Tag: Oblivion

Oblivion Remastered will make Elder Scrolls 6 a Better Game.

With the success of Oblivion Remastered, it is clear that there is renewed interest in the Elder Scrolls VI. I think that the game is going to be taking place in High Rock or Hammerfell, more likely the latter as we haven’t really seen as much in the series. However, I think that the renewed interest in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion with the remastered edition is a sign of how Bethesda wants to gin up interest in the sequel to Skyrim. The snow peaks of Skyrim have were more popular than the Lord of the Rings inspired Oblivion for many years after release. However, the remastered shows that the Elder Scrolls series has greater appeal beyond the snowy homeland of the Nords. Oblivion Remastered success indicates that Elder Scrolls VI will be a better game and here is why that the hype is real for the sequel game.

1. Elder Scrolls VI will probably have better horses

Paint Horses in Elder Scrolls Oblivion: Remastered Edition.

The Paint Horse you see in this screenshot above shows the huge leaps in graphics from the 2006 version. The horses in the original game always seemed a little muddy in the textures. In the Elder Scrolls VI, they are probably going to have better horses not only in graphics but in the way that they are used in the game. Probably there will be calvary warfare. With some players saying that the game could take place in Hammerfell, I expect that that the game may feature camels as a mount avaliable to players.

2. The Graphics will probably look similar if not better than Oblivion Remastered Edition.

I think that the graphical upgrade of Oblivion Remastered is one of the best aspects of the game. Beauty is only skin deep, but it is capable of telling a story at the same time in the game.

Oblivion Remastered has made what I love about Oblivion even better. I think that Skyrim was always too snowy for me. Unlike Oblivion, Skyrim has this feeling of being a game that should be played in the winter for best effect. Even the music in the caves seems to have this lingering chill of the winter within the musical notation. This is something that is not present in Oblivion. The graphics in the original game were more diverse and more dreamy in character.

The Elder Scrolls VI is probably going to be as demanding as Oblivion was in 2006. With GTA 6 now having a second trailer, it seems that Elder Scrolls VI is going to have competition. While I do not expect that Elder Scrolls VI is going to have the graphical quality of Rockstar’s latest open world game, but I do expect that it will be using Oblivion Remastered as a base for what they want the sequel to look like so that it can compete with other AAA games.

3. We may see a new Arena system in Elder Scrolls VI

While Skyrim did not have an Arena system, I think that it may return in Elder Scrolls VI.

The Arena was always one of my favorite parts of Oblivion. Unlike the Companions in Skyrim, this questline was very useful in the early game for getting more gold to use in shops. The story also fit in the game world unlike Skyrim’s hastily put together questline for the Companions.

4. Spell Making

One of the best new features in Oblivion was the usage of spell makers at the Arcane University in the game. I think that having this feature in the game again will help to put some more variety back into the Elder Scrolls Series. Skyrim was too streamlined for some fans even if it was a great success. With the series having been incredibly succesful for them, they can probably take more risks with putting back in some complexity into the Elder Scrolls. The success of Oblivion Remastered is a clear sign that there is still an appetite for some greater complexity in games. This complexity has to be balanced of course. People want games that respect their time and are not just time sinks like in the past. Being an AAA developer means having to respect many audiences.

5. Bigger Cities

One of my biggest compliants with Skyrim was how the cities were so small. Whiterun was deceptively big and the castle took up too much space. Some of the cities in the game were way too small. It is time we have some larger cities in the Elder Scrolls franchise. Oblivion showed that it is possible to have big cities in a game within the confines of that console generation.

What I would like to see is more cities and also more alive cities. While I love the size of cities in Oblivion. They need to be more alive and have more characters in them. That would be a great treat and make for better role-playing experiences.

6. More varieties in the Art Style

One of the biggest changes to the Imperial City was these rooftops with the wooden shingles on them. They allow the city to become more sophisticated in comparison to the previous version of the game. This is why I loved Oblivion when I first started playing it. Unlike Skyrim, there is a greater variety of styles in the game. Each region has its own architectural style. Bruma has the art style of the Nords with their Viking Inspired houses. The city of Bravil has rustic looking shacks that seem more at home in Skyrim in some sense here. The city of Anvil is remind me of Ancient Rome with their roofs and masonry on the walls; the coastal city is remarkably attractive and looks quite different from say Skingrad or Chorrol. Such variety is what makes Oblivion in my view a better game than Skyrim in the architecture of cities in the game.

A more colorful Elder Scrolls

Water effects in Oblivion Remastered Edition.

This picture shows how beautiful the Elder Scrolls games can be. One of the issues that I had with Skyrim was how gray and brown it was. The introduction with Helgen is rather lacking in color. There is little contrast in the colors like when one goes out of the sewer in Oblivion.

What Elder Scrolls VI needs is more colors. Skyrim was a great for shaking up the color palette in the series but I think it is time to go back to something has more beauty in it.

Bleaker’s Way in Oblivion Remastered: Beauty of the Small Village

Bleaker's Way in Oblivion Remastered Edition.
Bleaker’s Way in Oblivion Remastered Edition.

Bleaker’s Way in Oblivion was always one of my favorite places to visit. It is a nice little village nested in the hills leading up to Bruma. Unlike other places like Pell’s Gate or Weye, there is no major road which links it. It is simply there in the hills, hidden away from all the troubles of Cyrodiil. It reminds of places in Virginia, past the sprawl of the northern sections of the state. There is something so idyllic about it.

I think that this is why Oblivion still holds a strong place in my heart. When I go to small villages like Pell’s Gate and Bleaker’s Way, it gives me a sense of calm and serenity. While there are dangerous creatures wandering about, it seems that there are moments where one can simply smell the roses and enjoy them. Just as one would spend time outside in the real world, Oblivion allows us to take a breather and appericiate the world we are trying to save from the Daedra.

The beautiful landscapes of Oblivion Remastered Edition.
The beautiful landscapes of Oblivion Remastered Edition.

This is why the remaster is so important. It reminds that a cozy game isn’t just a pixel art game. It can be so much more and truly transcend its genre and give us a special world to explore.

Oblivion Remastered Success: Why it Matters to Gamers

Oblivion Remastered has been out since April and it is has been a great success. The game peaked at over 200,000 players on Steam and it also has been very active on both Xbox and Playstation platforms. It is clear that Bethesda Softworks has struck gold with Oblivion Remastered and it is revived interest in the game.

The Green Stain Cup in Oblivion Remastered Edition.
The Green Stain Cup in Oblivion Remastered. Even the smallest objects have been given intricate textures which brings out the colors.

The success of the game should be a sign that similar titles such Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, have an audience. That game is coming out in May and I expect that Oblivion Remastered will have an ability to share some of its success with that game. I think that Arthurian Dark Fantasy should be a great innovation on the stories. Tainted Grail will expand upon what RPGs are capable of showing in the visual art style.

Oblivion Remastered for people who haven’t played RPGs before is a treat. Many gamers who complain about Oblivion’s combat or leveling systems. However, they have to remember, many people have been born since 2006. Many people have gotten into gaming since 2006 also. Oblivion has gotten people interested in RPGs in a way that Skyrim did also.

I think that this is great for the industry.

The industry was in a state of stagnation for many years.

However, it seems that some energy is coming back to it.

All thanks to a revival of an old game.

When playing Oblivion Remastered, remember how it brought energy back to the gamers.