Fallout has a long and storied history. It started life as an isometric RPG in the '90s, before Bethesda bought the series and helmed a complete reinvention – the 2008 version of Fallout 3 totally changed the gameplay, perspective, and design. Even so, all these years later it's important not to forget that history, and this is exactly what the new Revelation Blues demo is doing. This Fallout New Vegas mod takes the original version of FO3 (codenamed Van Buren) and aims to reinvent it via the medium of Obsidian's masterpiece, and you can try it right now.
Before we talk about this RPG series codenamed Van Buren. The game was canceled in 2003, and Bethesda made a sequel years later. From here, the original version of Van Buren gathered dust as Bethesda made what it would call Fallout 3. However, a collection of leaks from the years since have provided us with an indication of what Van Buren was going to be. It would have resembled more closely the original Fallout and Black Isle's Fallout 2, as opposed to the FPS-inflected sequel that Bethesda created.
So, this is where Fallout Revelation Blues comes in. The United West Team has been "aiming to create a faithful adaptation of Van Buren in the Fallout New Vegas engine," and there's a new demo you can try right now. The gameplay and presentation are very different, moving from the originally intended, isometric-style perspective to first-person, but United West Team wants to bring the original Van Buren concept to a whole-new generation of Fallout players.
The demo focuses on one of the first areas of Van Buren, Burham Springs. You'll still come across familiar New Vegas factions like the Brotherhood of Steel, Powder Gangers, and NCR, with plenty of treasures to find and locales to explore.
It's important to note that this New Vegas mod isn't the only planned project based on the original Fallout 3. There is also Project Van Buren, which comes from designer Adam Lacko, and aims to recreate the original version of Black Isle's game, true to the old-school mechanics and isometric perspective. While developing Van Buren, Lacko is also working on a separate Fallout-style isometric RPG over at New Blood.
Fallout Revelation Blues isn't the only major fan-project to come out of the universe, either. We've had the critically acclaimed Fallout London, alongside the abrupt cancellations of both Fallout 1 remake Vault 13. Here's hoping that Revelation Blues can make it across the finish line.
United West Team has launched the Fallout Revelation Blues demo for you to try yourself, just head right here. You need both Fallout New Vegas and all of its DLC (not including pre-order packs) for the mod to work.
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