The Fallout TV show is something a lot of fans have been waiting for, and with good reason. The success of live-action adaptations such as The Last of Us showed us that we don’t need to worry every time a director wants to adapt a beloved franchise.
With the show receiving mostly positive reviews, one would think Nolan and Howard have knocked it out of the park. But, as with everything, there are going to be detractors. One section of fans has taken issue with a particular narrative choice that might have negated a titular installment in the franchise.
Fallout TV Show Retcons a Game in the Series to the Annoyance of Fans
Ask a fan of the games their favorite in the series, and you’re mostly going to find Fallout: New Vegas somewhere on the list. The game is often the entry point into the franchise and has also been called the best in the series. It is also the only game in the series to be developed by Obsidian Entertainment. Many fans believe that doesn’t sit well with Todd Howard.
I can promise you that New Vegas being rendered completely non-canon by a bad TV show no one will remember in 3 months is entirely the product of a spiteful, self-important writer wanting to destroy something beloved. Bethesda is probably apathetic about the whole thing. pic.twitter.com/QXqDKFxo4H
— Bekay (@kinpatsukenshi) April 11, 2024
Since the series was released, people have been complaining about the retconning of New Vegas in the story. In the show, the New California Republic had already fallen to the Brotherhood of Steel. The issue is that the timelines don’t add up. In the show, the fall has already occurred by 2277, whereas in the game, the Battle of Hoover Dam happened in that year.
Fans of the game believe this is a deliberate attempt by Howard and the writers to bury its story in Fallout. Many feel the popularity of the game, which overshadows all the games made by Bethesda, doesn’t sit well with Howard. This is at odds with Howard calling it a great game in interviews.
And honestly Todd is in the spitefully self-important category. Considering he’s a huge fan of the BOS and has a massive complex about NV, the game he didn’t make, being the most popular and loved fallout game. So the perfect chance for him to bury it for his “prestige project”
— Robin from the ashes 🏳️⚧️ (@RMalleusReborn) April 11, 2024
I am quite confident that Bethesda's Fallout writers are spiteful at New Vegas' staying power. None of the Bethesda FO games have coherent stories, and it likely irks them that they'd never be able to make a New Vegas.
— Trashlord Fuckbath (@TrashlordFuckb1) April 11, 2024
Regardless, fans are convinced Bethesda is out to stifle memory and talk of New Vegas as much as possible, and some even say that’s why there is no mention of the game’s events in Fallout 4. The decision to eradicate the New California Republic is not helping Bethesda beat the hate train allegations anytime soon.
Netizens Call Fallout a Forgettable Show Out of Anger
The decision has drawn the ire of many fans, with people calling the TV series bad and even forgettable. Nolan’s decision to create an entirely new story may have stuck true to the ethos of Fallout, but some decisions have not landed as he may have wished.
The series does manage to capture the horrific and desperate circumstances we have come to know and love in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Leaving the security of the Vault behind, Lucy, our protagonist, embarks on her journey in much the same way as many players, just that Lucy’s journey might have a few more laughs.
Season two has already been confirmed for the series and will feature the same cast as we see currently. So, whether some fans like it or not, the retconning of their favorite game in the series is now canon to the show.
What do you think of this creative decision made by the creators? Let us know in the comments!
