Fallout 3 remaster is reportedly still happening as Bethesda aims for Oblivion Remastered-level polish, but personally I think it should aim a little higher

Don't despair, Fallout fans, that countdown might've ended in disappointment, but a new report suggests that a real Fallout 3 remaster is still on the way. Bethesda is apparently working to ensure the upgrade matches the quality of Oblivion Remastered – which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your perspective.

The existence of a Fallout 3 remaster is now effectively an open secret. There have been multiple reliable reports of its development, and now you can add The Verge's Tom Warren (paid article link) to the list. "The game is still in active development," Warren reports, "and I understand Bethesda is keen to ensure it's as well polished as the surprise release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered last year."

Being "as well polished" as Oblivion Remastered is arguably a pretty low bar to clear. Last year's upgraded release brought a gorgeous new visual treatment to the classic open-world RPG, but it very much preserved the underlying technical faults of a game that was already a bit of a mess back in 2006.

Frame rate hitches and crashes continue to plague the remaster even now, but obviously that hasn't had too much of a diminishing effect on the RPG's wild success. I'm sure a Fallout 3 remaster in the exact same mold would sell just as well, but it would be nice if, you know, it ran at least a little better.

Oblivion Remastered studio worked on Fallout season 2, so you might as well toss them Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters too, Bethesda.