This year is shaping up to be a huge year for modernized versions of nostalgic titles. The biggest remaster of 2025, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, made a huge splash when Bethesda surprised everyone with a shadow release. But besides Oblivion, this year also brings remasters from other beloved franchises, including Dragon Quest, Metal Gear Solid, Rune Factory, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Story of Seasons—and that's just a small handful.

More remasters and remakes are sure to follow as the gaming industry cashes in on older gamers who grew up on these titles. And yet, amid all these games making their comeback, one franchise has remained oddly untouched by the remaster bug. Despite being around since 1997, the Fallout franchise remains firmly in the past.

The Legacy Of The Fallout Franchise

A Game Where Your Decisions Matter

I first played Fallout in the early 2000s, and I was blown away. Here was a game where your decisions and stats actually make a difference to the way you interact with the world—and vice versa. The original game created the setting for the franchise: A post-apocalyptic world populated by groups of people just trying to survive and rebuild civilization. The title combined RPG and tactics elements with exploration and an early form of survival, and gave players a huge amount of freedom in how they interacted with the world and its residents.

"[I] had foolishly assumed that time would stand still for the residents of Vault 13 until I was ready to return and continue the main story."

The first moment that made me realize that I had something special on my hands was when I received a notification that I had failed to save the people of Vault 13. I had been exploring the world with the protagonist, the Vault Dweller, only vaguely aware of the age of in-game days.

I took my time fighting, looting, and bartering my way through the world. I had been tasked with finding a computer chip that would restore the Vault's water supply system, and had foolishly assumed that time would stand still for the residents of Vault 13 until I was ready to return and continue the main story.

From here, I went on to have many other moments that made me stop and appreciate that I had something unlike anything I'd ever played before. I got to choose a side in a quest that directly affected a town's future, and was entirely caught off guard when I broke into a locked door in front of an NPC, and they attacked me for my thieving ways.

It was a transformative experience made even more memorable by an iconic style and engaging combat style. The action was broken up by the use of deadpan humor (like a poorly-aimed laser weapon shot occasionally splitting my dog clear in half, the cow-like Brahmin occasionally declaring "Moo, I say," or the occasional Easter egg references to pop culture of the time).

Interplay Productions, which created the first Fallout game, was heavily influenced by Wasteland, which had been released by EA nine years prior. Fallout may not have been the first to use the setting or gameplay, but it was the game that started a love for reactive games for many fans like me.

Which Fallout Games Should Be Remastered

Aim For Either The Most Popular Or The Most Nostalgic

The tactics RPG genre was no longer very popular when Bethesda first entered the scene as the franchise's new developer. So, when the time came to plunge deep into the depths of the nuclear wasteland, the studio created the 2008 Fallout 3 as a more modern game that featured 3D graphics, an open world, and real-time combat that retained some of the original game's mechanics (like targeted aiming).

"None of these games have gotten a remake or even a remaster of any kind, and that's a shame."

Fallout 3 was a success, and it was followed by more entries into the franchise that took players around the devastated Fallout 5 is reportedly under development, set to continue the tale in a new location.

As of this writing, none of these games have gotten a remake or even a remaster of any kind, and that's a shame. It's time to revisit this long-standing franchise, and there are only two logical games that Bethesda should tackle first: the original Fallout and Fallout: New Vegas.

Fallout: New Vegas was released in 2010 and remains to this day the most influential entry in the franchise. As the name suggests, the game took place in the Mojave Wasteland and revolved around warring factions all trying to gain control over the region. The game offered deep world-building and a truly open-world experience that future games drew inspiration from.

New Vegas remains one of the most beloved Fallout titles of all time, and it's about time for it to receive a remaster. That said, I still have a soft spot for the original title that started the legacy, and I'm sure many others do, too. Bethesda wouldn't have to use the same format, in a bid to appeal to current-gen gamers. Instead, the studio could adapt it slightly for a modern audience, as Square Enix did with the Dragon Quest remasters, which use a slick new 2D look.

Will We Ever Get A Fallout Remaster?

Rumors Say One Fallout Game Is Being Remade

In recent months, a rumor has been floating around that Bethesda is working on a remaster of Fallout 3, the first modern entry into the Fallout franchise. There has been no official confirmation from the studio, but considering Oblivion Remastered, it wouldn't be too surprising if the rumors turn out to be true.

However, just because we haven't heard of a New Vegas remaster doesn't mean it's not in development. Bethesda Oblivion Remastered in one day with no warning, so it wouldn't be out of the question for the company to do the same for a Fallout game.

A remaster of the original game isn't as much of a sure thing. Bethesda seems to own the rights to the first two games, but a remake of those titles wouldn't be as financially viable. While current-gen versions of the later games make sense since they feature a modern format, the first two games were turn-based, isometric 2D tactical RPGs, which might not sell as well to today's audience (apart from old fans like myself).

Regardless of which games Bethesda opts to remake, I hope they do go for it. As more and more games get brought back as remasters, it's a shame to watch the beloved Fallout franchise get left behind. The incredible success of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered will hopefully spur Bethesda to get to work on the Fallout remaster, if they're not already doing so.