did something similar, but "Fallout" works for the traditional reasons too, because the casting, humour, visual effects and storyline are also really good.
The attention to detail though is the most impressive aspect of the endeavour, stim Packs look like stim packs, radaway makes an appearance, Sugar Bombs. The hacking looks like the hacking in the game, the guns look like the guns, the way the vault opens. It's all only really for the benefit of the people that have played the game, but it demonstrates an appreciation and respect of what you're adapting.
It does seem like it's a series that could run and run and tell alternative stories within this established world and I'm looking forward to all of it.
