Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » BWT Recommends » 3 Ways The ‘Fallout’ Season 1 Gets The Video Games Right

3 Ways The ‘Fallout’ Season 1 Gets The Video Games Right

Adrian RuizBy Adrian Ruiz04/11/20248 Mins ReadUpdated:05/01/2024
Fallout Season 1
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

For gamers, finding a passable video game adaptation is often a depressing endeavor. We’re a discerning bunch who crave adaptations that faithfully capture the essence of our beloved games and evoke the same emotions we experienced while gaming. Fallout Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video, is a shining example of how to do it right. It’s poised to be one of the greatest video game adaptations ever precisely because it successfully encapsulates what makes Fallout so memorable.

While the adaptation introduces new elements and Easter eggs for fans to enjoy, its success lies in its faithful portrayal of three key aspects: exploration, combat, and the timeless theme that “war never changes. Spoilers for Fallout Season 1 ahead!

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Exploring more than the Wasteland

Fallout Season 1

From the start, viewers actively experience one of Fallout’s best aspects: exploring the wasteland and encountering its chaos. Lucy Maclean (Ella Purnell) the show’s protagonist, actively searches for her father in the wasteland, learning its ways like players stepping out of the vault in the games. Through Lucy, viewers learn about the hazards of essentials like water, radiated to nearly undrinkable levels. Danger lurks at every corner with radroaches, fiends, and robots, along with the various factions and people now inhabiting the surface.

As much as nature, Lucy must navigate the wasteland’s people, discerning allies from threats. This pulls Lucy into various side quests in her travels. Though she’s frequently sidetracked from her mission to save her father, these detours contribute to the series’ cohesive story, mirroring the depth found in the games. More importantly, though, the show explores the Fallout universe through different perspectives, expanding the scope of the stories to be told.

The series’s narrative takes characters to not only explore the wasteland of the 2296 greater Los Angeles area but also delve into the vaults and their secrets. This exploration is largely led by Lucy’s brother Norm (Moisés Arias). Viewers witness how humanity’s greed can lead to corruption and cruelty, revealing that life in the vault is not as perfect as portrayed. Norm’s exploration is packed with Easter eggs for fans, including hacking security terminals and gathering information from various members of Vault 33, providing the best live-action depiction of vaults in the series. However, vault dwellers aren’t the only stories to be told either.

Maximus offers fans a glimpse into the life of a surface dweller born into the chaos of the wasteland. His story, as a Brotherhood of Steel initiate, shows viewers how he navigates the wasteland using the teachings he has received. This perspective, rarely explored, sheds light on the experiences of someone outside the vaults. Witnessing the operations of different factions in the series provides a fresh exploration perspective, offering insights into these organizations from within rather than solely through Lucy’s vault dweller perspective.

Further, Walter Goggins’ portrayal of the Ghoul presents a profoundly dark exploration. Here, we witness a character who has likely spent over 200 years in this ghastly form, stripped of his former self. However, amidst this transformation, he grapples with questions of identity and purpose in this new world.

The fear of losing oneself is a recurring theme, evident in encounters with various ghouls throughout the series. Yet, it’s the Ghoul’s narrative that highlights this struggle most vividly as he endeavors to rediscover his true essence. Once a renowned Hollywood actor, he now embarks on a journey of self-discovery, navigating the wastelands in search of answers. With a potential lead on the whereabouts of his family, he realizes the importance of being there for them, prompting him to delve deeper into his own psyche than ever before.

Brutally Unapologetic Combat

The Brotherhood of Steel Fights the NCR in Fallout

The Fallout franchise, especially since Fallout 3, is renowned for its graphic and brutal combat, featuring explosive headshots, dismemberment, and slow-motion effects. Adapting this aspect to a TV series seemed challenging, given its availability to a wide audience. However, the show fearlessly embraces the brutality from the outset. Whether facing Yao Guai beasts, fiends, raiders, or expert marksmen ghouls, viewers witness intense combat true to the nature of the game series.

At one point, someone gets shot with a rotten tooth. If that doesn’t illustrate the depths to which the world goes to maintain power and weaponry, I don’t know what does. Viewers witness a variety of weapons, some directly from the game, while others offer playful twists. Additionally, characters like Lucy demonstrate resourcefulness, crafting improvised weapons like a poison dart from a Mr. Handy Droid and Abraxo. This constant innovation turns everything into a potential weapon, keeping everyone on guard. Moreover, adapting and honing skills, as Lucy does, becomes essential for survival as the series progresses.

Power armor stands out as one of the most iconic elements of the Fallout universe, alongside the Pip-Boy. Through Maximus and the other Brotherhood of Steel members, viewers witness the formidable power of the T60 armor, an upgrade from the T45 armor used in the Great War of 2077. Viewers witness the power armor and all its glory, with its ability to carry giant machine guns, grant super strength, and provide wearer-grade radiation resistance. With just one suit, Maximus defeats multiple adversaries around him with ease.

However, we do observe the various drawbacks of being inside power armor, explaining why it wasn’t always everyone’s first choice when playing the games. The armor feels clunky and can be slow at times, leaving you vulnerable to more maneuverable opponents who can outflank you.

Despite having ample armor, the power supply is not unlimited. If someone steals your fusion core, you’re essentially defenseless, much like Maximus at certain points during the series. More than that, Maximus is hesitant to leave it out in the open lest someone steals his armor. Something that players Fallout 4 players know all too well in Fallout Season 1

“War Never Changes,” but there is hope in Fallout Season 1

Fallout Season 2

Central to the core of the franchise is the notion that, regardless of human progress or evolution, conflict and warfare persist as enduring constants. This theme is encapsulated in the iconic phrase, “War never changes.” Throughout the Fallout series, this concept is reiterated through the portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world where humanity’s innate propensity for conflict is exacerbated by the scarcity of vital resources and the struggle for power and control.

The theme of war extends beyond literal battles and military engagements, permeating interpersonal relationships and societal structures. In the show, as in the games, alliances are formed and dissolved, betrayals occur, and individuals grapple with moral ambiguity in their quest for survival. Friendships are tested, and characters are forced to confront their own capacity for violence and cruelty in a world where trust is a scarce commodity.

The series underscores the universal desire to improve the world, yet it highlights the divergent paths taken toward that goal. Unfortunately, in the wasteland, such aspirations often lead to war. Even endeavors ostensibly aimed at betterment, like Vault-Tec’s experiments, can sow discord and perpetuate the cycle. Despite this, pockets of hope exist, such as Vault 4’s Enclave, where inhabitants strive for a semblance of utopia amid the chaos.

Fallout Season 1

Despite their differences from Lucy’s experience in Vault 33, they embody a vision of a better world. Following an incident in Vault 4, they choose to spare Lucy, unlike many others in similar situations who would have executed her immediately. This illustrates that, although war remains a constant, there is still hope for a better world embodied by characters like Lucy and the members of Vault 4. However, their struggle lies in facing opposition from factions in the Wasteland that prioritize their own objectives over the common good.

Further, the character of the Ghoul epitomizes the resignation of the cycle of war. Having endured past wars and now navigating the current chaos, he seeks solace amidst the turmoil. Though the series suggests the cycle may be unbreakable, it emphasizes the significance of actions in the present. Characters like Lee Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) embody this ethos, striving to better the world despite the odds. However, the emergence of power-hungry factions like the Brotherhood of Steel threatens this fragile equilibrium, prioritizing their agenda over collective well-being.


Fallout Season 1 has proven its ability to execute key elements of the franchise effectively, anticipation for a potential showdown in New Vegas is palpable.The stage is set for the show to expand upon one of the most cherished games in the series, Fallout: New Vegas.

Having demonstrated its ability at handling these crucial details, there’s confidence that the next season will continue to captivate audiences with its storytelling and world-building. Backed by the acclaim of one of the finest video game adaptations, the series is poised to continue its success story. In Todd Howard (and  Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy) we trust!

Fallout Season 1 is streaming now, exclusively on Prime Video.

Fallout is New Standard for Video Game TV | Review

Amazon Studios’ Fallout brings audiences to Vault 33, the Wasteland, and builds the lore larger than we’ve seen before. We review Fallout Season 1. Read our 9.5/10 full review here: https://butwhytho.net/2024/04/fallout-tv-show-review-amazon-studios/

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleGodzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers Available For Pre-Registration
Next Article REMNANT II DLC The Forgotten Kingdom Launches April 23
Adrian Ruiz

I am just a guy who spends way to much time playing videos games, enjoys popcorn movies more than he should, owns too much nerdy memorabilia and has lots of opinions about all things pop culture. People often underestimate the effects a movie, an actor, or even a video game can have on someone. I wouldn’t be where I am today without pop culture.

Related Posts

A featured image of Kurosawa remakesa

If You Loved ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Watch These Three Kurosawa Remakes Next

08/16/2025
Summer Games on Xbox Game Pass

Beat The Summer Heat With These 8 Summery Xbox Game Pass Games

08/12/2025
Blade in Marvel Rivals But Why Tho

4 Great ‘Marvel Rivals’ Heroes To Team Up With Blade

08/10/2025
Images for See You Tomorrow at the Food Court, Detectives These Days Are Crazy, and Clevantess for the Summer 2025 Anime Round-Up

Summer 2025 Anime Round-Up: What To Watch

08/04/2025
Mamoru Hosoda But Why Tho

Mamoru Hosoda: The Iconic Animation Directors Best Feature Films

07/28/2025
Razer Pokemon Edition Collection promotional logo

PRODUCT REVIEW: Razer’s Pokemon Edition Additions Are A Must-Have

07/19/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here