Oblivion Remastered is Proof The Elder Scrolls 6 Should Put…

Summary

Oblivion Remastered's spellcrafting is nearly identical to the original, allowing players to create powerful custom spells.
Spellcrafting shouldn't be identical to Oblivion Remastered, but The Elder Scrolls 6 should include it with certain restrictions.
The Elder Scrolls 6 may need to limit spell mixing and delay access to spellcrafting to maintain balance and a sense of progression.

Even though Oblivion Remastered is as close as a 1:1 version of the original as it gets, with just a few changes here and there, it very much keeps the magic alive for both OG Oblivion fans and newcomers who have only played more recent titles like Skyrim and ESO. Skyrim has been in fans' digital and physical libraries for almost 14 years now, and while it is very innovative for the series and paves the way for a lot of interesting features in The Elder Scrolls 6, its predecessor shouldn't be ignored, especially now that Oblivion Remastered has enjoyed a smashing success. In fact, TES 6 can't do without one magic-related feature, but it shouldn't be like Oblivion Remastered's.

Because The Elder Scrolls series is founded on classic RPG concepts, including the trifecta of warrior, mage, and rogue, the use of magic and spells is key. The Elder Scrolls 6 is basically guaranteed to follow these same principles, with the series even making up its own version of mana as Magicka, and it needs to make sure it doesn't leave Oblivion and Oblivion Remastered's best magical feature behind, like Skyrim did. At the same time, it shouldn't have a version of it that is identical to the fourth installment of the series.

elder scrolls 6 learn lesson from oblivion dune

The Elder Scrolls 6 Can Learn a Big Lesson From Oblivion Remastered and Dune

There is a very important lesson The Elder Scrolls 6 needs to learn from its influences if its is going to be a game that lasts as long as Skyrim.

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By Emma Neeson

Oblivion Remastered's Crafted Spells Are a Double-Edged Sword

Oblivion Remastered's spellcrafting is nearly identical to that of the original game, and it's once again a fantastic way to create desire for and simultaneously fulfill a specific power fantasy niche. Players can do virtually anything with spellcrafting in Oblivion Remastered, to the point that it can arguably trivialize the whole game with how powerful crafted spells can be. One can hypothetically create a spell that provides Fortify Attribute for Speed, restores health over time, and applies invisibility for a duration, which essentially makes dying almost impossible.

If one also plays a Breton with The Lord Birthsign in Oblivion Remastered, this kind of crafted spell simply can't get the player killed in any scenario, unless one purposefully remains in harm's way. Likewise, one could craft a spell that uses the Drain Skill effect for Strength and Endurance as well as the Absorb Health effect to one-shot most enemies in the game with a high-enough magnitude. Other wild creations are available, such as summoning an elemental Atronach while also applying Weakness to Magic on nearby enemies and paralyzing them, making it so the creature can easily kill everyone.

Why The Elder Scrolls 6's Spellcrafting Can't Exactly Be Oblivion's Spellcrafting

Spellcrafting can be extremely fun, and it should return, especially seeing how its absence was felt in Skyrim. However, if The Elder Scrolls 6 adds spellcrafting, it should do so with two specific conditions in mind:

Make it so that players can mix and match spell effects as they please, but with a certain limit to the kind of effects one can obtain
Avoid something like Oblivion Remastered's Frostcrag Spire, which acts as a spellcrafting hub as early as level 1, trivializing regular spells entirely

For example, The Elder Scrolls 6 could have a system in place that prevents spells from more than two different schools from being mixed, or it could have a sort of tiered system for spell effects, meaning that only one effect from the highest tier can be used when crafting spells in Oblivion Remastered. These are just examples, but they would make spellcrafting more balanced.

Likewise, avoiding a way to gain access to spellcrafting very early on is crucial. The Elder Scrolls 6's rumored setting could also give Bethesda the perfect excuse to make spellcrafting a rare occurrence, considering that many Redguards and citizens from Hammerfell look upon magic with distrust. This could mean that players may acquire the ability to use spellcrafting at the end of the Mages Guild questline, like in Oblivion Remastered, or maybe through some other endgame means. It remains to be seen if spellcrafting will return, in the first place, but if it does, it should tread carefully.

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