There’s a lot to love aboutOblivion Remastered, but one of my favorite aspects of the game is that it isn’t a full remake. That isn’t to say that I dislike remakes. After all,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwas one of my favorite games from last year. However, there is a certain charm to getting a version ofOblivionthat is closer to the original than something that was built from the ground up with completely new mechanics.
Now, to be clear, this isn’t just a graphical update, which has led some to question ifOblivion Remasteredis really just a remasteror something more. That said, despite there being some updates to the gameplay, there still seems to have beena conscious effort made to keep the experience as close to the original as possible. For me, this was the perfect decision that Bethesda could’ve made for one key reason: I’ve never playedOblivion.
Oblivion Being Remastered Will Keep It Closer To The Original
Oblivion Remastered Preserving Much Of The Original Game Is Perfect For A First-Time Player
During Bethesda’s announcement ofOblivion RemasteredonYouTube, Todd Howard said thatthey wanted to keep the “bones” ofOblivionintact so it still felt like an older game. Bethesda seems to have wanted to recreate the experience of playingOblivionfor the first time with the remaster. This is the perfect approach for someone like me who has never played the original.
I considered playingOblivionafter I finishedSkyrimthe first time, but I never went through with it. This was mainly a shallow decision. I don’t love how older 3D graphics look, and if I’m playing an older game I have a lot easier time jumping in if it uses a more timeless presentation style like pixel art.Oblivion Remasteredhas basically given me the chance to play the original version of the game(or something very close to it) with beautiful new visuals.
Remakes Are Perfect For Old Players, But New Players Might Miss Something
Remakes Can Sometimes Lose Some Of The Original’s Charm
I can see why someone who has already sunk a bunch of hours into the originalOblivionmay have preferred to get a full remake. A remake would mean a new experience, maybe even a hint at what kind of updates are coming inthe long-awaitedElder Scrolls 6. However,completely remaking the game would also mean players like me missing out on some of the quirky elements that makeOblivionwhat it is. A good example isOblivion Remastered’s intentional inclusion of an old dialogue mistake and even adding lip sync to it, as discovered by YouTuberMao Deegan.
Going forward, I would love to see more remasters followingOblivion Remastered’s example. Yes, an updated version of a game absolutely needs to smooth over things like clunky UI or dated graphics, but preserving the quirks that made players love the game in the first place is also important. I also wouldn’t be sad to see more games giving ussurprise same-day release dates.
