After being rumored for so long,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredis finally out. On April 22, Bethesda and Virtuos showed off the first official look at the game, stunning fans of the franchise with a wonderfully reinterpreted look atOblivionrendered in Unreal 5, and built on top of all the original systems.
InOblivion Remastered’s gameplay reveal, both teams drew attention to all the various improvements that had been made, while acknowledging the game’s “old charm.” Anyone familiar with the original game will already know what Todd Howard meant by that, and while it was fun to see it preserved so lovingly, the wonderful new detail mixed with the old roughness could be a double-edged sword.
There Is a Deep Uncanny Valley in Oblivion Remastered’s Beautiful Presentation
During the stream, Virtuos explained how the game was rebuilt using Unreal Engine 5 over the framework of the originalOblivionengine. It was explained that this let the studio preserve the original feel of the game, while still being able to completely overhaul the graphical detail, as well as certain aspects of the gameplay. WithOblivion Remastered’s file size of 120GB, there was certainly a lot of work done to refresh the province’s look.
Plenty of the visual improvements are noticeable already, with the rolling hills of Cyrodiil looking lustrous under new lighting, andMehrunes Dagon’s Deadlandslive up to their nightmarish nature. Another thing that was tweaked was the animations, takingOblivion’s original skeletons, and adding more points of separation to them. This lets models have more realistic reactivity, as only parts of an object will react to their surroundings, instead of the entire thing.
However, there is something deeply uncanny about the way the models move, and it may not be to everyone’s liking. The amazingoverhaul ofOblivion Remasteredis sometimes at odds with the very rigid way that characters move around the screen, exhibiting an almost puppet-like look to how they wobble. The all-new facial animations are a big step-up for lip-syncing, but when on top of the highly detailed and chunky faces based on the originals, there is something slightly disturbing.
This is not to say that everything looks off. Certain characters have managed the jump to Unreal 5 better.Emperor Uriel Septimlooks particularly regal in the trailer, a model and animation combo that pairs very nicely with Patrick Stewart’s voice work. But many other models retain a stare like they are looking into the far distance, which is characteristicallyOblivion, and only a little haunting. One problem this may cause is pushing away some newer fans who can’t stomach the surreal blend of visual styles and gameplay feel, though many who played the original are probably quite excited to see just how unashamedlyOblivionit all is. How this all bears out in the long run is yet to be seen, but it is certain to make for some bizarre-looking clips on social media.
…there is something deeply uncanny about the way the models move, and it may not be to everyone’s liking.
How the Uncanny Valley Might Work In the Favor of Oblivion Remastered
Oblivion’s art style, as strange as it might be, has been one of the game’s biggest strengths and weaknesses, and this might work in the remaster’s favor. Something that fans hoped for, and the developers acknowledged, is that itwouldn’t beOblivionwithout the “charm.”The uncanniness of its art style has certainly made it a memorable game, even if it has meant that plenty of Skyrim players have chosen not to play it so far.
It’s good to see that the game’s warts have not been completely removed, as it could have seriously hurtOblivion’s identity as a meme, but as a fairly old game given a modern facelift, it is going to be a strange thing to play. Now thatOblivion Remasteredhas been released, fans will be the judge, but there is sure to be a mountain of “old charm” buried beneath those high-resolution hills.
