Pleasure and Pain in Fallout’s Post-Apocalyptic Americana
Loosely defined as a philosophy and lifestyle prioritising the pursuit of pleasure and self-indulgence as the singular driving force for life, the concept of hedonism is a recurring theme throughout the Fallout series, often manifesting in various ways as a direct consequence to a pre-nuclear society highly obsessed with consumerism, luxury, and technological overreliance. Taking heavy influence from the traditionalist and hyper-commercial values of 1950s America’s ‘Golden Age’, the Fallout series has a long-standing reputation amongst modern gamers for its nostalgic visual design, chaotic comedy, and psychological themes.
Placing players in the role of a Vault Survivor, emerging out of containment in specialised bunkers several centuries after nuclear destruction – much of the Fallout series focuses chiefly on exploring the theme of survival and the destructive nature of pleasure as a coping mechanism. In the series’ latest mainline instalment, the critically acclaimed Fallout 4, this idea manifests throughout the game’s narrative in several different ways ranging from drug addiction, fighting as a form of voyeuristic public entertainment, and the struggles of self-identity seen throughout the game’s supporting cast.
In particular, the concept of addiction and by extension, escapism serves a particularly significant role in Fallout 4, reflecting the complex social attitudes present in post-apocalyptic societies. With ‘Chems’ serving both a mechanical and narrative function, the player is given the ability to carefully tow the line between short-term gain and long-term consequences. Whilst the usage of these items can oftentimes provide players with a valuable tactical advantage, the looming threat of addiction and its penalties is an ever-present consequence, creating a painfully realistic cycle of dependency.
With a sprawling narrative providing players with ample freedom to decide their own unique path in the new American wastelands, another way in which the theme of hedonism manifests is through the various emotionally complex NPCs surrounding the protagonist, each carefully written to represent the wide array of cautionary fates ahead. This is something seen most clearly in Cait, a companion character embodying the hedonistic values of the Commonwealth through her troubled past and struggles with substance abuse. Growing up in an abusive environment, Cait reflects the desperation of the environment surrounding the player by showing the inherent darkness behind the pursuit of fleeting pleasures and over-indulgence. Despite her temporary relief, her reliance on chems will only lead to deeper suffering as her storyline progresses, leading the player to serve as the driving force in pushing her further toward self-control, resilience, and recovery – should they choose to remain coherent themselves.
Overall, Bethesda’s open-world design places players in a difficult, unrewarding world. Breaking away from illusions of a technologically developed future, Fallout 4 reveals humanity’s persistent drive to seek pleasure in difficult circumstances. Whether through indulging in chems, losing oneself in the decadence of new societies and post-war relics, or the violent excess of warring factions and raiders, the pursuit of hedonism serves as both a coping mechanism and a highly destructive force.
Ultimately choosing to criticise this pursuit by exposing its consequences, Fallout 4 portrays the emptiness of indulgence without purpose, a symptom of despair fighting in contrast with conflicting themes of resilience, recovery, and the strength to pursue a new future.
Fallout (2024), the highly anticipated screen adaptation of the popular video game series, delves into a post-apocalyptic world where nuclear Wasteland becomes playground for hedonistic pursuits to run rampant. Set in the aftermath of the Great War of 2077, the show is confirmed by the showrunners to be canon to the lore of the games as it sheds light on the darker sides of human nature in a way that an RPG cannot. Through its exploration of survival in a world ravaged by nuclear devastation, Fallout uses hedonism as both a literal and metaphorical lens to show the lengths to which individuals and corporations go when the structures of governance, morality, and social order have disintegrated.
In the Fallout universe, the Wasteland functions as a brutal landscape where pleasure, power, and self-preservation dominate the lives of its inhabitants. With the old world obliterated by The Great War - a nuclear event that led to mass casualties, radiation exposure, and the collapse of society - traditional structures of governance, morality, and survival have been decimated. In this anarchical setting, survival becomes a primary instinct, and for many, this involves the pursuit of hedonistic pleasures—whether through violence, indulgence, or exploitation. The collapse of society means that it is truly every person for themselves outside of the safety of the vaults.
This is seen most clearly through Cooper's character, whose transformation from a principled man into a ruthless survivor foregrounds how the Wasteland erodes moral boundaries. Flashbacks to his past reveal a world that is optimistic and technologically advanced, in aesthetics reminiscent of the 1950s Americana visions of the future, there is a blend of retro nostalgia and innovation in its depiction of ‘Old’ Hollywood and huge tech conglomerates. But the past, like many, is also one bound by corporate greed and consumerism. It is implied that Cooper was blacklisted from Hollywood after attempting to expose Vault-Tec’s sinister agenda of profiting from mass human extinction. Truly made in the image of 1950s America and the culture of McCarthyism, accusations of communism are common in Fallout’s past, viewers can assume that this was Cooper’s fate. Yet, in the present-day Wasteland, Cooper is no longer the man he once was. As a Ghoul, his physical appearance has been warped by radiation, and his moral compass has been replaced by a new survivalist ethos.
Cooper's transformation is not just physical; it is a reflection of how the Wasteland reshapes human values. No longer bound by the ideals of his former life, Ghoul-Cooper becomes a symbol of how desperation and the quest for survival can turn a once-noble man into someone willing to sacrifice others for his own gain. We see Cooper put people in danger in an eat-or-be-eaten landscape, and, unfortunately, Cooper does eat as we see him cannibalise a dead body. The brutal reality of the Wasteland leaves little room for selflessness or compassion, and Cooper’s actions are not just understandable—they are a tragic consequence of the environment in which he now lives. As viewers, we empathise with him, understanding that in this world, one cannot survive without adopting a hedonistic mindset that prioritises personal pleasure and survival above all else. We even see Lucy, the happy-go-lucky main character, slowly lose her innocence the longer she is out of the comfort of her home vault.
The narrative delves into the greed and self-interest of the large tech companies that dominated America’s past, with Vault-Tec, once a benevolent organisation that claimed to promise shelter in the instance of nuclear fallout, revealed to be a symbol of corporate corruption and hedonistic exploitation. In a meeting between powerful tech giants before the Great War, Barb, Cooper’s wife, attempts to secure investors for the vault project. However, what initially appears to be a philanthropic venture is ultimately exposed as a calculated effort to generate profit at the expense of millions of lives.
Rather than the vaults being a refuge in the event of nuclear fallout from initial bombs and the radiation that follows, they are revealed to be a project that benefits the elite and wealthy. Vaults become separatist, with one being dedicated to housing only scientists, Barb’s commitment to the Vault-Tec is due to her desire to get her family a secure place in one of the ‘good’ vaults, governing vaults. While her insistence may just be painted as paranoia, it is soon revealed that Vault-Tec is not above committing mass human extinction for profit. In the meeting, when doubts are expressed over the profit that can be made from the vaults as the war seems to be coming to an end, Barb chillingly suggests that they could drop a bomb themselves; this willingness to murder millions for profit and power encapsulates the darkest side of hedonism—the pursuit of pleasure and self-interest at the expense of human life. Corporate giants, motivated by their own hedonistic desire for wealth and dominance, show a willingness to sacrifice millions for economic gain.
Hedonism serves as a lens through which Fallout can examine the moral and societal collapse that follows nuclear devastation. From the transformations of characters like Cooper, who sacrifices his morality for survival, to the sinister corporate greed of Vault-Tec, the narrative reveals how the pursuit of self-interest and pleasure can erode humanity. The stark portrayal of the Wasteland forces viewers to confront unsettling questions about the fragility of societal structures and the extent to which human nature can be corrupted when unbound by governance or morality. Fallout succeeds in adapting the beloved video game’s themes of survival and moral ambiguity while offering a bleak reflection on the dangers of hedonistic excess and unchecked greed.
'This article was featured in our HEDONISM Issue - read more here
Comments