One of the worst-kept secrets in gaming was confirmed this week when Bethesda announced and simultaneously launched Oblivion Remastered. This remaster has quickly become a standout example of how to rejuvenate a classic game. Utilizing Unreal Engine 5, it breathes fresh life into the graphics and gameplay while keeping the beloved quirks of the original untouched. From the offbeat voiceovers to the iconic memes, everything fans love remains. Yet, there’s a particularly nifty new feature that makes dungeon crawling in Oblivion Remastered a much more pleasant experience.
Over the years, dungeons have become integral to The Elder Scrolls series, with their appeal first catching fire in Oblivion and continuing through Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls Online. In the original Oblivion, dungeons were expansive and maze-like, offering a challenge that many players enjoyed despite the occasional frustration. Thankfully, Oblivion Remastered addresses these navigational challenges in a way that players might not expect.
In earlier Elder Scrolls games, players could teleport out of dungeons post-completion. However, Oblivion ditched this feature. Oblivion Remastered doesn’t reinstate teleportation but tackles the issue with the introduction of a new spell: Clairvoyance. This spell guides players to quest objectives and can be cleverly used to find the quickest way out of dungeons.
By setting a quest marker outside a dungeon, players can harness the Clairvoyance spell to trace the shortest route back to the entrance, bypassing the tedious process of retracing steps or navigating cumbersome maps. Though not primarily designed for speedy exits, this spell is a true game-changer for anyone eager to return to the open world swiftly.
Unlike Skyrim, where dungeon design often allows players to loop back to the beginning after completion, Oblivion stays true to its predecessor with its intricate layouts. While some remastered dungeons do offer convenient exit points, these remain exceptions.
The beauty of Clairvoyance in Oblivion Remastered is how it enhances gameplay without forcing players to use it. It’s entirely optional, showcased briefly in a tutorial but never mandatory or advantageous. While purists can choose to navigate dungeons the old-fashioned way, the spell offers a valuable alternative for those looking for efficient exploration. With or without Clairvoyance, quests unfold as originally designed, yet this spell undeniably adds a layer of convenience for modern adventurers.
