Summary
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredmay be enough of an upgrade to justify calling it a fully-fledged “remake,” but it has nonetheless been dubbed by its owner a “remaster.” Yes, there are plenty of improvements to speak of beyond its visual upgrade alone, but for it to be a remake, it would essentially need to have been built from scratch — a more transformative process that severely impacts the game’s core systems and structure. Nevertheless, whatOblivion Remastered’s “remastered” status means is that it’s still by and large the same game that it was before, but with a modern touch to help it feel a bit more relevant.
In light of that,Oblivion Remasteredeffectively highlights (perhaps even more so now that it has received theUnreal Engine 5treatment) the empty canvas that is its world. Unlike modern open-world games that attempt to fill every inch of their maps with as much content as possible and all but spoon-feed it to players along the way,Oblivion Remasteredretains the classic formula of the original game by letting players discover its world at their own pace. This, in addition to its new muted color palette, helps reinforce the game thatOblivionalways was, only with a brand-new coat of paint that makes it resemble something more akin to what players might see in a AAA today.
The Emptiness of Oblivion Remastered’s World Is Actually a Strength
Oblivion Remastered’s New Color Palette Reinforces the Game’s Tones
One of the biggest points ofcontention withOblivion Remasteredhas been its new color palette. The originalElder Scrolls 4: Oblivion’s world was deeply saturated with vibrant colors, and yet,Oblivion Remasteredhas made it so that the entire map is blanketed in a muted brown haze. This has likely led some longtime fans of the originalOblivionto feel like the remaster is missing a major part of what gave the original its unique identity. However, that’s rather debatable, as the vibrant colors that once coated Cyrodiil didn’t necessarily match the undertones of the game’s narrative.
Cyrodiil has evolved immensely over the course of theElder Scrollsseries, butOblivion’s depiction is undoubtedly the most memorable.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionhas always been a game about a world that is on the brink of destruction and ruin. In the story, the Septim Dynasty ends abruptly whenEmperor Uriel Septim VIIis assassinated, and with him dies the last known heir to the throne. Tamriel’s safety is tied to the Dragonfires, which are lit by an heir of the Septim bloodline and are part of a covenant that keeps the Daedric realm of Oblivion from bleeding into the mortal world. With no heir to light the fires, the barrier between worlds breaks down, leaving it open to invasion. This is whereOblivion Remastered’s new color palette comes in, as it helps underscore those themes and the world to feel a bit less alive and full in the process.
Oblivion Remastered’s Sparse World Lets Players Discover at Their Own Pace
Oblivion Remastereddoesn’t just highlight the beauty of the original game’s world with its narratively relevant color palette, though, as it also brings Cyrodiil to life and shows it how it was always meant to be seen.Oblivion Remastered’s Cyrodiilis immensely sparse, with very little action going on outside or even inside each town. It all just feels quite empty. Add to that the absence of immediate map makers, and players are encouraged to discover the world at their own pace. Too many modern open-world games throw content at players rather than letting them discover it, soOblivion Remastered’s opposite approach is a true thing of beauty.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionhas always been a game about a world that is on the brink of destruction and ruin.
The emptiness inOblivion Remasteredworks because it lets the world breathe. It doesn’t press the player to move faster or do more but simply exists, to the point that it truly feels as though players have been pulled into another world entirely. Every stretch of road, every lonely ruin feels like it belongs to a world that has already started to fade away. Rather than filling the space with noise,Oblivion Remasteredallows players to make their own noise if they want to. That restraint is rare these days, and it’s part of what makes thisversion ofThe Elder Scrolls' Cyrodiilfeel more true to the story it’s telling.
