The Fallout series began in 1997, but those earlier games seldom get any love. Before Bethesda brought the series into 3D with Fallout 3, Interplay published two isometric RPGs in Fallout and Fallout 2. These games are far from the large-scale worlds of Fallout 4 and Fallout: New Vegas, but they kickstarted a franchise that is still going strong years later.

Bethesda is working on Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6, and after those are done, the studio will be working on Fallout 5. However, fans of the franchise should not have to wait that long to explore the world of Fallout again. During the break between Fallout 4 and 5, Bethesda should consider releasing a remake of its older titles. Specifically, it should consider making remakes of the two titles that started it all. These games deserve to be properly honored on modern hardware, and a remake could also bring them inline with the rest of the series.

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Fallout 1 and 2 Are Classics

Cover image for Fallout 2

Fallout kickstarted this popular franchise, developed by Interplay Productions and serving as an introduction to a futuristic world ravaged by global nuclear war. Players took control of the Vault Dweller from Vault 13, who must leave the protection of their home to find a replacement water chip. What ensues is a grand adventure across the wasteland filled with interesting characters and fantastic RPG elements.

Fallout 2 came out a year later, developed by Black Isle Studios and the last mainline title published by Interplay. The game put players in control of The Chosen One, grandchild of the Vault Dweller from the first game. The Chosen One must leave their town of Arroyo to recover a Garden of Eden Creation Kit that could save it from a terrible drought. Players once again embark on a wild journey across a wasteland filled with interesting characters.

These two Fallout titles introduced many ideas that would become staples of the franchise going forward. Not only did these games introduce the world that would be expanded by Bethesda, it also introduced series staples like the PipBoy and bottle caps. The first game also introduced the SPECIAL talent system that would be featured in the rest of the franchise. The majority of the gameplay and the combat would be significantly changed in Fallout 3 when the series made the leap to 3D.

Fallout and Fallout 2 were isometric RPGs, with combat being turn-based and featuring an action-point system. Each turn, players would utilize action points, and when they ran out the turn would end. Different actions would utilize different amounts of points, and they got to use a wide variety of weapons in combat. This system was done away with for Fallout 3, and that paved the way for the introduction of VATS.

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Honoring the Start of Fallout

fallout 1 radscorpions cave vault dweller

Fallout and Fallout 2 are very different from Bethesda's Fallout series, but the series would not exist without these isometric RPGs. The series needs to look back at where it came from and honor it in some way. The best way to do that would be to remake or remaster the games for modern hardware. Both are available through Xbox Game Pass, and that allows fans to experience these groundbreaking titles, but a better way to honor them would be to completely remake before Fallout 5.

Because the original games are very different from the rest of the series, a remake could bring them more in-line with how Fallout is today. Taking the stories and locales of the two titles, and bringing them into the 3D landscape with a Fallout 4 coat of paint, these games could truly shine. Fallout fans may flock to these remakes to get their Fallout fix, and the titles would be able to get the attention that they deserve.

Bethesda does not have to necessarily bring Fallout and Fallout 2 into 3D, the games just need a bit of a facelift. Some fans may want them to stay as close as possible to how they were back in the day, and a remaster could still accomplish this. The original two games are dated, especially by today's standards, so bringing them into HD would go a long way toward honoring the two titles, and it may give players a reason to check them out.

Blizzard did a simple HD facelift for Starcraft, Age of Empires got some HD facelifts, and Command & Conquer also benefited from a remaster. HD facelifts work just as well as full-on remakes, and they are far less work. Giving the original two Fallout games this treatment would not bring them in-line with the rest of the series, but it would make them look pretty good on modern hardware. The games would play much better, and it would finally get rid of those pesky black borders that appear when booting up the games.

Fallout fans are in for a long wait as Fallout 5 is a long ways off, but they should not be left with nothing. During the break, Bethesda should remake or remaster some older Fallout titles to give fans something to play. It would also serve as the perfect way to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary.

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