I first discovered the Nuclear wasteland roughly 10 years ago. Before that journey I was enamoured with Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and pretty much every simulation and city game on the planet. Eventually, as I became more insatiable for choice-based RPGs I tried Oblivion and Skyrim. While I didn’t hate them, and loved modding Skyrim on PC, these games weren’t the it I had been searching for… until I heard Liam Neeson in Fallout 3. I’m not even the world’s biggest Neeson fan, but his involvement told me that this was going to be something special.

Thanks dad!

I think Fallout 3 in particular is relevant to the TV show because it highlights the journey we face in 3. A young vault-dweller who has never experienced the outside world suddenly finds her/himself off in the wastes, a cruel world, searching for the person she loves most (using she from now on, as I am a she).

What surprised me most about the show is how much it captured the feelings of Fallout. Every song, every choice of dialogue, and every absurd and violent act carried out. A young woman cutting a head off? Dogmeat? Hell, we even got to see the game’s hacking terminal as Norm explored the vaults.

I will admit that for months and maybe even years when I heard there was going to be a Fallout show I stuck my fingers in my ears and pretended it wasn’t happening. I’ve been burned by videogame/books  to TV shows and movies more times than I can count, so I had no interest in considering it. Then, the show launched and I was painfully curious. So, my husband and I (we both have played Fallout) tuned in and we were immediately entranced. The hardest part about writing about this show is coming up with things I actually want to criticize. I love the Ghoul. I love the actor choices. I love that we have a throwback of Linus from Lost, which helps cement this as not only a true Fallout experience, but a scifi to be taken seriously whether you enjoy gaming or not.

Lucy is incredibly enjoyable, Maximus is great, too. The power armour looked amazing. The wastes were simultaneously gorgeous and eerie. The Ghoul is an incredible character whom I’d personally love to have in my party–step aside Nick Valentine, there’s a new Ghoul in town. If I had to review this show, I’d give it 10 bottle caps out of 5.

I’m on my way back to New Vegas… and so are Lucy and the Ghoul?

I am pretty sure most of my gaming payment habits are rebuying Fallout, Mass Effect, Skyrim (despite never fully completing it), and Dragon Age for every system I own…

Although, I suspect this will be us waiting…