Category: video-games

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remaster is much needed to enhance the game

There has been much discussion about the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion getting a remaster. I agree that this is the right approach for Bethesda to take here. Oblivion was my first Elder Scrolls game and I consider it to be superior to Skyrim in the aesthetics. Gameplay wise, Skyrim is more polished, but Oblivion has a special place in my heart. Seeing that they want to remaster the game brings a smile to my face and I hope that the remaster is actually competent and brings new players to enjoy this game.

Screenshot of the Imperial City Market District in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, featuring tall stone structures and a cloudy sky.
View of the Imperial City Market District in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, showcasing its distinctive architecture and towering structures.

The game was always having issues on my computers, especially my previous gaming computer I had in my collection. It was glitchy and would often not have the sound working on it. On my newest computer, the game is working correctly except for some draw distance issues.

However, in spite of that, the game is rather uneven in the quality of the graphics. While many gamers would say that graphics is not the most important thing, in such AAA titles such as Oblivion, graphics are important part of the presentation of a game. The graphics in the game vary depending on what we are looking at here.

A scenic view from the game Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion featuring trees, a distant castle, and a river under a blue sky.
A scenic view from the game Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, showcasing lush landscapes and a distant fortress.

As you can clearly see in the screenshot above, the game had a rather lush green landscape around the Imperial City. In comparison with the snowy Skyrim, it gave players a variety of options. You could see Bruma, the Nord city near Skyrim and see snow. Go to a city like Bravil and you would see a swampy, run down city with much spirit. You had a choice in aesthetics unlike in Skyrim where three cities are in the snow and hardly qualify as cities.

In the Oblivion remaster, I hope that game is able to spruce up the graphics. It is time for the graphics to now shine with the engines we have now.

A scenic view of the Imperial City in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, showcasing tall stone towers, lush green trees, and a bright blue sky.
A stunning view of the Imperial City with lush greenery and a bright blue sky in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The game is probably most beautiful around the Imperial City. It is there where I took most of my screenshots. While the game is old, it has an aesthetic which is calming in its own right. I hope that the remaster is able to capture such colors and the architecture in this game.

In this day and age where video games often look quite ugly, it is important to have more video games similar to Oblivion. Skyrim had too many browns in its styles. Oblivion as I stated earlier has a variety of colors and environments. This makes the game still very interesting to engage with. Unlike Skyrim, this game is very easy on the eyes.

Oblivion’s Remaster will bring some new life back into the game and I hope that it retain its cozy qualities.

Empire Earth (2001) is a special game

There are not many games similar to Empire Earth. The ability to have a civilization that is going to be able stand the test of time is truly gratifying experience.

I will say that after spending many years not playing it, the game still holds up as an exceptional game. I think it represents something we haven’t seen in the industry in ages. The video game has a competency in it which is missing in Civilization VII. That idea of someone putting effort into a game and having a great product is being replaced by people making poor quality things on an assembly line of code.

To just emphasize the differences between the games. Just look at the way in which maps are made in Empire Earth vs Civilization VII. While Empire Earth is not a 4X game, it does have some similarities here. What I want to emphasize is that the map generation in the game is much better than that of Civilization VII.

The maps actually look like actual continents.

Civilization VII sacrificed single player for a stale multiplayer experience.

Empire Earth belongs to a time when the industry was in a state of transition. However, there were still many of the old greats working away and it shows in this game. It was grown up but not yet lethargic and nostalgic for the past.

Civilization VII is stuck in the past. Empire Earth was using the past and present to tell a story in the future. It is a game that transcends its video game nature and provides a soundtrack to mankind.

While some may say this is overly idealistic and that it is simply a game, I disagree with this sentiment here. No video game is simply product of recreation. It is art.

InZoi: The South Korean answer to the Sims

South Korea in this age is a country which is becoming a software powerhouse. In the realm of video games, this is becoming more apparent and is clearly showing some ability in challenging America in these genres. This is one of the most interesting countries when it comes to the making video games and computers. Inzoi is just one of the examples of how South Korea is punching above its weight.

inZoi is a game that seeks to replicate the magic of the Sims.

Maxis and Electronic Arts have been milking the series for all its worth but is clear that they have run out of energy to continue it. They have basically been milking it and releasing expansions that are basically taking people’s money at this point. Instead of having expansions that are worth the money, they are just extending the game’s presence on the market while not allowing innovation. It is because of this stagnation that many fans in the Sims community are starting to take a look at inZoi.

InZoi in many ways represents the Korean ethics that dominates the peninsula, regardless of whether it be North or South. The North is generally speaking in its own island of ethics, but the traditionalism is still strong in both countries. The game has a karma system which represents the ethical choices that the Inzois make in the game.

This game repersents a natural evolution of the Sims. Unlike the Sims, it is less about being a dollhouse simulation and more akin to a simulation aiming to be realistic.

It is only in early access, but it will interesting to see how it changes the genre and makes it interesting to gamers.