Fallout 3 is, for me, the game that drives home the brutal reality of a nuclear apocalypse better than any of the others. New Vegas is arguably more fun (and it has aim down sights), while Fallout 4 is probably the most complete offering overall, but the first game of the 3D era is bleak, brutal, and unrelenting, all while set in a city that took a lot more damage than other settings we’ve explored so far.
The only issue with the DC Wasteland in 2026 is that it has really started to show its age, with many of the textures, lighting, and environments firmly rooted in its 2008 launch year. Though rumors of an official remaster have been swirling for a while, someone has taken matters into their own hands, and it will be very interesting to see what they come up with.
As first reported by DSO Gaming, one industrious individual has decided to take up the task of remastering Fallout 3 in Unreal Engine 5. As many of you will likely know, Unreal Engine 5 has made it a lot easier to remaster existing properties, which is a large part of the reason that we have seen so many official re-releases over the last few years (that, and money).
The project comes from YouTuber Julian Uccetta, who is working in Unreal Engine 5.7 to port the original game across, and give it all the lighting benefits that come with the new engine. The project is still in its very early throes, but great progress has been made so far, and he has uploaded seven minutes worth of gameplay to show the community what’s possible.
The really exciting thing here is that the footage we have seen so far shows all of the mechanics working well, like looking at and using the Pip-Boy, opening doors, looting items, and much more. Generally, with the way development works on these things, that should mean that this is true throughout the game, putting the project a lot further along that equivalent processes taking place on other older Bethesda games.
Other than hoping that this project makes it across the line, all we really have to hope for is that the long-standing rumors of an official remake/remaster of the game are true. Fallout 3 is a brilliant game that’s well worth revisiting regardless, but it sure would be nice if the graphics looked even better, to make that transition a little less jarring.
- Released
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October 28, 2008
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
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Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks
- Engine
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Gamebryo