Bleszinski: I'd like to reboot Unreal with a Skyrim vibe

Epic's Cliff Bleszinski has said he'd love to reboot classic PC shooter series Unreal, taking inspiration from Bethesda's Elder Scrolls and Fallout games, but financial realities dictate otherwise.

"If you could right now double Epic's team temporarily and just build another game like that I'd love it," the Epic motormouth told listeners at Saturday's VGA show.

"I've had all sorts of crazy ideas, like I'd like to reboot the original Unreal with kind of a Fallout or Skyrim vibe where it's more about exploration than it is about action, with more RPG elements."

Released way back in 1998, Unreal established Epic as a 3D shooter developer, boasting graphics on par with id Software's Quake 2. Though strictly speaking a sci-fi game, it borrowed an aesthetic from Gothic fantasy. Bethesda's post-nuclear and dragon-slaying role-players aren't worlds away.

A new Unreal would have to make a strong case to unseat more recent, established franchises. "We're a slave to our success with games like Gears and Infinity Blade," Bleszinski admitted, but added "thankfully, we can craft a new IP with FORTnITE now."

Currently platform-less, FORTnITE is a combination of action and resource management. Four characters must construct a haven by day, then fend off waves of ghouls by night. "Traditionally we make shooters, and shooting's in there but it's not what the game's all about. It's more about surviving than anything else."

We're hoping to see this on Xbox 360, Cliff. Along with that Unreal reboot.

[Source: Forbes]