The fan-made version of the original Fallout 3, which is an isometric RPG that’s way different from Bethesda’s version, is now playable on Nexus Mods

Black Isle’s original vision for Fallout 3 is now more accessible than ever

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

The canceled Fallout project codenamed Van Buren, which was original Fallout developer Black Isle’s second stab at making Fallout 3, is now more accessible than ever thanks to a fan-made version’s release onNexus Mods(viaDSOGamingandPC Gamer).

If you’re unfamiliar with Van Buren, it was a wildly different take on Fallout 3 from what was ultimately released by Bethesda after it acquired the IP from Black Isle parent company Interplay. Chiefly, it was an isometric RPG with a top-down perspective more in line with the first two Fallout games, and its story centered around an accused criminal whose guilt or innocence was to be decided by the player, dramatically altering which quests, skills, and communities were interactable.

With the meaty Fallout Yesterday - Van Buren mod now available on Nexus Mods, it’s easier than ever to experience what’s likely the closest thing to Black Isle’s original vision for Fallout 3. Built in the Fallout 2 engine, Fallout Yesterday’s recent 0.6 update added 30+ new quests, “multiple” vehicles, hundreds of new weapons, new traits, new perks, new main story content, “many” bug fixes, and more, although in its current state it can only be beaten with a “specific character build focused on Science and Repairs.”

The arrival of the 0.6 update coincided with the project’s release on Nexus Mods, not to mention the cracking open of its code onGitLab, making now an ideal time to not only play it but toy around with the code if you’re keen. Of course, it’s worth noting that much of Van Buren ended up in 2010’s Fallout: New Vegas, including the American Southwest setting and the ability to decide on elements of your character’s backstory. Still, purists will likely appreciate the faithfulness of Fallout Yesterday to the original source work.

Find out where Fallout: New Vegas ranked on our list of thebest RPGsever.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.

Dragon Age: Origins writer says the RPG series has a secret “overarching plan,” but won’t reveal the “very last plot” in case BioWare actually makes it

6 years after Deltarune’s initial launch, Toby Fox says the RPG’s next 2 chapters will “100% come out in 2025”

The Ultimate versions of Wolverine and Nick Fury make their official debut in next month’s Ultimate Universe: One Year In special