Prime Video’s Fallout adaptation has been hailed as one of the best video game adaptations to grace TV screens so far. The series, while ultimately telling its own story, does a great job of honoring its source material. From sneaky Easter eggs to the character designs, the television series made sure to pay attention to the smaller details. One of the smallest details the series nailed, perhaps, was the way it honored VATS.
For casual viewers, Fallout‘s reference to VATS was probably easy to miss. However, the inclusion of such an iconic tool from the games did not go unnoticed by longtime fans of the video game series. For those who might not know, here’s a breatkdown of what VATS are and exactly how the series managed to honor them during its first season.
What Are VATS in the Fallout Video Games?
In the world of Fallout, the actronym VATS stands for Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting Systems. This advanced combat technology appears in Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 76. In these game, while players are using VATS, real-time combat slows. This allows the player to target specific body parts in their attack, such as the enemy’s head, neck, torso, etc. Those parts, of course, change if the target is not human. When fighting non-human enemies, the player can also focus on areas such as antennas or combat inhibitors.
In the games, when using VATS, the user interface shows a percentage that indicates how well an attack will land. This gives the player an idea of how much damage they will do in the selected area. It also shows the target’s health bar, letting the player know how much damage they’ve done and how far they have to go. To sum up, VATS is designed to help players with effective targeting in combat.
While VATS has plenty of effective uses, one of the coolest things VATS can do is allow players to reveal enemies that they can’t see, thanks to VATS scanning. By doing this, should an enemy appear nearby, it will enable VATS mode, allowing the player to target the enemy and reveal their location.
When using VATS, combat does not pause. VATS only slows combat down while using targeting technology. While each game tends to offer small variances with VATS, the concept remains the same throughout each installment.
How does the TV Series Honor VATS from the Video Games?
Adapting something like VATS for television was never going to be an easy feat. With the lack of a player aspect, trying to incorporate the pip-boy on screen and the use of the VATS technology would be nigh impossible. However, the series did find a way to honor VATS without actually using it on screen. Rather than showing a character using VATS to slow down a battle scene, the series instead uses slow-motion to honor the technology from the video game series. It’s a simple, yet effective way of honoring the game’s mechanics. The first use of slow-motion kicks off early in the season with episode one, “The End,” as the raiders try to overtake Vault 33 following Lucy’s wedding. Viewers see bits of slow-motion used during the ongoing battle between the residents of the Vault and the raiders, as bodies are tossed around and killed.
The best use of slow-motion, however, comes in the show’s second episode, “The Target.” As Lucy makes her way to Filly, she stumbles upon the target, Siggi Wilzig, a scientist with a bounty on his head — literally. As Lucy tries to find out more about the mysterious Moldaver, she finds herself forced to protect the target from both The Ghoul and Maximus, who are both after the scientist. The Ghoul, though, manages to blast the scientist’s leg, leaving him without a foot and bleeding profusely. The Ghoul then turns his focus to those with their weapons drawn on him.
It’s at this moment the series truly captures the slow-motion battle, showing the bullet traveling from the Ghoul’s gun as it pierces the target, sending them onto their backs. It’s a fun nod to VATS, and something game fans are sure to pick up on. Eve for those unfamiliar with the games, it still offers eye-catching visuals, creating an engaging fight scene for the general audience.
With Fallout already renewed for a second season, it will be interesting to see if the show continues to build on the way it honors VATS on screen. The series seems keen to tell its own story, while still honoring the source material, and this homage was a great example. For now, fans can enjoy rewatching the critically acclaimed first season on Prime Video. Or they can revisit the games, which many have opted to do, with sales for Fallout 4 skyrocketing since the show’s debut.
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