It was actually nice seeing all the joy from followers when Oblivion shadow dropped earlier this week. For lots of people, the fourth installment within the Elder Scrolls sequence is the recreation, the expertise that both was the impetus for his or her profession in video video games, instilled in them an eternal love for the format, or each.
However I by no means performed Oblivion after I was youthful. It got here out in 2006, after I was a freshman in faculty and firmly throughout the iron grip of the PS2. (When you partied on Cyrodiil, I studied the keyblade.) I used to be first launched to the Elder Scrolls sequence by way of Skyrim, a recreation that I merely couldn’t get into regardless of my finest efforts and having a associate who cherished the sport who I wished to develop into nearer to. Once I began Oblivion for the primary time I used to be so hopeful that it could seize me in a manner its successor didn’t. It did — however not for the explanations I anticipated.
My first shock got here throughout the recreation’s opening minutes after I met Emperor Uriel Septim VII. I used to be shocked. This was the Patrick Stewart, Captain Picard himself, finest good friend of Gandalf the Gray. I used to be shocked but once more after I met Brother Martin; I’d know Sean Bean’s voice wherever. (And since it’s him, I believe I’ve a significant clue as to his inevitable destiny.)
I have a tendency to think about stunt casting in video video games as a way more latest factor. Video video games have at all times been fashionable and celebrities have at all times engaged with the medium. (See additionally Clair Obscur Expedition 33 which got here out this week boasting the voice abilities of fellow Lord of the Rings alum Andy Serkis and Daredevil himself, Charlie Cox.) However having Patrick Stewart present up in your recreation in 2006 is one other degree. I wished to know why and the way Bethesda managed this which led me to the Making of Oblivion documentary. I really like listening to how moments from a developer’s private historical past affect a recreation and it was actually cool watching Todd Howard gush over Terrance Stamp and seeing the builders freak out listening to Patrick Stewart voice Oblivion’s opening traces for the primary time. It was a particular form of forensic enjoyment I’d not have gotten simply taking part in the sport itself.
In terms of the sport, I like the flexibleness of the category system. I favor ranged fight and I appreciated that Oblivion didn’t shunt me into both a pure archer construct or a pure magic construct the way in which different RPGs do (like Dragon Age) and as an alternative gave me the perfect of each worlds within the monk. I are likely to wrestle with the “you might be something” kind of video games as a result of I want route. I can’t have too many choices as a result of I’ll wind up not choosing any of them. With Oblivion, I might make a category that feels good to play and is suited to my specific tastes with out getting overwhelmed. I can sling my spells and arrows safely whereas nonetheless having the ability to mess shit up in melee vary due to my Redguard’s affinity for every kind of weapons.
As for the precise gameplay of Oblivion itself, the expertise is neither horrible nor nice. I do know it’s a kind of video games the place its bugginess is a part of its allure however I’m not getting any of the humorous bugs, simply the irritating ones. I’m taking part in on Sport Go and through each one among my classes, the sport has crashed. Unreal Engine 5 makes the world look good nevertheless it feels very generic. I perceive that seeing Cyrodiil in 2006 was most likely groundbreaking and seeing it up to date for 2025 conjures up quite a lot of heat, nostalgic emotions. However whereas I’ve seen this type of world earlier than in each related recreation since, there’s one thing attention-grabbing in figuring out Oblivion is among the locations the place that each one got here from.
Talking of up to date graphics, the NPC faces are actually terrifying. They do look higher with all the flowery graphics and textures however all of the updates forged them firmly throughout the unsettling uncanny valley with eyes too small and too icy blue on faces which are manner too large. However as I perceive it, that’s a part of Oblivion’s enchantment.
Though taking part in Oblivion isn’t significantly enjoyable for me, what is actually enjoyable and engaging is seeing all of the little bits and items that I acknowledge from different video games or from video games media on the whole of their correct context. It’s like The Simpsons, one other factor I didn’t develop up with that seemingly everybody else did. I’ve seen and used the meme of Homer disappearing into the bushes tons of of instances nevertheless it was solely this yr that I ever noticed the episode in which that happened.
It’s like cracking open an RPG time capsule. Even for all its unsavory bits, having the ability to make the connection between Oblivion and all the opposite video games it has impressed that I truly do get pleasure from is basically neat. I even assume that with extra time I might come to benefit from the recreation as I unravel the Cyrodiilian line of succession and shut all of the Oblivion gates. However even when that doesn’t occur, I’ll nonetheless benefit from the experience.