Whether you played through the storylines as fast as you could or spent hours exploring every inch of the worlds in Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, you’re bound to recognize the epic, sweeping musical themes that Inon Zur composed for the games.
Thanks to Bethesda Softworks, Fallout fans who love vinyl as much as they love post-apocalyptic video games can purchase deluxe Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 soundtracks that are bound to be the crown jewel of any record collection.
The Fallout 3 10th Anniversary Vinyl Edition Box Set costs $125, features 29 tracks on three LPs, and comes with a bonus LP that features 10 songs from the in-game Galaxy News Radio. It is sold out from Bethesda’s shop right now, but there are still copies available from Amazon, Bethesda’s European store, and some resale sites. For this collection, the LPs come in a book with four sleeves, each featuring art from the game. There is a special, pull-out sleeve for the Galaxy News Radio LP, too, featuring special graphics. The most exciting tidbit from this collection, though, is a printed copy of Vault-Tec’s You’re SPECIAL! kids’ book from in the game. It goes through the seven key “SPECIAL” attributes — strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck — with colorful illustrations.
The Fallout 4 Deluxe Vinyl Record Soundtrack features more music — 65 tracks on six LPs, to be exact. Instead of one book with sleeves, these albums come inside three separate gatefold jackets that are printed with covers of publications from the game, such as Hubris Comics’ Grognak The Barbarian and Robco Fun. Despite offering more music, this collection retails for a slightly lower $110 — presumably due to the book and bonus LP that come with the Fallout 3 collection.
While the graphics and details (including Vault Boys all over the place) will be the standout feature for Fallout fans, it is worth noting that the vinyl itself is stunning. The Fallout 3 LPs (not including the bonus Galaxy News LP) are clear with blue splatter. While the online listing for the Fallout 4 collection features an orange splatter, the one I opened had LPs with more of a light-blue hue variant. Regardless of which variant you get, the unique coloring adds another fun element to the experience of listening to these albums. I played them on my portable Crosley system and got good sound quality across the board.
One word of caution to those who buy and open the albums: The LPs in their paper dust sleeves are loose in the packaging, not yet inserted into the slots that serve as the album covers/ paperboard sleeves.
Overall, there is a lot to love about these vinyl sets. They are packed with details that die-hard fans will love, but they are visually exciting enough for any movie score or vinyl enthusiast to enjoy. Now, get ready to blast hours of epic, analog score to add a touch of adventure to your household chores.
Photos: Bethesda Gear
