Who did you vote for in the last Wasteland Elections? The Brotherhood of Steel? The New California Republic? Or are you tired of “new world politics” and yearning for a return to this nation’s former glory? Perhaps you voted for the Enclave in the hopes that they might restore the nation’s capital or put an end to the greed and corruption that’s run rampant in New Vegas.
Fallout has received heaps of praise from gamers and critics alike. They love to talk about the innovative combat, the fantastically dismal environments and art design, and its grim sense of humor. It isn’t often, however, that people talk about the subtext of the game. This might not the case if the outcomes in the games — especially the most recent two: Bethesda’s Fallout 3 and Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas — weren’t so entirely dependent on player choice.
Gamers and journalists alike can analyze the themes and values of a title like Bioshock much easier than they can with open-ended role-playing games such as these. After all, an ending for one player might be entirely different from that of another. This is even more likely when you consider that they have the ability to ignore the main quest and the story entirely. Still, it is entirely possible to analyze the politics of the Fallout series by examining numerous aspects that don't depend on player interaction. When we do so, we find a political philosophy that is grim, cynical, and yet hopeful at the same time.
Politics at the End of the World
The narrative threads of every Fallout title can be traced back to one singular event: the worldwide nuclear holocaust known as the Great War. In a timeline divergent from ours, the Cold War ended in Communism and Capitalism annihilating each other with their equally enormous arsenals of mass destruction. Before the player even comes to life in Vault 101 or wakes up with a new cranium in the Mojave Desert, the far-reaching effects of “old world” politics can already be felt.
No one is entirely sure who fired the first shots — for all the irradiated descendants know, China and America unleashed their bombs at the exact same moment. One thing is certain, however: Armageddon is the natural endgame for a world divided by extremist politics — at least in the Fallout universe. With natural resources dwindling and the arms race as heated as ever, the political ideologues of the world reached the conclusion that if they can’t rule the world, no one will. Yet, the world in which players find themselves is most certainly not a post-political environment.
The Irradiated Military-Industrial Complex
There might not be Democrats or Republicans, but the Fallout universe still has a diverse political landscape — even discounting blood-thirsty raiders and Jet addicts. Given that survival is rough in the wasteland, the residents of the former United States usually live under martial law despite whatever faction they might look to for protection. Without a standardized law or economy to stabilize society, shows of force are the only way to keep the peace. The methods and belief systems of these factions, however, still vary greatly.
The Brotherhood of Steel, with their signature power armor and energy weapons, is probably the most recognizable faction. The Brotherhood seems to be the most pragmatic of all the parties that player characters encounter. Their primary motivation is not the mere restoration of society; they stamp out all forms of chaos and disorder, such as rival factions or super mutants. However, their willingness to collect and restore old technology suggests that a return to the status quo might be just underneath the surface.
The New California Republic is similar to the BoS. They patrol the Mojave Wasteland and try to protect their citizens from raiders and slavers alike. Though they may be overzealous in their territorial desires, their motivations are not entirely ignoble.
The Enclave, seen most recently in Fallout 3, is perhaps the most relatable faction in the series. Much like contemporary politicians, they rely on fear mongering and willful ignorance to stay in power and often don’t appear to have the best interests of their constituents in mind. The Enclave, if you trust its radio broadcasts, believes that a return to America’s former glory is just right around the corner. According to them, we just need to purify the human race by killing all of the super mutants and “infected” citizens of the wasteland.
Plutonium Plutocracies and Radioactive Environmentalists
Military groups aren’t the only factions that hold power in the wasteland. Much like in our contemporary society, the Fallout universe features a number of entities that have risen to coveted positions because of personal business acumen. In Fallout, these individuals usually run oases of pre-War luxuries. There’s Allistair Tenpenny of Tenpenny Tower, an Englishman turned American entrepreneur that runs an exclusive hotel for pureblooded humans. The wildly successful Mr. House resides in the Mojave Wasteland. He, along with his army of Securitrons, restored the city of Las Vegas to its former glory. Big business and economic hegemony is still alive and well in the wasteland.
Not all of humanity has been reduced to cutthroat viciousness in order to survive. As the Vault Dweller in Fallout 3, you have the option of picking up where your father left off in his quest to provide pure drinking water to the residents of the Capital Wasteland, regardless of their political inclinations. Even if you choose not to assist your father, the very quest itself and the options it provides are proof that not all activity in the Fallout universe is divided by greedy faction lines.
Player Agency and Grim Conclusions
So, what messages pertaining to human nature does Fallout want us to take away? On a surface level, the faux-1950s aesthetic leads us to believe that the "future is tomorrow, let’s all worship capitalism” attitude of that decade leads to doomsday consequences. The state of martial law, the presence of ruthless raiders, and the successes of unscrupulous businessmen are damning evidence in the case of Fallout vs. the People. Yet, as negative an outlook as the game takes on politics specifically and human nature in general, it does offer the possibility of redemption. As the player, you alone can tip the balance of the scales back towards the kind, genuinely good nature of humans that we’d all like to believe is our default setting. Perhaps Fallout is testing us just as much as it is trying to convey a message. Did you pass, or did you fail?