Oblivion Remastered convinced a player to prefer Cyrodiil over Skyrim

Polygon reports that after 55 hours spent in Cyrodiil the writer says Oblivion Remastered has "ruined me for Skyrim," finding the remaster unexpectedly compelling despite never having played the original 2006 release.

The writer credits the remaster's visuals, less-cursed NPC faces and a character creator that produced an intimidating Dunmer, but emphasizes how Oblivion's size, color and pacing make exploration feel rewarding rather than exhausting. They contrast Skyrim's hand-holding opening, frequent dragon attacks and sprawling map with Oblivion's subtler start, breathtaking night skies and more satisfying systems such as rewarding swimming, smoother third-person combat, combined cooking and alchemy, Acrobatics and spell-making; they also note downsides like lockpicking and an initially frustrating persuasion mini-game.

The author says they rarely finish Skyrim's main quest and now finds themselves looking forward to returning to Cyrodiil; they expect to go back to Skyrim "again someday" once they've gotten their fill of Oblivion, but also allow it is possible they may not return given how engaging the remaster has been.

Key Topics

Culture, Oblivion Remastered, Skyrim, Cyrodiil, Bethesda Game Studios, Game Pass