Summary
Is it still called shadowdropping if we knew about the project and even when it was going to be dropped? Yes, you could still call the release ofThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastereda shadowdrop, becauseit was available almost as soon as it wasofficiallyrevealed. However, can you still call it a remaster when the visuals have been redone from the ground-up, instead of simply improving textures? Bethesda certainly thinks so.
Oblivion Remastered is evidently more than just a slightly better looking version of the original game.The graphical fidelity is on par with current-gen games, and doesn’t look dated at all. While you’d think that it should be called a remake, Bethesda has a very specific reason to call it a remaster, and it sort of makes sense.
Why Oblivion Remastered Is Not A Remake
It seems the devs wanted to capture the feeling of when we first played the game. In fact, they evenleft in some of the hilariously janky features and bloopers from the original. This was all because they wanted Oblivion Remastered to feel exactly how we remember it, but recreated with modern tech.
“When we started this project in 2021, we aimed to breathe new life into a chapter of The Elder Scrolls that set the path for so many of our games after it,” said the studio in astatementjust before launch (viaGamesRadar). “We never wanted to remake it - but remaster it - where the original game was there as you remember playing it, but seen through today’s technology.”
At this point, it’s just nomenclature, but it seems Resident Evil 2 Remake set the bar really high for what’s considered a remake, and Oblivion Remastered comes pretty close – visually, at least. The devs' commendable work on recreating Cyrodiil is definitely a hit with fans, and thenumbers speak for themselves.
