Violence and crazy characters: The “Fallout” series is about a dark world after a nuclear war. It rarely does the game model justice.

Walton Goggins in Fallout Photo: Prime Video/ap

What remains after nuclear war? What remains if the nations of the world decide to press the red button? When diplomacy no longer generates dialogue and mushrooms form on the horizon?

In the “Fallout” series, atomic clouds light up the horizon early on before darkening the world. People take refuge in “vaults”, underground shelters in which they build their own society. Lucy (Ella Purnell) knows nothing but her blue and yellow Vault 33 jumpsuit and everyday life with painted skies and artificial meadows.

She is part of a collective whose main goal is self-preservation and repopulating the earth. That is why everyone must also have a benefit for society. Lucy is supposed to reproduce for the good of humanity. The façade of everyday life is maintained until her father is kidnapped from the Vault and she has to find him at her expense. For the first time in her life and 219 years after the nuclear war, she sees the world above. Or rather, the Wasteland that remains.

In addition to Lucy, “Fallout” also follows Black Maximus (Aaron Moten), who grew up on the surface and has a dream. He wants to join the Brotherhood of Steel, a cross between the US military and soldiers with oversized silver armor and enormous firepower.

Despite the atomic bombs (or perhaps because of them), militarism survived with the Brotherhood. For people in armor it has become a religion. They believe in strength, toughness, weapons and hierarchy, they are new recruits and celebrate sacred rites.

Predictable characters

The Brotherhood of Steel will use any means necessary to save what remains of the world. Machiavellianism seems indelible even after the nuclear attack. But Maximus quickly realizes that the brotherhood does not meet his expectations and breaks away. He too moves through the shattered Wasteland, encountering crazy characters and, finally, Lucy.

The series is based on the video game series of the same name, which has cult status. Since 1997, six main games and several spin-offs have been released. “Fallout 3” from 2008 and “Fallout: New Vegas” from 2010 are particularly considered milestones.

The Amazon series captures the atmosphere believably. Despite his qualities, he cannot match the game. This is also because it has the advantage of interactive storytelling. Players can explore the hostile world at their own pace. When you find a skeleton in the middle of nowhere with a gun and a suicide note, it tells its own story. In games, moral boundaries disappear quickly.

There you can join fascist or democratic groups and resolve conflicts diplomatically or with a firearm. The series cannot portray such tensions. Instead, the audience follows characters who often act in predictable ways.

If we ignore the lackluster special effects, what's left is an entertaining series that builds on gameplay but doesn't offer its depth.