The launch of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion In 2006 he marked a before and after in the genre of open world RPG. Almost two decades later, and surprisingly, Bethesda presents The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastereda review of the now classic of the seventh generation – developed together with virtuous – that seeks to bring this experience closer to new audiences and revive nostalgia in those players who still remember the title of Bethesda. So in our review of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered We will know if the Ken Rolston and Todd Howard game formula has survived the inclement passage of time.
A story that transcends generations
In the history of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remasteredour character begins as a prisoner who crosses with Emperor Uriel Septim VII moments before his murder. The main mission is to find the heir to the emperor, preserve the Septim blood line and stop the appearance of demonic portals from the oblivion plans. This plot line serves as an excuse to explore the main cities of Cyrodiil. However, the true richness of the Bethesda game lies in secondary and union missions.
Each city of Cyrodiil has a unique identity, and interactions with the inhabitants trigger – sometimes – a variety of tasks. From investigating mysterious disappearances, to solving intriguing robberies or ending looking for the cure for a “disease”, they are the different missions that in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered They catch the player for hours. Some of these missions with serious touches and others with some humor are enough incentive to explore every corner of Cyrodiil in search of new adventures.
The missions of the guilds, such as the Magician guild and the wrestlers' guild, offer a wide variety of tasks and an extensive plot line with a superior quality – in personal – to that of the main story. The mention of a legendary thieves guild in the imperial city and the possibility of joining the dark brotherhood (a murderers's guild) by committing a murder, significantly expanded the game options even from early stages of history; as long as we join the main guilds as soon as possible to access these secondary narratives.
Solid despite time
The fight in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered It has improved in some aspects. However, for current standards it may be “outdated for some players. Of course, we must accept that the gameplay and fighting are more solid and the enemy reactions have been improved, compared to the original launch. On the other hand, the variety of magical weapons, spells, potions, poisons and scrolls continue to allow the player to have a wide – even for the present – option of attacks and improvements of all kinds to customize to the maximum the style of play or to solve all kinds of situations.
The demonic kingdom in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered It resembles a Martian landscape with hostile flora, ruins, lava oceans and high towers. Without a doubt, one of the scenarios – which despite not being the most spectacular to date – has managed to pleasantly surprise me as someone who enjoyed the game in Xbox 360. In these incursions, the goal is usually to find a stealthy stone, a magical artifact that keeps the plane of oblivion together. Obtaining it allows the portal to be closed and as a bonus, we can enchant weapons with various effects.
A significant change in playability is in the leveling system. Although the selection of seven main skills of a total of 21 is maintained, the leveling of major and minor skills contributes to the general level of the player. Skills can still be up to a maximum of 100 by means of use. When resting to increase the level of the player, you can now assign twelve points freely to any attribute (strength, wisdom, persuasion, etc.), regardless of their link with the skills that have been used.
An open world, living and full of adventures
A distinctive aspect of Oblivion It is the implementation of daily schedules for NPC. These characters follow routines that take them from their homes to work, the church, the stores or the taverns, regardless of the presence of the player. While this characteristic influences some missions, its main impact lies in the feeling that Cyrodiil inhabitants have their own lives. The mixture of all this and the great design of missions of the game make, despite having spent 19 years, the game feels solid and even more fluid in its development than some open world titles of today.
In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered There is always a new place to investigate, a key that opens a place with a legendary treasure or even missions where a picture takes us another place. We experience all this in a natural way and without realizing the magic of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion It has made us catch.
From the first contact, remastering seeks to modernize the visual presentation of the original game. The GameBryo engine, base of the Oblivion original, Fallout 3 y Fallout: New Vegasit remains. On this basis, significant visual improvements have been applied using Unreal Engine 5. Cyrodiil's landscapes, including hills, skies and flora, benefit from a renewed aesthetic and updated lighting effects. The models of the inhabitants of Cyrodiil have also received a significant graphic improvement. Now there are different racial models for humans, Elves, Argonians and Khajiit. As for performance, remastering presents a remarkable improvement in fluidity, especially indoors.
More than a face washing
In the open world, although greater smoothness is perceived compared to the original, in some scenarios it tends to have falls in its performance. Of course, fast trips are perhaps the mechanics that have benefited more over the years thanks to current load times. In addition to the clear visual improvements, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered He has also made settings to the gameplay. The player's physics has modified to give a stronger sensation to melee combat. The user interface (IU) has been updated with more logical menu designs and functionalities present in subsequent Bethesda games, as indicators of empty chests, distance to the objectives in the compass. Additionally, for this remastering, new voice lines have been added to better differentiate NPC races.
Despite the improvements, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered He is not exempt from technical problems inherited from the original game. Regarding accessibility, Oblivion Remastered Includes expanded options compared to the original. Aiming assistance, five levels of difficulty and the possibility of deactivating the effect of blood splashes are offered. The sound is divided into several adjustable categories, and the field of vision can be modified both in the first and third person. The size of the text and subtitles can be increased and the buttons can be customized on demand, which is ideal for the game to be adapted to any type of command according to the player's need.
Review made with a digital copy of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion For Xbox Series provided by Bethesda. The game is also available in Steam and PlayStation 5.
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