12 Things You Didn't Know About Fallout 3

11. S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Sounds

Fat Man Fallout
Bethesda

Since writing these articles, it's become apparent that the most inventive part of any game's design comes in creating the sound. Because releases like Fallout focus on situations that have no real-world reference (or if they do, they're not easily recreated without first dropping a couple nuclear bombs), the developers had to get creative in constructing this soundscape.

As a couple examples, the sound of the Fat Man mini-nuke launcher firing is actually the dinner bell at Bethesda studios. Honestly the biggest surprise there is that some offices have a lunchtime bell like they're schools.

Not all are just random sounds captured fresh in a studio however, as the sound that pings when entering into V.A.T.S. is actually the same one that plays when entering a combat turn in the original games.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.