So, it's been a good few months now that we've been hearing about a possible remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - although Microsoft is yet to announce the title at the time of posting. Well, following on from more rumours about the title arriving 'soon' earlier this week, it sounds like there's a possibility we don't get any lead time at all from announcement to release.
This information is again coming from prominent leaker NateTheHate; one of the sources of prior Oblivion remake rumours. Adding to their information from earlier this week, the insider now says that "the gap between the reveal and release will be minimal" and that "a shadow drop is possible" from Bethesda & Microsoft.
As for exactly when this shadow drop could happen, it seems that the leaker isn't super certain. NateTheHate says that the game was "never planned" for Xbox Developer Direct back in January, and that while we have the big Nintendo Switch 2 Direct coming in just a few weeks, they "haven't heard" of a Switch 2 version of the title.
Ultimately, we'll have to see where things go next with this Oblivion remake rumour saga - but it sounds like there's not long to go at all before Xbox reveals (and potentially releases) this thing. There are so many rumours coming out of Microsoft right now - it's about time some of this stuff got official announcements from the team!
Would you be down for an Oblivion remake shadow drop? Talk to us about that prospect down below.
Comments 24
Please don't be like Skyrim, please don't be like Skyrim. 🙏🏻
Why do I feel like this “Remake” will be nothing more than the original game with a bunch of community mods injected into it to enable higher resolutions, better textures, models, etc.?
Wouldn’t doing that result in fewer sales since nobody would know it’s out?
As I said on the other article Oblivion launched on 20 March 2006. Next Thursday would be the anniversary.
Alternatively there is the Switch 2 event in just less than 3 weeks.
If we all know about it. And it’s leaked.
Is it a shadow drop?
Or as usual have ‘leakers’ spoiled it
Who played oblivion back in a day, would it be outdated gameplay-wise today? I suspect they will just upgrade graphics
It will be good to play again hopefully but the game needs more than just a graphics boost Tbh graphics alone won't bring it back up to todays standards.
@Millionski I don't think the gameplay is too dated. Skyrim streamlined several systems, for example not needing to repair armor and weapons (which existed in Oblivion), but the gameplay is still very similar. I'd argue it has aged way better than Morrowind too, so a remaster/remake wouldn't need to make many adjustments to appeal to the modern Bethesda audience.
To just "meh" shadow drop something like that is insane flexing on MS part. They killing it these days with their output.
@GamingFan4Lyf It's the original Creation game engine ported to UE5 so it will be very like the original except for better graphics and small gameplay changes.
@Lup What's wrong with Skyrim??
@Millionski I had read they had overhauled a few things, like ensuring hit reactions on enemies during fights, so hopefully it's more than a bare bones port.
I loved this back in the day and hope I can feel that wonder again...
@VoidPunk it depends. They'll likely be dropping this onto Game Pass Day 1. So it would be used as a selling point for that service when advertised on the day. As for other platforms, I'm guessing theyre trusting the niche audience and same word of mouth that Oblivion had originally.
@Millionski I replayed Oblivion when the Steam Deck first came out around 2022 and found it had dated in SOME areas. Specifically the combat, dungeon design, animation and UI were pretty bad, even things like NPC interactions and conversations felt very stiff. I didn't use any mods. Visually it had aged but on a handheld that was less obvious. Open world and questing was still good. I enjoyed it overall but it definitely felt aged and a bit rough around the edges. But I think a remaster could fix most of that, a remake even more so.
I tried replaying Morrowind on Series X with X-enhancements (upscaled to 4K and 60fps) just after Oblivion and dropped off it pretty quickly, it just felt very janky in 2022, and a lot of the design just felt unfriendly. Everything from the combat, animation, UI, gameplay loop etc. felt VERY old, very basic, we've come a long way since. That said there were some aspects I still liked e.g. the openness of it all, but I was getting a bit frustrated with it and thought it might ruin my happy memories so I dropped it quite quickly. It feels like a full remake would be needed imo. ymmv
I have fond memories of Oblivion, my only gripe being the tutorial sequence in the sewers/jail being a some what slow start. The Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild storylines in Oblivion are well written and I'd gladly replay them. The game isn't going to be Skyrim and that's okay, it doesn't need to be. I'd mostly be playing this for the story because it tells a story that is quite different from what we got in Skyrim and for a lot of Elder Scrolls fans, that's more than enough to take them back, along with being able to visit other locations in this universe. I'm hoping this remake/re-release is a real thing.
April is an odd time. I don’t see the advantage. Avowed kind of overshadowed the rogue trader drop, and oblivion will overshadow Clair obscur: expedition 33.
But whatever. I’m just hoping the remake is real and is somehow good yet still faithful to the 2006 game!
@themightyant 19th anniversary 😂 not much ring to it
@jesse_dylan I agree. But Starfield was originally announced to come out on the 11th anniversary of Skyrim (11.11.11 & 11.11.22), until it got delayed again to 2023, so Bethesda have some previous!
@themightyant I remember hoping for something Oblivion-related on its tenth anniversary in 2016 I've waited a long time, so I hope it's not cruddy! Oblivion is one of my favorite games, so I'm going to be easy to please but also hard to please. If it changes too much, I might not like it; and if it doesn't change at all, that won't be so good either... I don't think there's this wide gulf between Oblivion and Skyrim that people seem to think there is, though. A lot of Skyrim's changes were kinda blah, not to take away from how amazing it was at launch.
@jesse_dylan What would you want changed?
Personally having played it a few years ago the whole UI needs to change, for starters it was designed around much smaller, lower resolution screens, it was like a kids game's UI, everything's massive. Dungeons were also really disappointing, just rehashing the same thing over and over, it made exploring them boring. Combat was also pretty weak and could be tidied up. Everything else I think I could live with just having a visual refresh, jank and all. What about you?
@themightyant Yep, all that you said above. I also think the leveling system needs fixing, BUT, I hope they don't "fix" it by just giving it Skyrim's system or something.
What I hope they DON'T "fix" is the radiant AI. How wonky the game's AI and characters worked was part of what made the game great.
But, if they don't fix anything, then we're still going to have a bunch of people having inane conversations about mudcrabs and whatever else... Which I'm fine with, but.
The persuasion wheel minigame is a little awkward, but maybe it can stay. I kind of like it. I'm just thinking people are going to complain.
@jesse_dylan People will complain WHATEVER they do. Even if it gets 90+% across the board some people would complain. Can't change that, but we can choose to not engage with it and enable it.
We live in an era of polarisation where you seemingly have to be either zero or a hundred with a massive tribal wedge in between... and it's even worse on the internet. I have no doubt there will be some outcry even if it's a masterpiece.
Agree with your suggestions though
@themightyant I've been waiting/hoping for some kind of Oblivion anything for ages now. My expectations are pretty low, but I'd probably also be happy just replaying Oblivion, and, in fact, I was thinking of at least replaying the Shivering Isles. I do think that if they streamline and improve/fix Oblivion too much, they might lose Oblivion in the process. But I could be wrong. There were a lot of aspects of Oblivion that were the strongest in the whole series. Daggerfall and Oblivion have always been my favorites.
It's crazy to me Bethesda hasn't employed groups not just to remake/remaster stuff, but to do side games. Obsidian or someone could have done a Skyrim side-game easily. But I guess they wanted to just keep going with mainline Skyrim, and the live service stuff, as is the trend.
"Bethesda's Rumoured Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remake Could Be Absolutely Free, It's Claimed"
Until they actually say this thing is legit, all these claims are ridiculous. I'ma just stick with my copy on PS3.
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