The Simpsons Hit & Run Remade As An Open-World Game

Someone has put the spring back in Springfield, as The Simpsons: Hit & Run has just been remade as an open-world game worth of new-gen consoles. It's been 19 years since we got behind the wheel of the Globex Supervillain Car, Family Sedan, and Plow King, but with no sign of an official remake, fans have taken to doing it themselves. 

Released in 2003, Hit & Run took the premise of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series and gave it a yellow makeover. At a time that The Simpsons was arguably at its peak, Hit & Run made it big and is now classed as a cult classic we'd love to get a remake. The problem is, rights issues and dissolved developers mean it's almost impossible. 

What Is The Hit And Run Remake?

Over on YouTube, Reuben "Reubs" Ward has shown off their impressive. You might remember Ward as the person who remade Hit & Run using the Unreal Engine in just a week. Now, he's back to deliver an open-world version of the automotive adventure. 

Ward is completely remaking Hit & Run with improved graphics, vehicle physics, an open-world map, and online multiplayer. In the video, he takes each of the individual maps and stitches them together so players can seamlessly move between areas. The remake plans to change missions and in-game dialogue using a narrative tool he's developed himself. 

This video is the first in a number of development logs, with Ward promising to keep us updated on progress. He also plans to highlight the various challenges when it comes to remaking the game for modern audiences. If you want to play though, Ward sadly admits that it's never going to be released. Cheers, kid's crying now.

Will Hit & Run Get A Remake?

Ward's remake has earned a lot of love online, and even nabbed the attention of Joe McGinn - who was the Lead Designer on the original. McGinn wrote, "Amazing what you accomplished! Really gives a taste of what a full modern remaster could be. Impressive work!" Unfortunately, it's just a pipe dream.

There's been plenty of talk about what a Hit & Run remake/remaster could be like, with Producer Vlad Ceraldi saying he'd love to see a remake. The Simpsons Producer Matt Selman has spoken out though, and while he also supports a remaster, he describes the rights issues as a "corporate octopus." For the time being, The Simpsons: Hit & Run is sadly locked to the likes of the PS2 and GameCube. Well, at least Ward will get to play his open-world remake.