For a franchise that’s home to four mainline entries and five spinoffs, most of which were released years after one another, theFallouttimeline is surprisingly straightforward. Shortly after WW2, theFalloutuniverse diverges from our own, and atomic power becomes a much greater part of everyday life. In the year 2077, the Great War breaks out, seeing the world descend into nuclear chaos. TheFalloutgames pick up around 25 years later, beginning withFallout 76, and taking fans all the way to the year 2296 in the recently releasedFalloutAmazon show.
But just becauseFallout’s timelineis relatively straightforward doesn’t mean that each era has been explored equally. As should be expected from a franchise namedFallout, the vast majority of the series takes place after the bombs drop in 2077. Over the years, fans have gotten little teasers of pre-war life in theFalloutuniverse, but they’ve rarely seen it from the perspective of a playable character. But thanks to Amazon’sFallout, there’s a stronger case than ever forFallout 5to reveal a bit more about the timeline’s past.
There’s a Strong Case for Fallout 5 to Include Pre-War Sections
Fallout 4 Gave Fans a Hint of a Pre-War World
While there are plenty of lore tidbits related to pre-war life littered across theFalloutfranchise, one of the first proper explorations of this era came inFallout 4’s opening sequence. Set on the morning of July 11, 2025, players customize their character’s appearance and leisurely stroll around their house, taking in their retrofuturistic surroundings.
The player-character’s morning is interrupted by a knock at the door. AVault-Tec representativetells the player they’ve been granted admission into their local Vault. Moments later, a TV broadcast states that America is being attacked by nuclear weapons, and sirens soon begin to blare. The player dashes to Vault 111, and before they descend into its depths, they watch as the first bombs land in Boston.
Fallout 4’s opening sequence is a powerful juxtaposition between the calm of pre-war life and the chaos that came as soon as the bombs dropped.
Amazon’s Fallout Pulled The Curtain Back Even More
As a TV show,Amazon’sFalloutwas able to explore unique perspectives that can’t be so easily tackled in a video game format.Falloutdedicated quite a few of its episodes' runtime to showing pre-war life through the lens of Cooper Howard, an ex-marine-turned-Hollywood-star. Through Cooper’s eyes, fans got to see more of pre-war life than ever before, with the show peeling back the curtain on Vault-Tec’s shady intentions and how its plans came to fruition.
How Fallout 5 Could Handle Pre-War Sequences
The deeper exploration into pre-war life in Amazon’sFalloutand the brief tease inFallout 4have given some fans a desire to see even more from that era infutureFalloutprojects, and there are a few different ways the series could handle that. IfFallout 5wanted to keep exploring the pre-war era, it could have a few flashbacks throughout its runtime.
Taking inspiration from Amazon’sFallout,Fallout 5could have a player-character who’s lived a whole life before getting to a Vault, and before waking up in the post-apocalypse, much like the show’s Ghoul. This would allowFallout 5to have players experience some flashback missions that take placebefore the Great War. For instance, one flashback could see the player fighting in the Sino-American War, letting fans see the first version of the T-45 Power Armor in its original setting.
Fallout 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, invite you to the ambitious open world of Fallout 4. Do whatever you want in a massive Commonwealth with hundreds of locations, characters and quests.As the sole survivor of Vault 111, only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone - the choices are yours.From a Power Armor-toting soldier to the charismatic smooth-talker, be whoever you want with the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character system and develop your own playstyle from hundreds of Perks.Experience exciting first- or third-person combat with the dynamic Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S., targeting enemies for maximum tactical advantage (and cinematic carnage!) Collect, upgrade and build thousands of items with Fallout 4’s crafting system. Weapons, armor, food and with the right materials, even entire settlements are possible. Welcome home.
