A modder has created a The Simpsons: Hit & Run remake in Unreal Engine 5, and according to its creator, they made it in under a week. The original Hit & Run isn’t one of the best GTA-style sandbox games around, but it is still arguably the best Simpsons game around – and now fans can check out what a modern remake of the game would be like.
Modder and YouTuber Reuben ‘Reubs’ Ward has been making a name for themselves by remaking classic games in Unreal Engine 5, including Call of Duty and even Skyrim – which gets re-released by Bethesda every other week so that’s less necessary than his most recent project, remaking 2003’s The Simpsons: Hit & Run.
It’s not the full game, of course – only the first mission of the web hosting game, with Homer driving across town to pick up ice cream at the Kwik-E-Mart. Reubs pulled over the Springfield map from the original Hit & Run – which was actually available on PC, fact fans – and remastered it, along with the character models, collectibles, vehicles, and even the Duff blimp flying overhead.
The process Reubs undertook and a playthrough of the level can be seen in the video below, and the full demo’s available on their Patreon apparently. Rather sweetly, Hit & Run’s original designer Joe McGinn offers their support in the video’s comments, saying “really gives a taste of what a full modern remaster could be. Impressive work!”
Unfortunately, there’s unlikely to be a remaster since the Simpsons licence in games alone has changed hands several times since 2003, not to mention Disney now owning the show itself. Still, it’s a nice glimpse at what fans can accomplish in Unreal Engine 5 – and it’s certainly better than Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge, at least.
