Nietzsche plays Fallout 4

Although computer games have been marginalised, as other forms of play before them, their importance in understanding is paramount when reading popular culture because their popularity, intent and meaning reflect the feeling of today and the understanding of history.

In the full piece "Nietzsche plays Fallout 4" I explore how this philosopher clearer still impacts the developers and designers of popular culture with emphasis on Fallout 4 and using many of his ideals and writings it is a noticeable function even if it appears outdated. 

As far as modern technology goes there are always correlations with the past as the further we as a civilisation move ourselves from the past and our bestial state the more we move our leisure and escapism into an uncivilised world. A lot of computer games and other media surrounds the primal nature of the human form whether it be through fantasy, war or the post apocalyptic. We wonder how far humanity would revert if given the situation. This is where Nietzsche's ideas surrounding the civilised philosophies become just as important as they ever were. He has the justification for why we search for the dark side for Birth of Tragedy and why we belittle and exaggerate the ideas of religion and play.

Nietzsche's ideas surrounding escapism, play, religion, morals, science and the need for tragedy are epitomised in the story and game-play of Fallout 4 as this is the reaction of a character in a post-apocalyptic world and each faction within the game seems to link to a Nietzschean philosophy, from the scientific Institute which plays God and tries to make super humans in the Super-mutant and Synth races to the Children of Atom who reflect the philosophy surrounding religion and its interaction with the world.  

His theories surrounding the idea of escapism, although portrayed in other media such as literature and film, more strongly appear in computer games through the total immersion and control of your own character. The decisions you make the story-lines you follow and the companions you choose all impact the world around you and your freedom to react however you feel and this for Nietzsche would have been the reason why he not only feared these games but oddly would have advocated the use of them. He believed that all of humanity needed to experience of be near tragedy and escape from a mundane world to survive and as we concentrate more on mental health these philosophical ideals and the justification of these features become more pronounced.

Nietzsche’s advocation of games also comes from his suggestion in Birth of Tragedy (BoT), that humanity has an intellectual need for entertainment that includes suffering and malevolence. He suggests that life itself is a myriad of suffering and humanity needs this entertainment for not only catharsis, strength of will and a distancing from the suffering and death that’s seen.  BoT concentrates on the Greek Tragedy; however, this mirrors computer games in the sense that both seem to have a plot against the protagonists.  The difference with computer games is that the audience at this point has an influence on the outcome of the play.  Nietzsche also suggests that humanity has an intrinsic hatred of reality and computer games offer an advanced escapism away from the suffering of life, although in modernity the suffering is different in the 21st Century, and games offer a world that although perilous offers the opportunity for the player to become a hero and make social interactions easier. 

He argues that every life must have a balance of Dionysus and Apollo which is basically a balance of good and evil. You must be able to explore your decision making and your ability to play out any scenario with very little repercussion but a possible adaption to moral ideas. Which lead to his ideas about religion in Anti-Christ and a strong parallel between current religious trends and the misguided Children of Atom. Nietzsche, in On Genealogy of Morals (GM),  argues that religion is a mask for dominance and restriction, the demonization of the Dionysian. He argues that religions that he has encountered are temporary, he infers that a catalyst will destroy the current standings for religion.  However, he also argues that although it is not based on truth, religion is important to humanity because you have the comforts of removal of choice and he argues that this is cowardice and desperation. Nietzsche is an advocate of individual beliefs and argues that religion not only creates negative emotions like guilt and shame for human desires.  

Fallout 4 is a good example of the Nietzschean ideas of morality and science. Initially, Bethesda’s choice to include any religion in a computer game would include a lot of creativity and man hours which shows the creators thought that the removal of religion completely from the world was not plausible.  Fallout 4, however, is a post-apocalyptic world and as per Nieztsche’s inference once society is reset the current religions are lost. In this world, Bethesda have an entirely fresh canvas and society and they create new religions in the 200 years since the annihilation of the world as we know it. 

In Twilight of Idols Nietzsche argues that religion is poisonous in that it creates filth of certain aspects of humanity, natural behaviours and desires of the human animal are vilified. Fallout 4 allows access to the more animal nature of the player.  In Fallout 4 the only aim of the game is to survive and, in a world, where there is no steady morality and the decision belongs to the player a Nietzsche’s morality lies.  A great man according to Nietzsche is one who chooses to be good without being told and Fallout 4 allows the player to explore this.  Nietzsche’s belief that the individual is important and Fallout you begin as a lone survivor and can stay that way throughout the game. It is also possible to create your own civilisation and almost rule over it.  This allows the player to explore their own beliefs. According to, Henderson, the player can explore the world without killing one person or stealing anything, following more closely to Nieztsche’s suggestion as it means that if a player’s individual decision is not to kill then, unlike other sandbox games, you can go through a merciful path. 

The CoA in Fallout are also a prime example of Nietzsche’s suggestion that science is just an extension of religion. He argues that science is evolving, and each new theory debunks the mysteries of an old one and like blind faith each new finding is truth until it isn’t.  The idea that science is “blind faith” is aptly portrayed in the beliefs of the CoA as they begin to worship at the atom, revering the 2077 annihilation as a blessed event. As Nietzsche proposes, religion appears to attempt to justify devastating actions or events in the name of advancement and the CoA do this using science. As in a secularising society religion becomes inadequate and Bethesda reflects this by making science a god-like entity.

This reveals therefore how Nietzsche’s philosophies in GS and AC can be applied to a digital world and explore the possibility of reality.  Using a digital platform Bethesda has shown how realistic evolution to science as a religion could be. The CoA are the epitome of science as a religion, but also how no matter what is followed humanity needs blind faith, but also reveals that even if science is being worshipped, in a religious setting the inference of the game via the NPCs and beliefs is that religion is not only a negative influence, but the followers are mindless. 

Fallout 4 also separates science from religion and follows a separate vain of Nietzsche’s fear of modernity by using “The Institute” to reflect the negative advances of science.  Bethesda’s use of a post-apocalyptic setting is inhabited by Super Mutants which is the Institute experimenting on humanity to create a super soldier loosely linking to Lampert’s interpretation of Übermensch as the goal for humanity, a supreme being. Many argue this interpretation is dangerous and has been misused in the past as Safranski argues when it was related to Eugenics.  However, the doctrines of Ubermensch Nietzsche offers surrounds the future of humanity and a cataclysmic individual and it can be argued that the Institutes experiments on super mutants and the eventual creation of the “Synthetic Human” all correlate to the idea that humanity, in the eyes of science, is not all it can be.  

Along with morality, Fallout 4 allows the player to explore the ideas of authority and tradition within the constructs of Nieztsche’s suggestions as an outdated and dangerous concept.  He regards authority and the means of control, removing creativity and choice from contemporary society. In BoT  the balance of Dionysus and Apollo requires a loss of restriction imposed by extreme civility and Wolf agrees that humans need an animalistic release and that computer games allow this.  Fallout 4 is a good example of a cathartic experience for the player. 

Grodal, suggests that computer games generally are a rebellion from traditional values and within RPGs this is usually the case whether it be the future or a reversion to the past, usually with the addition of magic.  Fallout 4 is again the epitome of this, the post-apocalyptic landscape has broken down tradition in its entirety.  Fallout 4 almost offers a new beginning for humanity to build which reflects Nietzsche’s thoughts surrounding a need for a catalyst to allow humanity to lose control and create the balance once more. It also confirms his suggestion that modernity is a destructive force.  

Nietzsche, in much of his work, speaks of the importance of individual decisions an action towards one’s own behaviour. As afore mentioned he encourages the importance of an individuals need to create their own morality and authority to achieve enlightenment. In contemporary society restriction and authority have drastically increased and laws and morality are constantly changing the control over humanity is ever increasing under the guise of civility and Nietzsche seriously questioned modernity because of it. 

Hinman, along with other academics, argues that play is important in the development of humanity.  Thabet elaborates on this arguing that play is not only important to social activities and behavioural development but also as a safety valve for, what Nietzsche argues are normal human behaviours that have been vilified by society.  Computer games on the other allow the player to explore more avenues of human behaviour no longer available to the mass population. Penny suggests the ability to project feelings and behaviours into a game allows the more primal feelings to be expressed.  Fallout 4 is a solid example of this as the character you play, you create in your own image and the character, unlike most games, has no personality of their own. The scenes of interaction with other characters is controlled by your reaction and although the options are not endless you have the choice.  

When studying Nietzsche, Parkes reflects that his concepts revolve around the idea of survival. 

The elements of chaos that come from Nietzsche’s balance re-surface when humanity is no longer protected by law and order and the idea of survival returns to the fore.  Fallout 4 allows modern society to live the Darwinist ideal and test strength of character and behaviour. The player must not only survive in a deadly land that is always moving to keep them questioning but they must be able to live with themselves as they do so. Thus, allowing the player to begin an entire new life and setting the goals themselves. In Twilight of Idols Nietzsche suggests that goals and aims, although important to the human psyche, are not found in the world ready made they are based on the actions and traditions of humanity.  Fallout 4 reflects this well as when you join the post-apocalyptic world you are offered the goal of finding your son, but how you get there is a story entirely created by the player. 

 Fallout 4, whether intentionally or not, would be a game that Nietzsche may well have approved. Each of Nietzsche’s main works is reflected in the vastness of this computer game but also in the idea of computer games in general. As each new media comes into to sharper focus by academics previously marginalised media has been analysed for the philosophical value and social commentary. With emphasis on morality, science, authority, tradition and individualism, which all correlate to works by Nietzsche we have established that Fallout 4 is a philosophically important piece, along with being an important within human behaviour. It also expands on how new media, particularly computer games, can further explore the outcomes of philosophical scenarios with human interactions. Fallout 4 is also the strongest example of a more philosophically contemplative game as it offers a whole new world where the player can form their own philosophy. In essence because of the gameplay, the decision making, freedom and impact of the post-apocalyptic game Nietzsche would likely have approved of Fallout 4.