While it was one of the worst-kept secrets thanks to the FTC document leaks, Bethesda and Microsoft eventually surprised fans with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remaster. It was a praised game release, with fans eager to dive back into this game world all over again or for the first time. Since then, some have wondered if a Fallout remaster could be next.
In the same FTC document leak that revealed a remaster was coming for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, there was word of a Fallout 3 remaster. But what if we went further back? Could an original Fallout remaster work today? Well, according to Tim Cain, that would be a headache to deal with as there are more than a few obstacles that would prevent developers from having a smooth production.
Thanks to Insider Gaming, we’re discovering that Tim Cain, a veteran game developer and one of the original creators behind Fallout, spoke about this subject. Tim noted that when he left Interplay, he was forced to destroy all of the game’s source code. So, he currently has nothing related to the game when it comes to the code. But we know that there are still supposed copies of the source code, as another programmer confirmed they have copies still running when speaking with VideoGamer.
Despite having source code, there are still other issues developers would have to deal with. Tim noted that old programs used to create some of the content are no longer available, which could be problematic when a developer attempts to work on a remaster. Beyond that, you have proprietary formats for cutscenes. Then, you have music licensing deals that would need to happen and an overhaul to some of the mechanics to make the game feel more approachable for modern players.
So, it seems that even with the source code available, the Fallout remaster would almost be entirely built from the ground up. Perhaps that’s just far too much work to take a risk on. Still, we’re sure some teams would be interested, especially with how much of a resurgence we saw with Fallout, thanks to the hit TV adaptation.
