Fallout fans have a major problem with Amazon’s TV series
Is there any community more dedicated to itself than the video game industry? Up there with comic book fans, gamers are some of the most relentless out there - pulling developers apart for everything from hidden glitches to undiscovered questlines. God forbid when a writer tries to mess with a game's lore.
It was a brave move for the writers of Amazon's live-action Fallout series to set the upcoming outing in the sprawling continuity of Bethesda's Fallout franchise, and surprising no one, a legion of irate games are already coming for the project. Todd Howard may be fast, but Fallout fans are faster.
Amazon's Fallout series apparently has a canon problem
Click to enlargeWestworld showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy are opening up the vault and giving us a peek inside ahead of Fallout's April 12, 2024, release date. We got to see Yellowjackets' Ella Purnell as lead actor Lucy, learned more about where the series is set, and were introduced to Walton Goggins' mysterious gunslinger known as "The Ghoul."
Despite a leaked trailer from Gamescom still not becoming official, the first promo images revealed a surprising amount about Fallout. In the Vanity Fair profile, Todd Howard confirmed, "We view what’s happening in the show as canon," adding, "That’s what’s great, when someone else looks at your work and then translates it in some fashion."
Instead of being over the moon, Fallout purists took this opportunity to roast the first images and claim that Nolan and Joy have got the complicated canon wrong. The live-action Fallout series takes place 219 years after the Great War, meaning it's set in 2296. The captions also confirm it's set in the ruins of Los Angeles.
We won't pretend to be Fallout experts, but for those who are, they've noted there's a big emphasis on the Brotherhood of Steel in these pictures, but no mention of the New California Republic (NCR). As pointed out by PC Gamer, the Fallout subreddit was filled with complaints.
One disgruntled viewer wrote, "I wonder how they’ll handle NCR territory. At this point in the lore isn’t it supposed to be a functioning society? But it seems they’re going for the desolated wasteland aesthetic which I feel will be at odds with how relatively advanced the NCR is in the lore."
They added that they'd normally be fine with creative freedom, however, this seems like an oversight. Another said, "Show is set in LA but no mention of the NCR. Just mainly the BoS. The BoS - NCR dynamic was always super interesting but I hope the show doesn't sideline their presence."
Don't worry, Fallout isn't sidelining the NCR
Thankfully, we know the NCR will have some part to play. According to numerous comments in the thread, set photos have shown the NCR and their banners. The general consensus is that the first photos decided to focus on the Brotherhood of Steel because of the iconic look of the Power Armor.
As someone reminded us, "Let's face it, the NCR clothing and armour is basically modern military fatigues. Not going to stand out visually," while another added, "If F76 has taught us anything, it's that Bethesda isn't interested in existing West Coast/Interplay canon and they like the BoS much more than NCR!"
With plenty of time between now and the Fallout series' release, we're sure the various trailers and promos will give us a look at the complicated factions of the Fallout world and continue to show why this is a video game adaptation worthy of the franchise's legacy.
