Fallout TV Show Review Roundup

Prime Video's Fallout series arrives on the streaming service tonight at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET, and reviews for the video game franchise adaption have begun to appear online. We're rounding up review excerpts below to help you get an idea for if the series is worth your time.

GameSpot gave the series a 7/10 in our Fallout review. Reviewer Phil Hornshaw wrote, "The show also sometimes drastically oscillates between absurd and tragic tones, such that it becomes tough to know how to feel about some impactful moments. Fallout is an inherently funny world, a satirical send-up of 1950s culture and capitalism punctuated by Wasteland raiders' heads exploding or British robots cheerfully attempting to remove your organs."

Fallout is helmed by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, with Nolan directing several episodes. The series stars Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan, Xelia Mendes-Jones, Mike Doyle, Moisés Arias, Johnny Pemberton, Cherien Dabis, Dale Dickey, Matty Cardarople, Sarita Choudhury, Michael Emerson, Chris Parnell, and Matt Berry.

You can see a sampling of review scores and excerpts below and more critical consensus here at GameSpot's sister site Metacritic.

Fallout

Directed by: Jonathan Nolan
Written by: Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner
Starring: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan, Chris Parnell, and Matt Berry
Release Date: April 10

GameSpot -- 7/10

"I often had a good time with Fallout, particularly because its primary characters and their experiences are so engrossing. The show makes a lot of hay from the weird and goofy setting of the game series, and does a great job of filling it with fun, fascinating people." -- Phil Hornshaw [Full review]

IGN -- 9/10

"A bright and funny apocalypse filled with dark punchlines and bursts of ultra-violence, Fallout stands up there with The Last of Us among the best game adaptations ever made. Brilliantly constructed, its three distinct leads travel through cleverly linked storylines that build to a fantastic finale. Along the way, there’s a megaton of treats for long-term fans thanks to immaculate production design and attention to detail, but never at the expense of making this an ideal starting point for the uninitiated." -- Matt Purslow [Full review]

Variety -- No Score

"Bizarre but intensely fun, Fallout is like nothing you’ve ever seen; for that reason alone, you won’t be able to turn away." -- Aramide Tinubu [Full review]

Chicago Sun-Times -- 3.5/4

"Fallout delivers as an action series, a character study and a deep dive into the nature of family and trust." -- Richard Roeper [Full review]

Empire -- 4/5

"Fallout expands on the big ideas of the games, making it an adaptation worth watching both for fans and those unfamiliar. It's an equal parts funny and nightmarish show that, like its protagonist, isn't content to live inside a projection of the past." -- Kambole Campbell [Full review]

CNN -- No Score

"As Season 1 concludes, there’s less a sense of anticipation for what comes next than general relief that this somewhat messy introduction, and the contortions to incorporate its eclectic roster of players, is over." -- Brian Lowry [Full review]

The Hollywood Reporter -- No Score

"That most of Prime Video’s Fallout consists of getting sidetracked by bullshit is simultaneously one of its main charms and one of its most frustrating flaws. At its liveliest, the sci-fi adventure captures the fun of simply getting to explore a strange new world, meeting colorful characters and going down mysterious rabbit holes. But the lack of urgency also means its eight hours take an awfully long time to get where it’s going." -- Angie Han [Full Review]