Ever since watching the Fallout show, I can’t get enough of it. The show was my introduction to its world, and the ending only inspired me to dive deeper in the worlds of the video games that inspired the show. Everything from the evils of Vault-Tec to the eccentric characters fascinated me. Clearly I’m not alone — the game series received an influx of players following the release of the show — but not everyone can commit to playing the games. It can be a massive time investment and even require hundreds of mods to play. Luckily for me, I’ve found a great way to experience the games without actually playing them: Watching clips on TikTok.
I can already hear the groans from seasoned fans — that’s valid! — since watching short videos about specific quests, locations, or characters doesn’t at all replace actually playing the game. But now I get to see a highlight reel from the people who put those hundreds of hours into the game and learn about the series in way that’s tailored towards the viewers of the show. For example, the video below shows an undetonated bomb in Fallout 3’s Megaton and discusses theories on who first dropped the bombs — which the show directly addresses.
Clips like the above allow me to learn about the world as it’s presented in the game series and can also give additional information about the lore of the game. Sure, I could go and read Wikis on the game, but that’s just not as fun. In the below clip, we can learn about a guy who runs the radio — a role played by Fred Armisen in the show — and what happens if you kill the radio guy in the game. (Spoilers: It’s funny.)
Even if I were to put the time and effort into the games, it wouldn’t guarantee that I’ll get to go and see everything I want in a perfect way. Like, I could play, but I might not know how funny the result would be if I killed the radio host. In other examples, people have just been really good at highlighting goofy moments. The clip below talks about a mysterious cult that formed around the Gravitron theme park ride.
People also just pull hilarious stunts in the games that I wouldn’t have the time or patience to pull off. Like this person, who collects dozens of Protectrons to defend against an invasion from the The Brotherhood of Steel in Fallout 4.
Prior to the show, I might have scrolled past these videos, and TikTok’s algorithm might have taken that as a sign I wasn’t interested in that content. However, now, the show has given me just enough knowledge to contextualize the big moments shown in the clips. The videos hit a sweet spot where I know enough to understand the clips and can recognize certain sects or recurring characters, but I don’t know so much that none of it surprises me. All in all, it’s been an enjoyable way to learn more about the games, and I’d recommend poking around on TikTok if you’re looking to scratch that Fallout itch.
