Opinion: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Hit Harder Than Skyrim – And Still Does

Ask astir gamers who were astir for the Xbox 360 and, Red Ring of Death aside, likelihood are astir of them volition stock a batch of fond memories with you. And The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion generated plentifulness of those memories for a batch of Xbox 360 owners. I’m 1 of them. I worked astatine Official Xbox Magazine astatine the time, and for immoderate reason, the hugely palmy larboard of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to Xbox ne'er rather hooked me. But close from the jump, Oblivion – which was initially planned to beryllium a day-one motorboat rubric for the 2nd Xbox – did. We did aggregate screen stories connected Oblivion starring up to motorboat – the screenshots unsocial blew everyone distant – and I eagerly volunteered for each travel retired to Bethesda successful sleepy Rockville, Maryland.

Then, erstwhile it yet came clip to reappraisal Oblivion – and this is backmost successful the days erstwhile exclusive reviews were a common, accepted happening – I again eagerly jumped astatine the chance. I returned to Rockville 1 much clip and holed up successful a league country successful Bethesda’s basement for 4 days. I spent 4 consecutive – and glorious – 11-hour days astir virtually surviving successful Cyrodiil, spending astir each waking infinitesimal wrong this stunning, wide-open, next-gen medieval phantasy world. Before I boarded my instrumentality formation home, I’d clocked 44 hours anterior to penning OXM’s 9.5 retired of 10 reappraisal of Oblivion, which I wholeheartedly basal by to this day. It was an unthinkable game, filled with gripping quests (Dark Brotherhood, anyone?), off-the-beaten-path surprises (if you cognize astir the unicorn, you know), and truthful overmuch more. Because I was playing a submission physique astatine Bethesda – meaning, a mostly finished mentation of the crippled connected an Xbox 360 debug kit alternatively than a regular retail console – I had to commencement implicit erstwhile I got my last boxed disc transcript of the crippled I’d already enactment astir 2 afloat real-life days into.

I dropped different 130 hours oregon truthful into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion without hesitation,so it’s astir apt nary astonishment to perceive that I’m perfectly thrilled it’s been remastered and re-released connected modern platforms.

In fact, I’m envious of the full procreation of younger gamers who grew up with Skyrim and thus, that is The Elder Scrolls for them. Because for them, the just-released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered volition beryllium their archetypal “new” mainline Elder Scrolls crippled since Skyrim released (for the archetypal of many, galore times) implicit 13 years agone – portion franchise fans of each ages proceed to hold for The Elder Scrolls VI, which is apt different 4-5 years away.

Although if I’m being honest, I uncertainty Oblivion volition deed the aforesaid mode for them arsenic it did for maine successful March of 2006, because, for starters, it’s a two-decade-old crippled (side note: shout-out to Bethesda for delivering this week alternatively of waiting an other twelvemonth erstwhile Oblivion volition deed its far-more-elegant-sounding 20th day alternatively of conscionable having passed its 19th). Other games person built upon what Oblivion did, including respective by Bethesda itself: Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Starfield. And second, it conscionable doesn’t battalion the aforesaid ocular punch that it did successful 2006, erstwhile I’d reason it was the archetypal existent next-gen game of the HD Era ushered successful by the Xbox 360. Obviously the remaster looks amended than the archetypal merchandise – that’s the point, of people – but it doesn’t basal caput and shoulders supra astir each different crippled arsenic thing that you’ve ne'er seen before. By explanation – oregon astatine slightest successful signifier – remasters purpose to marque an older crippled look modern connected existent platforms. It’s a crisp opposition to a due remake a la Resident Evil, which carries the anticipation of starting from scratch and, successful turn, looking arsenic bully oregon amended than thing other connected the market.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was the close crippled astatine the close time. By taking afloat vantage of HD televisions and expanding the scope and standard of what gamers could expect from an open-world game, it was a punch successful the look to console gamers who, up to that point, had spent their full gaming lives seeing their interactive worlds done an interlaced 640x480 television. (Although speaking of punches successful the face, anterior to Oblivion’s March release, successful February 2006, EA released Fight Night Round 3, which was jaw-droppingly gorgeous itself.)

My memories of Oblivion are plenty, arsenic it was a satellite with truthful overmuch to observe and truthful overmuch to do. For first-time Oblivion players, fto maine springiness you a recommendation: either blast done the main quest arsenic rapidly arsenic possible, oregon prevention it until you’ve exhausted each past sidequest oregon open-world activity. Why? Well, the Oblivion gates volition commencement randomly spawning and pestering you erstwhile you commencement down that main questline’s path, truthful for my wealth it’s champion to seal them disconnected consecutive away.

Anyway, the technological leap made from Morrowind to Oblivion mightiness not ever hap again – though I accidental if we hold agelong capable for The Elder Scrolls 6, possibly it will. But astatine the precise least, playing Oblivion Remastered won’t contiguous specified a staunch quality from immoderate merchandise of Skyrim, and for that I accidental those aforesaid younger gamers who grew up with Skyrim won’t get what I had. But nary substance if you’re playing Oblivion for the archetypal clip oregon you’ve clocked hundreds of hours with it, its afloat realized medieval phantasy satellite and the surprises and adventures contained wrong it person ever made it my favourite Elder Scrolls game. And I’m thrilled it’s back, adjacent if its astonishment merchandise was spoiled galore times implicit earlier it yet showed up again.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's enforcement exertion of previews and big of some IGN's play Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, arsenic good arsenic our monthly(-ish) interrogation show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, truthful it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him connected Twitter astatine @DMC_Ryan.