Oblivion is a lot better now that I can read

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Recently, I found myself stealthily sneaking through Skingrad in the Oblivion Remastered, shadowing the suspicious neighbor of a man named Glarthir. In that moment, it struck me: Are these intriguing side quests a recent addition? Didn’t I spend plenty of time playing this game before? This newfound depth leaves me wondering…

To be honest, I did give Oblivion a try back in 2006, but with my short attention span at nine years old and still developing reading abilities, it was quite the challenge to fully immerse myself in the game. So, while I did press some buttons and move a character around, I might not have truly experienced all that Oblivion has to offer.

19 years ago feels as if it were yesterday when my father arrived home with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Collector’s Edition. This luxurious bi-fold case contained two discs, an art book, a map, and a metal coin. Neither of us had heard about The Elder Scrolls at the time, but he purchased it as a fresh gaming option for our Xbox 360. I don’t believe he ever made it past the sewers.

In our family, it was a Park tradition back in the early Xbox days to fire up games my dad had bought but didn’t play himself. Games like Crackdown, Kameo, Perfect Dark Zero, Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Rainbow Six Vegas – you know, some real classics. I tried out Oblivion thinking it would be as exciting as the metal coin that came with it. Since I had never played an open-world game before, I wasn’t familiar with what “RPG” stood for.

In simpler terms, I found Oblivion’s character creation process quite overwhelming due to numerous adjustable sliders, tabs, and Bethesda faces that seemed intensely penetrating. Ultimately, I opted for a default male character with fair skin. Additionally, the labyrinthine sewers of the Imperial City often confounded my third-grade navigation skills. It seems like Bethesda might have simplified or reduced the sewer system in the remastered version, as I distinctly remember spending quite some time navigating those tunnels before emerging to daylight.

In a different phrasing: I didn’t catch any of the conversation, by the way. However, I do recall being present at the emperor’s assassination. But it seems unlikely that I would have been aware of the significant mission the late emperor entrusted to me, a person unknown to him.

Upon stepping into Weynon House to locate Jauffre, the grandmaster of the Blades, in Oblivion Remastered last week, a subtle wave of forgotten apprehension swept through me. Indeed, this locale seemed familiar; I believe it was here that my 2006 playthrough concluded – or at least that’s what I remember.

It seems my recollection is correct: I found myself at Weynon Priory, only to inadvertently strike a priest there, perhaps it was a misfired spell instead. The ensuing chaos had everyone wanting me dead, forcing me to flee back outside where even the priests waiting there were eager for my demise. Sadly, I hadn’t saved my game beforehand, and the latest autosave was right in the midst of the brawl. Panicking, I hit the big power button on the Xbox 360. If only I’d taken the time to read instructions or heed what characters were saying, I might have discovered how to yield and pay a fine for the unintentional assault. Instead, I got tangled up in some complex terms and threw in the towel, convinced that I had condemned that character to a life of constant conflict.

For quite a while, Oblivion was my only encounter with the game. However, after completing Skyrim in 2012, I revisited it on the PS3. What I remember from that period is hurrying through the main storyline and using jumps to increase my acrobatics as quickly as possible. The only explanation for speeding past the dialogue during that time is that I was fifteen and rather lazy.

I used to think Oblivion was merely okay, but now I realize it’s fantastic! The remastered updates have seamlessly blended the old with the new, making my gaming experience a delight. Every side quest I’ve embarked on since becoming Kvatch’s hero in the remaster feels fresh and unexplored, proving that I didn’t know how to truly savor these games when I was younger. Oh well, better late than never!

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2025-05-01 23:32