Summary
Elder Scrollsfans might have been awaiting another reveal of the upcomingElder Scrolls 6, but instead, they were surprised by a shadow drop ofThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered— a faithful but extensive overhaul of the original game that launched almost 20 years ago. Essentially,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredis the same game through and through, although it’s not without a fair share of improvements beyond the visuals. With enhancements like the ability to sprint now, an overhauled leveling system, extra voice actors, and more,Oblivion Remasteredfeels like a trip into the past that simultaneously resembles the present.
By and large,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasterednot only gives players a more relevant way to travel back to one of the most iconicElder Scrollsgames ever made, but it also shows what was once valued, not just by Bethesda, but by RPG developers at large. In essence,Oblivion Remastered’s world design may be reminiscent of what once was, but there’s a reason it was such a hit in 2006 and still is today. Because of that,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredcould quietly set the tone forThe Elder Scrolls 6’s world designfollowingSkyrim.
Oblivion Remastered Could Be a Blueprint for TES6
Oblivion Remastered Reinforces Cyrodiil’s Variety
One of the most significant changes betweenThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionand the next entry in the series,Skyrim, is in its world variety. According toElder Scrollslore, Cyrodiilis known for being an incredibly diverse land, with dense jungles, tropical river valleys, mountains, swamps, and a variety of climates across its provinces. For the most part,Oblivionreflected this in its world design, although it was still held back due to development constraints. Even so, it was still a bit more varied thanSkyrim’s world, which leaned towards a more uniform, Nordic-inspired aesthetic with a colder, more subdued color palette.
By and large,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasterednot only gives players a more relevant way to travel back to one of the most iconicElder Scrollsgames ever made, but it also shows what was once valued, not just by Bethesda, but by RPG developers at large.
Oblivion Remasteredeffectively shines a bright light on this variety with Unreal Engine 5, which allowed Bethesda to add more detail to the world and bring it to life in a way the original game was not capable of achieving. Given the nature ofOblivion Remastered’s Cyrodiil and its classic emphasis on these diverse biomes, it could be a sign of what is to come forThe Elder Scrolls 6. At the moment, Hammerfell is therumored setting forThe Elder Scrolls 6, which is known for being one of the most varied provinces in Tamriel. If those rumors turn out to be true,Oblivion Remasteredmight be a great example ofThe Elder Scrolls 6’s environmental design.
Oblivion Remastered’s Environmental Storytelling Brings Its World to Life
Another element that was dumbed down inSkyrimwasOblivion’s stronger emphasis on environmental storytelling.Oblivion’s Cyrodiilis rich with details that tell stories through the environment itself. For instance, players might stumble upon a secluded cabin with signs of a struggle, hinting at a past event without any accompanying quest or dialogue.Skyrim, on the other hand, prioritizes its Radiant Quest system, which generates quests based on the player’s actions, rather than environmental storytelling. GivenOblivion’s popularity and the success ofOblivion Remastered,The Elder Scrolls 6could move back to the days when environmental storytelling mattered more than quests.
Skyrim’s Radiant Quest system sometimes leads to repetitive scenarios that lack the handcrafted feel found inOblivion.
If nothing else,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredproves that some ideas are timeless for a reason. It highlights a kind of world design that doesn’t just serve as a backdrop for quests, but tells its own story through its landscapes, its ruins, and the smallest details scattered throughout. IfThe Elder Scrolls 6wants to recapture what made earlierElder Scrollsgamesso memorable,Oblivion Remasteredmight offer the best route forward.
