The Fallout series has always offered intriguing and rich world-building, but there’s one aspect it’s only recently begun to delve into more thoroughly. While Fallout has garnered acclaim for its engaging gameplay, environments, and character interactions that grant players significant freedom, the game’s setting stands out as one of its strongest attributes. Unlike conventional post-apocalyptic narratives, Fallout’s distinctive 1950s-inspired sci-fi universe, fueled by nuclear energy, sets it apart with a unique aesthetic.
Most post-apocalyptic stories take place in a reality closely resembling ours, with only minor alterations, leaving little room to explore characters or the world before an apocalyptic event like the Great War. However, Fallout bucks this trend. Although the series has hinted at the causes of the Great War that initiated its ongoing fight to reclaim civilization, more detailed explorations of the events leading to it have only recently emerged. With a significant time gap between the collapse of society and the narratives of the games themselves, there is abundant opportunity to unveil long-standing mysteries.
Fallout Is Finally Delving Into Its Mysterious Origins
The Pre-War Era Holds The Keys To Fallout’s Greatest Mysteries
Even after so long in ruins, it’s evident that the influences of the pre-war era are still deeply felt throughout the wasteland. The very first antagonist of the series existed before the bombs fell, and his ambitions to advance humanity through grotesque mutations stemmed from that time. Though there are numerous references to the world before the apocalypse, chances to directly experience it are limited, primarily confined to brief simulations or the introduction of Fallout 4.
There’s still considerable ambiguity and untold stories that invite interpretation. However, it appears that the Fallout series is finally addressing some of its longstanding questions, particularly through its television adaptation. By further investigating widely speculated topics, such as the origins of the Great War, the fate of the NCR, and the secrets of Vault-Tec, the show seems poised to lay the groundwork for a future Fallout game.
Previous entries in the franchise demonstrate that there’s plenty of room to fill in the gaps through playable narratives or iconic characters like Robert House.
While some changes in the storyline—like the future of the NCR—haven’t been received as warmly as hoped, it’s refreshing to see more insight into Fallout‘s original pre-war backdrop. With leaks suggesting upcoming scenes might revisit New Vegas, there’s a strong desire to explore Fallout‘s universe from a similar pre-war perspective. Although the apocalyptic landscape forms the foundation of the Fallout series, previous titles illustrate that there’s still potential to fill in narrative gaps through playable segments or significant historical figures.
The Pre-War Era Of Fallout Offers Some Of Its Most Iconic Moments
Providing A Stark Contrast To Fallout’s Grim Future
While the lengthy opening sequence of Fallout 4 can be tedious for those replaying the game, it establishes a crucial connection to the Sole Survivor’s backstory. Rather than simply waking up from cryogenic sleep after a brief cutscene, experiencing the moments leading up to the bombings firsthand makes the subsequent devastation even more striking. Fallout 4 serves as a prime example of how integrating pre-war narratives and characters can remain relevant even hundreds of years later, seen in smaller interactions such as retrieving Codsworth from the town’s ruins or meeting the ghoulish Vault-Tec representative.
Fallout 4 exemplifies the ability to weave pre-war scenarios and characters into the narrative even centuries later.
Incorporating these backstory elements can often seem constrained to lengthy prologues, but opportunities for segments like Kellog’s backstory flashback still exist. This quest provides valuable context for his deplorable actions against the Sole Survivor, allowing players to determine if his past justifies his current behavior. Though the gameplay demands little from the Sole Survivor during this sequence, the possibility of experiencing a pre-war flashback or memory while engaging with the environment and characters could be a fantastic innovation for the series.
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Flashbacks aren’t the only means by which Fallout can connect to the pre-war period; numerous characters have survived since before the bombs fell, providing a unique yet often cynical viewpoint on the wasteland. Characters like The Master, Robert House, and surviving Ghouls bring intriguing narratives, contrasting sharply with the Vault Dweller’s outlook from the pre-war days. While some individuals have upheld their principles over the years, many have morphed into twisted versions of their former selves, corrupted by the wasteland’s harshness.
The Tranquility Lane quest from Fallout 3 is a prime example of providing players agency in a pre-war context, even if it occurs within a limited simulation as part of a Vault experiment.
The most memorable terminal entries and holotapes often document pre-war events at specific locations, illustrating what the world looked like before the bombs fell while telling isolated yet compelling tales. The Vaults in Fallout are quintessential examples of the indelible pre-war impact within the game world, revealing the ultimate fate of horrific experiments across centuries and allowing players to inhabit the role of a vault dweller. Although vaults reflect a warped version of pre-war society under extreme circumstances, they still hold significant ties to life prior to the Great War.
Fallout 5 Should Emphasize Its Pre-War Connections
Following A Complete Story 200 Years In The Making
Witnessing the success of the Fallout series on-screen, with its refreshing take on the franchise’s backstory and new narratives, sparks anticipation for how Fallout 5 might incorporate these elements. While merging cinematic storytelling into an open-world exploration game can be challenging, there’s ample opportunity for expanding iconic scenes rooted in pre-war inspiration.
Offering players the chance to define their character’s origins could enhance roleplaying and narrative opportunities beyond existing frameworks.
A potential approach for a future Fallout title could involve creating a more customizable and character-driven story, allowing players to select distinct backgrounds or life paths, reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077. While Fallout already employs the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. and perk systems to enhance individual playthroughs, permitting players to shape their character’s past could dramatically increase both roleplaying and storytelling dimensions, altering the past to impact the post-war future.
With talk of a sequel to New Vegas or a spin-off under a new studio, there is substantial potential to capitalize on past successes and failures while innovating on the formula that rendered it popular. Although it may be a while before the next Fallout installment materializes, it has ample time to provide a groundbreaking experience that explores both new and unresolved stories from the past.
