Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers for Fallout Season 2, Episode 4.
Bethesda's Todd Howard has commented on the appearance of the Deathclaw in Fallout Season 2, Episode 4. The Bethesda veteran has claimed the creative team behind Fallout wanted the Deathclaw to be more than "just another creature," especially given its iconic status in the game series.
The first season of Prime Video's Fallout adaptation brought the legendary post-apocalyptic wasteland to life in style, with tons of famous iconography that fans of the games would immediately recognize. However, it held back on the Deathclaw, which finally appeared in the recent Season 2, Episode 4, "The Demon in the Snow." It appears twice in the episode, actually: once pre-war, where it almost kills Cooper Howard, and he sees what they're capable of, and secondly, when Lucy and The Ghoul are walking through the New Vegas Strip. That is where the episode concludes, leaving fans on a cliffhanger for another week, waiting to see how the encounter pans out. Many players will remember being torn apart by a Deathclaw in-game for the first time, and it's a moment in the TV show that captures that same feeling of terror perfectly. Perhaps most impressive of all, the Deathclaw is largely practical, giving the actors the exact model to work with during filming.
Todd Howard Addresses the Deathclaw Situation in Fallout Season 2
Speaking to PC Gamer, Bethesda veteran Todd Howard has addressed the Deathclaw's appearance in Fallout Season 2, Episode 4 and addressed whythe show held back on including them for the debut season. "We didn't do Deathclaws in Season 1," Howard said. "We wanted to make sure we'd spend the right amount of time to get them right. And really focus on them as a story element, not just another creature. But these beasts that are, you know, they're terrifying. And you know what Cooper Howard's experience with that was like, even before he became the Ghoul, with the Deathclaws. Really, really interesting combination."
That Fallout continues to carefully consider its use of recognizable game elements is why it stands out among video game adaptations. It's often the case that adaptations will focus on pleasing existing fans by including things they know from the games, compromising the story in the process. Those recognizable elements are there in Fallout, too; the story heading to New Vegas is proof of that. However, it always feels like a natural evolution of the story, so it doesn't feel forced at all. Sure, Fallout could have given fans the Deathclaw in Season 1, and they'd have been happy, but it would have robbed them of the centerpiece moment in Season 2, Episode 4. And showing it pre-war first to establish Cooper Howard's fear gives the moment infinitely more weight. This kind of detail is part of the reason why Fallout Season 2 has received rave reviews, just like its predecessor.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
