Another extremely ambitious modding project based on a Bethesda title is in the works, and we’ve just gotten a fresh look at it. Skyblivion, the mod that combines the world of Oblivion with the looks of Skyrim, is still in the works. Work on the project originally began in 2012, just a year after Skyrim originally released, and trailers have come out every year since. While there’s still no release date, Skyblivion does have a new trailer out showing off one of its quests torn straight from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
The quest, titled “Revenge Served Cold’ tasks the player with avenging the wife of a farmer that has been killed by goblins. It’s simple and straightforward, exactly the kind of thing you’d expect from a low-level DnD sidequest. That makes it perfect for showing off some of the developments that have been made in Skyblivion.
A taste of Skyblivion
Today’s showcase trailer starts with a slow look at the farm, Harm’s Folly in The Great Forest. Speaking to the farmer, we also see a scant dialogue tree. It gives players two options: rumors or avenge. Picking avenge starts the quest and sets a quest marker for the mines that the goblins have taken over. The inclusion of these quest markers may be a subtle gameplay change — Oblivion didn’t use them that often, instead having players read a journal to know where to go and what to do.
Approaching the mines, the hero gets their first chance to swing a sword. Sadly, the terrain outside the cave isn’t finished quite yet, so the helpless goblins are left defenseless. This is also the first time we’ve seen a common enemy, and, speaking bluntly, these goblins look more like reskinned Falmer. They use the same animations and sound effects as the underground-dwelling elves as well.
Inside the mine, a few notes appear from the mod’s developers. Apparently, dungeons in Skyblivion will have multiple and hidden routes, some of which are shown in today’s trailer. A hole is visible that the player steps around, and another secret path is found inside an underground lake. The game also shows off another much-needed gameplay feature, underwater combat. No more trying to snipe slaughterfish out of a lake with fireballs or arrows, you can swim up to them and give them a bashing now.
The final combat of this quest is inside a large room filled with goblins and happens to be where another feature of Skyblivion stands out. While Oblivion‘s visuals may not have aged all that well, its music is still some of the best out there. Hearing renditions of Oblivion‘s classic tracks along with an updated version of the game is simply stunning and enough to make me want to reinstall the fourth Elder Scrolls title.
There isn’t much else to find in today’s trailer, but if you’d like to keep track of Skyblivion‘s development, you can find its site here. If guns and explosions are more your speed for modded content, a massive mod for Fallout: New Vegas titled The Frontier was recently released.
