Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered's art style is already dividing gamers after apparent leak

The possible existence of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has excited fans of Bethesda's action role-playing game since rumours emerged back in 2023. Now it seems the game may be coming soon after images appear to have been leaked online.

Info and screenshots purportedly of the Oblivion remaster were allegedly leaked from developer Virtuous's website files. We still want to see official confirmation, but in the meantime fans are already picking apart the artwork (want to make your own? See our pick of the best game development software).

The leaked images include what appear to be side-by-side comparisons between the 2006 game and the remaster, one of which features an Oblivion Gate. In some cases, it looks the difference is enough that you might think it were a remake more than a remaster.

But while the new images clearly show higher-fidelity graphics, some fans are questioning the choice of what appears to be a more muted colour palette.

"Yuck, they're clearly 'Skyrimming' it and making everything dingier and uglier. Oblivion's Cyrodiil was a clean, bright, beautiful place that felt like a living storybook. Even the much-joked about bloom still gave it a dreamy vibe. This is a downgrade," one person writes on X

"Oblivion’s oversaturated, bloom-heavy world was half the vibe – it felt like a dream. Hope the remaster doesn’t lose that magic," another person wrote. "This looks just sad. The lush green forest replaced with a brown-ish thinned out hill... the whole atmosphere is off," is another comment.

Not everyone is put off by the graphics though, with many fans impressed by the detail in the new scenes. The leaked images also appear to include an updated version of the game’s fire-wreath logo and box art including one for a deluxe edition.

Some fans aren't yet ready to dismiss the possibility that the images could be from a fan version of the game (there's already a fan remake called Skyblivion coming this year.

But there's been talk of an official Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered since documents relating to Microsoft's acquisition of Zeni-Max studios emerged back in 2023 during the Federal Trade Commission’s probe into the company.

The gaming journalist Jeff Grub has claimed that Microsoft plans to stealth release Oblivion Remastered as soon as next week. The leaks suggest the game will have locking inspired by Souls-like games, a modified stamina system, new HUD, the addition of hit reactions and revamped archery.

Meanwhile, there's still no news on Elder Scrolls VI!

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