Simpsons Hit & Run remake makes use of GTA 5 character switching

An unofficial remake of The Simpsons Hit & Run has made use of GTA 5's character-switching mechanism. The fan-made project has been in the works since last year. It also launched a playable demo, which was taken down for copyright violations.

As one of the best GTA clones of all time, there has been a huge demand from fans for an official remake or remaster. As of now, there are no playable remasters or remakes, and this fan-made project is not playable either.

This article explores the recent developments surrounding this specific fan-made remake, which takes inspiration from GTA 5.

---

The Simpsons Hit and Run unofficial remake will likely not be available to download

The Simpsons: Hit and Run is regarded as one of the best early-2000s open-world games and a competent GTA clone. For the last couple of years, fans of the game have been demanding a modernized remake of the title.

As mentioned before, there has been a major fan project with a playable demo made by reubs, a YouTuber and self-proclaimed "game remaker."

It was made in a single week in August 2021 but was ultimately taken down due to copyright violations that the creator didn't go into detail about. Since then, he has resumed development on the game but without releasing a playable demo. It won't ever be made available to download either in order to avoid DMCA strikes.

---

How did character switching work in GTA 5?

In the most recent GTA game, the character-switching feature is used to choose between the three playable characters — Michael, Franklin and Trevor. When the appropriate button is pressed, the camera is taken out of the currently controlled character for a bird's-eye view over Los Santos.

It will then zoom in on the other chosen character who could be present anywhere on the map. This can sometimes lead to interesting cutscenes and bizarre situations, the latter being more prevalent with Trevor.

The three characters never had to be present at the same time for players to switch between them, thanks to this inventive method. This also made for a new way to play story missions, by switching between different roles and perspectives.

---

How did the remake incorporate this feature?

The fan-made remake of The Simpsons: Hit and Run aims to improve the game's visuals, add new features, give more detail to the map and make other improvements.

The character swapping feature in Grand Theft Auto 5 came to mind while reubs experimented with camera angles in the game. He included a similar function for three playable characters in the game — Homer, Marge and Apu.

However, reubs noticed that this caused a visual problem where gaps in the map could be observed. To incorporate this feature successfully, he had to complete the general map and make a seamless version of Springfield with no loading screens.

The various chapters in The Simpsons: Hit and Run featured different characters in distinct parts of Springfield. Players were able to unlock new cars, clothes, cars and more by advancing the storyline. It did a good job of implementing mechanics from the GTA series of games into the Simpsons world.

With the advantages of modern game engines and the latest generation hardware, the game can be improved drastically from what it was in 2003.