Video game technology can move so fast that it can be difficult to keep up with things, especially as a developer. With Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 now fully released, studios both AAA and independent are getting to grips with the software, which will open up the industry to much more advanced releases. There’s also the opportunity to reimagine older games, such as The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, in the engine, and that’s exactly what one modder has done.
Uploading a video to YouTube a few days ago, Greg Coulthard, a self-taught CG enthusiast, has shown what 2006’s Oblivion looks like when put through Unreal Engine 5. Specifically, they’ve shown the town of Skingrad, including the castle exterior. As many can imagine, the result is a much more modern take on the now somewhat dated Elder Scrolls title. The visuals are more befitting of a modern game, and while the original is still quite pretty to this day, it shows just how much it can be improved when recreated using up-to-date tools.
While it’s not quite Oblivion‘s gorgeous Imperial City, Skingrad is still an interesting locale for demonstrating the power of Unreal Engine 5. One of the most distinctive things about this town, which lies along the Gold Road, is its castle. Situated at the end of a high stone bridge, overlooking the surrounding valleys and hillsides, Castle Skingrad towers over the region. The sight of it in this engine makes it look even more spectacular. Generally, the whole thing looks ever more impressive than the vanilla version of the game, which is now 16 years old.
That’s not to say that the game has been long forgotten just because it has somewhat outdated graphics. On the contrary, Oblivion is considered one of the best in the Elder Scrolls series, with a current Metacritic score of 94 on PC and Xbox 360 and 93 on PS3. It is a beloved entry in the long-running RPG franchise and one that fans continue to return to.
As for the engine itself, Unreal Engine is one of the most popular game development tools, used in the creation of many mainstream and indie titles, such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, as well as the hyperrealistic The Matrix Awakens. With the industry continuing to march forward, many studios will be turning to the likes of UE5 for future projects, but it’s nice to know that people like Coulthard are showing that the software can also be used to give a visual boost to some classics.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
