Much to the surprise of millions, the rumors surrounding an Oblivion Remastered shadow drop turned out to be resoundingly true. 19 years following its original release, players were once again invited to visit Cyrodiil, and they came in the millions. According to the developers at Bethesda, the remastered Oblivion has been played by over 4 million players worldwide, and as we reported it’s a best-seller in the United States. While many players are still progressing through the game, many veterans of the franchise find themselves asking what is next for the Elder Scrolls franchise, as it is clear that they are turning a new leaf following the shadow drop.
Immersion – With the state-of-the-art, Elder Scrolls remains a pioneer
For one, Oblivion Remastered certainly highlights just how beautiful The Elder Scrolls can be. With modern graphics being closer to real life than ever, players were pleasantly surprised to see the extent of realism within a franchise they grew up on. The first sign of this was in character creation. Players can make their avatar as realistic (or unrealistic) as they please. When laying eyes on the overworld after exiting the sewers, players are met by a high sun in the sky and the vibrant world in front of them. It is likely that, as the franchise prepares to roll out another title, we will see new levels of immersion in graphical and visual quality.
Future Remasters – Who wouldn’t want to visit Hammerfell again?
Players, including myself, are also beginning to question what is next for titles like Morrowind or Daggerfall. Many long-time players even tout Morrowind as the best title in the franchise. With Oblivion Remastered, Bethesda has affirmed its knowledge of its fanbase’s desire to play remastered titles. From a business aspect, it makes perfect sense to remaster both Morrowind and Daggerfall, because they would inevitably generate profit.
From a gamer’s point of view, we want to experience the games that we grew up playing with graphics that hold up in the modernity of the industry. With this being said, it is likely that players will soon see a remastering of the Elder Scrolls franchise both on the current and the coming generation of consoles. The best part is: it could likely be possible sooner than expected, as remastering a game does not require a normal production time in comparison to original games.
Improved Combat – Difficult fights, impressive animations
Even though Oblivion Remastered is mostly a 1 to 1 copy of the original, new attack animations make combat feel both refreshed and refined. Gone are the days of swinging from side to side with massive hitboxes (I am talking to you, Great Hammer). Now, hitboxes actually exist for these weapons. The only thing that Oblivion‘s combat lacks is kill moves. Besides this, players are forced to actually aim their attacks and plan out assaults accordingly. If a weapon stabs, it must actually connect. The same, however, cannot be said about the enemies in Oblivion Remastered. Enemies are able to hit players from a considerable distance. This makes fights even more difficult and immersive, as players have to go out of their way to block or dodge attacks.
Unlike occasionally in Skyrim, players are able to feel as if they are wielding the weapon they are using. If I pull a dagger to take on, say the Adoring Fan, I feel as if I am wielding a close range weapon with a high mobility. The same goes with all of the weapons in Oblivion Remastered. Swords have widely different move sets between subgenres, Bows actually follow a realistic arrow path, and spells able to be casted in tandem with holding weapons. Many are hopeful that these features bleed into Elder Scrolls 6.
Even though Oblivion Remastered has only just hit the markets in the past week, players are quickly remembering the joy that they experienced throughout their childhood with The Elder Scrolls franchise, or experiencing it for the first time. The release of Oblivion Remastered is both holding off Bethesda fans and their anticipation of the long-awaited Elder Scrolls 6, and building excitement for the future of the franchise, including more potential remasters. In the meantime, over 4 million players including myself are enjoying strolling down the golden road with the sun hitting their face, looking forward on what is to come.
