Fallout season 2 takes us back to a war last seen in Fallout 3's divisive DLC

As Fallout is at pains to keep mentioning, war never changes. The fourth episode of Fallout season 2 makes that abundantly clear with a surprise pre-Great War flashback that takes viewers back to a conflict that was last seen in a divisive DLC pack from Fallout 3. Spoilers ahead!

While the title card in the new episode only says Cooper Howard is fighting his way through the 'Alaskan Front' in faulty T-45 Power Armor, it appears he's specifically in Anchorage as part of the Sino-American War (which, itself, is a slice of alternate history that's referenced in various pickups and background items in the game series).

Crucially, Coop comes into contact with Chinese soldiers, as players do in Operation: Anchorage.

Operation: Anchorage, players may remember, is one of Fallout 3's more divisive DLC expansions. In it, players run a simulation that relives the liberation of Anchorage from Chinese communists.

While many welcomed the change of pace, some were less keen on Operation: Anchorage's linear action and brief three-hour runtime. It currently sits at a 67 score on Metacritic.

The Fallout TV show take is decidedly more hellish, with Coop struggling in whiteout conditions and clambering his way through the snow. After being told by command to keep pressing on, he lies to his fellow Marine and orders him to retreat. Coop presses on, only to be attacked by the Chinese. Mercifully, a Deathclaw arrives to save the day (in Fallout lore, Deathclaws are genetically-engineered weapons deployed by American forces).

This might be the last we see of Anchorage, though we expect to dive more into Coop's past as we enter into the second half of Fallout season 2. Pre-release trailers revealed that the one-time movie star rocks up to pre-Great War Vegas – presumably as his mission against House reaches a messy end.

For more, check out our Fallout season 2 review and Fallout season 2 Easter eggs guide.