Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. 219 years after the apocalypse, a peaceful denizen from a cozy fallout shelter is forced to return to the surface — and is shocked to discover the wasteland waiting for her.

A television series created by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, based on the long-running role-playing video game franchise of the same name first published in 1997.

Decades after a nuclear war devastated the world, the Vault Dweller, the hero of the 1997 game “Fallout,” lives in an underground shelter from the mid-22nd century. This world is both post-apocalyptic, ravaged by the war, and retro-futuristic, clinging to remnants of the past with a futuristic twist.

In “Fallout,” your role as the Vault Dweller is critical. The vault’s water purification system malfunctions, and you’re tasked with venturing out into the perilous wasteland. Your mission: find a replacement water chip. Your success determines the fate of the entire vault community – their survival rests on your shoulders. As you explore the wasteland, you’ll encounter other survivors and engage in combat to overcome challenges.

Hailed as a masterpiece, Fallout is often credited with igniting a renewed interest in the role-playing video game genre. The fate of the Fallout franchise shifted in 2007 when Bethesda Softworks acquired the rights from Interplay. This paved the way for Fallout 3, published in 2008, the first game in the series developed by Bethesda.

Set in a post-nuclear war Los Angeles, the Fallout television series promises an original story within the Fallout universe, featuring iconic locations from the games. The series aims to capture the essence of the games while offering a fresh narrative experience, blending dark humor, post-apocalyptic survival, and the deep lore of the Fallout universe.

In 2054, fearing a future catastrophe, the U.S. government launches a nationwide project to build Fallout Shelters known as Vaults. Designed by Vault-Tec Corporation, these shelters are supposedly public shelters, each capable of supporting up to a thousand people. While the need calls for around 400,000 Vaults, only 122 are commissioned and constructed. Each Vault is self-sufficient, theoretically able to sustain its inhabitants indefinitely.

In 2077, after entertaining birthday party guests for Bob Spencer’s son, actor Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) and his daughter Janey (Teagan Meredith) are caught in the middle of a nuclear attack against Los Angeles. Bob (Mike Doyle) takes his wife (Janie Brookshire) and his son Roy (Mason Cufari) into their Fallout Shelter. The guests, panicking, flee in their car, while Cooper hops on his horse with his daughter, attempting to outrun the blast, knowing it was a futile effort.

219 years later, Vault 33 Dweller Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), unable to find a suitable marriage partner outside her family, volunteers for an arranged marriage with Vault 32 Dweller Monty (Cameron Cowperthwaite). Overseer of Vault 32, Hank MacLean (Kyle MacLachlan), welcomes the Vault 33 visitors led by Lee Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) to the wedding ceremony and party.

With unclear motives, the Vault 33 visitors reveal themselves to be raiders from the surface and launch a brutal attack on the Vault 32 residents. It seems the raiders managed to infiltrate the supposedly impenetrable Vault 33 and disguised themselves as Dwellers. They capture Hank and take him with them before detonating a bomb to ensure no one can follow them.

With her father kidnapped, Lucy urges the council to send a search team to rescue him. But her request is dismissed, as the council asserts that opening the outer door would create more risk to the Vault. Their priority now is to maintain the Vault’s security. With the help of her younger brother Norm (Moises Arias) and the Gatekeeper Chet (Dave Register), Lucy manages to get to the surface in order to find her father.

On the surface, we’re introduced to a new character named Maximus, a rookie soldier raised in the Brotherhood of Steel, who has a cynical sense of self-preservation. He is promoted to the rank of squire after his fellow aspirant was injured by a mysterious razor blade someone intentionally put in his boot. His job now is to assist the Brotherhood in their search to acquire a target, a denizen of the Enclave who has escaped. The target is believed to possess an artifact of profound potential that could destroy the nation.

The Brotherhood of Steel (BoS) is a post-War technology-focused paramilitary order with chapters operating across the territory of the former United States. Maintaining and regulating advanced technology is the Brotherhood’s mission. To avoid another apocalypse, they acquire technology because they believe humanity cannot be trusted to destroy itself. The Brotherhood, despite their isolationism, has been a key wasteland organization.

But the Brotherhood of Steel is not the only party looking for the runaway Enclave denizen. A group of bounty hunters release the Ghoul (Walton Goggins) who has been captured and buried alive, hoping it would assist them in acquiring the target, leading to a lucrative reward. But the Ghoul never intended to help them. Instead, the Ghoul manages to kill them all and start hunting for the target on its own.

Fallout takes its time establishing its world and central mystery. The initial episodes might feel sluggish, however, this slow burn allows the series to excel.

While the main narrative simmers, Fallout unfolds a rich tapestry of character-driven side stories. We delve into the lives of various vault dwellers, their struggles, and their secrets. These subplots not only flesh out the world but also keep the audience engaged with unexpected twists and turns.

The series masterfully uses smaller, unexpected reveals to keep you hooked. These “little twists” could be anything from uncovering a hidden agenda amongst seemingly loyal characters to discovering unsettling truths about the Vault’s history. They act like breadcrumbs, leading you deeper into the larger conspiracy without giving away the whole picture at once.

For viewers who appreciate a slow burn with a focus on character development and a world full of secrets waiting to be unraveled, Fallout offers a rewarding experience. It’s similar to the games, where players enjoy surprising and captivating side quests that sometimes take precedence over the main mission.

Fallout premiered on Prime Video on 10 April 2024.