Latest news with #Virtuos
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered' game review
For those who remember, Oblivion was synonymous with the Xbox 360 era, one of the high points in Microsoft's console history. Experiencing a vast, open-ended role-playing game on an HD television back then was unforgettable, a feeling many gamers have bottled up ever since. While Bethesda could have chosen to remaster The Elder Scrolls: Arena, Daggerfall, or even Morrowind, I, for one, am grateful we have received Oblivion first. This remaster gives us a chance to relive that magic, now with all the quality-of-life improvements we have come to expect from today's open-world RPGs. Set in the heartlands of Cyrodiil, just south of Skyrim's snow-capped, dragon-infested peaks, Oblivion places you in the boots of the Hero of Kvatch. After a lengthy tutorial, you emerge from a prison cell and into a world in peril. Uriel Septim VII, the emperor of Tamriel, crosses your path during his attempted escape and recognises your face from a prophetic dream. His untimely assassination at the hands of a mysterious cult leaves you with a monumental task: to close the Oblivion gates and face the fiery horrors of the Daedra. Fans of the Elder Scrolls series will know what to expect: a vast sandbox teeming with freedom. You can become a thief, a mercenary, a necromancer, a Daedric devotee or even a vampire. The world is dense with quests, side stories, and activities. Whether you are taking on guild missions or pickpocketing NPCs for fun, Oblivion offers that classic, chaotic charm that inspired countless memes. Returning to the original game today can be tough, especially with how far first-person RPGs have come. That is why one of the most welcome improvements in the remaster is the completely overhauled combat. Weapon swings feel solid, and enemies react with satisfying weight. Fortunately, the developers have kept the spirit of the original intact, enhancing fluidity without straying too far from what made the game unique. Character creation has also seen significant upgrades, as expected with a new engine. You can still sculpt some of the most hilariously grotesque faces imaginable, now with added facial hair. At this screen, part of me longed for a full remake with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's level of detail, but the nostalgic tone remains. New body types and origin options have been added, affecting your stats, though the core class system is still present. And yes, the beloved Spellsword remains as powerful as ever. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Publisher: Bethesda Developer: Virtuos, Bethesda Game Studios Price: ₹4,999 on Steam, Xbox One, Playstation 5 With Unreal Engine 5 under the hood, Oblivion Remastered is visually striking, offering enhanced fidelity, smoother frame rates, and richer detail. That said, one thing I sorely miss is the iconic lush greenery that defined Cyrodiil. In the original, the landscape was vibrant, filled with glowing Ayleid ruins and rolling forests. The remaster feels more muted and earthy, lacking the colour palette I associate with the game. Thankfully, modders have already stepped in to restore that lost vibrance — on PC, at least. In its heyday, Oblivion was both a visual and auditory feast, and this remaster builds on that legacy. The sweeping score still tugs at your heart, and much of the original content remains faithfully preserved—including the bugs. Some seem to have been intentionally left in for nostalgia's sake. Daedric encounters still thrill as you close the gates, and the game's standout quests hold up brilliantly. One of my favourites — a Knives Out-style whodunnit — can be found in the Dark Brotherhood storyline. If you have never played it, do not miss it. It has been a demanding time for our gaming budgets lately, on one side, we have Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and now Oblivion Remastered on the other. That said, a return to Cyrodiil is never a bad idea. Whether you are stepping into this world for the first time or you are a returning Hero of Kvatch, be prepared to lose 80 to 100 hours of your life. It is absolutely worth it.
Metro
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Oblivion Remastered bugs get worse the more you play it reveals tech breakdown
Bethesda's remaster of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion has turned out some odd performance issues, and they get worse the more you play it. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered launched last month after a slew of leaks, to a rapturous reception and higher sales than even Bethesda expected. The remake, developed by Virtuos, is a substantial overhaul of the original 2006 game, with revised gameplay mechanics, a revamped user interface, and widespread improvements to the visuals thanks to Unreal Engine 5. While Bethesda's role-playing games are synonymous with technical bugs, it seemed at first that the remaster had ironed out a lot of them. But a new analysis shows that the game is something of a ticking time bomb. As outlined in a new Digital Foundry video, which is focused on the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PS5 Pro console versions, it seems Oblivion Remastered is more prone to crashes and other performance issues the longer you play it. The video claims a 'fresh boot' of the game, aka shutting down the software, booting it up and loading into a save for the first time, will give you an 'often significantly higher' frame rate compared to a playthrough which has been running for 15 minutes or more, with drops from 59fps to around 45fps. You'll be more prone to crashes and other issues affecting the camera position the longer you play in one continuous session, which is fixed when you reload the save following a reboot (albeit only for 15 minutes). Digital Foundry suggests it is a memory management issue (aka memory leak) which is making the performance worse over time. According to players, this was an issue in some of Bethesda's past games as well, including The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition, but it's less forgiveable when it's affecting a substantial remake running in Unreal Engine 5. More Trending 'Returning to the Oblivion remaster for a second console testing brings a great many issues to light,' the video concludes, with all console platforms affected by hitching, frame rate drops, and bugs. Since its launch on April 22, there have been no substantial updates to Oblivion Remastered. Bethesda has called for suggestions from players on how to improve the experience on its official Discord, so hopefully some kind of patch is in the works. Bethesda is currently in development on the next mainline entry, The Elder Scrolls 6, which is expected to launch at some point after 2026. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Video game companies are lying to us about everything – Reader's Feature MORE: Why I tried to beat Oblivion Remastered without ever using fast travel – Reader's Feature MORE: The 5 new GTA 6 Trailer 2 Easter eggs only superfans will have noticed
Otago Daily Times
27-04-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Powering New Zealand Game Studios with the Co-Development Model
Global developer Virtuos on how co-development might be the answer to challenges faced by game studios in New Zealand. New Zealand's games industry is undoubtedly on the rise, driven by significant market performance, government backing, and a growing demand for talent that underscore the country's expanding influence in the global games market. According to the NZGDA Industry Report 2024, game developers in New Zealand brought in an impressive NZ$548M in the last financial year—a remarkable 26% jump that outpaces the global growth rate of 2.1%. Looking ahead to 2025, highly anticipated titles like Tales of the Shire by Wētā Workshop and Into the Dead : Our Darkest Days showcase the creativity and talent driving New Zealand's games sector. However, like in many emerging markets, developers in New Zealand—most of whom are mid-sized teams—face considerable challenges that could hinder their success on the international stage. Talent shortage, platform engineering expertise, and funding limitations remain some of the most pressing issues. To address those barriers, Kiwi game studios can leverage the co-development ('co-dev') model. This collaborative approach allows them to partner with international developers to create more ambitious projects and extend their original IPs across multiple platforms. By integrating a co-dev partner, studios can efficiently scale production, manage risks, and control costs. 'Unlike traditional outsourcing, a co-dev partner acts as a natural extension of the developer's internal teams and pipelines,' said Kristian Pedlow, Senior Art Director at Virtuos, who is currently based in the Australia and New Zealand region. 'This model is particularly beneficial for mid-sized studios, enabling them to quickly acquire the expertise required for new platforms or engines and expand their team size without the need for extensive and costly internal training or hiring.' NZGDA reported that skill shortages, particularly in programming, are a major concern with 31% of studios citing a need for experienced programmers. At the same time, PC gaming remains dominant and generates over half of industry revenue, while console games account for just 14%—indicating a gap in console game development exposure and expertise. That is further compounded by the need for larger engineering teams skilled in rendering optimization and across all industry-leading game engines, fueled by the growing demand for cross-platform releases. While cross-platform release is an increasingly successful strategy for developers to minimize risk and maximize revenue in today's market, studios are challenged in putting together a team of the required scale and expertise while meeting shorter release schedules for post-launch content. Pedlow emphasized that filling skill gaps and boosting development capacity allows studios to focus on a primary platform while partners handle adaptations for additional platforms. This parallel development process allows for simultaneous game releases across multiple platforms, expanding their reach to a broader audience across more markets. Faced with hurdles such as resource limitations, project management, and technical challenges, emerging studios lacking the necessary expertise and scale often struggle to secure funding for AA game projects. Without a strong track record, convincing investors of a project's feasibility and success can be an uphill battle. Beyond the game's unique art directions and commercial potential, successful pitches must address key risks and present clear solutions. Partnering experienced co-dev teams can help bridge these gaps, boosting investor confidence through demonstrated project feasibility. 'An ideal co-dev partner should have a proven track record, demonstrating reliability and expertise in shipping successful and high-quality titles.' Choosing the right co-dev partner can make or break a game. 'An ideal co-dev partner should have a proven track record, demonstrating reliability and expertise in shipping successful and high-quality titles,' said Philippe Angely, Managing Director of North Asia at Virtuos. 'Studios should also consider the partner's engineering capabilities and platform knowledge as key factors, as these assets not only help solve technical challenges during production but also create learning opportunities for their in-house teams.' While co-dev is not the only model available, it offers New Zealand's ambitious game studios a sustainable way to scale and achieve greater success. By maintaining lean teams in the early stages, developers can focus on creative breakthroughs before scaling up for full game production. This is where co-dev makes a difference—empowering studios to push creative boundaries with the support of experienced partners to realize their vision for the game. 'At the end of the day, making games should be fun. Your best co-dev partner is one who shares your vision and is just as passionate about bringing the game to life as you,' Angely added.
Express Tribune
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered' launches on PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X with enhanced graphics and gameplay
Bethesda has officially released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X. The surprise launch follows a string of leaks and online speculation, and includes support for Game Pass subscribers at no extra cost. The remaster enhances the original 2006 classic with modern visuals and refined gameplay, while preserving the core experience fans remember. The project, developed by Bethesda Game Studios and Virtuos, began in 2021 and uses Unreal Engine 5 to deliver updated environments, detailed models, and realistic lighting. 'We never wanted to remake it – but remaster it – where the original game was there as you remember playing it, but seen through today's technology,' Bethesda stated in its launch announcement. 'Every piece of art, animation, special effects, and part of the world would be remastered.' The Standard Edition includes the full game, plus the Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine expansions and various downloadable content. A Deluxe Edition adds new quests, a digital artbook, and the soundtrack. Gameplay improvements include redesigned combat animations, a newly added sprint function, improved UI, and revised character models. A revamped third-person mode now features a crosshair and smoother controls, bringing it closer in style to Bethesda's recent titles like Starfield. Bethesda also confirmed updated voiceovers with unique voices for each in-game race, while retaining the original cast where possible. The remastered levelling system and quality of life features aim to enhance the player experience without compromising the original's charm. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is priced at $49.99 for the Standard Edition and $59.99 for the Deluxe Edition on Steam.
USA Today
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Return to Oblivion: Remaster of iconic Elder Scrolls title brings gamers back to Tamriel
Return to Oblivion: Remaster of iconic Elder Scrolls title brings gamers back to Tamriel Psst. Hey you! Yes, you. We need to talk. We got the gates of Oblivion reopening before we got Elder Scrolls 6. In a video posted on April 22, video game publisher Bethesda surprised gamers by announcing that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is available for immediate download on Windows, Steam, PlayStation and Xbox platforms. The game is already surging in popularity, reaching over 130,000 concurrent players on Steam by 3 p.m. on launch day. Studio head Todd Howard gave a nod to a planned sixth installment in the video saying, "Obviously, we're working on the sixth chapter here, but what's great about The Elder Scrolls is being able to look back at all of the chapters." What is (are) The Elder Scrolls? "Mmmm that is an interesting question now, isn't it?" The Elder Scrolls is a series of role-playing games developed by Bethesda with five major installments: Arena (1994), Daggerfall (1996), Morrowind (2002), Oblivion (2006) and Skyrim (2011). Bethesda also released Elder Scrolls Online as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in 2012. The series titles alludes to mythical and powerful ancient artifacts from the game universe. Elder Scrolls games are known for vast lore, open-world exploration and character customization. The games take place on the fictional continent of Tamriel, which blends medieval culture with fantasy elements. Players create a character and have a main storyline to progress through, along with a huge variety of side quests that allow each player to have a unique experience. What is Oblivion? Originally released on Windows and Xbox 360, and later for Playstation 3, Oblivion takes place in the province of Cyrodiil which is home to Imperial City, Tamriel's capital. The main storyline involves the player discovering Oblivion Gates opening up across the land. The gates are fiery magic portals that release hostile creatures called Daedra from the hellish plane of Oblivion upon Cyrodiil. The player develops skills, uncovers information and fights enemies to find out why the portals are opening and how to close them. Oblivion, along with Morrowind and Skyrim, was recognized as Game of the Year by multiple outlets. Oblivion is estimated to have sold over nine million copies in the first nine years of its release. How is the remastered version different from the 2006 release? Bethesda worked with video game developer Virtuos to remaster Oblivion using Unreal Engine 5, a 3D computer graphics game engine. Here are some of the changes announced in the release video: The remaster includes all expansions to the original game. New atmospheric effects improve lighting and shadows. Players can now sprint in the game. Different races of characters now have appropriate audio for their voices. Lip-syncing is improved for non-human creatures and in dialogues. The remaster allows players to seamlessly switch between first- and third-person. The approach to leveling incorporates elements from both Oblivion and Skyrim. Combat now includes sound effects, visual effects, hit reactions and crosshairs. And yes, you can still buy yourself some horse armor. Contributing: Shawn J. Sullivan
