Todd Howard rules out remakes of Fallout 1 and 2 since the originals are still available

Video game remakes are all the rage nowadays, and with the Fallout series enjoying a boon in popularity thanks to the Amazon TV show, some might think Bethesda should put out a remake of one of the older Fallout games. Especially since Fallout 5 won’t be a thing for a very, very, very long time. Surprisingly, Bethesda’s own Todd Howard has shot down the possibility of remaking either of the first two Fallout games.

Earlier this week, Howard spoke with YouTuber MrMattyPlays about the future of the Fallout series (via VGC), where he was asked if Bethesda would ever remake the original Fallout games. Those first two games are quite different to their successors, being isometric turn-based RPGs. Ever since Bethesda bought the IP from InterPlay Productions, though, the Fallout games have been action-RPGs with real-time combat set in open worlds.

Newer fans more familiar with the current games may not find those first two Fallout titles as appealing, so Howard was asked if Bethesda has ever considered updating or modernising them. Turns out the answer is no, and it’s because, according to Howard, “the main priority for us is to make sure they’re available and you can still play them” (you can hear his comments from the 21:05 mark in the video above). As he pointed out, the first two Fallout games are currently on PC via Steam, so it’s not like they’re a nightmare to track down. They’re also very cheap, both costing only $9.99/£7.99, and you don’t need a super powerful PC to run them.

Howard also suggested that any sort of major update to those early Fallout games would risk sanding off some of their charm: “I would never want to paste over some of that [charm] with “Well, we changed how this works so it’s more modern”. So as long as you can download it, as long as it loads up and runs, I think I’d like people to experience it the way it was.”

I honestly respect this approach to ensuring games can be played as originally intended. Even if the older games are a bit dated, it’s important that they remain available for the sake of preservation. Howard did add that console ports of Fallout 1 and 2 aren’t a priority either, which is a bit of a shame, but such an effort would admittedly require a lot of time and resources. As Howard put it, “You have to ask yourself “Is that where we want to put our time right now or is it best played the way it was on PC?” and I think right now the best way to play it is on a PC [with a] mouse and keyboard.”

If Bethesda would rather ensure its older games are simply available, rather than remaking them, this should hopefully mean the Fallout team is putting all its energy into new entries as well as more Fallout 76 content. Even so, Fallout 5 won’t be a thing until The Elder Scrolls 6 has launched, and that game also lacks a release date.