On November 5, 2026, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the third time, following its original release for the Nintendo 64 in 1998 and another release in 2011 for the Nintendo 3DS.
This trend isn’t exclusive to Nintendo or The Legend of Zelda franchise. It seems that many popular games that have come out in the last few years are not new but remakes or remasters.
While they both sound similar, there is a bit of a difference. A remaster is when they keep most of the game the same and just update graphics and quality of life, whereas a remake is a true new version of the game.
Final Fantasy VII is an example of a well-received remake, whereas the new Witcher 3 Remaster is a great example of that side. With the trend of harnessing nostalgia, we have been asking ourselves what are the biggest games we would want redone, and should it be a remake or a remaster?
Fallout 3
For me, I am most excited for the announced remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Focusing on Fallout 3, it is one of my favorite games and introduced me to the Fallout universe that I love so much. This is the game that really launched the whole series into many other games like New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76 and the hit tv show.
There are some great storylines, characters, and areas to explore around the Capital Wasteland. However, there are a few things that make it hard to come back to in 2026, such as the combat, graphics, and other areas that seem a bit dated. There is certainly a great core game here, and I wouldn’t want a remake where they feel they need to change things up, but rather just bringing this up to par with newer releases. So what does a perfect remaster look like?
What makes a good remaster?
For starters, I think bringing this game into the engine that Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 exist in would be a massive game changer. When you look at the success of another well-received Bethesda remaster, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, they really nailed it with this upgrade. Everything in the newer game engine feels smoother, looks better, and makes it feel like a brand new game instead of one that’s decades old.
Remaster wishlist
This new engine would help fix my other big gripe with the game: the combat. In the older engine games, the gun combat is a bit janky and stiff, and not super fun compared to newer titles. I think in Fallout 4 they really nailed this, and if they could take the lessons learned from the success of that title and bring it to the Fallout 3 universe, that would be a gamechanger for me.
There are some areas I absolutely do not want them to touch at all, and to keep with the original style versus newer titles. Number one on that list has to be the dialogue and quests. They are so iconic and memorable; I really would not want any of these changed at all. I especially would not want them to bring the Fallout 4 dialogue tree and voiced protagonist into this remaster. It is one of the faults of Fallout 4 that I think I would want to leave in that game, and let us enjoy the well-written dialogue in its originality.
I also think I would not want them changing the difficulty to make it easier. There is something so nostalgic about these games, where you take a wrong turn early on and come face to face with an enemy that obliterates you. It grounds you in the harsh reality of the wasteland you are travelling through and that you need to keep your eyes peeled if you want to survive. Many modern games love to make things easy so that there is no challenge, but I want that difficulty spike to remain as it was originally designed to explore in an updated graphical setting.
The last area I want them to focus on with this game is containing the hype. When we look at two different Bethesda launches and compare, you can see the differences clearly.
Setting expectations
Starfield was one of the most hyped and marketed games I have seen in my lifetime. There was so much promotion, tie-ins with gaming accessories, cryptic tweets, and so much more for years that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
They built a level of excitement for a game that could never live up to that, and the game flopped massively compared to their other IP’s. It’s not a terrible game, but they built a level of excitement that simply could not be matched by the product they put together.
I would rather they take the approach they did with Oblivion. There were rumours, sure, and people speculated, but the first real information we got about this being a real thing was just a few weeks before. Then, out of nowhere, they put out a launch trailer and demo showcasing the game, confirming all the rumours.
At the end of the showcase, when the hype was really hitting a crescendo, they announced it was available for purchase, and the internet lost its mind. When you have a title that is beloved, and there is an expectation that something like this is coming, like Fallout 3, you just need to shadow drop it sometimes for max effect. Fingers crossed Todd Howard learned from this success, and someday soon we just get a tweet saying the game is out and ready to play.
Supply and demand
Remakes and remasters are abundant these days because it seems like gaming companies are having a tough time getting new intellectual property (IP) to land with audiences. The most anticipated game this year is the new Grand Theft Auto game, which, while new and exciting, is just an updated version of a game that’s been around for decades.
While there are certainly new titles and ideas that launch, the audience for nostalgia will never go away, and there are constantly those looking to relive the glory days of gaming. We are certainly excited for the Fallout 3 remaster but know there are many other titles worth a clean-up. We will be covering these in an ongoing series, and feel free to let us know what games you think deserve a modern upgrade.
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