"Oblivion Remastered: Dev Admits World-Scale Leveling Mistake"

In a candid admission, a former developer of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has revealed that the game's world-scale leveling system was a mistake. This revelation comes in the wake of the much-anticipated release of Oblivion Remastered, which, despite its many enhancements, still includes this contentious feature.

World-Scale Leveling Returns in Oblivion Remastered

In a recent interview with VideoGamer, Bruce Nesmith, an original designer on Oblivion and a key figure in games like Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Starfield, discussed the game’s leveling systems. He praised the tweaks made to the leveling system in Oblivion Remastered, noting that it has been adapted to be more accessible to today's gamers. The original game required players to level up major skills multiple times before resting to increase attributes, a process now streamlined to a system akin to Skyrim, where players earn XP across all skill lines. Nesmith lauded Bethesda’s decision as "brave."

However, Nesmith expressed regret over the world-scale leveling system, where enemies scale with the player's level. He noted that this mechanic made players feel as though their progression was inconsequential, stating, "I think the world levelling with you was a mistake and that’s proven out by the fact it did not happen the same way in Skyrim." This issue has been a point of contention among fans since Oblivion's initial release in 2006, prompting them to create mods to counteract it. With the remaster retaining this feature, the community has once again stepped in to address the world-scale leveling system.

Oblivion Remastered: More Than Just a Remaster

The buzz around Oblivion being remastered has been met with surprise and delight at the extensive efforts put into recreating this Elder Scrolls classic. Nesmith himself expected only texture updates akin to Skyrim: Special Edition, but the remaster has gone far beyond expectations. In another VideoGamer interview, he commended the team, saying, "[It’s] a staggering amount of remastering. It almost needs its own word, quite frankly. I’m not sure remaster actually does it justice."

Bethesda's ambitious approach to Oblivion Remastered includes rebuilding Tamriel using Unreal Engine 5, allowing the developers to overcome the limitations of the original game. The result has been widely praised for its high-quality execution. At Game8, we awarded Oblivion Remastered a score of 90 out of 100, celebrating its heartfelt tribute to Cyrodiil, meticulously reforged with modern technology. For a deeper dive into our thoughts on the game, be sure to check out our detailed review below.