Historically, TV and film adaptations of video games donât have the greatest track record. The last few years, however, have started turning that around. Pikachu, Sonic, and Mario have all starred in successful movies, and earlier this year The Last of Us got a proper prestige adaptation that certainly left a mark on fans.
Now itâs Falloutâs turn via a new TV series from Amazon Prime. And while I was initially skeptical that the trend of decent video game adaptations would continue (that or maybe Iâm feeling a little burnt out), that Fallout trailer sure is making me think otherwise. It premieres on April 12, 2024, which is about the only thing in the new trailer that bummed be out.
If for some reason you havenât seen the trailer (maybe another trailer for something else has totally carjacked your attention?), check it out here:
Falloutâs TV adaptation looks like a greatest hits of the Bethesda games (and thatâs a good thing)
If the scenes and editing in the trailers are any indication, the show is certainly aiming to capture the spirit of the very gameplay of Fallout, or at least what Bethesda has done with the series since it took the reins from Interplay with 2008âs Fallout 3
The trailer seems to demonstrate not only modern Falloutâs signature absurd humor in the midst of a nuclear wasteland, but itâs doing so via the explosive, sudden violence we associate with the gameplay itself.
While it feels potentially exaggerated by the trailerâs use of quick cuts to get the most bang-for-your-buck out of its brief running time,, the scenes we do see feel like theyâre adapting that very feeling of landing a great shot via the gameâs slow-mo targeting system, V.A.T.S., or watching something wildly unexpected happen as a result of the gamesâ sometimes-wonky physics engine.
And thatâs not just fan service: Those moments of gameplay are a part of the story we experience by playing the game. I think itâs essential for an adaptation to try and carry over the spirit of whatâs usually contained in the original interactive form. Otherwise, why adapt a video game?
Of course, such inclusions arenât surefire guarantees of quality or that the adaptation will necessarily be a hit with fans. HBOâs The Last of Us, notably, eschewed many elements of the moment-to-moment gameplay of the original. Despite strong performances and great storytelling, the lack of storytelling by way of familiar gameplay mechanics we know from the original certainly left me wanting to at least see someone try to smash a Clicker with a brick.
On the flipside, I was impressed by the Halo showâs adaptation of its gameplay (you donât typically see characters shrug off fall damage or ricochet grenades into enemies in such a uniquely Halo way in other action shows and films). But of course that show tested the patience of many a Halo fan with its multi-episode arc featuring Chief, helmetless, even pantsless, talkinâ up a storm.
And itâs not just the violence and absurdity thatâs working well in this early look at Falloutâs TV adaptation in motion; thereâs also a wonderful sense of openness and scale that is a signature feature of most Bethesda games, but certainly Fallout 3, 4, and 76
We see wide shots of a rotting Santa Monica Pier, and distant mountains that feel like theyâre the very edges of an actual open-world map. Elements like these, juxtaposed with the tight corridors of Falloutâs vaults and the cluttered streets and rundown shanties of the town of âPhilly,â suggest that the show is committed to faithfully recapturing the distinct sense of space and place that gives the Fallout games their identity.
A TV adaptation of a video game can only benefit from making its best effort to include the spirit of what itâs like to actually play the game into the storytelling onscreen. After all, TV and film are no strangers to portrayals of the post-apocalypse. Giving me something thatâs uniquely Fallout is going to ensure that I just donât leave to watch Planet of the Apes or Mad Max
All of that aside, if come April I donât see that adorable menace of a German shepherd wearing a bandana and pair of goggles, Iâm going to be sorely disappointed.
