There’s a pretty good chance that Fallout 3, a strong contender for the best 3D Fallout game, is getting a remaster soon. This hasn’t been officially announced by Microsoft or Bethesda, but neither was Oblivion Remastered, which was first officially introduced to the world when it was shadow-dropped last summer. And if it proves to be real, then I’ll finally have a chance to experience a part of the game I’ve always regretted missing out on.
This theoretical Fallout 3 remaster is following some of the same steps as its Elder Scrolls counterpart: it’s been mentioned in leaked internal Bethesda documents, notable leakers like NateTheHate and Jez Corden have asserted its existence, and several players have shared anecdotes about various oddities surrounding Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas on Steam. I’m not sure how valid that last category of evidence really is, but the notion of a Fallout 3 remaster is extremely plausible, if for no other reason than the success of Oblivion Remastered. And Bethesda, bless its heart, often sticks to what works: if Oblivion Remastered was deemed a success, then Bethesda will almost certainly roll the dice again with Fallout 3. If and when that happens, I’ll be as excited as anyone to check it out, especially since it will give me the chance to correct one of my childhood mistakes.
I Love Fallout 3, but Somehow, I’ve Never Played Operation: Anchorage
I have the somewhat unique privilege of attracting the ire of both new and old Fallout fans with my pick for best game in the franchise: Fallout 3 is my personal favorite, which is probably only the second or third least-popular choice next to Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. But I can’t help it. Fallout 3‘s atmosphere and writing are absolutely stunning, even all these years later, and I find myself itching to jump back in for a fourth, fifth, sixth, playthrough every now and again. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but it’s remarkably compelling, and easily one of the best western RPGs of its generation.
My first playthrough of Fallout 3 was in sixth grade, and it didn’t last that long. I played for a few hours, had my mind blown, and then—and I can’t believe I’m admitting this publicly—I got too scared by the feral ghouls in the first subway section and abandoned the game, trading it in at GameStop for BioShock, which my sixth-grade brain must have found much less terrifying. At any rate, this break was short-lived, as I snagged a deal on Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition at that same GameStop just a few months later. My hesitancy was rewarded, as I now had access to Fallout 3‘s fantastic slate of DLC on an allowance budget.
With the bravery of a second-semester sixth-grader, I was able to plunge through the then-cutting-edge Fallout 3 and almost all of its DLCs with ease (impressed, anyone?). I especially enjoyed Mothership Zeta and Broken Steel, which I felt meaningfully expanded the base game’s mechanics while offering radically distinct missions, enemies, and the like. The Pitt and Point Lookout were quite good as well, although I remember feeling that they were more pedestrian by comparison. Perhaps it’s for this reason that I skipped out on Operation: Anchorage, the Alaska-based expansion that should have, at the very least, been as novel as the other DLCs.
A Second Shot at Love: I Can Give Operation: Anchorage Another Try in Fallout 3 Remastered
If Fallout 3 Remastered, or whatever it will ultimately be called, does actually release, I have to imagine that it will include all the DLC from the original Fallout 3. This is par for the course for these sorts of projects, as evidenced by Oblivion Remastered as well as Skyrim‘s abundant re-releases. Assuming this is the case, Operation: Anchorage will probably be my first stop on the DLC train.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Much like Fallout 3‘s best mission, Tranquility Lane, Operation: Anchorage is framed as a virtual reality program within the game world. The DLC involves the player launching into a military simulation set in pre-war Anchorage, Alaska, recreating a siege by Chinese forces. Players need to liberate the city alongside their allies, in a process that sounds decidedly more linear and action-oriented than the rest of Fallout 3. You’re stripped of all your gear and forced to acquire new weapons and armor on-site, and stimpaks are replaced by static health stations. On top of this, looting is quite streamlined in the DLC, which lacks many of the collectible “junk” items of the base game.
To tell the truth, I’m not sure why I never played Operation: Anchorage. It’s probably just one of those “if I haven’t done it already, I’m not going to start now” situations. But if Fallout 3 is in fact getting a remaster, then I have no more excuses. I just hope that it lives up to the enigmatic image I’ve conjured in my mind: I was much more easily impressed by video games as a child, when they were still mysterious and boundless in their potential. With luck, any future Fallout 3 remakes or remasters will manage to recapture the magic of not just the base game, but its expansions as well.
- Released
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October 28, 2008
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
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Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks
- Engine
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Gamebryo
