The creators of the original Fallout wanted to make a first-person game, but technology didn't allow it

Leonard Boyarsky, one of the creators of the original Fallout, explained that the Interplay Entertainment team initially conceived the iconic role-playing game as a first-person project. However, in the mid-1990s, this idea proved too ambitious for the existing level of 3D technology, so the developers opted for an isometric perspective.

According to Boyarsky, he and programmer Tim Cain discussed the possibility of moving the action into a full-fledged 3D space early on, allowing the player to experience the wasteland through the eyes of the protagonist. However, due to the limitations of the graphics engines of the time, this idea was impossible to realize. The art director noted that to create the desired atmosphere and detail, they had to abandon 3D graphics and focus on a visual style where events were often described verbally rather than directly shown.

Nevertheless, Boyarsky believes that this didn't detract from Fallout's charm; on the contrary, the limitations of technology helped the game develop a unique style that would later become the series' signature.

Today, Leonard Boyarsky works at Obsidian Entertainment, where he and his colleagues are creating The Outer Worlds 2—a spiritual successor to the original Fallout games that combines satire, humor, and an old-school approach to storytelling.