Skyrim might be the most popularly known Elder Scrolls title, but Oblivion is the lesser-known gem in the franchise. Bethesda was truly on another level when it was developing the game.
The sheer amount of creativity that comes through when playing it can be felt by its players. One Reddit user highlights a particular moment in the game that shows the studio lost its way as it evolved.
DLCs Have Gotten Lazy, but They Weren’t Always
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion may be turning two decades old, yet it still feels ahead of its time. Sure, the graphics may be lacking compared to what you see today, but it more than makes up for it in facets like exploration, dialogues, NPCs, music, and quests.
There’s a reason it’s still so popular today, and it’s not just the base game. The Shivering Isles DLC was included in our top 5 DLCs that rival the base game listing, and for good reason.
Not only did it add more depth and character to everyone’s favorite Daedric Prince, Sheogorath, but the team at Bethesda even made sure it affected the tiniest of details in the base game.
This made it feel like the events of the DLC truly affected the world, rather than being an afterthought or something completely detached. Too many times, we’ve seen insane events happen in DLCs with base game NPCs having absolutely no reaction to it even when it affects them.
How Oblivion’s DLC Naturally Interconnects With the Base Game
The Shivering Isles DLC is just built different. This Reddit post perfectly explains why. The base game has a minor sidequest related to Sheogorath and the DLC is all about him and his realm.
He retires at the end, and his statue in the base game where you get your sidequest from is replaced by his butler.
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When you progress in the DLC, there is a sense of urgency to finish it as his realm grows more chaotic. If you attempt to start his sidequest in the base game then, depending on how much of the DLC you’ve done, he’ll have an infuriated reaction to it.
It doesn’t just end there, though. After you beat the DLC, you take on his title as the Mad God. So, when you try to do the sidequest then, the butler statue will react to your new status with a new dialogue.
Have you ever tried to visit the Sheogorath shrine AFTER finishing Shivering Isles main quest? I’m still laughing.
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It’s amazing to see how much thought Bethesda put into the game, breathing life into its every aspect, even with the addition of the DLC.
At the same time, it’s unfortunate to see how none of this creativity is what was highlighted in Starfield. One can only hope that the studio takes a step back, reassesses its approach to writing stories, and brings back some of this charm into The Elder Scrolls VI.
With so many people anticipating the title, we’d love to hear what some of your expectations are in the comments below!
