Fallout: A Nuclear Romance (Part 1)

By Cailin Reedy

A male hero and his companion Dogmeat set out for the Commonwealth's wasteland in Bethesda's "Fallout 4."

The "Fallout" series is perhaps one of the most expansive open-world video game franchises in existence. Its virtual maps span more than half of the United States, allowing players to explore vast expanses of the irradiated American wilderness and the settlements that have sprung from broken 1960s cityscapes.

As I’ve noted before, our culture has a weird fascination with the apocalypse, especially the apocalypse as a leveling factor that facilitates adventure and heroism. But the environmental impact isn’t something that’s often readily discussed among such fan bases, especially in a video game series such as "Fallout" where radiation damage can be easily mitigated through medicine. Disturbingly mutated humans and animals are a common occurrence in the Wasteland.

The newest game in the franchise, "Fallout 4," is no exception.  It takes place in an area called the Commonwealth, or what used to be the cities of Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. "Fallout 3" included the nearby Capital Wasteland, the irradiated remains of Washington D.C. and its surrounding territories. Like the other games, "Fallout 4" contains a huge variety of Atomic Age science fiction tropes as well as postmodern takes on such ideas.

But the idea that nuclear warfare is cool endures. The apocalypse is not something to prevent in such games, unless it suits the player’s whims to keep the Wasteland from becoming any worse over the course of the game. The natural environment is already ruined, and though at key points in the game the player may be given some sway over whether general living conditions become worse in the area, the damage is already done. In some cases, such as in a recent update, players can even further destroy the environment.

With the endurance of a franchise built on the smoldering ruins of a postmodern nuclear wasteland, it’s doubtful that environmentalism will enter into "Fallout" any time soon.