The next big video game adaptation is arriving soon in the form of the upcoming live-action Fallout series on Prime Video. But what is Fallout? Compared to something like HBO’s The Last Of Us adaptation (where the franchise only spanned two games), the world and lore of Fallout is more vast and expansive, spanning four mainline games and many spinoffs since its first debuted with the first Fallout game back in 1997.

With that, we here at Kakuchopurei would like to serve up a brief and simple introduction and guide for newcomers to the franchise before diving into the Fallout series when it premieres on Prime Video on 11 April 2024.

Fallout: The Setting And World

Arguably the most important and iconic aspect of the Fallout franchise is not only its setting and world but its unique aesthetics and tone. You see, Fallout takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland similar to that seen in countless other sci-fi settings (like Mad Max, etc.), but what makes it distinctive from all others is how its alternate history shapes the world’s aesthetics and tone.

In the alternate history of Fallout, everything changed after World War 2 when a new retro-futuristic atomic age began. A great war between the United States and China broke out in 2077, causing a nuclear war that devastated the world, thus resulting in the aftermath where humanity has to survive in the ensuing ‘fallout’ (pun intended).

Remember when I said that the world diverged from real-world history after World War 2? Well, in the world of Fallout, the world never moved on from the cultural elements of the 1950s, especially so in the United States (or what remained of the United States after the nuclear devastation). The world of Fallout (which mostly takes place in the United States) is perpetually stuck in this tone and aesthetics most commonly associated with the 50s era. This includes everything from the pulpy and retro look of the art and designs, to how the technology is depicted in the form of retro-futurism, with robots and machines looking like how the people in the 1950s imagined them to be in the future (like the Jetsons). And yes, especially the music and soundtrack, which form a huge part of making Fallout feel like Fallout, featuring retro and classic music from appropriate eras.

Okay, we think that’s enough about the background, so let’s learn about the more specific elements of Fallout lore, such as…

Fallout Vaults

The Vaults are perhaps the most iconic element of Fallout lore, and one that’s pretty much in every game, as well as heavily featured in the plot of the upcoming Prime Video Fallout series. What are Vaults? By definition, most people would understand vaults as big underground spaces usually used to store stuff and valuables, but in the world of Fallout, Vaults take on a different meaning.

In the world of Fallout, the United States government started a nationwide project to build nuclear fallout shelters called Vaults in preparation for the impending nuclear war. These Vaults are built by the Vault-Tec Corporation. Most Vaults were meant to be safe settlements for people from the harsh nuclear wasteland. Many people who continued living in the Vaults have lived their whole lives in the Vaults without knowing anything about the outside world. This is why in most Fallout games or stories, the protagonists are Vault dwellers who venture out to explore the nuclear wasteland.

That being said, just like in countless other stories and tropes, the Vault-Tec Corporation is not a fully ethical company. What that means is that some Vaults were not meant to simply be safe harbours for humans, and they were actually for unethical and disturbing experiments on people. Some Vaults would get raided by people and creatures from the outside world, including Raiders and Mutants (more on them later).

The Prime Video Fallout series focuses on one such Vault that’s never been featured in the games yet; Vault 33, which is located in Los Angeles.

Fallout: Mutants And Ghouls

In the world of Fallout, while many humans were living safely in the Vaults, many others found a way to survive on the surface. However, a nuclear wasteland is a harsh, unforgiving and mysterious world to live in. People and animals alike are affected by radiation, resulting in them turning into monstrous mutants and ghouls.

Ghouls are humans who were subjected to fatal levels of radioactive poisoning but did not die. Due to unknown factors, rather than suffer organ failure, their bodies mutated and adapted to radiation, resulting in immunity and an extended lifespan. The drawback is that the adaptation also caused widespread necrosis of the skin, lesions, and rot, resulting in a horrifying appearance similar to zombies. because of this, they would face discrimination in the wasteland despite retaining their human sentience and morals. However, a Ghoul can become like a real zombie if they become Feral Ghouls, losing their sentience and becoming literally like zombies.

On the other hand, Mutants are basically humans who were the results of experiments, such as those infected by the Forced Evolutionary Virus, a development of West Tek’s Pan-Immunity Virion Project. One of the most powerful beings in the world of Fallout is the Super Mutants, who are heavily mutated, super strong and resilient. Super Mutants made their debut in the first Fallout game as the latter half antagonists, led by a being called The Master. After they disbanded in the first Fallout’s timeline, some of them joined up with the NCR Rangers or found new communities where humans and mutants can coexist.

One notable super mutant is Marcus, who made his debut in Fallout 2 and is a sheriff of a human-mutant town. He is also a recruitable companion in your Fallout 2 quest.

Fallout: Mutated Animals

Besides the Mutants and Ghouls, the most common creatures in the Fallout wasteland are mutated animals. Most animals who survive in the wasteland are mutated in some way or the other, but here are some of the more iconic creatures from the franchise:

Radroach

People often joke that cockroaches are one of the few animals who can survive a nuclear apocalypse. Well, in the world of Fallout, they did and they became SUPER MASSIVE versions.

Deathclaws

The most iconic enemy (and most powerful) in the Fallout franchise is the Deathclaws. They’re the bane of players in any Fallout game and for good reason. Deathclaws were genetically engineered creatures developed by the United States military to replace humans during close-combat search-and-destroy missions. However, they survived the nuclear apocalypse and are now the apex predators of the Fallout world.

Brahmin Cows

Not all mutated animals are out to kill you in Fallout. Some, like the Brahmin cow or Brahma cow, are raised like normal cows or cattle. The only difference is that they have two heads and giant udders.

Fallout: Raiders

For those who don’t live in the Vaults, some humans are forced to become Raiders to survive. Raiders are mainstays of any post-apocalyptic franchise, they’re the bandits and the bad guys, and that’s true in Fallout as well. The most notable ones include the Khans.

Fallout: Other Prominent Factions

The world of Fallout is vast, so there are more than just Vault dwellers and Raiders in the wasteland. Many humans have started to build a semblance of civilization by building organizations and societies. Here are some of the more prominent ones:

Brotherhood Of Steel

Brotherhood of Steel

The Brotherhood Of Steel is a technology-focused paramilitary organization whose core purpose is to preserve advanced technology and regulate its usage. They’re one of the few organizations to be in every Fallout game, and they will be a huge part of the upcoming Prime Video Fallout series as well because one of the three protagonists will be a member of the Brotherhood Of Steel.

The most iconic element of the Brotherhood Of Steel is their Power Armours, which are Iron Man-like heavily armoured advanced combat suits with heavy weapons. These Power Armours are synonymous with the Fallout franchise and are often used as promotional imagery due to how iconic they are.

Enclave

The Enclave are often the ‘bad guys’ in the games. They’re a fascist paramilitary organization which claims to be the direct continuation of the United States and its government. However, their ideology is almost Nazi-like because they want to create a racially pure state of “true humans. The Enclave also have their own Power Armours.

Various Republics

There are many small republics in the world of Fallout, and one of the major ones is the New California Republic, which is comprised of five contiguous states located in southern California and several other states. However, since the Prime Video Fallout series will be set in Los Angeles, it’s unclear if any of the known republics will be featured in the series.

Fallout: Pip-Boy And Vault Boy

The Pip-Boys are perhaps the single most iconic object in the entire Fallout franchise. One look and you know it’s from Fallout. The Pip-Boy is a series of wearable computers manufactured by RobCo Industries.”Pip” is an acronym (Personal Information Processor).

Pip-Boys were standard equipment issued to all Vault-Tec Corporation Vaults for use by all Vault dwellers. Pip Boys can basically do everything. In terms of game mechanics, players use the Pip- Boy to check their quests, inventory, and battle management, as well as present player statistics and levelling up.

Pip-Boys feature the Fallout mascot Vault Boy character. In the world of Fallout, Vault Boy is Vault-Tec’s mascot and is a recurring element in Vault-Tec products in the game world.

The Prime Video Fallout series cast includes Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight), Aaron Moten (Emancipation), Moisés Arias (The King of Staten Island), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Sarita Choudhury (Homeland), Michael Emerson (Person of Interest), Leslie Uggams (Deadpool), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance), Johnny Pemberton (Ant-Man), Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O’Hagan (Law & Order: SVU), and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time).

Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner serve as executive producers, writers and co-showrunners. Nolan and Joy executive produce via Kilter Films under their Amazon overall deal. Athena Wickham of Kilter Films also executive produces along with Todd Howard for Bethesda Game Studios and James Altman for Bethesda Softworks. Amazon and Kilter Films produce in association with Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks.

The Fallout series was originally announced back in 2020. All episodes of Fallout Season 1 premieres on Prime Video Malaysia on 11 April 2024.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below: