The Simpsons Hit and Run remastered in Unreal 5 brings a cult classic to an open world

A fan rebooted the 2003 cult classic The Simpsons: Hit & Run in Unreal Engine 5 and adds a lot of details that are appropriate in 2022 – like an open world map, better vehicles and online multiplayer.

As initially reported by Eurogamer, more than a million viewers watched the 17-minute YouTube video of the impressive project. It starts with a disclaimer stating that the project is “for entertainment purposes” and “will never be available for download” – so you can’t play it, but that doesn’t make the video any less compelling to watch.

Reuben Ward goes on to detail the changes and sheer effort that went into this remake project – from importing parts of the map to create an open world to adding foliage and lighting effects to make the visuals stand out. He used Unreal Engine 5, a dialog tool of his own design called Narrative Quest and Dialogue Editor, plus Blender.

The great joy of watching the video is seeing how certain small tweaks make a huge difference in modernizing the look of the game. Ward describes how creating specific shaders for windows can make everything from neighborhood houses to skyscrapers look a lot nicer. “If you just work a little, you can get a great result,” Ward says in the video.

This project comes eight months after Ward originally went viral for “remaking” the cult classic in a week. The 19-year-old game’s lead designer, Joe McGinn, even commented on this original project. “Amazing what you’ve done!” he said. “Really gives a taste of what a full modern remaster could be.”