Now that actual images from the rumored The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remaster have leaked, it seems fans can finally let themselves get excited. Although Bethesda still hasn’t officially confirmed the remaster or the alleged shadow drop date of April 21st, it does look to be very real. And if it’s real, that means Elder Scrolls fans like me have some hopes, dreams, and requests for what the Oblivion remaster should look like. Given the amount of time Bethesda has spent revisiting Skyrim and presumably doing something with Elder Scrolls 6, the stakes are high for this new(ish) entry in the franchise.
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Oblivion was first released in 2006 for Xbox and PC, followed by the PS3 version. It received a 94 Metacritic Score and received the Game of the Year Award during its launch year. To this day, the Game of the Year version on Steam boasts an impressive Overwhelmingly Positive rating. Gamers can still revisit the classic via Steam, but as with many PS3-era games, a console return is a bit of a challenge. That’s where the rumored remaster stands to massively expand the audience for the game in 2025. However, not all remasters are created equal, and it’s going to take a lot for Bethesda to deliver the experience diehard Elder Scrolls fans expect. Here’s what we need to see in the Oblivion remaster.
True Graphics Improvements That Expand the World
For its time, the original Oblivion had pretty impressive graphics. That, coupled with the expansive and even dynamic feel of the game’s world, is part of what earns it a place alongside Skyrim as a longtime favorite. With the remaster, we need to see how improved graphics can further expand that immersive feeling from the original game.
Not everyone has been impressed with the leaked screenshots, which many fans are sharing side-by-side with images from the original. Some – myself included – think they look like a big step up, while others expected more. What I hope for in the final game is a sense that every detail has intention, bringing the Elder Scrolls world to life in a fresh new way that doesn’t feel like yet another Skyrim re-release.
Retain & Refine the High Quality Quests
Even a writer with a sweet roll decal on her gaming laptop can admit that Skyrim quests get a bit repetitive after a while. For many Elder Scrolls fans, some of the quest lines in Oblivion deliver a more interesting, nuanced storyline, particularly for the Dark Brotherhood. The game also offers more quests integrated into various towns, rather than sending the player on endless fetch quests.
To really nail a remaster, Bethesda needs to keep the strong story elements that make those quests fun, while trimming the fat from clunky, outdated game mechanics. We don’t want big changes to the story here, so new fans can experience a faithful retelling, but making those side quests a bit easier to uncover might help keep things moving.
Bring Iconic Characters to Life
Since we don’t have confirmed details about the remaster, we have no idea what voiceovers or character designs will look like. Along with the expansive, detailed world, Oblivion features a variety of memorable characters. The balance here will be retaining what makes characters like Lucien Lachance and Vicente Valtieri special, while updating their look and potentially voiceover work for modern consoles.
Basically, we want to feel like we’re meeting these wonderful characters again, with a glow-up to justify whatever this remaster will wind up costing. Bring in the personality, and keep it true to what we loved about these characters the first time around – just with a new polish.
Streamlined Mechanics
Although the fighting mechanics in Oblivion are good, we saw some changes and improvements with Skyrim. Though a remaster should be relatively faithful to the original game to really deliver on its promise, a few tweaks to smooth things out would take the game to the next level. Bringing some of that streamlined feel to the remaster will help ensure that fans without nostalgia goggles on can still enjoy the game.
Run Smoothly But Keep The Quirks
One of my fears about remastering a game like Oblivion is that increasingly smooth gameplay will work out some of the quirks we love most about Elder Scrolls games. Although glitches and bugs can be irritating, some of the unintended weirdness of Skryim and Oblivion is what makes the games fun. For instance, see the vanishing character in the clip above.
Bethesda can balance this by giving fun nods to the quirks of the world while still creating a game that actually runs well. Give me guards who get confused by my stealth and make goofy comments, but make sure that frame rate is up to par.
What’s on your wishlist for the supposed Oblivion remaster? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image courtesy of Sony Pictures
