Summary
- Oblivion Unmastered mod gives a PlayStation 1-style demake to Bethesda’s 2006 RPG.
- The mod reduces textures, compresses audio, and changes polygons for a unique visual experience.
- This mod retains Oblivion’s gameplay while replicating a PS1 feel, including a fog plugin.
A brand-new mod has been released for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, which gives Bethesda’s 2006 RPG a PlayStation 1-style demake. The impressive mod makes Oblivion look like a game from a bygone era while still retaining the spirit of the original title.
Like just about every Bethesda game, the Oblivion community is kept alive by talented modders who continue to create new content for the game. Despite being released almost two decades ago, some fans still return to Oblivion for their Elder Scrolls fix. The fact that players can use mods to help make the game feel less like it was released in 2006 is a big help in this regard. It’s the same story for 2011’s Skyrim, too. There are even tons of Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion total conversion mods, which make the entire experience feel brand-new once again. While Oblivion modding may not be as popular as Skyrim‘s nowadays, the fact it’s alive at all is very impressive.
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A new mod was recently released on Nexus Mods titled “Oblivion Unmastered,” from user DontFeedTheGuar. According to the mod’s description, they have massively reduced the size of the game’s textures, compressed and bitcrushed the audio, and made significant changes to the polygon count of the meshes, “atleast the ones I could be bothered to do before I croaked,” as DontFeedTheGuar says. When looking at the screenshots, it’s clear this is one of the best mods for Oblivion in recent years – certainly one of the most unique.
Notably, the mod comes with a Reshade preset to help aid the PlayStation 1-style feeling. The mod’s creator describes it all as “like playing a PS1 game but functionally it is still Oblivion. This mod only touches visuals and audio so you can still play through the whole game like this if you feel compelled to.” What’s particularly interesting is that it also features a fog plugin, which makes it tough to see in the distance. This was a typical trick used in the PlayStation 1 era, to avoid rendering objects far into the distance. It’s an essential part of the feeling of these games, even if the extra performance isn’t needed nowadays, so it’s cool to see it replicated as a small Oblivion graphics mod here.
It’s somewhat ironic that while modders are de-making The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, rumors of a modern remake of the game continue to surface. Earlier this year, more evidence of the rumored Oblivion game appeared via a LinkedIn page, and some suggest the title could even arrive at some point in 2025. It does have to be reminded that this is all still speculation at this point, and it’s currently unknown if a remake of Oblivion actually exists. Hopefully, gamers will find out this year.
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