Which Fallout Game Should Fans of the Series Play First (and Which Should They Avoid)
Amazon’s Fallout TV adaptation is one of the best screen adaptations ever made; it’s so great that even people who have never played Fallout or any other game are craving even more of the franchise’s unique atmosphere. If you’re the one who wants to dive into the Fallout gaming universe but don’t know where to start, read on for a list of which games to play first and what you need to know about Fallout before you start.
What you need to know about Fallout games before you start playing
There are many games in the Fallout universe, from six to nine depending on how you count them, but Amazon’s Fallout isn’t a direct adaptation of any of them. The series is an original, stand-alone story set in the wider Fallout universe, like each of the individual Fallout games, so you can play any game without missing out on important information. However, not all Fallout games are created equally, especially if you’re a fan of the series, so choose wisely.
Fallout 3 is the best, first Fallout game for fans of the Fallout series.
While the first two games spawned much of the franchise’s unique style, Fallout 3, the first “modern” Fallout game, turned the source material’s alternate history, atomic core design, and over-the-top dark humor into a masterpiece. Unlike the first two Fallout games, Fallout 3 is an action-packed first-person shooter with the same stunning, so-violent-it’s-cartoon-like style as the entire series. In other words: it’s fun.
The story of Fallout 3 is broadly similar to that of the series. Like Lucy in the series, the protagonist of Fallout 3 , the Lone Wanderer, was born in the Vault’s vault several generations after bombs destroyed the Earth. The game’s introductory section lets you experience the peaceful underground life of the series’ first episode, and then takes you to the unforgiving wasteland of Washington, D.C. in the year 2277, much like the second episode in Los Angeles circa 2296. As with Lucy, “The Lone Wanderer” is on a quest to find her father and encounter ghouls, the Brotherhood of Steel, mutated creatures and other familiar joys and terrors of the upper world. You’ll also learn more than you want to know about the Enclave, a faction briefly featured in the series during Dr. Ziggy Wilzig’s escape, and meet the Deathclaws and Super Mutants, who I’m sure will play prominent roles in the series’ second season.
Fallout 4 : The second best introductory Fallout game.
Fallout 4 is also a great starting point for new players. Released in 2015 during the era of the Xbox One and PS 4, Fallout 4 took advantage of these then-new consoles to expand and improve the Fallout universe. New England in Fallout 4 is a larger and more diverse world than in previous Fallout games. This is a more colorful and detailed game that is surprisingly similar to the series. The first chapter of Fallout 4 is set in a glitzy pre-apocalyptic suburb in 2077, reminiscent of Cooper Howard’s memories of adventures in pre-bombing Hollywood. When you get to 2287, the contrast is very similar to the series going to 2296. I won’t spoil anything, but Fallout 4’s starting vault makes a lot more sense if you know what happened in the series’ Vault 31. On the other hand, unlike the fast pace of Yao Guai in Fallout : The Show , Fallout 4 places a heavy emphasis on exploration, discovery, side quests, and colony building, so the story can feel a little boring. weak at times and easily distracted. Fallout 4’s next-gen free update for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 is scheduled for April 25, so now’s the time to try it out.
Fallout: New Vegas is my third choice, but it’s still a great first Fallout game.
Fallout: New Vegas takes place in the American West in the year 2281. This is a great choice if you’re a fan of the dusty cowboy atmosphere of Ghoul and want to learn more about the New California Republic, a faction led by the mysterious revolutionary Moldaver in the Fallout series, or you want to delve into the likely setting of the second season of the Amazon show.
New Vegas is rightfully considered the best Fallout game among avid fans of the franchise. It features more role-playing than other modern Fallout games, so it is more open and allows players to create more diverse characters and overcome challenges in different ways than Fallout 3 or Fallout 4 .
While New Vegas is certainly a great game, the characters and gritty setting didn’t grab me as much as other games. From a story perspective, I feel the least like this is a modern game series. But that’s probably just taste; it’s still a good introduction to the franchise.
Fallout Shelter : casual Fallout
If you want a super casual Fallout experience, try Fallout Shelter . This free game can be played on consoles, but is really designed to take a few minutes to complete on your iPhone or Android . In Shelter, you become the overseer of a Vault-Tech vault. You’re responsible for expanding your home/prison, bringing in new residents, and keeping everyone inside safe, sane, and radiation-free until it’s safe to return to the surface (which ever will be).
It may be a silly mobile game, but Fallout: Shelter is the only Fallout game to feature characters from the series. In a recent update, Lucy McLean, Maximus, Ghoul, and (for some reason) Ma Jun were added as “legendary denizens” that can appear and take up residence in your vault if you’re lucky enough to open the right lunchboxes. You can’t play for them, but you can see them, and I think so.
Don’t start with the first two Fallout games.
“Inception” might seem like the most logical place to start the series, but 1997’s Fallout and its sequel Fallout 2 are a poor starting point for most people, especially non-gamers. Both games are incredibly challenging, hardcore RPGs with turn-based combat and confusing old-school controls—fun for some, but harrowing for most. Sure, these are innovative and exciting games, but even if you manage to survive each game’s death-defying opening, they don’t provide the same feeling as the series; The running gameplay of Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4 is much closer to the series than the slow but deadly atmosphere of the earlier games. Plus, 3 , 4, and New Vegas have a Very Easy difficulty setting, so your fast-paced Fallout adventure won’t end in disappointment.
Don’t start with the most recent Fallout game, Fallout 76 .
While Fallout 76 won’t be as deadly as the first two games, it also isn’t the best place to dive into the world of Fallout. Fallout 76 , released in 2018 and set in Appalachia in 2102, is an online multiplayer game with a steep learning curve, MMO-style grinding and crafting, and an overall atmosphere different from the TV show and other games. It tries to provide a Fallout-like experience, but the addition of other players means you’re not really the main character, and the MMO-specific mechanics don’t translate well to Fallout. All this, plus the subpar writing and voice acting, makes Fallout 76 the least Fallout-like modern Fallout game.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel and Fallout Tactics: Bastards of the Fallout Universe
I’m an avid gamer, so I’m putting these two obscure, non-canonical Fallout games at the bottom of the list. I haven’t played them, but that’s okay; According to Todd Howard , director and executive producer of Bethesda Game Studios and executive producer of the Fallout series, “neither Fallout Tactics nor Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel happened.” doesn’t count, they don’t count. Skip them.