The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Review
The Destined Time Arrives
by Camrin Santchi
reviewed on PC
The Destined Time Arrives
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim took the world by storm when it released in 2011, and with its many rereleases since then- but there's a good portion of people that played Skyrim that may not have interacted with any of the games that came before it in the Elder Scrolls series. The most recent of these prior to Skyrim being Oblivion, a 2006 release that took place around 200 years prior to the Dragonborn finding their way into Skyrim.
More Technical
For anyone that hasn't played the original version, Oblivion Remastered has a bit more weight to its RPG elements than Skyrim, players create a dedicated build based around a birthsign and either pre-existing or custom class that tags what are called 'Major Skills', or skills that start higher and grow much faster as a result. What some gamers find to be a more streamlined experience others might find to be lacking that RPG meat to really settle into a build for a playthrough. As a fan of the RPG genre this reviewer has an appreciation for both options, but it does take a bit of getting used to.
Part of the appeal of RPG games is making your own journey, your own adventures, and this reviewer would argue that Oblivion Remastered does an even better job of that than Skyrim. By providing players with choices of birthplace for each race that have minor effects on starting stats, 13 Birthsigns that can impact stats or provide a Power, and the option of 21 pre-existing classes or the ability to create your own custom one, this provides a lot of variety for character builds that allow a player to really immerse themselves in the choices they make, quests they choose to do, and more.
The Oblivion Crisis
The story of Oblivion Remastered centres on extraplanar threats crossing over from the planes of Oblivion and the efforts to close the Gates that are appearing across Cyrodiil that are allowing the Prince of Destruction's minions to pour through into the material realm. The player is charged right at the start of the game with aiding in this by the death of the Emperor, Uriel Septim, given the Amulet of Kings to be delivered to his last remaining heir in hopes of uniting Cyrodiil against the forces of Oblivion. Oblivion Remastered wouldn't be an RPG if it was just that simple of course, gamers will have to accomplish a lot in order to save the world from this threat - but arguably the most important is not getting distracted.
Oblivion Remastered is home to a bevy of side quests, guilds, and other ways to distract the player from the main story, wandering off in a random direction rather than following the plot can lead to hours off on some inane shenanigans that can be just as amusing and gripping as the actual main story. This sort of thing is precisely why Skyrim has hundreds of thousands of hours played on Steam but the achievement for the final quest of the main story only has about a 12% completion rating.
Cheese for Everyone!
Something that Oblivion was known for back when it released in 2006 was the sheer cheesiness that existed within it, and that's said with nothing but affection by this reviewer. To the delight of many gamers, Oblivion Remastered has kept quite a few of the oddities and peculiarities from the original release, this game being more of a proper visual overhaul and remaster that adds some quality of life features rather than being a remake. Hammy voice delivery, cut lines being kept in, and more, Oblivion Remastered kept a lot of what players loved and helped package it for a new audience that may not have ventured into Cyrodiil without a remastering.
An All Too Vast Region
The world of Oblivion Remastered is simply massive, from the northern reaches where you can see Skyrim's northern lights and the Throat of the World, to the bustling Imperial City, to the numerous forts and caves scattered about, Oblivion Remastered is an immense game with dozens of hours worth of content. It can be almost overwhelming to players, like many RPGs. Also adding in being a less streamlined experience than Skyrim and maintaining some of the cheesier moments from the original 2006 release, Oblivion Remastered might be a tough sell to some. But it is precisely those reasons why this reviewer can’t recommend it enough. A vast world, mechanics to sink your teeth into, and interspersed moments of light-heartedness as well as incredible stakes of an extraplanar threat, Oblivion Remastered is a perfect opportunity for new fans to become the Hero of Kvatch, and for old fans to reignite their love of a game that defined RPGs in the mid 2000s.
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9.7
fun score
Pros
Meatier RPG elements, Kept the beloved elements of the Original
Cons
Massive amount of content, Meaty RPG Elements, Cheesy dialogue.
