Fans are calling the Fallout TV show one of the best video game adaptations ever – and critics agree, judging by its near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score

News
By published

Fallout is a hit for Prime Video

Ella Purnell in Fallout
(Image credit: Prime Video)

The Fallout TV show has debuted to praise from critics and audiences alike, making the new Prime Video series a candidate for one of the best video game adaptations to date. 

Fallout currently has a critics' score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 73 reviews. Our own review says that "despite its inconsistent tone and overcrowded story, Fallout blows the competition away with a game-accurate, hilarious quest through the Wasteland anchored by plenty of personality and punchy social commentary."

This near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score means the show would currently rank at number five in the site's chart of best video game adaptations – Netflix's Arcane is in the top spot, but the only live-action title with a better score is The Last of Us. 

Fallout's audience score, meanwhile, currently sits at 85%. "I've been waiting more than a decade, close to two actually, for this show and it certainly didn't disappoint!" said one fan, while another called the show "the best series ever made based on a game. The characteristics of the places, landscapes, soundtrack, and CGI are extremely well executed." 

"Riveting. I could not stop watching, character development and depth of world were simply incredible. Can't wait for another season," said another fan.

Set in the world of the Fallout video game franchise, which kicked off in 1997, the show stars Yellowjackets' Ella Purnell as Lucy, a resident of Vault 33, a secure bunker in which a group of humans has been sheltering since a nuclear apocalypse 200 years later. When tragedy strikes, however, Lucy must venture into the outside world for the first time, battling bandits, radiation, and worse. Walton Goggins and Kyle McLachlan also star.

Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.