Fallouthas been a popular franchise for years, featuring its apocalyptic nuclear wastelands with survivors generally starting in Vaults created by the US government and Vault-Tec. While the taglines for these Vaults were to save members of society from nuclear war, the actual purposes were far more nefarious. EarlierFalloutentries focused on the experiments and evils of the Vaults, but later entries saw the Vaults taken over by different factions.Fallout 5should return to its roots and renew its focus on the horrors of the Vaults.
Launched in 1997 withFallout, the series is known for its apocalyptic settings within the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd centuries that usually involve an inhabitant of one of the famous Vaults setting out in the future irradiated wastelands of the former United States.Falloutrevels in its atompunk and retro-futuristic art style, heavily influenced by 1950s aesthetics and nuclear technology that become hallmarks for the franchise.
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Vaults in the Fallout Series
The concept of the Vault network dates back to the early 2050s inFallout, following the collapse of the United Nations due to the Resource Wars and the New Plague. To protect people from future possible atomic destruction, the US government enacted Project Safehouse in 2054. The plan was to create underground fallout shelters where people would survive not only the bombs butnuclear fallout and radiation until it was safeto return to the surface.
While many companies bid for the contract,Vault-Tec Corporation eventually won, with breakthroughs in construction techniques allowing the Vaults and gigantic underground bunkers to be rapidly built. While most were built to specification, several Vaults were outsourced to other companies, resulting in their eventual failures. The government, poverty-stricken due to the different wars, used junk bonds to pay for the construction. Meanwhile, much of these national defense bunkers were kept secret under the New Amended Espionage Act.
Vault-Tec built its Vaults under the Societal Preservation Program, with most completed by 2063. While several control Vaults were constructed for their intended purpose - to save people - many were made with knowledge from Vault-Tec and a shadow government that took control of Project Safehouse to perform social experiments on its inhabitants.TheseFalloutVaults rangedfrom minor annoyances to outright lethality. Some weren’t provided with enough food, some were all men, while others were designed to open early.
Earlier entries in theFalloutseries dealt with the repercussions of these ominous secrets involving the Vaults, the people who ran them, and the Enclave - the shadow government that survived the Great War and sought to establish control over the former United States. While much of the earlier installments dealt with the West Coast,Fallout: New Vegassaw players within the areas surrounding Las Vegas, whileFallout 3and4focused on the East Coast.
Vaults in Fallout 4
The latest entry in theFalloutseries wasFallout 4, an open-world game with RPG elements, albeit less so than past games. Due to the player character’s speaking role with an established backstory, many players feltFallout 4lacked traditional RPG qualities, while the world, story, and crafting were praised. Furthermore, the fiveVaults featured inFallout 4focus more on the enemies or factions that have taken them over, with little attention paid to their true horrific purposes.
Vault 111 is the starting Vault inFallout 4, located north of Sanctuary Hills. Players were ushered into cryogenic tubes upon entry, with studies planned to see how its inhabitants survived extended cryogenic sleep. The player character’s spouse is killed, and their infant son is abducted, setting the story in motion. Other featured Vaults include Vault 75, 81, 95, and 114, all designed with human experimentation.
Vault 75 ushered in parents, teachers, and students, killing the adults instantly and separating the children for further study. Vault 75’s goal was to study and strengthen the gene pool, testing the children and disposing of inferior genes. By the time ofFallout 4, the Gunners have made Vault 75 their stronghold. Meanwhile, Vault 81 involved an Overseer who was horrified by its planned experiments and sought to stop it until realizing the US government sanctioned everything. Isolating the scientists meant to administer the tests, the Overseer decided to keep its inhabitants ignorant. ByFallout 4, the Vault had already been opened and established communications and trade with the outside world.
Vault 95 saw individuals addicted toFalloutChemsas residents, promising rehabilitation for their addictions. A stash of Chems was introduced to test the subjects, resulting in chaos and violence. InFallout 4’s timeline, the Vault is also under the control of the Gunners as a base, with several Assaultrons and Mr. Gutsies. Vault 114 was designed to house wealthy inhabitants and subject them to as much discomfort as possible - the opposite of their lifestyles - to see how and when they would break. WithinFallout 4, a Mafia-styled gang hunting Nick Valentine has taken up residence in the Vault.
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Vaults in Future Installments Should Return to Antagonistic Roots
As evident,Fallout 4saw the most deviation from the intended purpose of the Vaults. While their natures were explored, other groups had already inhabited the Vaults and used them for their ends. While their original goals illicit a sense of fear and disgust, the earlierentries in theFalloutseriesfocusing on the Vaults still operating under their intended experiments promise greater threats and intrigue.
WithFallout 5announced by Bethesda, returning to these earlier incarnations would create a breath of fresh air for the series. A total of 122 Vaults were built, with only 17 meant to act as intended. This opens the door to lots of rich and intricate storytelling, not only among the inhabitants of one or more Vaults but also potential conflicts between the control Vaults and those designed for human experimentation.
