The Fallout Video Game series is one of the most popular role-playing video games based on a post-apocalyptic world. It portrays a very grim future for the world after the Earth is nearly destroyed due to a deadly nuclear war. Set in the atom punk retro futuristic world, the video game series features life in the 22nd and 23rd century.
The history in the game is slightly different than what really happened actually post World War II. Vacuum tubes and atomic physics became an essential part of the developing world. In the alternate history scenario you have advanced robots, nuclear-powered cars, directed-energy weapons, and other futuristic technologies set in the 1950’s era. A huge energy crisis happens and the whole world turns upside down. The conflict arises between the powerful countries especially the United States of America and China and two hours of nuclear exchanges completely changes the world.
The vaults
The USA had foreseen the war and was already preparing for it. Fallout shelters were created all over the country and they were known as the Vaults. It was designed to support people and help them survive. Each vault could hold up to one thousand people. There were at least 122 vaults constructed and they were self-sufficient. But they were far from the ideal life supporting vaults. The vaults were instead used to conduct unethical experiments on people to determine the effects of different environmental and psychological conditions on its inhabitants.
Each vault has its own story. Here is what happens in each vault.
Vaults in Fallout
The first installments in the game series had quite a few vaults. It gave the players first hand view on what exactly these vaults were built for and what kind of experiments were carried out in here –
- The Los Angeles Vault
The vault was located in Los Angeles (Cathedral), Southern California. It is kind of vault-tech demonstration vault and also served as the Master’s vault the Cathedral. No particular kind of experiments was carried out here but it is worth mentioning.
- Vault 12
It features in the Fallout and was used to study the effects of radiation on the Vault Dwellers. The door was designed not to close properly and was known as the Necropolis vault. This experiment resulted in a large population of ghouls.
- Vault 13
Vault 13 is also featured in the Fallout and is known for its bizarre intention it was built. It was suppose to remain closed for 200 years as part of an experiment to study the effects of prolonged isolation. The vault also features in Fallout 2.
- Vault 15
Vault 15 is another important vault in the series which was intended to be closed for 50 years. The dwellers of the vault included a mix of people of radically varied ideologies. The vault is a birthplace of three raider groups and Shady Sands.
Vaults in Fallout 2
Fallout 2 too has many vaults that were location for unethical experiments on its dwellers. Here are the vaults and their stories from the Fallout 2:
- Vault 8
The Vault 8 is a kind of control vault and was built with the intention of being opened and re-colonize the world after 10 years. It has GECK and the Vault City was the result of the Vault 8.
Fallout 3 Vaults
Here are the vaults from the Fallout 3.
- Vault 76
Vault 76 is only mentioned in the Fallout 3 and 4. It was designed to be opened after 20 years to re-colonize the earth. It too was intended for experiments and studies.
- Vault 87
Situated in the Capital Wasteland, the Vault 87 was a Forced Evolutionary Virus (F.E.V.) research and testing facility. The residents of the Vaults were subjected to brutal exposure to the FEV in locked chambers. The result of such experiments was the birth of super mutants and centaurs.
- Vault 92
Vault 92 was located at the Nearby Old Olney, Capital Wasteland and was a base for a bizarre experiment that included renowned musicians. The experiment includes white noise-based system for implanting combat-oriented posthypnotic suggestions.
- Vault 101
Located in the Capital Wasteland, the Vault 101 was intended to study an omnipotent, dictatorial overseer in a closed community. The vault adopted the policy of isolationism. The vault was not indented to be opened to the outside world.
- Vault 106
Just like the Vault 101, the Vault 106 also had overseer in it. The experiment that was carried out here includes the overseer instructing the vault to be filled with colorless psychoactive drugs into the air filtration system. This leads to the vault residents’ going insane.
- Vault 108
The Vault 108 was designed to test conflicts in leadership and was equipped with things that made sure it ended up being a disaster. The overseer in it was expected to die after 40 months due to cancer. The vault also had a cloning lab and all the survivors were the clones of one man called Gary.
- Vault 112
In this vault the residents were placed in suspended animation and connected to a virtual reality simulator. This gave them a sense that they would live a "perfect" virtual life indefinitely. Dr. Stanislaus Braun abused his power and tortured the inmates purely for his own pleasure.
Fallout: New Vegas Vaults
- Vault 3
Vault 3 was designed to be opened after 20 years but that did not happen due to the wish of the inhabitants. A water leak did force them to open up but they all get massacred by a group of raiders known as the Fiends shortly after they opened the vault door.
- Vault 11
The Vault 11 was intended to carry out experiments that tested the concept of self sacrifice for others and place others before themselves.
- Vault 19
The Vault was divided into two groups red and blue and they lived in separate sections and were probably chosen due to pre-existing paranoia.
- Vault 21
This vault experimented with gambling by keeping only the compulsive gamblers in them. All the conflicts were resolved through gambling.
- Vault 22
This Vault was intended to develop advanced agricultural technologies and some successful experiments were carried out such as creating plants that could survive under artificial sunlight.
Fallout 4 Vaults
- Vault 75
The Vault 75 was featured in the Fallout 4 and consisted of members under the age of 18 as the time the vault was built and was activated. The children were subjected to torture and tests with the intention of making them capable of surviving the waste.
- Vault 81
The vault was intended to conduct experiments on unaware humans to develop single cure for all human disease.
- Vault 95
The vault has drug addicts and they would elect an overseer to preside over the therapy session as a part of rehab program.
- Vault 114
The vault conducted tests in the vault dwellers where they were subjected to impoverished, disenfranchised conditions to see if they can survive. The dwellers consisted of people who previously had extreme wealth and power.
The Fallout video games series is an amazing series with vaults that make the storyline and the challenge equally thrilling.