Fallout (computer game)

Fallout is a computer role-playing game produced by Tim Cain and published by Interplay in 1997. The game is an unofficial sequel to Wasteland, but it could not use that title as Electronic Arts held the rights to it. There were two role-playing titles in the series, one squad-based tactical combat spinoff, and one console shooter: Fallout and Fallout II, both RPGs, and Fallout Tactics, and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, respectively. Fallout 3 (codenamed "Van Buren") was in production in 2003, but was cancelled by Interplay despite being nearly complete. The Fallout franchise was acquired by Bethesda Softworks in 2004, and a new Fallout 3 project is currently in development.

Storyline

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

The background story of Fallout involves a 'what-if' scenario where the United States tries to devise fusion power resulting in a hegemonic United States that has 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 the game takes place in.

Fallout

The protagonist of the first game is a descendant of those that managed to find solace in government contracted fallout shelters known as the Vaults. The year the game takes place is 2161, somewhere in Southern California in Vault 13. In it, the Vault's Water Chip, which controls the water recycling and pumping machinery for the vault, has malfunctioned. This results in the player character being selected to leave the vault with minimal supplies, a handgun and a small amount of ammunition to find a new water chip. Eventually, the main character learns of a graver threat to not only his vault, but the rest of civilization.

Fallout 2

The second game takes place 80 years after the first. It tells the story of the original hero's descendant and his or her quest to save their primitive tribe from starvation by finding an ancient environmental restoration machine known as the Garden of Eden Creation Kit.

The fact that in both games the character is raised in an isolated community works nicely with the plot structure, allowing the character to be as ignorant about the game world as the player would be and explaining why the map you start with is almost completely unexplored.

Mutations And Their Causes

Radioactive fallout has resulted in rampant genetic mutation. However, before and during The War a new genetic weapon was developed: Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV). FEV has apparently caused more mutation than the radiation.

Influences

Fallout draws much from 50s Pulp magazine science fiction and superhero comic books. For example, computers have no transistors and use vacuum tubes; energy weapons exist and resemble those used by Flash Gordon. The Vault Dweller's main style of dress is a blue skintight jumpsuit with a yellow line running down the center of the chest and along the belt area, though the main character's appearance changes while wearing armor.

Fallout also draws minor influences from other sources. One of the initial armors available in the game is the one sleeved leather jacket, which bears a resemblance to the jacket worn by Mad Max in The Road Warrior. Also, the armor featured on the cover of the game is powered armor.

The Fallout games are famous for their 'Easter Eggs', i.e. humorous special encounters you randomly come across whilst out wandering the wastelands. While the first game mostly had influences to the 1950s and 1960s pop-culture (Dr Who, Godzilla), in Fallout 2 there are many references to Star Trek, The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy and Monty Python; some fans of the first game think that there are too many of them in the sequel.

Trivia

The song that plays during the Introductory sequence in Fallout is entitled 'Maybe' and is sung by a band called Ink Spots. The song in Fallout 2 is 'A Kiss to Build a Dream On' by Louis Armstrong.

Three key members behind the original Fallout (Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky and Jason Anderson) left Interplay in 1998 and founded Troika Games.