Highlights
- With Fallout 5 far off, remaking Fallout 1 and 2 could keep fans engaged and tie into Amazon Prime's upcoming series.
- Bethesda's timeline makes a Fallout 5 release a decade away; remastering the original games may bridge the gap.
- Reviving Fallout 1 and 2 as CRPGs in line with Baldur's Gate 3's success could capitalize on the genre trend.
Despite Fallout 5 likely being several years away from release, the Fallout series is in the spotlight once again thanks to Amazon Prime's upcoming series. Set in the Fallout universe, the upcoming series follows protagonist and Vault Dweller Lucy as she leaves the safety of the Vault to explore the wasteland of a crumbling Los Angeles. With this premise in mind, the Fallout series would be in a prime position to remake or remaster the original two games to coincide with the show's release and give players a reason to get back into the series ahead of Fallout 5.
Bethesda is in a tough situation with the Fallout series at the moment, coming off the heels of a massive project like Starfield and starting what is likely going to be another long development cycle for The Elder Scrolls 6. This puts a Bethesda-developed Fallout 5 potential a decade or more from release, and it's unlikely that the live-service Fallout 76 will be able to carry the franchise until then. While there has been speculation that Bethesda may outsource the development of a potential Fallout: New Vegas 2 to Obsidian Entertainment, the stars seem to be aligning for Fallout 1 and 2 remakes to fill the current void in the series' gaming line-up.
Fallout 5 Shouldn't Be The Next Fallout Game
Fallout 5 is a long way off, so Bethesda should consider other ways to keep the franchise active over the next several years.
Fallout 1 and 2 Remakes Could Capitalize on the Amazon Prime Show's Hype
Before Bethesda acquired the rights to the Fallout IP and created Fallout 3, Fallout 1 and 2 were developed by Black Isle Studios. Rather than the first-person RPG titles the series has become known for after Bethesda's acquisition of the franchise, the original Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 games were turn-based CRPGs played from a top-down, trimeric perspective. Black Isle Studios would go on to have a hand in developing other classic titles in the genre, such as Planetscape: Torment, as well as aiding BioWare in developing the original Baldur's Gate 1 and 2.
What makes Fallout 1 and 2 remakes perfect to coincide with the release of the Amazon Prime series is their settings. Unlike Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, which both take place on the East Coast of the United States, the original Fallout titles are set in what remains of California, similar to the upcoming TV series. For fans who enjoy the Amazon Prime series and want more of the world's lore, Fallout 1 and 2 would be the perfect games to dive into, and remakes or remasters of the titles would be the ideal way to experience them.
Baldur's Gate 3's Revival of the CRPG Genre Means Fallout 1 and 2 Remasters Could See Similar Success
While some fans might expect to see full-blown remakes of Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 as first-person RPGs like their successors, sticking with their iconic CRPG origins might be for the best. These original games still hold up fairly well today, and simply remastering them to look better and be a little more user-friendly for modern audiences would likely be all that they would need. This remaster route would help give fans an authentic experience and reduce the amount of time the developer would need to invest in bringing the games up to par with modern titles.
CRPGs have also seen a resurgence in the gaming space recently thanks to the massive popularity of Baldur's Gate 3, and Fallout 1 and 2 remakes could chase the CRPG trend following this success. Other post-apocalyptic CRPGs like Wasteland 3 have seen recent success as well, so it would seem like a no-brainer to remaster Fallout 1 and 2 for a similar audience. It would be a shame if the Fallout series didn't receive any sort of gaming tie-in to the Amazon Prime show, and given their connection to the show's setting and the popularity of CRPGs at the moment, remastering the original Fallout titles makes the most sense.
