Fallout (computer game)
Fallout is a computer role-playing game published in 1997 by Interplay and 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 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 done.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.
The protagonist of the first game is a descendant of those that managed to find solace in government contracted fallout shelters known as Vaults. The year the game takes place is 2161, somewhere in Northern California in Vault 13. In it, the Vaults 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 and find a new water chip. Eventually, the main character learns of a graver threat to not only his vault, but the rest of civilization.
The second game takes place 80 years after the first.It tells the story of the original hero's descendant and his quest to save his tribe from starvation by finding an ancient environmental restoration machine.
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.
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 skin tight jumpsuit with a yellow line running down the center of the chest and along the belt area, though the main character's apperence will change 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 Max in Road Warrior. Also, the armor featured on the cover of the game is Power Armor, which is mentioned under the Mecha entry.
The Fallout games are famous for their 'Easter Eggs', i.e. little special encounters you randomly come across. Fallout unfortunately is also notorious for being notoriously buggy out of the box, one is advised to patch the game before playing.
The song that plays during the Introductory scene 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.