Todd Howard surprised a crowd assembled for the exclusive Starfield Gamescom demo with a first look at the upcoming Fallout TV show in action. In the footage seen by GamesRadar+, we got flashes of the ambitious Amazon Prime project – the world as it was pre-war, the hot flash of nuclear explosions tearing cities apart, and some stunningly recreated Fallout characters and locations.
Before showing the footage, Howard spoke of his admiration of writer Jonathan Nolan, and spoke passionately about their collaboration on the show. "One of the movies which inspired Starfield is the movie Interstellar, written by Jonathan Nolan – he goes by Jonah. I got to know Jonah, and I always wanted to make a Fallout TV show! So I talked to Jonah about it and we have been making the Fallout TV show that's coming, and we thought we would give you a sneak peek."
Sadly, Howard did confirm that Bethesda "don't ever plan on putting out" this "very early" look at the show in action, but did tease that bigger looks at the show will be coming soon. So, given that this footage may never see the light of day, what should I tell you about?
There were three scenes which really caught my attention: A wall of Brotherhood of Steel soldiers marching against a stark background, the suits rich with detail – rendered as you remember them from the game. There was the tease of one of the most iconic Fallout scenes, as a Vault Dweller held their hand to their face to shield their eyes against the sun as they stepped from a vault for the first time, with an Overseer slamming it closed behind them. And then there was the shootout in a western-inspired town, with the camera pulling focus on a gunslinging ghoul in a cowboy hat.
Honestly, when I learned that a Fallout TV show was in production I was hesitant. It seems like the sort of thing that would be difficult to get right – and we all saw how quickly Westworld began to drag its feet. But this very early tease showed an understanding and respect of the source material, and a willingness to play with the Fallout vibe in a way that really impressed me. Naturally, there's still a lot more to see, and I can't wait to see it all when the show launches in 2024.
Take a look at our new TV shows guide for a look at everything else awaiting us next year.
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