Summary
Many people who grew up withSkyrimas their introduction to the world ofThe Elder Scrollshave found it challenging to go back and enjoy previous titles. They’ve gone fromthe most streamlinedand graphically enhanced title to games with graphics that, while revolutionary at the time, have certainly not aged with grace. There are plenty of people who were already singingOblivion’spraises, but if there is one thing this remaster has done, it’s help show people just how much potential Bethesda’s articulation of Cyrodill truly has.
Is it a shame that the more interesting, Roman-inspired Cyrodill thatwas hinted at inMorrowindseems to have faded away? Yes. Is the Realm of Oblivion, which has so many unique and interesting pocket-realms, reduced to the most vanilla understanding of Hell one could think of? Also, yes. But with the remaster, now more than ever, taking this game at face value for what it is, rather than what it could be, reveals one of the best open-world experiences money can buy. Open-world players are spoiled for choice when it comes to great games, but in more ways than one,Oblivionhas nearly all of them all beat.
8Atmosphere
Oblivion Remastered Shows Cyrodill In Its Best Light
There are very few open world games where players can walk into an inn, and find it bursting with life,each unique NPChaving a conversation, sitting by the fire or at the bar, discussing current events with guards or tavern keeps. The system for radiant conversations has been picked apart by many - and yet, even within otherElder Scrollsgames, this is a feature that hasn’t truly been seen anywhere else.
The ambient sounds and occasional music, the conversing NPCs, the lived-in feeling of every town and small settlement; it all comes together to make an atmospheric game that very few other titles have managed to match.
7Exploration Rewards
There Is Always Something To Gain In Caves And Portals
Oblivion’sglossy remaster hasn’t done much to fixthe often labyrinthine designof caves and dungeons in this game - but they’re certainly pretty to look at now, and there’s no hyperbole here when I say that helps tremendously. If there’s one thing that does make the caves and dungeons - and to a lesser extent Oblivion towers (they’re much more straightforward, at least) worthy of exploration, it’s that players can usually find loot that makes the navigation worthwhile.
It’s not in every open-world game that players can find a pair of “Gorf gro Dingul’s Finest Green Linens” as a piece of randomly generated loot with waterwalking, fortify personality, and a 3600 gold price tag to sell to merchants.
6Magic
The Spell Crafting System Is Iconic
MorrowindandOblivionhave had some of the best spell-crafting systems in any game, period. WhileOblivionis mildly streamlined compared toMorrowind, there is plenty of customization still that puts this title leagues in front of the competition.
Players can add a level of depth and personality to any of their characters based on what spells they use. A cunning thief might have a unique illusion spell to help remain undetected, whilea magic-focused classcan summon a torrent of destructive elements with little more than a thought.
5Character Customization
A Level Of Personality Few Games Can Match
Few things really encompass the ‘best of both worlds’ like the character creation system inOblivion Remastered. Whether players want the Hero of Kvatch to be shockingly handsome, lovingly homely, or the result of Picasso and Dalí having a really sad baby together, the character creation system has options for all of the above.
Players were worried the new remaster would remove the charmingly obtuse character creation system, and with it the opportunities to create manmade horrors beyond our collective comprehension, but the new system has the capacity for startlingly good-looking heroes or utter abominations - whatever the player desires.
4Replayability
Many Factors Work Into Making Multiple Playthroughs Viable
Factoring in the caveat that roleplayers, who only take on quests that wouldbest suit the characterthey’re trying to create, will find this more applicable than others, it still needs to be said thatOblivion Remasteredis a joyously replayable experience. The world is so vibrant and dense, and so full of things to discover, that playing through several different characters will still be enjoyable.
The variety of potential builds, many open ended quests, the different dispositions NPCs have based on character race and preferred skills, there’s so much that encourages multiple playthroughs in this game.
3Side Quests
A Plethora Of Interesting Questlines
And speaking of those side quests, there are a myriad of them inOblivion Remastered, and each one of them brings something fascinating to the table. From ambiguous and multi-faceted quests like ‘Two Sides of the Coin’, to daring epics that will take players far and wide as they search for S’jirra’s jumbo potatoes, there’s a level of immersion to every quest that makes the world feel that much more alive.
Side quests are one of those things whereOblivioncertainly has stiff competition, but each quest has a level of humour, depth, and authenticity to it that helps this title stand out from the rest for all the right reasons.
2Graphics
Staggering Graphical Fidelity
It’s no hyperbole to say thatOblivion Remasteredis a beautiful game. It is jaw-droppingly pretty, and the graphics, beyond being flashy, do a great job helping to set the scene for wherever the player is.
A well-kept shopin the Imperial market district looks different to a run-down inn on the side of the road. An old fort and a cave will be in similar states of disrepair, but with lighting and textures that bring them both to life in different ways.
1Worldbuilding And Lore
An Incredible Amount Of Detail In Peoples And Cultures
There’s so much lore and worldbuilding inOblivion, players will find it easy to utterly immerse themselves in a world with its own history, distinct cultures, and unique perspectives. ‘Distinct cultures’ doesn’t just refer to, say, Argonians and Nords, but the individual cultural distinctions within these races.
The Colovians and the Nibenese are both Imperial, and yet they have vastly different perspectives and lifestyles. Daedra worshipers are all reviled by the priests of the Nine Divines, but many daedric quests have players protecting these worshipers, who can even have noble intentions, occasionally.
