Take the nuclear option… WITH A NEW SERIES STREAMING NOW ON AMAZON PRIME, IT’S THE PERFECT TIME TO REVISIT THESE FANTASTIC FALLOUT TITLES
THERE’S never been a better time to be a Fallout fan.
The new series on Amazon Prime has actually lived up to the hype, currently rated 94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s proved so popular since it began streaming on April 10, that a second series has already been greenlit. But there may be people watching the show who haven’t tried one of the games yet, and are unsure where to start.
The first Fallout game landed on PC in 1997, billed as a post-nuclear RPG. You play as a Vault dweller, who’s been sealed safely away in Vault 13 since nuclear bombs fell on California. But when the Vault’s water chip breaks, you have to venture out of your underground home and into the wastelands to find a replacement.
Set during the 22nd century, players instantly connected with the game’s atomicpunk retrofuturistic setting and its artwork that’s heavily influenced by 1950s American post-war culture.
Since then, there’s been 10 games released under the Fallout banner from various developers and with varying degrees of quality.
If the show has inspired you to fire up your games console and brave the wastelands, then may I humbly suggest you give the following a try.
Fallout 4
(PEGI 18) PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PC
The last of the main entry games to be released, Fallout 4 turns 10 next year.
Set a decade after the events of Fallout 3, the game shows you a time before the bombs dropped and the world became a wasteland.
Waking up as the ‘soul survivor’ of Vault 111, every second is a fight for survival.
Sitting alongside the main story is a wealth of side quests to help build your character’s skills – and you’re going to need them, as there are some scary and powerful creatures waiting for you in the wasteland.
The level of detail poured into Fallout 4 is incredible, making rummaging and searching for prenuclear artefacts so much fun.
Then there’s the game-changing settlement building mechanic, which lets you develop and manage survivor settlements, and the extensive crafting system which lets you make everything from weaponry and armour, to beds and home comforts.
There have been six DLCs for the game, and on April 25, developer Bethesda will release a free Fallout 4 update on Xbox X/S and PS5 to enhance the game for new consoles.
Fallout 76
(PEGI 18) PS4, Xbox One, PC
Out in 2018, this was the last official Fallout game to be released.
Fans feared it may be the last ever, until it was confirmed Fallout 5 was in development. This title was a prequel to previous games, and the first to shun single-player gameplay in favour of a multiplayer model.
It was a huge departure for the series, and one which didn’t sit well with a lot of fans.
Fallout 76 followed the fortunes of a resident of Vault 76, who ventures above ground into Appalachia, to re-colonise the region and uncover the origins of a plague that’s killed off its inhabitants.
While things got off to a very shaky start for the game, it has improved vastly in the last six years, with free expansions adding extra story layers and gameplay.
Fallout New Vegas
(PEGI 18) PS3, Xbox 360, PC
When New Vegas landed in 2010, I remember thinking it was the nearest to perfect game I’d ever played – and I’m not the only one.
It’s the only Fallout title made by Obsidian Entertainment, but to be honest, it was so good the studio didn’t need to make another.
Billed as a spinoff from the main games, it’s set in a world thrown onto an alternate timeline thanks to Atomic Age technology, which eventually led to a global nuclear apocalypse in the year 2077.
You play as a Courier tasked with transporting a package across the Mojave Desert to the city of New Vegas.
With improved gameplay mechanics, a compelling plot line and tight script, New Vegas boasted a wealth of side quests and branching stories that kept you glued to your consoles for hours.
Considered the best of the Fallout games, I really hope it gets a fresh life on the newer generation consoles.
Fallout 3
(PEGI 18) PS3, Xbox 360, PC
While the first two Fallouts hinted at a vast wasteland, this third instalment truly opened them up for players to explore. Released in 2008, it was the first to have developer Bethesda at the helm.
It opened up the first-person perspective and moved the action from 2D to 3D.
Set in 2277 in the Capital Wasteland – the radioactive remains of Washington DC, it followed an inhabitant of Vault 101 who ventures out into the wasteland in search of their father after he mysteriously disappears. This game features some of the franchise’s most memorable moments, playing out to a fantastic soundtrack.
I really hope it gets a fresh life on the newer generation consoles Cheryl on Fallout New Vegas
Fallout Shelter
(PEGI 12) PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android
Bear with me on this one. First released on iOS in 2015, this free-toplay construction and management sim sees you building and managing your own fallout shelter.
Being a mobile game it obviously lacks the depth of previous Fallout titles, but it does provide plenty of pocket-sized fun.
As overseer you direct the Vault dwellers, and ensure the Vault has power, food, water and everything else your citizens need to stay happy and healthy.
The game has since had a release on PC, Xbox, Switch and PlayStation. It’s even available on Tesla vehicles.
Simple but effective, it’s great to dip in and out of during your commute to work.