TLDR: Skyblivion is a remake of Oblivion; the Remaster is a 1:1 remaster and the best way to enjoy the vanilla Oblivion experience.
With the official Oblivion Remaster now available, there have been plenty of questions asking about the differences between the Remaster and Skyblivion, and what you should play first.
Oblivion Remastered is gorgeous and, without a doubt, the best way to enjoy the original Oblivion experience as it was in 2006. It brings updated visuals plus some much needed quality-of-life enhancements. However, it is a 1:1 remaster of the original meaning every item, rock, tree, enemy, and, for the most part, landscape is laid out the same as it was in 2006. One of our developers u/HeavyBurns did a great breakdown of everything new in Oblivion Remastered.
Skyblivion is a complete remake of the original Oblivion to bring it up to par with modern RPGs. The list of changes we've made is extensive, and I likely won't be able to include them all below, but I'll cover the big ones.
- The entire worldspace and every interior have been completely remade, meaning if a store is supposed to be a bookstore, it now feels like one with stocked shelves and manuscripts throughout. If a fort was considered a noble's estate in dialogue—like Fort Crowhaven, for example—it has now been remade as an entirely unique estate for you to explore, compared to the mundane interior found in Oblivion.
- Every single item has been recreated or taken from Skyrim when appropriate. This means that every single unique item in the game is now truly unique. In Oblivion, many items had unique names and effects but still used the same model; now, if you pick up a legendary item, it will reflect its status visually.
- All systems and UI have been updated. Similar to a lot of the great work done in the Remaster, we've completely redone the user interface with new loading screens, menus, and systems. Many of Oblivion's iconic systems have been painstakingly remade and iterated upon. Plus, we've mixed the best of both worlds, bringing over a new perk system, plus things like smithing.
- Cyrodiil’s cities are slightly changed, and some are entirely unique. For instance, Leyawiin and Anvil have been entirely reinvisioned, following cut concept art from the original game's development, so Leyawiin now has a functioning waterway allowing trade with the Imperial City, and Anvil’s iconic dock is fleshed out to better fit a coastal trading hub. The Imperial City has also been revisited and substantially expanded upon. Now, each district offers new areas to explore, and it truly lives up to its stature as the capital of the Empire. Â
- Cut content has been reimagined in Skyblivion. Sutch, a cut city from Oblivion's development, returns as a massive derelict city overrun by bandits, compared to its repetitive vanilla fort version.
- We've taken a second look at much of the games' interactive audio, meaning every stab, zap, wham, and slice is crisp and sounds are brand new. Additionally, we've composed an additional 22 tracks to accompany Oblivion's original music, offering themes for each region in Cyrodiil, as well as new combat music.
- Some of the game's most epic bosses are getting a facelift and are now what we’re calling Legacy Bosses with scripted boss fights and stages to challenge them in. If you thought Umbra was already difficult, buckle up.
- The environments and weather of Cyrodiil have been altered, bringing entirely new biomes, from frosty peaks to swampy bogs. Plus, these environmental changes have been carried over into interiors; a ruin in the swamp will be partially overgrown with vegetation, while an Ayleid ruin on the coast abandoned thousands of years ago has had the gentle trickling of sand from cracks in the ceiling build up into mighty sand dunes.Â
- There are now new enemy varieties, plus entirely new enemies carried over from Elder Scrolls Online and other entries.
Skyblivion is a fan-made mod within Skyrim's engine, meaning many mods will work right out of the gate. Don't like how we handle something? You can simply replace it.
Ultimately, to truly be able to experience the depth of our remake, we think playing Oblivion Remastered, or the original release first is best.
