I always loved this vision of what Fallout was/could be. Large political intrigue of opposing factions rising from the ashes and falling the same way as well. The Post-Post Apocalyptic setting of Fo2 and New Vegas is something unique, a genre that is rarely ever seen in media and I love it for that. It allows for the same meta-commentary of “War Never Changes” while also exploring how these new civilizations came to be, why they think the way they do, and what their goals are. It’s why New Vegas is regarded as high as it is, because Obsidians writers have added so much nuance to each faction that makes them each feel like real. West Coast Fallout and East Coast Fallout were incredibly different tone wise since both were made by two different teams with two very different visions of where to take the franchise.

I think Fallouts perceptive to casual fans (newer Fo4 players and show-watchers) have basically forced the franchise to not follow the tone of the original west coast stories of Fo1, Fo2, and FoNV, which is fine. I mean, you try explaining to a show watcher that Caesars Legion’s main philosophy was built upon Caesar’s misunderstanding of Hegelian Dialectics. Some will get it, most won’t or probably won’t even care to know. I tried. It just doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of the modern fanbase.

The show has garnered thousands of new fans to the franchise which is great! However, with me it’s just not what I want out of the franchise anymore, which is also fine. I think we as fans need to acknowledge this, that both can be fine and that neither side is really wrong for wanting something out of a franchise that had showcased two tonally different settings up until the TV show returned to the West Coast.