It’s no mystery that Bethesda’s goal is to portSkyrimto every console possible, including the Nintendo Switch and VR technology, though this may not be the case for future games and the PS5 followingthe Bethesda acquisition by Microsoft. It’s become both a pop culture classic and a global phenomenon, meaning that bringing it to the next generation of consoles would be another easy money-grab for Bethesda, and now Microsoft as well.
But what aboutThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion? It received just as good of scores as its successor, being critically noted for its expansive open-world gameplay, creativity, and impressive graphics for its time. To this day,Oblivionis noted as being one of the best action-adventure RPGs of all time, with manyBethesda fans claiming it is a better game thanSkyrimbecause of its story and quest elements.
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But strangely, it hasn’t received a port to future consoles or a remaster the way thatSkyrimor evenMorrowindhas with theElder Scrolls Onlineexpansion pass that allowed players to return to the familiar province. But if Bethesda were to put the time and money into anOblivionremake by making improvements to gameplay mechanics while keeping with the iconic tone, it could end up being as successful as the original.
Oblivion Features Lacking in Skyrim
WhileSkyrimnaturally improved any many mechanicsseen in its predecessor, some great ones found inOblivionwere left out. For example, Spellmaking was one of the most loved, unique features that the fourth main series installment had to offer. It was among the most powerful perks available to the player, allowing them to create custom spells after joining the Mages Guild. It essentially allowed the player complete freedom to ridiculously damaging spells or low-costing supportive spells, really anything the player could think of. Spells were also watered down in the fifth installment, and some fun ones had been done away with, such as levitation.
Many considerSkyrimto be a shepherd in the open-world genre, setting the standard for variety in side quests and the amount of content available for the player to get lost in. But rather, it wasOblivionthat made the big turn in theElder Scrollsseries and did it more successfully thanSkyrim. WhileSkyrim’s questlines were linear and followed a simple path,Oblivion’s quests took the player down a windy road of twists and turns. The Dark Brotherhood is a great example that many fans who’ve played both games often compare; whileSkyrim’s is still fun and leads to a somewhat sad ending, overall it feels lacking in comparison.Oblivion’s Dark Brotherhood quests, on the other hand, bring the player into a dark murder mystery campaign.
On another note in regards to variety,Oblivionholds the upper handin landscape variety as well.Skyrimis mostly a snowy tundra, and most of its lands are designed as such. Some areas of the map are warmer and are covered in grassy plains and turning leaves instead, but many of its towns look identical to one another. Aside from bigger cities with their own personalities, like Riften and Solitude, the smaller settlements have little variety so finding new ones can often be uninteresting.
But at the center of Tamriel, Cyrodiil has much more variety to offer. From the Black Marsh to snowscapes of Skyrim, they’re all found in bits and pieces inOblivion. And Cyrodiil’s cities are simply larger, with many more citizens weaving through them. ThoughSkyrim’s tundra is nostalgic for many gamers, seeing the immersion of unique landscapes of Cyrodiil once again in modern-day graphics would be refreshing to explore.
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Improvements for an Oblivion Remake
If Bethesda were to move forward with anOblivionremake, it wouldn’t hold up against modern gaming and criticism with a simple remaster. It would need to be a full remake, such asrecently seen withFinal Fantasy 7,with both completely reformed graphics and updated gameplay mechanics while keeping with the original tone fans came to love.
In addition to generally improved combat thanks to the classic dual-wielding feature,Oblivioncould also take afterSkryim’s extensive skill trees and levelingoptions. The option to pay gold to level up to a certain point made level some little-used classes much easier. The player also has complete freedom in choosing where skill points go, offering full customization towards characters, even if many players end up making a sneaky archer time and time again. The 18 specialized skills inSkyrimthat each offer several perks was a great improvement onOblivion’s 8 attributes that only offer new abilities few and far between. It’s simple, yet elegantly done.
The fourth installment also saw a groundbreaking 200 hours of gameplay, which was a big deal for its time. Other Bethesda games would continue this trend, which means anOblivionremake shouldn’t settle for being the same. It’s a great opportunity to add even more content that dives intothe lore fans have since learned inSkyrimandElder Scrolls Onlinewhile bringing them back to the province of Cyrodiil. Additionally, it would be great to see the many DLC packs such asKnights of the NineandShivering Islesincluded in a remake.
ThoughSkyrimperformed better in terms of gameplay mechanics, many argue thatOblivionis overall a more interesting game because of itsbetter-written storylines and intriguing factions. But this means that should Bethesda move forward and combineOblivion’s amazing story and narrative withSkyrim’s enhanced mechanics, a future game would likely be a huge hit, even it means starting nearly from scratch.
But for now, fans may have to settle with mods that bringOblivionback to life via the fifth installment and mods, such asOblivionRemasteredfrom modder Levi, orthe upcomingSkyblivionmodthat will run the complete fourth game onSkyrim’s engine. But it would be simply stunning to see Bethesda revisit the old masterpiece.
