The gorgeous concept art of 'Fallout 4'
The world of "Fallout" is anachronistically stuck in the post-World War II era of American history. These images represent the retro-futuristic world of 2077, when the game begins.
Latest1 min readYou can see this style in everything from homes to automobiles. These hulking beasts are representative of the over-consumption that leads to the nuclear apocalypse (according to the lore of "Fallout," that is).
The "Fallout 4" version of an iPhone is a massive, wrist-mounted computer called a "Pip-Boy." It displays a monochromatic menu, naturally.
And here's the Pip-Boy in the final game:
And then there's the robots. These look more "Lost in Space" than "Battlestar Galactica," and that's a measure of the style of "Fallout 4." It's definitely meant to evoke the "Atomic Age."
This is how our floating friend, Mr. Handy, ends up looking in "Fallout 4."
The robots also come in more violent forms, of course. This guy right here is meant to protect people, but can be re-programmed to attack. His style, however, is still clearly part of the "Fallout" universe.
Similar to the robots, these massive armor suits (known as "power armor") are worn by soldiers before and after the nuclear holocaust.
You get your own set of power armor early on in "Fallout 4" — it becomes your car, sort of.
But that's enough of the pre-war world. You're exploring the post-war, irradiated world of "The Commonwealth" in "Fallout 4." It's falling apart.
The gorgeous concept art of 'Fallout 4'
The concept art of the destroyed Commonwealth, post-war, is eerily similar to where the actual game ended up.
The gorgeous concept art of 'Fallout 4'
The gorgeous concept art of 'Fallout 4'
The gorgeous concept art of 'Fallout 4'
The same thing goes for much of the game's interiors, littered with trash and debris and often falling apart.
What you see above translates to this ruined interior of Concord's "Museum of Freedom":
The world, its people, and the things they use changes pretty dramatically after the nuclear war. Things go from skyrocketing prosperity to dismal post-apocalypse in a real hurry.
The weapons they use reflect this cobbled together nature of life, featuring lots of tape and hacked together tools as weaponry.
Some of the game's most enjoyable art is in its simple objects. The Nuka Cola bottle, for instance, is a signature of the series. It looks like a rocket!
There are still plenty of old-school weapons, too, though many of them come with post-war attachments. Survivors in "Fallout 4" love to cobble together new weapons from old designs.
The nasty side of the apocalypse, aside from the billions of humans dying thing, is all the mutated monsters that resulted from nuclear war.
"Supermutants" are a staple of the "Fallout" universe. These hulking monsters are very strong and very dumb. They like to yell at you about how they're going to replace humans.
And then you meet a delightful Supermutant named "Strong" who just wants to find the milk of human kindness. He's a big Shakespeare fan (seriously!).
Love the art of "Fallout 4" as much as we do? There's a whole book dedicated to its concept art!
Snag the book right here on Bethesda Game Studios' official store — it's $50 and comes in hardcover. It's coming out in late December, but you can pre-order it right now.
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