Summary
One of the biggest rumors currently swirling around in the gaming space is the rumor that Bethesda is currently at work on anElder Scrolls 4: Oblivionremaster, which would potentially see one of the role-playing genre’s most beloved titles overhauled to better meet today’s industry standards. WhileThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis now widely recognized as thebestElder Scrollsgameever made,Oblivionstill holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers, and that is especially evident in how heavily the game is memed and talked about even today.
The thought of anElder Scrolls 4: Oblivionremaster may be nice, but depending on just how much work is done to enhance the original game, there is a lot of potential there for the rumored remaster to ruin much of the charmOblivionis known for today. WhenOblivionwas first released, not too much thought was put into its quirkiness, including the humorous glitches and bugs that Bethesda is still known for to this day. However, over time,Oblivionhas earned a warm reputation in the gaming community for its occasional absurdity, and much of that reputation is due to the original game’s NPC design — something the rumored remaster risks refining a little too much.
The Rumored Oblivion Remaster May Ruin the Original Game’s NPCs
The Original Oblivion’s NPCs Are Known for Their Quirkiness
When scrolling through social media today — whether it be Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube — those with algorithms catered toward gaming are likely to eventually come across countlessOblivionmemes, most of which are directly tied to the game’s NPCs. In a sense, these memes are very critical ofOblivion’s odd design choices, pointing out its shortcomings and essentially making mockery of its technical limitations at the time of its release. At the same time, thememe status ofOblivion’s NPCsis also indicative of the game’s popularity, in a way, as it effectively keeps the 19-year-old game alive in 2025.
One of the reasonsOblivion’s NPCs are so memed boils down to the small pool ofvoice actors available to Bethesdaat the time of the game’s development, which led to many of the NPCs sounding the same. Add to that some rather awkward line delivery, like the infamous “Stop! You violated the law!” or the overly enthusiastic “I saw a mudcrab the other day; horrible creatures,” andOblivion’s NPCs are a big mess just asking to be made fun of. Yet, from a certain point of view, this is all precisely why they are so celebrated.
When scrolling through social media today — whether it be Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube — those with algorithms catered toward gaming are likely to eventually come across countlessOblivionmemes, most of which are directly tied to the game’s NPCs.
The animations ofThe Elder Scrolls 4:Oblivion’s NPCsare another great example of their beloved quirkiness, as they might have been cutting edge in 2006 but have aged significantly over time. Rigid, bug-eyed stares and exaggerated lip movements makeOblivion’s NPCs look unintentionally creepy or hilarious, especially during intense conversations. Finally,Oblivionfeatured an AI system that was considered revolutionary at the time, designed to give the game’s NPCs dynamic behaviors. However, the system would often lead to strange scenarios, like NPCs randomly attacking each other or getting stuck in conversation loops.
The Rumored Oblivion Remaster’s NPCs Need to Balance Nostalgia With Refinement
Despite the plentiful bugs and technical issues that accompany the originalElder Scrolls 4: Oblivion’s NPCs, they are all what make the characters iconic and memorable. In light of that, therumoredOblivionremasterneeds to find a way to balance nostalgia with refinement. IfOblivion’s NPCs are too perfect, some fans who were looking forward to experiencing the quirkiness of said NPCs once again might feel a bit shortchanged. In order to preserve the original game’s charm, the rumoredOblivionremaster would truly only need to be a remaster, and would need to avoid being a full-blown remake at all costs.
