Falloutis a staple of the video game world, helping to define post-apocalyptic game settings since 1997. And while the more recent games in the series have gotten mixed receptions, love and appreciation for the franchise remains high among fans. It’s hard to ignore the impactFallouthas had on game developers and writers over the past twenty years, andits influence pops up more often than people might think in all sorts of projects.
So many games include small references or Easter eggs to theFalloutseries that it’s hard to list them all, butthese ten do it in some of the most creative and direct ways.They utilizeFallout’s imagery, allude to its characters and plot lines, and occasionally even quote its more iconic lines.
10Doomguy Gets A Familiar-Looking Figurine
Bethesda Gets Self-Referential
Bethesda loves to include Easter eggs for their own games, and just as there areDoomreferences inFallout,there areFalloutreferences inDoom.Bethesda’s 2016 take on theDoomseriesincludesa series of small toy versions of the Slayer that players can pick upas they blast their way through demons.
These collectibles act as references to multiple other characters, including the Doomguy’s original design and the UAC soldiers.
One in particular, which can be found in the Foundry area,resembles a certain mascot from the Fallout universe. Vault Boy, the blonde thumbs-up giving figurehead of Vault-Tec, often acts as Fallout’s mascot in general. And this Doomguy figurine, with its blue armor and yellow stripes, very strongly resembles the character. It’s a clear allusion to the memorable design of the Vault-Tec jumpsuits almost every Fallout protagonist starts their games wearing.
9Gary Shows Up In The World Of Starfield
A Character That Just Keeps Coming Back
Players ofFallout 3may remember Vault 108, a Vault-Tec facility used for experimenting with clone technology. The sole resident of the vault,a man named Gary, has been cloned dozens and dozens of timeswhen the player stumbles upon him, and the crazed copies can prove quite a threat. And, based on a fewreferences in Bethesda’s space RPGStarfield, Gary’s story does not end in that underground laboratory.
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Mention of Gary can be found a few times throughoutStarfield, most notably on a certain cloning pod. Though the pod itself is empty, theinformation on the outside reads “GARY_23” and reveals that the specimen is connected to something called V-108. This is a clear reference to the character and his point of origin, but it doesn’t stop there. On the Crucible, players can find complaints about this Gary, and, on the Nova Galactic Staryard, a series of notes say his name over and over.
They’re Action Figures
Perhaps the most direct of Bethesda’s self-references,The Evil Within 2includesa Vault-Boy bobblehead figurine for players to find. Within theFalloutuniverse, these bobbleheads often act as collectibles that boost a character’s skills when found, and form a set of twenty total figurines. While it isn’t referred to as a Vault-Boy figure in this game, instead being called the “Mysterious Bobblehead,” it is visually an exact match.
The bobblehead can be found during chapter 6 of the game, hidden in between some boxes after a fight with the Watcher. It’s not the only reference of its kind, either.The Evil Within 2references a bunch of Bethesda titles with very direct collectibles, including an Elder Scrolls-looking trophy,Corvo’s mask fromDishonored, and a Doomguy doll.
7Borderlands 2 Includes A Gun Called Thre Dog
Everyone’s Favorite Radio Host Returns
A beloved character fromFallout 3gets a shout-out inBorderlands 2,in the form of a unique gun, which (sort of) shares his name. Three Dog is a radio host and freedom fighter inFallout 3, who uses his broadcasting setup in Galaxy News Radio to broadcast news across the capital wasteland and occasionallyhelp the Brotherhood of Steel. He is briefly featured in a main story mission, butmainly acts as a voice over the player’s Pip-Boy, keeping them informedas they journey through the wastes.
The gun is misspelled as “Thre Dog,” following a common trend amongBorderlands’s bandit guns.
This gun inBorderlands 2has three barrels since, as its description says"one barrel ain’t enough, and two is too few.“This is close to a quote from Three Dog, something he says while introducing himself. The gun itself can be obtained in the Southpaw Steam and Power area, after taking care of Assassin Rouf.
6Liberty Prime Gets Mentioned In Metro Exodus
A Throwaway Line For This Nuke-Throwing Robot
Liberty Prime has become an icon of the over-the-top nationalism and militarism within theFalloutuniverse. He’s a giant robot sportinga face laser and a backpack full of throwable warheads, crushing the Brotherhood of Steel’s enemies all while spouting lines about communism and freedom. The bot shows up inFallout 3, 4, and maybeMetro Exodus.
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The reference is questionable, because while Liberty Prime is never outright depicted, a throwaway line alludes to his design. Sam comments offhandedly at one point that enemy bases will have"huge humanoid robots… with nuclear reactors up their asses.“He’s being sarcastic, but his description sounds an awful lot like Liberty Prime, and him saying the bots are “all plastered in stars and stripes” is a clear nod to Prime’s patriotism.
5The Outer Worlds References An Important Date In The Fallout Universe
Hope And The End Of The World
The Outer Worldswas made by theteam at Obsidian Entertainment, whose work was instrumental in makingFallout: New Vegasas iconic as it is. It makes sense they’d want to allude to their past work with this new game, and they do so in a subtle but effective way. Rather than including any easter egg imagery or character lines,they include a certain date: October 23rd.
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Falloutfans will know how important this day is within the series' lore; it is the day the bombs dropped,starting the Great War and plunging the world into a nuclear apocalypse. InThe Outer Worlds, October 23rd is the day that the colony ship, “Hope” was found drifting in space, allowing the scientist Phineas Welles to power part of it up and the player character to start their story.
4Shooting A Mini Nuke In Goat Simulator 3
Nuclear Destruction And Lighthearted Fun
Goat Simulator 3is filled with referencesto other games, and there is one toFalloutsprinkled in among its countless quests. The Easter egg is tied in to the quest “The Big Red Button,” which sees the player launch a mini-nuke and level a city, turning it into a desolate wasteland. This environment is very reminiscent of Fallout’s, andthe nuke itself is a near one-to-one for the kind players can shoot from the Fat Man Launcher.
But that’s not all. Completing this quest will unlock an outfit called"Fallout Boi,” which puts the goat in a blue and yellow jumpsuit.The outfit’s name mocks the Vault-Boy mascot, often called “Fallout Boy” mistakenly by players. It’s the same kind that vault dwellers wear to protect themselves from radiation, and it can be worn by this chaotic farm animal, presumably to shield the player’s goat from the effects of the bomb they themselves just dropped.
3The Nuka-Cola Company Exists Within The Wolfenstein Universe
New World, Same Great Taste
Aside from the Vault Boy,Nuka Cola is probably the best-known symbol from theFalloutfranchise. The nuclear-themed soda brand satirizes exploitative food companies and even becomes the star of a certainFallout 4DLC, Nuka World. But there’s another DLC for a whole different game that also features this signature beverage.
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Wolfenstein: The Old Blood includes a coupleFalloutreferences, including a bobblehead at one point. But more notably,there is a vending machine selling Nuka-Cola. It’s a small detail, and one that many players are likely to miss, with the logo hidden among other German drink options. But it’s there, and it’s strange to imagineFalloutandWolfensteinsharing a world. They paint two very different dystopian images, yet apparently, both have room forthis atomic-era cola.
2Cyberpunk 2077 Includes A Reference To Vault 101
Tracking Down This Iconic Location
CyberpunkandFalloutshare much in common, from a cynical and satirical view of technological progress to the blending of dystopian and utopian technology. And thanks to a specific encounter inCyberpunk 2077, they are more closely related than ever. Out in the Biotechnica Flats, players can find two dead bodies next to a strange structure jutting out of the ground.The structure has a “101” engraved on its front,a reference to Vault 101, the starting point for the player character inFallout 3.
Many vaults in the franchise are considered iconic, from 101 to 111 to 13. They are all the points of origin for the player characters, who most often start their games within a vault before venturing out into the Wasteland.
But that’s not all. A conversation recording can be found on one of the bodies, revealing the names of the two dead, which themselves are references toFalloutmechanics. Their conversation reveals thatthe duo was hunting for some sort of vault, and if the nearby structure is any indication, they found it. But the badlands are dangerous around Night City, and these two will sadly never get the chance to become vault dwellers.
1Witcher 3 Includes Fallout’s Most Prominent Line
“War Never Changes” Applies To Many Different Worlds
Falloutmay not have as many famous lines as its fantasy cousin,Skyrim, but it has one that appears all over the franchise: “war never changes.” The game’s focus on the effects of war and a world left in shambles connects it well to this line,which appears in nearly every game in the series.It also shows up some outside of the series, as other developers have taken to using it as a reference.
TakeThe Witcher 3, for example. It’s another game exploringthe effects of waron a civilization and environment, just in a different setting with different technology. Still,peasants in the game may be overheard commenting that war “just never changes.“This allusion to the Fallout franchise can just be viewed as comical, as the NPC unknowingly quotes another series. But it’s also good commentary on how, despite the scale and type of war being different in the worlds ofFalloutandThe Witcher, it causes suffering just the same.
Source:N_orte/YouTube,Obsidian Entertainment/YouTube
Fallout
Fallout is a post-apocalyptic RPG franchise set in an alternate future where a nuclear war devastates the world. Players explore vast, open worlds filled with mutants, raiders, and advanced technology. The series emphasizes player choice, allowing various approaches to combat, dialogue, and decision-making. Each game follows different protagonists navigating the wasteland to uncover secrets, form alliances, and rebuild civilization amidst the ruins of the old world. The franchise is known for its rich lore, dark humor, and retro-futuristic aesthetic, which has transferred over into its new series on Amazon Prime.
