Tag: review

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 vs Empire Earth 2: Two Games of Contrast

Empire Earth and its sequel are a study in contrasts. There are two games that represent differing ideas about what a game is. Empire Earth attempts to represent the classic RTS genre while Empire Earth 2 is attempting to chase after a new audience while being able to please the fans.

Empire Earth is about tactics and free form in its nature. It is a game that allows you build buildings anywhere.

Empire Earth 2 is more about strategic thinking and planning. The game integrates Civilization style scale with the RTS style.

Which game is better here?

Empire Earth at this point in time has remained the more popular of the two. On YouTube, Empire Earth 2 is largely obscure, only going due to the efforts of a few users.

Empire Earth however retains a thriving multiplayer scene. While not as lively as it once was in the past, there are significant number of players who enjoy it.

What is the reason for Empire Earth 2 being more obscure now? I believe it has to do with the overcomplication of the game.

Sometimes reinventing the wheel can be exciting but you are wasting money while your rivals are using tried and true technology which works now.

Empire Earth 2 attempts to put the Civilization series onto the structure of a RTS game.

Empire Earth knew what it was. The main selling point was the movement through history. That is what mattered to the players.

Empire Earth 2 was too much of a leap and Empire Earth was the comfy home which had the warm cookies made by your mom.

Many video games struggle with this. How much change should a game have? Sometimes its best to refine than to create something from scratch.

Empire Earth’s longevity as a game is a testament to the excellent structure and gameplay. It truly is a game that means what it says: Epic is too small a word.

The wide as an ocean and shallow as puddle worked just right for Empire Earth. That is why players continue to play and enjoy it.

Why the Video Game Reviewers need to stop proping up bad or mediocre games

There is general idea among regular gamers that professional reviewers are basically being bribed to push game sales. While we cannot say that this is the truth in every instance, it is clear that there many journalists are no longer able to review games without trying to use them to prop up their factions in culture wars.

It seems to me that the video game reviewers have become more like political activists rather than people who are actually trying to play the games and show their thoughts on it.

Some of it is a cultural change in our culture. The video game industry was seen as a not serious industry by many governments. It was simply part of the entertainment industry, which in the highly technocratic era of the Post-World War 2, was not seen it as a threat to their power. However, more recently, people have started to take a closer look at video games.

Politics and video games do not really mix as video games unlike movies, were truly seen as diversions not were taken up by the avant-garde. This means that video games have been more a product of middle-class values and concepts

However, more recently, people who tend to be more political have been getting more interested into video games. With this attention, they are bringing along the baggage which has been hurting the industry and its ability to make games.

What we need to is to return to when Video Games were made for people playing games.

We do not need activists in our games. Neither should they be in any form of media. Activism in this age seems more of a way to help one’s side of an oligarchical system in America.

Video games should return to being about entertainment and telling an inspiring story that matters to people of all ages, races and abilities.

When the video game industry and its critics manage to stop being so elitist, then the industry will be able to make great games that people will purchase and cherish.