Given the success of the recent Fallout TV series on Amazon Prime – it’s very good by the way – there has never been a better time to dive into the world of Fallout. Whether you are a newbie to the series or a veteran returning to the franchise, however, it can be hard to follow exactly where in time and space the events of the game and show take place. That is where this handy little refresher will come in…
When does the Fallout series start?
NOTE: Naturally, there are major spoilers for the entire Fallout franchise ahead, but you can just look at the sub-heads if you are simply looking for the best chronological order to approach things. It’s worth noting, however, that some parts are interwoven, so keep that in mind.
The 1950’s. Alright, so the Fallout series technically starts later than this, and we’ll get to that, but, because it’s essentially set in an alternate version of our world, we should explain that those differences start taking place in the 1950s, with the main split between our realities taking place in 1969. Ironically, that’s when the USA of Fallout also splits, and it becomes 13 commonwealths instead of 50 states.
From here, the technological worlds of robotics and weaponry advance at a pace that far outstrips our own, although, for some reason, no new music ever pops up – weird. This arms race is in preparation for the perceived nuclear war that’s on the horizon – mirroring the Cold War fears in our reality – except in the world of Fallout, it’s more than just a distant fear. Instead, it becomes something that everyone comes to accept as inevitable, leading to the creation of the Vault-Tec Corporation. It’s on their shoulders that the future of humanity rests as they begin their work to build 122 of their nuclear fallout vaults across America to shield citizens from the effects of nuclear war (oh, and to conduct outlandish and highly illegal experiments – which is a running narrative through the games and TV series).
Unsurprisingly, the inevitable eventually does happen with the bombs dropping in 2077 and kicking off the world of Fallout as we know it.
Fallout 4 Prologue – 2077
Despite being the second-most recent Fallout game, Fallout 4 kicks off with the bombs dropping and is the only time in the game you get to experience it directly. The opening has the traditional process of creating your character before you are rushed off to a nearby vault as the sirens blare. You get to experience the bombs falling as you’re going underground, and then you’re put into a cryogenic sleep. Goodnight, Vault Dweller.
This is also a period we flash back to regularly in the Fallout TV show – but we won’t spoil any of that.
Fallout 76 – 2102
The very first vault to open in the world of Fallout, Vault 76 – the setting of Fallout 76 – unleashes its vault dwellers onto the world in 2102 – 25 years after the bombs dropped. As you’ll likely know from the advertising, the game is set in West Virginia, and you’re tasked with helping to start America back on its path to healing following the nuclear apocalypse.
The only MMO in the series, Fallout 76’s main narrative sees everyone – including your character – tasked with the annihilation of the Scorched, a special ‘breed’ of mutant causing havoc in the wasteland and upsetting the planned settling of America. You can approach this however you see fit – as with any good Fallout game – but to do this properly, you’re meant to nuke them into non-existence because, as we have established, nobody in the world of Fallout respects how dangerous these weapons are. Being the most recent entry in the series – and somewhat of a ‘live service – the game is still evolving, but it’s a great way to see the beginnings of classic Fallout factions that we will grow to love/hate, like the Brotherhood of Steel.
Fallout – 2161
Fallout, or Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game, is technically the first entry in the series (released back in 1997) and is set 84 years after the bombs dropped. Emerging from Vault 13, you are tasked with finding a new water chip for your vault (a callback and potential plot point referencing this in the TV show) but because video games are rarely simple, you end up facing off against a being called The Master. Unsurprisingly, for a post-apocalyptic world, he wants to mutate humanity using a special virus that turns them into Super Mutants, because of reasons.
Naturally you, as the Vault Dweller, put a stop to this via whatever means suits you and try and return to Vault 13 with the new chip and, if you have done things “right”, a truckload of amazing achievements. In true Fallout style, however, you are refused entry because you are now considered too inspirational – typical.
Fallout Tactics – 2197
Fallout Tactics – or to give it its full name, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel – is the first spin-off game in the Fallout series and is dedicated solely to the Brotherhood of Steel. Set in 2197, it tells the story of the creation, development and rise of the iconic faction. Importantly, however, not all of the game’s plot is considered canon, despite some parts being referenced in later games, so if you’re just going for dedicated lore, you can sort of skip it (although it is a very good game).
Fallout 2 – 2241
Fallout 2 is set in 2241, which you’ll note is a fair bit after the original game and even longer since the bombs dropped (164 years, in fact). Interestingly, this game not only tells you what happened to the Vault Dweller from the first game, but you’ll actually get to play as one of their grandkids. You once again have to save your community – there is a theme developing – but rather than a water chip, this time you are seeking out a Garden of Eden Creation Kit (G.E.C.K) – a handy little Vault-Tec creation that allows for terraforming in the wasteland.
Throughout your travels, you’ll come across the New California Republic for the first time, another of Fallout’s iconic main factions, and then upon returning home encounter the Enclave, yet another of the series factions. They are trying to wipe out humanity – well, everyone but them – so you must save your home and the people in it by killing the President of the United States, who is the head of the Enclave. The game ends with you creating a brand-new community made up of Arroyo, the encampment area you grew up in, and Vault 13, where your grandaddy was from.
Fallout 3 – 2258-2277
Fallout 3 kicks off 181 years after the bombs dropped and allows you to experience life in Vault 101 during the prologue. You get to play through the beginning of your character’s life as you go through the first few years of your life, being fathered by Liam Neeson (well, a character voiced by him at least). Things start to go awry when you turn 19, however, and you wake up to find that your father has left Vault 101 and you must head out into the wasteland to find him.
In expected Fallout style, you find out a huge amount on your journey outside the vault, including plenty of secrets – for example, that your parents were actually part of a weird science experiment (who would have thought). You also end up in the middle of a war between the Enclave (them again) and the Brotherhood of Steel (again). Finally, you will have to find another G.E.C.K terraforming unit and defeat the Enclave (again) alongside an enormous robot called Liberty Prime. Look, we didn’t say Fallout wasn’t silly.
Fallout: New Vegas – 2281
Fallout: New Vegas (another spin-off entry in this series, but a full canon one this time) is set 204 years after the bombs dropped and sees you play as a courier who has to try and deliver a package to New Vegas (an area that survived the armageddon relative unscathed). As should be expected in a Fallout game by now, your journey doesn’t exactly go to plan, and you end up stuck between the New California Rebuplic and a new faction called Caesar’s Legion. This just keeps happening, doesn’t it?
Roundly regarded as one of the best games in the series, in New Vegas everything has an impact on the area in which the game is set and its six add-ons each show off a new area and add a new adventure for your courier. Importantly, there are actually four potential endings in Fallout: New Vegas based on who you decide to side with, so technically this could be considered another fracture to the timeline, but it’s localised for now.
Fallout 4 – 2287
We are post-prologue in the world of Fallout 4 now and a massive 210 years after the bombs dropped (and the setting of the game’s prologue). Whilst in cryosleep you accidentally see your wife murdered and your child stolen – something you look to avenge immediately upon waking up in Vault 111. Discovering you are the Sole Survivor of the vault, and seeking out your missing son, you head out once more into the wasteland where you will once again encounter many of the iconic factions as well as something new, Synths.
The long and short of all of this is that you’re not fully aware of how long it’s been since you witnessed your son’s abduction – a common issue with cryosleep – and it turns out that your son is now an old man who’s in the last few years of his life. In what is probably the weirdest nepotism hire, he wants you to continue the work he has started. The only problem is that the organization he created, the Institute, is all kinds of evil, so, unless you choose to join him, the ending actually has you destroying it by blowing up a nuclear reactor. Once again, when will they learn?
Fallout TV Show – 2296
And finally, we reach the Fallout TV Show itself – the furthest point in Fallout lore so far and an impressive 219 years after the bombs dropped. We’re not going to go into spoilers for what happens here but as mentioned at the top of this article, it’s worth noting that some elements of the series are set before all of the games. Go and watch it on Amazon Prime to find out more about Vault 33 and the main protagonist of the show, Lucy MacLean.
