Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and it’s something that has driven the gaming industry recently to do remasters and remakes of some classic titles or even whole franchises so that players can re-experience them for the first time in a long time. So, when the team at Bethesda was seemingly working on The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered, players were excited. In many ways, this was the title that helped send Bethesda on a legendary path, and even they’ve admitted that. Now, 20 years later, the remaster is officially coming, and the team had plenty to say about it in the reveal stream.
One of the first things that Todd Howard and the others on the team revealed was that there were still members of the OG team working on Bethesda’s roster. That’s surprising, given how the game industry is with turnover and how people sometimes just “move on” to other teams or studios. Yet, here, we got to witness what the original game meant to them, and how the new remastered version would improve upon the greatness of what came before.
One of the most important things, obviously, was the visuals, and both the Bethesda crew and the team at Virtuous revealed that Unreal Engine 5 was powering the remaster. That’s why the game looks so good. However, it went beyond that. They remade every model in the game so that they could ensure that everything looked as good as possible.
To that end, they added new things like special effects for combat and better lighting effects so things could feel more accurate in a living world, and they ensured that life could be seen in the smallest of ways as you walked through various areas.
Quality-of-life improvements were also a key part of what the teams wanted to do. There are key advancements in the game’s combat, including the leveling system. They also added new voices and voice lines so that every race would be distinct and didn’t sound like the same person repeatedly.
All of that being said, the teams did work hard to maintain the original style and charm of the title, and you likely felt that when you saw the trailer.
Oh, and did we mention that The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered arrives today??? That’s right! Bethesda didn’t wait to drop the game for fans; they’re just…doing it now! Plus, the game comes with all the original add-ons and DLC! So, go forth and begin your journey anew!
