Summary
- Playing Oblivion Remastered has changed some Skyrim fans' perspective on the latter's Civil War story.
- Some players sympathized with the Imperials after discovering the Thalmor's involvement in the war.
After playing The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered for the first time, some Skyrim fans gained a new perspective on the latter's Civil War story arc and opted to sympathize with the Imperials over the Stormcloaks. Other Elder Scrolls fans pointed out how Oblivion and Skyrim take place 200 years apart, and discussed the feats and downfall of the Empire across both games.
The Skyrim Civil War is one of the main side quests that the Dragonborn can influence through their actions. After surviving Alduin's attack on the village of Helgen, the Dragonborn is accompanied by either Ralof of the Stormcloaks or Hadvar of the Imperial Legion to Riverwood. Whichever companion joins them in Riverwood offers a quest to join their side in the conflict, which started after Ulfric Stormcloak's involvement in The Markarth Incident and his subsequent victory over High King Torygg in a duel. This duel rallied some of Skyrim's Nords to join the Stormcloaks, while others saw Ulfric's actions as treason against the fractured Empire.
Oblivion Remastered is Already One of the Best-Selling Games of 2025
After only two weeks since its release, Bethesda's new Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remaster is one of 2025's best-selling games so far.
Although the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks of Skyrim are different, the release of Oblivion Remastered gave some Elder Scrolls players a different perspective on the Empire. On the r/Oblivion subreddit, a Reddit user named Similar_Grass_4699 discussed how playing Oblivion Remastered changed their view of the Imperials. Given that Skyrim was their entry into the Elder Scrolls franchise, Similar_Grass_4699 prefaced their case by disclosing how they initially believed the Civil War story was a "rebels versus evil empire" trope.
Skyrim Fans Change Their Minds About The Imperials After Playing Oblivion Remastered
Eventually, the OP reconsidered their stance after discovering the Thalmor's stake in the war and how siding with the Imperial Legion could benefit Tamriel in the long run. Although the Empire under the Mede line differed from the Septim line that ruled during the first four Elder Scrolls games, Similar_Grass_4699 stated the Empire's loyalty and motivations in Oblivion Remastered stood out to them during their playthrough.
Similar_Grass_4699 stated that the Daedric invasion of Kvatch was a main motivator for their growing Imperial support, as they noted three Imperial soldiers joined the battle after seeing smoke from the roadside. While some Oblivion Remastered players debated which levels they were going into Kvatch, others pointed out how even siding with the Stormcloaks in Skyrim and finishing the war was bad for the Thalmor, who took advantage of the chaos.
Despite how much time has passed between Oblivion and Skyrim, the Empire's legacy remains a constant presence in the Elder Scrolls franchise. With The Elder Scrolls 6 still in development, only time will tell how the outcome of Skyrim's stories will be considered in the upcoming chapter.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- April 22, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
