Fallout TV Show Does This One Thing The Games Never Could

The Fallout TV series premieres today, April 10, and it does something no Fallout game ever has. This story contains spoilers for the TV and game series.

Speaking to Tech Radar, Bethesda boss Todd Howard said the games “could never” go back to the past and reveal what the world was like before the bombs went off. But the TV series does this. The first seven minutes of Episode 1 depict The Great War and all it entailed.

“The big [change] was exploring the past,” Howard said. “In our [mine and creator Jonathan Nolan’s] initial conversations, we knew we wanted to tell a new story that feels like a new chapter in the Fallout series, much like we do with the games, where each one has its own geography and story, but still has all of the hallmarks of previous titles.”

Howard said exploring the past in this way was “one thing we could never do in the games.” He said he’s proud of how Nolan and the team brought this to life in the TV series.

“The way [Nolan] and everyone else has explored what the US was like, what’s the threat of the atomic bomb and what will people do if a nuclear war happens, what’s the Red Scare, who’s Vault-Tec… they brought all this fabulous history and lore to Fallout,” Howard said. “All these things then affect the present day characters in the show, so it was a treat for me and everyone at Bethesda who has worked on Fallout to think ‘Oh, this is really fresh, but it’s also quintessential Fallout.'”

GameSpot’s Fallout TV show review scored the eight-episode series a 7/10. “The show makes a lot of hay from the weird and goofy setting of the game series, and does a great job of filling it with fun, fascinating people,” reviewer Phil Hornshaw said.

All eight episodes arrive today, April 10, at 6:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM ET on Prime Video. For more, check out the gallery below to find out everything you need to know, including how to watch Fallout on Prime Video. You can also grab a bunch of free Fallout games on Prime Gaming right now.

Looking ahead, Prime Video may already be moving ahead with plans for Fallout Season 2, though it’s still early days and nothing is locked down yet.