Fallout Season 1 Review - 10 Ups & 2 Downs
2. Up: It's One Of The Greatest Video Game Adaptations Ever
Like The Last of Us in 2023, Fallout has proven that not all game-to-screen adaptations have to be duds, delivering in just eight episodes what it surely one of the finest small screen re-imaginings of a gaming franchise ever made.
What makes it work best isn't just its faithfulness to the source material - its meticulous production detail, clever little Easter eggs, the way it captures the tone of the games' dark but entertaining themes - but in how it integrates itself into the series with a fresh take on the wider mythology.
Both an adaptation and a standalone story, Fallout works because long-time fans can slip into it, but so can non-gamers with no previous knowledge of the games' action. It doesn't pander or alienate, but instead makes itself a unique offering for anyone to enjoy, a difficult but wise decision that pays off bountifully.
As a game, Fallout is highly interactive, its world based on interactions with NPCs, so adapting it was always going to be a challenge. But thanks in large part to the work of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the show captures what makes the game tick perfectly, all the while soaring as its own unique beast.