A fan-made remaster of the classic Unreal game called Unreal Redux has received official approval from the original game's creator, Cliff Bleszinski. In a post on X, Cliff wrote that the project looks "SO COOL," and noted that his last words upon leaving Epic Games were to "remaster the original Unreal." Now, fans are fulfilling his wish.
Unreal Redux is not an official Epic Games project, but the development team has adapted the Unreal Engine 1-based remaster with significant updates, including improved graphics, new effects, improved physics, and interaction with the game world. The project has been in development for over seven years, and while there is no specific release date yet, the new trailer shows significant progress and hints at a modern look for the gameplay.
Unreal was a revolutionary 3D graphics technology for its time in 1998 and was the basis for the game engine of the same name, which remains one of the leading in the industry today. Although the original game had some shortcomings, its impact on the industry remained decisive.
Bleszinski also admitted that the Unreal sequel was less successful and felt like a "regular sci-fi shooter," and Epic Games' focus eventually shifted to the Unreal Tournament series.
Incidentally, the original version of Unreal, like Unreal Tournament, has been added to the Internet Archive. Epic Games has stated that it will not prevent gamers from playing classic versions of the game, but whether this will apply to the fan remaster remains to be seen.