When it comes to Fan Fiction there is often two types. One is an earnest, almost pathological attempt to stay true to the universe and the other is often a story of something that would never happen in the universe, but uses the universe as window dressing. In between those two are the best of the Fan Fiction that really build on the universe and create their own story.
Fallout: Revelation shows great promise to be this third type. Though we’ve only seen Part 1 of the 3-part pilot, it is clear that this is not your average Fan Fiction. Right off you notice that there are clearly elements of the Fallout universe in the story, but the MechanicalCake crew was not afraid to use slightly different settings and looks. The pilot doesn’t look like an attempt to be a live action version of the game, but instead very quickly establishes itself as being something different, but grounded in Fallout.
Part of the magic here is the absolutely amazing cinematography. The landscape, ocean and night sky shots are stunning and colorful, which would never happen in a Fallout game, but are shot with a surreal aspect to them that helps with the eerie otherworldly feel. The CGI is high quality, though a bit out of place at times. The CGI is noticeable, but it’s not poor or cheesy. It’s far better than what you would expect from Fan Fiction, but it is apparent that the show has budget constraints even modern technology can’t erase.
If you are a fan of Fallout you will recognize this world, if you are fan of science fiction you will be drawn to this world. Check it out!
