It's undeniable that The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is one of the most ubiquitous titles in gaming history. Between releases on multiple generations of consoles, a VR version, and even a re-release on Amazon Echo, one would think that Bethesda had just wrung every last possible cent out of the game by now. But Skyrim's extensive modding community is continually breathing new life into the game, and the mods don't come much more impressive than Skyblivion.
Skyblivion, as its portmanteau name suggests, is a recreation of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion in the engine of Skyrim: a truly mammoth undertaking by any stretch of the imagination. The project has been chugging along for almost a decade since its inception in 2012, and even as Bethesda is finally starting to turn its attention towards future projects like Starfield, the Skyblivion team is still releasing updates on the mod's development. The most recent of these developer diary videos, in fact, has just come out.
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The video describes itself as "Our Biggest Update Yet," and it's hard to disagree with the label. Over the course of 19 minutes, narrator Ryan Cooper enthralls the viewer with descriptions and explanations of the updates, overhauls and redesigns of key parts of Cyrodiil. Meanwhile, impressive vistas and panoramas of various areas from the Gold Coast to the Jerall Mountains and beyond vie for screentime, with the occasional before-and-after comparison shot with the original Oblivion to really hammer home the work that's been put in.
The team opens by showcasing some of the new Cyrodiilic landscapes, including the Fall Forest, the Gold Coast, and the menacing Blackwood. The quintessential Gold Coast city of Anvil is regrettably being kept under wraps now, "in favor of a proper spotlight in the near future," but the trading city of Leyawiin gets plenty of love. The city has seemingly been completely redesigned, based on Oblivion concept art and using the power of the Skyrim engine, splitting its districts across three islands with ships passing between.
The city of Bravil also gets a shout-out later on, as Cooper waxes lyrical about the work the team has put in on the game's interiors. Dungeons and forts have also enjoyed a much-needed glow-up, which will no doubt encourage players to go seek out the various secrets and mysteries of the Elder Scrolls.
The Skyblivion team is still seeking volunteers, especially those with experience making mods for Skyrim, so anyone who wants to help this ambitious and impressive project come to fruition should definitely make contact with them. The next dev diary also looks set to delve into quests and mechanics rather than the visual assets, so there's that to look forward to. For now, though, those wanting to explore a high-definition Cyrodiil will have to keep waiting. Perfection doesn't come quickly, after all, and these folks will clearly accept nothing less.
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Source: Skyblivion
