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7 Fallout 3 - You Gotta Shoot ‘Em In The Head
Mr. Crowley is an especially shifty ghoul living in the Underworld settlement at the Museum of History. He assigns the player a lengthy quest that involves assassinating a selection of colorful, sinister characters all over the Capital Wasteland. In return, he’ll pay the player handsomely and expect a key each assassination victim holds to be handed over to him.
Like so many plots in the Fallout series, nothing in this quest is what it seems. Cinematically, the gradual reveal of a bunker with the finest power armor in the Capital could make for a great pay-off to the key collecting, head-shooting angle that dominates the storyline. Locations such as the Republic of Dave could also provide intriguing subplots for the lead protagonist to get involved in. Much like many players, the lead character of a movie could gradually piece together just why Crowley actually wants the keys.
6 Honest Hearts - The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Joshua Graham
The Burned Man is whispered of numerous times in the main campaign of Fallout: New Vegas. One of the deadliest combatants the Mojave Wasteland’s ever seen, Joshua Graham is presumed dead until the player makes a trip to Utah for the Honest Hearts DLC. The frightened whispers of his name among Caesar’s Legion build a good deal of suspense before he’s finally revealed as a living, breathing Burned Man rather than a mere urban legend.
His journey from Mormon missionary to bloodthirsty warlord to repenting, the aging leader of his old church is among the most compelling character arcs in the Fallout series. An epic movie charting his life and ending on the defeat of the White Legs tribe and salvation of Zion National Park under his watch could have major blockbuster potential.
5 Fallout 4 - The Railroad vs The Institute
The primary moral dilemma on offer in Fallout 4 could make for an intriguing sci-fi story along the lines of Blade Runner and I, Robot. The Institute is a complicated, rather unethical collective putting together all manner of experiments and technology deep underground. The Railroad, meanwhile, is an underground faction out to help and save the Synths: humanoid androids created by the Institute.
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For a movie adaptation, the Sole Survivor’s moral quandary on whether to help the noble Railroad or serve the Institute for the potentially greater good could make a great lead character arc. Including the surprise reveal of Institute leader Shaun being the Sole Survivor’s son would also provide an additional exciting narrative twist to increase the dramatic stakes of the movie.
4 Fallout - The Super Mutant War
The Master, the monstrous creator of the super mutants, left such a huge impact on the Fallout universe that games set generations later and on the other side of the country are still reeling from him. His grim, body horror origin and subsequent use of the Forced Evolutionary Virus on others has all the makings of a deeply disturbing horror flick.
If a movie of the original Fallout’s key plot was to come about, the insertion of the Vault Dweller could turn this grisly horror flick into more of an action blockbuster. The numerous battles with the Super Mutants, coupled with the Master’s eventual, explosive defeat, could potentially make for a near-perfect movie adaptation of the long-running series.
3 Fallout: New Vegas - Come Fly With Me
One of New Vegas’ most acclaimed side quests starts with the Courier being sent to clear out the REPCONN rocket testing facility. Upon their arrival, the player discovers there’s a bizarre turf war going on between a pack of friendly ghouls on a mission to fly a rocket and a gang of unwieldy, territorial Nightkin.
While the quest has several narrative options, aiding the sentient glowing one Jason Bright and his followers in getting their space flight done is the most cinematically friendly. As a movie, it could lead to several suspenseful set pieces involving fighting off the often invisible Nightkin. The story could then round off with the thrilling visual of the rockets taking flight as the Bright Brotherhood fulfill their goal and the Courier moves on to other adventures.
2 Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout 3 - Harold’s Mutating Journey
The bizarre evolution of Harold plays out at a curious side plot over three games. It sees him somehow become both a ghoul and a super mutant, travel across the country, and ultimately become a giant, ever-growing tree in the Capitol Wasteland.
Harold’s perpetually worsening condition could lead to a variety of scary, gross-out body horror moments. His travels could provide a variety of exciting, world-building subplots. Perhaps best of all, his affable, often-goofy nature would imbue the film with a fun, colorful sense of humor in the face of often dark, troubling plot threads and set pieces.
1 Fallout: New Vegas - The Strip
The well-preserved New Vegas strip has all the makings of an excellent political thriller. From the Mafia overtones and coup plans of the Omertas to the depraved cannibalism of the White Glove Society, there’s a whole cast of colorful, unsavory characters on offer.
In Chairmen leader Benny, the movie could have a perfect antihero to front a complicated scheme to usurp the rarely seen Mr. House as ruler of the wealthiest place in the Mojave. Alternatively, the Courier’s arrival on the scene could make this a Yojimbo-style tale of an unpredictable wild card figure playing every side for their own gain.
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