Out of all the Fallout games in the Bethesda era, I'm sorry, but Fallout 4 is whack. You know, it's actually the worst of the bunch. Yes, I'd rather play Fallout 76. It lacks any of the sauce that the developer displays in Fallout 3, a game among the best RPGs that is turning 17 years old today. With Obsidian Entertainment beating Bethesda at its own game with New Vegas, it still surprises that Fallout 4 is completely devoid of that game's incredible aura. That's why a Fallout 3 remaster is the title we should be celebrating on Nintendo Switch 2 right now, but I'm worried it won't happen.
There's an unmatched atmosphere in Fallout 3, one that only New Vegas' opening moments can rival. Of course, it's a landmark for the series, shifting it from 2D isometric skirmishes to a fully realized 3D environment. It's a perspective jump that is equally as important as Grand Theft Auto 3 revolutionizing the open-world game genre with the same leap just a few years before it. Stepping out into the Wasteland for the first time still gives me chills thinking about it.
We see apocalyptic depictions of the United States all the time in the media we consume, but Fallout 3 still stands out to me as a wholly fresh take all these years later. Despite taking place in a universe where aesthetics have strict ties to 1950s Americana, the intoxicating fusion of retro-futuristic technology is the work of impeccable art direction. The following developers are all banding together in unison to create a superb world, their touch setting the blueprint for copycats: Andy Barron, Hope Adams, Noah Berry, Cory Edwards, Tony Greco, Daniel T. Lee, Nathan Purkeypile, Rashad Redic, and many more.
That's just a small portion of the talent building in that landscape. Since Fallout 3's debut, imitators seemingly just see grey and gritty, thinking that is enough to replicate Bethesda's approach. What they fail to deliver is Fallout 3's sense of depth and immersion. It may seem dated now, with plenty of awkward systems to navigate and quirks about late 2000s gaming to overcome, but most RPGs, ARPGs, or JRPGs wish they could envelop players as deeply as Fallout 3 does. Get me to Downtown Washington, D.C, I'll take my chances with the Brotherhood of Steel or any lurking threats out there.
Within all that, Ron Perlman and Liam Neeson crop up to add a dash of Hollywood glitz to proceedings, although you wouldn't know beyond the haunts of the Wasteland. That's why their inclusion is brilliant. Any other game would make a bigger deal of it, but not here. Alongside them, series veterans like Jan Johns and Mark Lampert flesh out the world, from Ghouls to Vault residents. Rumors of a Fallout 3 remaster are cut from the same cloth as this year's The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered. You might think the Steam Deck is the worst way to play it, but Pocket Tactics' Connor Christie disagrees.
In Todd Howard's recent Fallout Day speech, he expresses that "our energy for the franchise has just been incredible, and I really want to let you know how much that fuels everybody here, the hundreds of people that work on Fallout, the people behind the scenes […] sust know that we are working on even more, we're looking forward to the day where we can share that with everybody." Whether that next Fallout game arrives before I start getting grey hairs and bad knees is another thing, although the latter is already happening.
The thing is, though, we know a Fallout 3 remaster exists - at least on paper. During the FTC v. Microsoft court proceedings, documents showcase several titles, including an unannounced Fallout 3 remaster. You can view an image of the document below, just in case you missed it in 2023. So, what gives Todd? Where is it? Missing the chance to announce it during Fallout Day feels like a massive oversight.
Part of me feels like it might coincide with the release of Fallout Season 2 later this year, perhaps settling down for a spot at The Game Awards in grandiose fashion. But surely a Fallout: New Vegas remaster would make sense for that? Either way, I'm not exactly looking forward to the Fallout 4 Nintendo Switch 2 port. You're better than this, Bethesda.