Fallout Series



Fallout is a series of post-apocalyptic role-playing games produced and published by Bethesda Softworks, originally created by Interplay Entertainment. Although set in and after the 22nd century, its story and artwork are heavily influenced by the post-World War II nuclear paranoia of the 1950s. The series is lightly based on the Mad Max film series, and is sometimes considered to be a spiritual successor to Wasteland.

There have been six full role-playing titles in the series (Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76), one squad-based tactical RPG combat spin-off (Fallout Tactics), one action RPG dungeon-crawler spin-off (Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel) and one simulation game (Fallout Shelter). There are also several Fallout games that were cancelled during development.

Storyline
The background story of Fallout involves a "what-if" scenario in which the United States of America tries to devise fusion power resulting in the whole country becoming hegemonic and having less reliance on petroleum. However, this is not achieved until 2077, shortly after an oil drilling conflict off the Pacific Coast pits the United States against China. It ends with a nuclear exchange resulting in the post-apocalyptic world in which the game takes place.

Before the nuclear exchange took place, great underground Vaults were constructed across America, supposedly to protect the populace from the dangers of radiation. Although only 122 were constructed, over 400,000 would be needed to protect the entire nation. This is because the Vaults were not intended to save humanity; rather, they were social experiments being conducted by the United States government. Most vaults featured some variables to test how certain things influence people or how they would react.

Chronological gameplay year
Each installment of the series takes these facts as the context to the subsequent adventures: much of the landscape the player travels through is scarred with wreckage as well as radiation. These effects are not limited to the environment. Mutated survivors - those who lived through the attack outside a vault - are often physically unrecognizable as human. Even livestock - mostly represented by cows - are rarely if ever seen with fewer than two heads or an udder the size of their head.

Main games
The original two games were developed by Interplay's RPG division (named Black Isle Studios during the development of Fallout 2) and published by Interplay between 1997 and 1998.

In 2004, Bethesda Softworks licensed the rights to develop three Fallout games from Interplay. In 2007, they acquired the Fallout franchise entirely. In 2008, Bethesda released Fallout 3.

Fallout


Released in 1997 for DOS, Windows, and Macintosh, Fallout is the spiritual successor to the 1988 hit Wasteland. The protagonist of the game is tasked with recovering a water chip to replace the chip that broke in his home, Vault 13. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic southern California, beginning in the year 2161. It was originally intended to run under the GURPS role-playing game system, but a disagreement with Steve Jackson, creator of GURPS, over the game's violent content, required the development of a new system, the SPECIAL System. The atmosphere and artwork of Fallout are reminiscent of post-WWII America and the nuclear paranoia that was widespread at that time. Some key people who worked on Fallout later left Interplay and formed Troika Games.

Fallout 2


Fallout 2 was released in 1998 for Windows and in 2002 for Mac, using a slightly-modified form of the engine used in the original Fallout. Taking place in 2241, 80 years after the original game, Fallout 2 centers around a descendant of the Vault Dweller, the protagonist of Fallout. The player assumes the role of the Chosen One as he tries to save Arroyo, his village, after several years of drought. The game featured several improvements over the first game, including the ability to set attitudes of non-player character party members and the ability to push people who are blocking doors. However, it also included several changes to the game world and a more focused on humor, including significantly more pop culture jokes and parodies.

Fallout 3


Fallout 3 is a post-apocalyptic computer and console role-playing game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks as a sequel to Interplay's Fallout and Fallout 2. It was released on October 28, 2008, in North America and was released on October 31, 2008, in Europe for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

The game takes place in the year 2277 at the Capital Wasteland, on the East Coast of what used to be the United States, mostly in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia and is not a direct continuation of the previous games' story. The protagonist, a young vault dweller from Vault 101, escapes the vault and embarks on a dangerous journey in search of their father, James, who mysteriously disappeared. The game's plot centers around the protagonist's search for their father, and the reemerging of a dangerous faction called the Enclave, who seeks to take control of the Capital Wasteland and eventually post-war America. The gameplay features include real-time combat and first or third-person perspective, in contrast to the previous games, which were turn-based and isometric.

Fallout: New Vegas


Fallout: New Vegas is a Fallout game built upon the same game engine used by Fallout 3, it was developed by Obsidian Entertainment which was announced by Bethesda. Fallout: New Vegas was released on October 19, 2010, in North America for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas in the year 2281, four years after Fallout 3. The protagonist, a courier for the Mojave Express, is dug out of a shallow grave by a robot after being shot in the head and the contents of what would have been delivered is stolen by their attempted killer. The game's plot centers around finding the main character's attempted killer and retrieving their stolen package, and the war between NCR and Caesar's Legion, as well as the inevitable intervention of Mr. House's New Vegas, over Hoover Dam.

Fallout 4


Fallout 4 is a Fallout game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 10, 2015, except in Japan, where it was released on December 17.

The game takes place in the year 2287, 10 years after the events of Fallout 3 (and six after New Vegas), in a post-apocalyptic Boston renamed "the Commonwealth." The story centers around the protagonist's son, Shaun, being kidnapped while they are in cryogenic sleep in Vault 111 and the protagonist's subsequent attempts to find their son amidst the controversy of a mysterious "Institute" reportedly replacing citizens of the Commonwealth with synths, androids meant to be as close to a human as possible.

Fallout 76


Fallout 76 is a multiplayer Fallout game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was announced on May 30, 2018, and released on November 14, 2018, for PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

The game takes place in Appalachia starting in 2102, 25 years after the Great War, and follows the story of Vault 76, one of the 17 known control vaults. The player character emerges from Vault 76 following a celebration of Reclamation Day, having been sent on a quest by the Overseer. The game is entirely online.

Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel


Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel is a tactical combat game developed for Windows by Micro Forté and published by Interplay in early 2001 to mixed reviews. Although it was given high scores by reviewers (PC Gamer gave it 85%), many fans were disappointed by the game. Fallout Tactics focuses on tactical combat rather than role-playing; the new combat system included different modes, stances, and modifiers, but the player had no dialogue options. Most of the criticisms of the game came from its incompatibility with the story of the original two games, not from its gameplay. Its important events are considered canon by new owner Bethesda Softworks, while everything else was deemed semi-canon. Tactics is the first Fallout game to not require the player to fight in a turn-based mode, and it is also the first to allow customization of skills, perks, and combat actions of the rest of the party. Fallout Tactics includes a multi-player mode that allows players to compete against squads of other characters controlled by other players. Unlike the previous two games, which are based in California, Fallout Tactics takes place in the Midwest.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel


Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel became the first Fallout game for consoles (PlayStation 2 and Xbox) when it was released in 2004. It follows an initiate in the Brotherhood of Steel who is given a suicidal quest to find several lost Brotherhood paladins. An action role-playing game, BoS is a significant break from the previous incarnations of the Fallout series, in both gameplay and style. BoS takes place in three locations: The towns of Carbon and Los and a Secret Vault. BoS also does not feature non-player characters who would accompany the player in combat. BoS is not considered to be canon due to its stark contrasts and outright contradictions with the storyline of Fallout, Fallout 2, as well as Fallout Tactics in any way. BoS is the last Fallout game to be developed by Interplay. The game also features music from nu-metal bands, including Slipknot and Killswitch Engage, which stands in contrast to the music of the main Fallout series, performed by The Ink Spots and Louis Armstrong.

Fallout Shelter


Fallout Shelter is a non-canon construction and management simulation game. The player acts as an Overseer for their own vault, and controls dwellers' jobs, adding rooms to the vault, managing resources, fighting off raiders and emergencies and more. Players are sometimes rewarded with lunchboxes that contain rewards, such as items or resources. Lunchboxes can also be purchased separately through microtransactions.

Fallout 2d20


Fallout 2d20 is an upcoming tabletop role-playing game using a modified SPECIAL system with the 2d20 system. The game is developed by Modiphius who also created the 2d20 system.

Fallout: Warfare


Fallout: Warfare is a tabletop wargame based on the Fallout Tactics storyline, using a simplified version of the SPECIAL system. The rulebook was written by Chris Taylor, and was available on the Fallout Tactics bonus CD, together with cut-out miniatures. Fallout: Warfare features five distinct factions, vehicles, four game types, and thirty-three different units. The rules only require ten-sided dice. The modifications to the SPECIAL system allow every unit a unique set of stats and give special units certain skills they can use, including piloting, doctor, and repair. A section of the Fallout: Warfare manual allows campaigns to be conducted using the Warfare rules. The game is currently available for free online from the fansite No Mutants Allowed and several other sources.

Fallout: The Board Game


Fallout: The Board Game is a Fallout-themed board game published by Fantasy Flight Games. It is a tile-based game for one to four players, who can either compete or work together. Players can choose whether to play as a human, ghoul or super mutant. The player can also choose between four scenarios, taking place in the Capital Wasteland, the Pitt, the Commonwealth or Far Harbor. While exploring different location tiles, the players can gain equipment cards or special influence cards to advance their character. Each player also has a special character board, where they track equipment, hit points and radiation damage.

Fallout: Wasteland Warfare


Fallout: Wasteland Warfare is a narrative skirmish wargame set in the Fallout universe. Published by Modiphius Entertainment, the game features a singleplayer, multiplayer, and co-op play.

Bethesda Pinball's Fallout table
The Fallout table in Zen Studio's Bethesda Pinball collection, available as an add-on for Zen Pinball 2, Pinball FX 2 and Pinball FX 3, is a virtual pinball adaptation of Fallout 4. It was initially released as downloadable content on December 6, 2016, for a wide variety of platforms.

Fallout Trilogy


Fallout Trilogy (also released internationally as Fallout Collection or Saga Fallout) is a compilation of the three PC games in the Fallout series, consisting of Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, published by Interplay and Kalipso.

Fallout Anthology


Fallout Anthology is a collection of five Fallout games, Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout Tactics, as well as all of their add-ons. It was released on September 29, 2015, in North America and October 2 in Europe.

One Man, and a Crate of Puppets
One Man, and a Crate of Puppets is an official Fallout webcomic written by Jerry Holkins (aka Tycho Brahe) and illustrated by Mike Krahulik (aka John Gabriel), (creators of the video game webcomic Penny Arcade), co-created with Fallout 3 lead designer Emil Pagliarulo. In July 2008, the comic was launched at the official Fallout 3 website. It follows the life of the sole inhabitant of Vault 77 and his crate of puppets and was updated every Wednesday. The first strip also shows Vault 43 and Vault 69.

All Roads


All Roads is a Fallout graphic novel written by Chris Avellone. The cover artists are Geof Darrow and Peter Doherty (colors), while the interior artists are Jean Diaz and Wellinton Alves. The art style changes when focus is shifted to another character.

It tells the story of some of the characters and events in the week that leads up to Fallout: New Vegas. It was created in conjunction with Dark Horse Comics and a hardcover copy is included in the collector's edition of the game. On November 16, 2011, Dark Horse released All Roads on Dark Horse Digital and its iTunes app for $2.99.

Avellone's previous experience in comics includes five stories for Dark Horse's Star Wars Tales anthology comic and Clone Wars Adventures digest comic.

Fallout Official Survival Guide
The Fallout Official Survival Guide (also known as Official Survival Guide To Fallout) is the official Fallout strategy guide. It was written by William H. Keith, Jr. and Nina Barton and published by BradyGames. The guide provides walkthroughs for individual quests and information on enemies, mutants, and friendly characters. It also includes strategies for tactical warfare.

The guide also contains humorous and helpful tips from an old-time adventurer named Ol' Slim.

Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets
Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets is the official Fallout 2 strategy guide published by Sybex. It was written by Matthew J. Norton, one of the two lead designers of Fallout 2. It contains some background information, such as the origin of deathclaws, that was not included in the actual game.

Fallout Tactics Official Strategies & Secrets
Fallout Tactics Official Strategies & Secrets is the official Fallout Tactics strategy guide published by Sybex. It was written by Michael Rymaszewski.

The Fallout Tactics Official Strategies & Secrets provides comprehensive walkthroughs for all missions, detailed maps, and in-depth statistics and strategies for all weapons, characters, vehicles, and creatures.

There are several online updates for the guide, which gives exclusive pictures of almost all items in the game, as well as some additions and corrections.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Official Strategy Guide
The Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Official Strategy Guide is the official Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel strategy guide published by Prima Games. It was written by Fletcher Black.

The Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Official Strategy Guide provides complete mission walkthroughs for every level, full weapons, armor, and explosives breakdown, tips for defeating bosses, detailed maps with secret locations revealed and multiplayer tips for each area.

Fallout 3 Official Game Guide
The Fallout 3 Prima Official Game Guide is a publication by Prima Games. It contains strategies, maps, and walkthroughs that a player may find useful while playing Fallout 3, as well as some additional background information about the setting and characters not found in the game itself. The guide is localized and published in Europe and Australia by Future Press.

Two Fallout 3 add-on guides have also been released - one for Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt, and the second one for Broken Steel and Point Lookout.

In October 2009, a Game of the Year edition of the guide was published, which includes all the add-on guides and complements the Game of the Year Edition of the game itself.

Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide
The Fallout: New Vegas Prima Official Game Guide is a publication by Prima Games. It contains strategies, maps, and walk-throughs that a player may find useful while playing Fallout: New Vegas, as well as some additional background information about the setting and characters.

The hardcover collector's edition includes 32 more pages which include concept art and background information from the developers at Obsidian Entertainment.

Its main author is David S.J. Hodgson, who also authored the Fallout 3 Official Game Guide.

Fallout 4 Official Game Guide
The Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide is a publication by Prima Games. The guide contains strategies, maps, walkthroughs, and reference data that a player may find useful while playing Fallout 4, as well as some additional background information about the setting and characters not found within the game itself. The guide comes in two editions: the Standard Edition, and the Collector's Edition. The Collector's Edition comes in hardcover, and was a limited edition. It includes exclusive bonuses not featured in the Standard Edition and contains a bonus: a free code to access eGUIDE on any web device.

Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide
The Fallout 76 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide is a publication by Prima Games. The guide contains strategies, maps, walkthroughs, and reference data that a player may find useful while playing Fallout 76, as well as some additional background information about the setting, locations, and characters not found within the game itself. The edition contains a bonus: a free code to access eGuide on any web device.

The Art of Fallout 3
The Art of Fallout 3 is an art book available with the collector's edition of Fallout 3. It features concept art by Craig Mullins and Adam Adamowicz.

The standard version (purchasable from Amazon or included in the collector's edition) measures 6″ x 9". The larger version, measuring 8″ x 12.4", had been released in October 2009, but is not found on the Internet.

The Art of Fallout 4
The Art of Fallout 4 is an art book that was released on November 10, 2015.

Pip-Boy Operational Instructions


Pip-Boy Operational Instructions is a manual included with the Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition released on November 15, 2015. The Pip-Boy Operational Instructions functions largely as instructions for operating the real-life Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV, but also includes snippets of lore about both Vault-Tec Corporation, RobCo Industries and Vault life.

Vault Dweller's Survival Guide: Pocket Reference Edition
The Vault Dweller's Survival Guide: Pocket Reference Edition is a booklet published by Vault-Tec for the inhabitants of Vault 101. It is shorter than the original edition of the guide, which was available in Vault 13.

Fallout (PlayStation)
An unnamed Fallout game meant for the first PlayStation console. Canceled after about 3–4 months of pre-production and early prototyping.

Fallout Extreme


A tactical squad-based TPP/FPP game developed at 14 Degrees East. Canceled after several months of development.

Fallout Tactics 2
Initially approved by Interplay sometime after Fallout Tactics, development started at Micro Forté and was eventually canceled.

Van Buren


"Van Buren" was the project codename Black Isle Studios assigned to their version of Fallout 3. Canceled following financial issues.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2


A sequel to Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, canceled following layoffs at Interplay.

Project V13


An MMORPG developed by Interplay, canceled due to legal obligations.

Fallout Movie (Interplay Entertainment)
In 1998, Interplay Entertainment founded the film division Interplay Films to make films based on its properties, and announced that a Fallout film was one of their first projects. Interplay confirmed that a film based on the original Fallout game was in production, but the division was later disbanded without any film produced.

Fallout 5
Speaking about the future of the Fallout series in an August 2020 interview, Bethesda Softworks lead designer Emil Pagliarulo stated that he could neither confirm nor deny any plans for Fallout 5, but went on to say that it would be hard to imagine that they would not make Fallout 5 at some point, as there is "a lot more single-player Fallout that [they] would want to play."

Fallout movie (Bethesda Softworks)
In 2009, Bethesda Softworks expressed its interest in producing a Fallout film. In February 2012, instead of a Fallout film, a special feature was made, entitled "Making of Fallout 3 DVD", which was accepted as a film on March 27 of the same year. In the DVD commentary of Mutant Chronicles, voice actor Ron Perlman stated that if a Fallout film was made, he would like to reprise his role as the Narrator. In 2016, Todd Howard stated that Bethesda had turned down the offers of making a film based on Fallout, but that he did not rule out the possibility.

Fallout TV series
After a history of speculation and trademark registration for a Fallout television series dating back to 2009, an official Fallout television series produced by Kilter Films and distributed by Amazon Prime was announced in July 2020. Bethesda Softworks provided lore guidelines and world-building assistance, though the series will largely be developed independently by Kilter Films. Additionally, Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard and James Altman serve as executive producers, alongside Kilter Films' Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, and Athena Wickham.