Fallout: New Vegas designer slams Amazon Prime Video adaptation
Fallout: New Vegas senior designer Chris Avellone says he feels "embarrassed" by parts of Amazon's Fallout TV series, arguing the show's writing does not live up to the quality of the games.
Fallout: New Vegas designer Chris Avellone has criticised Amazon Prime Video's live-action adaptation of Fallout, admitting he feels "embarrassed" by some of the show's writing despite praising its cast.
The veteran writer and designer, whose credits include Fallout 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Divinity: Original Sin 2, shared his thoughts during an appearance on Insider Gaming's Access Granted podcast.
Avellone singled out stars Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell for praise, saying their performances helped bring authenticity to the post-apocalyptic series.
He said: "Seeing Walton Goggins in Fallout was amazing. He added a lot of legitimacy to the show. Ella Purnell too, she just has the right features and delivery for being a naïve vault dweller with a little bit of steel in there."
However, he believes the scripts failed to match the quality of the source material.
Contrasting the series with Netflix's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which he described as "really cool", Avellone said: "I do kinda wish the writing for TV shows like that, where they're mimicking a game, was elevated a little bit.
"I've got no problems there but sometimes I just wish the script quality on the Fallout TV show was a little higher. I feel embarrassed when I see some of the lines being done, but it's a fun show."
Avellone added that he attempted to watch the second season but gave up early.
He said: "I got to the beginning of episode three and couldn't take it anymore. That show just wasn't coming through for me. I'm over 50, I have to make oxygen choices for what to do with my time."
The designer suggested the issue lies with some Hollywood writers failing to appreciate the work of the original game developers.
He said: "For some of them, it's really easy to dismiss that work and go in their own direction.
"They just want to rush off and do their own take... They want to make it their own. They want to be able to reference their own lore and context, because it's just easier, but it creates a lot of missed opportunities."
Amazon has already renewed Fallout for a third season, with star Aaron Moten previously suggesting the adaptation could ultimately run for as many as six seasons.
Meanwhile, Bethesda Game Studios is continuing work on Fallout 5.
Studio director Todd Howard has confirmed the next mainline game will acknowledge the events of the television series, saying the project will exist "in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening."
