The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remasteredis a game I simply never thought would exist. That’s probably a tad ridiculous, especially considering Bethesda’s infamous track record for remastering its games, or, specifically,Skyrim. However, I think my desire for anOblivionremake, coupled with just how long it has been since the original was released - can you believe it was all the way back in 2006? - made it feel like an impossibility, something I would dream about forever, but never actually came to fruition. Fortunately, I was proved wrong.
Oblivion Remasteredis undeniably incredible, garnering critical acclaim and commercial success, something rarely achieved by a remaster these days -Horizon Zero Dawn’sremaster flopped, despite actually being rather impressive. However, and I feel genuinely disappointed to say this, I cannot get into it. Despite adoring this game, having played it and practically nothing else as a child, dreamt it would be brought to modern consoles eventually, and purchased the remaster the second it was released,Oblivion Remasteredhas one major flaw that’s preventing me from truly loving it.
Oblivion Remastered Feels Too Familiar
It Is The Perfect Remaster
DespiteOblivion Remastered’smany changesover the original, it still feels like the same oldOblivion. For many, that is a huge win, especially those who had always wanted to dive straight back into Cyrodiil, but not deal with the somewhat outdated visuals and strange quirks of the original release.It also gives those who are accustomed to the conveniences and quality of modern AAA games the opportunity to playOblivionfor the very first time, without the aforementioned warts. For all of those people, and I’m sure many more,Oblivion Remastered’sdogmatic respect for the original is great.
However, for myself, someone who played the original game for easily several hundred hours, if not over 1000, who started numerous saves, completed the main story a dozen times and each side quest a dozen more, who beatOblivion’samazing DLCmore times than I can count and killed the Adoring Fan even more,Oblivion Remastered’sfaithful recreation of the 2006 masterpiece is far too familiar. I find it almost impossible to dive intoThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remasteredand not immediately be flooded with memories of how it used to be.
I have a handful ofissues withOblivion Remastered, the majority of which are inherent to this remaster in particular, such as its new muted color palette. However,by far my biggest issue is something that lies exclusively with me and my nostalgia-riddled brain. The second I left the dungeons - after having created a character that resembled the many I made well over a decade ago - I headed over to Vilverin, cleared out all the bandits, bounded my way over to the Imperial City, got a horse, did the arena, completed the Bloated Float and then headed out to Chorrol.
That’s the same routine I had when I first played it, a rote exercise ingrained into my memory, something that comes as naturally to me as counting or breathing. I can’t help but follow these patterns, but even if I didn’t, I’d only be following others I established when I originally playedOblivionafter growing bored with this one.I’ve done everythingOblivionhas to offer, something that isn’t the fault of Bethesda or Virtuos, but something I highly doubt I am alone in, especially considering the game is nearly 20 years old.
It Would Help Recontextualize The World
While it may be a rather big ask,I do wishOblivion Remasteredhad new content, something that could entertain returning fans who know Cyrodiil like the back of their hand. One option, inspired by the many mods I’ve installed for games likeSkyrimandFallout 4, would be to offer an option to have a different starting point. It wouldn’t necessarily have to be a whole new cinematic opening, but rather one that sets players up in a different location in Cyrodiil with new starting equipment and a role to adopt.
Of course,Oblivion Remastered’smod supportwill likely result in something like this being added in the future, but it would have been nice to not only have it officially implemented but see what other ideas Bethesda had for how players could begin theirOblivionjourney. The most significant issue with this is how to get players to stick to the beaten path, to get involved in the main story, and set the plot in motion. However, as someone who has heard every line delivered a thousand times, I’m not sure that I’m all that bothered by it anyway.
A different starting point may get in the way of immersively introducing players to the story, but it would also recontextualize the world and get players approaching it, at least at the very start, from an entirely new angle.
The story of Bethesda games is typically the least important part, as the freedom its worlds afford the player is far more tantalizing. That is absolutely the case withOblivionand its remaster, and something I’d be more than happy to engage with.A different starting point may get in the way of immersively introducing players to the story, but it would also recontextualize the worldand get players approaching it, at least at the very start, from an entirely new angle. Of course, an even better alternative would have been to add entirely new content to the game.
Oblivion Remastered Would Have Benefited From New Content
It Would Give Long-Time Fans Something New
I appreciate thatOblivion Remasteredis nothing more than a remaster, even if it feels like a complete remake at times. However, as much as that may be the case,I can’t help but feel like it deserved new content all these years later. It is great that it retained all ofOblivion’sweirdest quirks, but I would have loved to see what Bethesda’s current writing team could have added to this enormous world, even if it wasn’t in the form of a full-length DLC.
There are a few instances of older games getting DLC many years later, such as the wonderful fantasy RPG,Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning.It wouldn’t have been completely unexpected to have seen Bethesda add a few new missions toOblivion, at the very least in the way thatThe Witcher 3’snext-gen update addedmissions from the Netflix adaptation. New content, including additional dungeons or side quests, would have made a huge difference to the many loyal fans returning to the title nearly two decades later.
I am happy thatOblivion Remasteredexists, if only so that those born after 2006 can try it out for the first time. It is a truly exceptional RPG and the reason I fell in love with the genre in the first place. While I may not be able to truly love it the way I did the original experience, I suspect its slew of enhancements will make it a defining game for many. Ultimately, I think as much asOblivion Remasteredmay appeal to fans, it is, at the end of the day, a game best enjoyed by newcomers.
