Summary
Nearly two decades later, what is widely considered one of the bestElder Scrollsgames ever made has finally been remastered using the raw power of Unreal Engine 5. While manyElder Scrollsfans have been awaitingmore news onThe Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda recently revealed and simultaneously releasedThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, offering a more substantial upgrade than many were likely expecting. However, that upgrade is almost entirely visual, with only a few improvements made to some of its gameplay. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though.
If there’s one thing that the release and success ofThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredconfirms, it’s thatThe Elder Scrollshas never really been about gameplay at all. Many longtime fans have already flocked back to Cyrodiil withOblivion Remaster, and it has even expanded its audience by welcoming in newcomers. Given the fact thatOblivion Remasteredis primarily a visual upgrade of a game with mechanics that are almost twenty years old and the attention that it has garnered, there’s a strong case there thatThe Elder Scrollshas always been about something much larger than its gameplay.
Oblivion Remastered Proves That The Elder Scrolls Has Always Been About Its World
Oblivion Remastered’s Status Shows Bethesda’s Commitment to What’s Important
For quite some time ahead of its release, various leaks and rumors surroundedThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, to the point that it almost seemed too good to be true. Many of these leaks and rumors, however, suggested thatOblivion Remasteredwould actually be a fully-fledged remakerather than a simple visual overhaul. After fans got to witness the recent reveal and shortly thereafter began playingOblivion Remastered, though, many have still called it more of a remake than a remaster, simply due to the extent that it has been improved.
Regardless of thegameplay improvements that it has introduced,Oblivion Remasteredis nevertheless technically a remaster, as the original game has not been remade, only improved. While that might seem like a disappointment when viewed through a certain lens, it shows Bethesda’s commitment to what’s important:The Elder Scrolls' world design and its worldbuilding in general.
It’s fairly common knowledge among theElder Scrollscommunity that the franchise has always been built around its lore and world design, but elements such as those can be quieted by demands for better gameplay twenty years later.
The Elder Scrollshas long embraced its quirks and janky gameplay, simply because it has so much to offer in its world. The fact that Bethesda opted to only remasterThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionis proof that the series' gameplay is really secondary to its worldbuilding. Simply improving the visual effects ofOblivion’s world of Cyrodiilis enough to make it feel worth revisiting in this modern era, even if the gameplay still feels close to two decades old.
Oblivion’s World Is More Engrossing Than It Has Ever Been in the Remaster
Thanks to the extensivevisual overhaul ofThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, its world is more engrossing than it has ever been. In a way, the breathtaking scenery and rewarding, open-ended exploration are enough to excuse the dated gameplay mechanics, as the remaster has done exactly what it was meant to do. While some modern gamers might have preferred some updated mechanics instead of merely a visual upgrade,Oblivion Remasteredmaintains the identity of what made the original such a hit while giving players the opportunity to see it in a brand-new way.
The Elder Scrollshas long embraced its quirks and janky gameplay, simply because it has so much to offer in its world.
Rather than reinventing the original game or the series in general,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredremembers what made it special in the first place. It’s not trying to modernize every piece of its design or reshape the past into something more up to par with today’s standards for gameplay. Instead, it shows reverence by simply sharpening the edges of a game that was always more about wonder than mechanics.The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredmay not play better, but its successful launch is proof of what really matters in the franchise: worlds that are worth exploring, discovering, and simply bearing witness to.
