Fans have created a mod forThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredthat gives all NPCs lore-accurate heights.Oblivionhas always been known for its…shall we say, detailed character faces. Whether it’s swollen, alien monstrositiescreated on its custom character screen, or the strange, exaggerated expressions made duringits persuading mini-game,Oblivionhas always prioritized style and expressiveness over photorealism. The same goes for its beautifully designed, often unrealistic world - but unfortunately, it doesn’t extend to every detail ofOblivion’s character models.
Unfortunately,most ofOblivion’s characters are lacking in realism, at least where it pertains to conventions of body size established in lore. Thankfully, a new mod aims to fix that by updating in-game character models for greater accuracy.
Oblivion Races Don’t Reflect Their Real Height
Orcs Should Be Taller - But Not Tallest
PerElder Scrollslore,no one inOblivionis quite as tall (or as short) as they should be. Wood Elves should be the shortest, followed by Khajiit, Imperials, and Bretons, who are roughly the same height. Dark elves stand a couple of inches taller, then Redguards. Argonians' frilly crowns give them a little extra height, and Nords are slightly taller and stockier. Orcs are the second-tallest, surpassed only by the aptly-named High Elves. There’s likely about a foot’s distance between the average Wood Elf and the average High Elf, which should be a lot more noticeable.
This lack of height variation was likely a deliberate decision for consistency’s sake. Players don’t have to struggle to get a good look at NPCs' faces - keeping heights fairly even across the board ensures you don’t feel awkward when dwarfed by an Altmer, or when they tower over a Wood Elf. Considering howOblivion’s snap zooms and dialogue camera work, more variable height could’ve been a disaster.
Still,it does take away from the realism of it all, and detracts from the unique considerations that could come from roleplaying a particular character. You might have a very different experience meeting Agronak for the first time, for example, as a Wood Elf, or getting the Adoring Fan to follow you around as an Orc.
A New Mod Creates More Realistic Height Differences
And It Looks Great
A new mod, uploaded to Nexus Mods by userOnHolyServiceBound, goes a long way towards fixing that. Called Racial Body Morphs,it adjusts the heights of all NPCs according to race and gender for a much more diverse spread. Using concept art, written lore, other games, and game files as a reference, it creates a much more immersive experience. Crucially, it also considers each character’s height in the game’s settings, so someone who’s supposed to be unusually tall for their race should still be accurately portrayed.
The mod is available inthree different intensities: Standard, Subtle, and Strong. Standard only alters heights ever-so-slightly; it’s enough to be noticeable, but the differences won’t be too overstated. Subtle is a kind of happy medium, where height differences are more obvious, but not too dramatic. Strong completely changes each and every character’s silhouette, making taller races dramatically taller, and shorter races dramatically shorter. It’s the most immersive, but it can also be the most jarring - but thankfully, even on Strong mode, the characters don’t look too stretched out.
This mod isn’t for everybody - I’m sure many will prefer the clean consistency of the default body shapes. Still, it’s a cool way to make the game a little more immersive. The Imperial City, with its diverse mix of races, looks a lot more cosmopolitan when everyone’s body shape is so dramatically different. It may be worth checking out if you’re interested in giving your run throughThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastereda little more of a distinct look.
