I’ve spent 20 hours playing Oblivion Remastered as an evil tourist, and may have accidentally found the best way to play Bethesda’s liveliest RPG

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Regardless of its new coat of paint and minor enhancements, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered remains the same game I’ve been playing for almost two decades. Consequently, I approached the remaster with a goal to make it feel like a brand-new experience, which necessitated breaking away from my well-established patterns during multiple playthroughs. This led to several shifts in strategy – foregoing the quest to become Grand Champion being one example – but more crucially, I’ve significantly reduced my pace.

I’ve coined a term for it – Tourist Mode – that essentially means playing on Adept level but with some specific conditions. For instance, fast travel is limited to instances where backtracking becomes excessive. My character must find and sleep in a bed every night. Additionally, I aim to steer clear of jumping straight from one quest objective to the next, promoting a more leisurely exploration style instead.

In connection with this, I’ve been spending time exploring the cities of Cyrodiil to make the most of my visit. Occasionally, this leads to an enjoyable side quest to fill the day, but completing something isn’t always necessary – for instance, yesterday I opted to take a scenic hike along Anvil’s coastline after a local recommended it. And let me tell you, the views are truly beautiful!

As a gamer, I’ve been diving deep into Tourist Mode, and the crux of my adventure has been juggling the Dark Brotherhood questline with my attempts to join the Mages Guild. The targets of the Dark Brotherhood are spread far and wide across Cyrodiil, while joining the Mages Guild necessitates procuring a recommendation from each of the game’s key cities. It’s like being a road-tripping scholar, except I’m not studying for a degree – I’m honing my skills as a stealthy assassin and learning to make rats vanish with my magic. Plus, it gives me a perfect excuse to explore Cyrodiil anew after 19 long years.

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At 7 a.m., I step out from my room at Tiber Septim Hotel in Imperial City and walk through its gates. My destination is Skingrad, and although the route from Imperial City ascends over hills and approaches goblin-ridden caves, I manage to travel swiftly and arrive by midday. I pause occasionally to sell trinkets I’ve collected en route and linger to appreciate Skingrad’s intricate medieval architecture with its twisting streets.

In Cyrodiil, Skingrad isn’t my preferred city – it seems a bit too tidy and monochrome for my taste – but after immersing myself in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for a significant portion of 2025, I’ve gained a fresh appreciation for its realistic design. The way the castle looms over the town, fortified by gates and narrow bridges, suggests that Skingrad was not built as a player-friendly hub but as an authentic medieval city, prepared to endure theoretical wars and sieges. It’s only now, as I type this, that I realize my experience in Skingrad has reached the pinnacle of “Dad on Holiday” tourism.

Once I manage to tackle my tasks, it’s already evening and a storm has moved in. My preferred mission in Oblivion – Whodunit? – occurs at Skingrad’s Summitmist Manor, where several partygoers have convened for a treasure hunt lock-in. As the sixth guest, but more importantly as a Dark Brotherhood assassin, it’s your duty to eliminate everyone within the manor. If you can pull this off without anyone suspecting you as the murderer, there’s an added reward. I won’t delve into specifics (to preserve the initial experience for you), but by the time I exit Summitmist Manor in search of lodging, Skingrad has five fewer inhabitants at nightfall.

In the morning after that, I decided to stay in Skingrad to secure an endorsement from their Mages Guild chapter. The mission involved me venturing into and out of the city to save a missing wizard trapped in a cave. Despite its complexity, the task was wrapped up swiftly, leading me back to the Dark Brotherhood’s hideout in Cheydinhal. This journey resulted in the fulfillment of a Dark Brotherhood assignment, moved me another step closer to entering the Arcane University, and, most delightfully, rekindled my affection for Skingrad.

For approximately 20 hours now, I’ve been adhering to a leisurely, immersive playstyle. Each city offers a familiar yet engaging experience: eliminate someone in the vicinity, befriend local mages, and take some time off. Abandoning my usual approach has breathed new life into Cyrodiil, making it feel like a fresh discovery even with its updated graphics. To truly savor Oblivion, I’d recommend everyone give Tourist Mode (pending patent) a try.

Instead of always revisiting our favorite classics, let’s embark on new adventures together. Let’s explore the unexplored coast of Anvil, venture into some dungeons if you feel like it, and spend a chilling night at Benirus Manor, which is rumored to be unhaunted. Spend your nights in Cheydinhal Bridge Inn, and maybe help find a lost artist or deal with a shady guard. Or, if you prefer, just relax – after all, it’s your getaway!

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2025-04-29 18:40