Summary
A dedicated group of modders has recreatedVan Buren, the canceledFalloutgame that was initially planned to be the third entry in the franchise. While the ambitiousFalloutproject is still in active development, it has recently been open-sourced after receiving a major update.
Interplay’s original plan for theFalloutserieswas a 3D game code-namedVan Buren. Developed by Black Isle Studios, the project was canceled in December 2003. Bethesda acquired the license to make anotherFallout 3game the following year, then followed up on that move by purchasing the rights to the entire franchise in 2007.
Fallout Van Buren Recreation Now Available for Free
And though that turn of events was all but certain to leaveVan Burenin the annals of history, modding group PJ & Co refused to let that happen. To that end, the collective embarked on a mission to recreate the canceled game as aFallout 2mod, using the game’s 2D engine and the wealth of its scrapped assets and materials that have been leaked online over the years. The project was dubbedFallout Yesterday, and started development circa 2020. And while PJ & Co’s Patreon backers were able to play the game’s work-in-progress version for a while now,Fallout Yesterdayhas also been released for free viaNexus Modsin early July 2024.
Fallout Yesterday Is Playable From Start to Finish, But There’s a Catch
Although technically aFallout 2mod, the project also makes use of some assets from other 2D entries in the franchise. Fans wanting to play it will hence have toown bothFallout 1and2, as well asFallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. The developers are saying that the latest, 0.6 version of the mod is technically playable from start to finish. However, that only goes for characters specializing in Science and Repair skills. Since the series itself is all about choice and replayability, the mod in its current state doesn’t exactly allow for a traditionalFalloutexperience.
Nevertheless, its development is still going strong after four years, with PJ & Co being adamant to see it to completion. In a bid to improve the project’s chances of being finished, the modders have recently open-sourcedFallout Yesterday, releasing its source code via GitLab on July 8. Anyone can hence offer contributions to the mod moving forward.
Fallout Yesterdayisn’t the only attempt at revivingVan Burenthat enthusiasts have put forward to date. Another group of modders previously attempted torecreate the originalFallout 3game in theNew Vegasengine. But that project, calledFallout: Revelation Blue, has yet to yield a playable build of the game, although it’s still said to be in development as of July 2024.
Fallout 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Fallout® 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed game that took RPG’ing out of the dungeons and into a dynamic, apocalyptic retro-future.It’s been 80 long years since your ancestors trod across the wastelands. As you search for the Garden of Eden Creation Kit to save your primitive village, your path is strewn with crippling radiation, megalomaniac mutants, and a relentless stream of lies, deceit and treachery. You begin to wonder if anyone really stands to gain anything from this brave new world.Mastering your character’s skills and traits for survival, Fallout® 2 will challenge you to endure in a post-nuclear world whose future withers with every passing moment…
