Skyblivion, an ambitious modding project that’s reinventing The Elder Scrolls IV using Skyrim’s engine, recently unveiled some exciting new quest gameplay footage during Community Creations Con (C3). This much-anticipated project is slated for release in 2025, and fans are buzzing with excitement.
Originally planned as a 30-minute showcase, the presentation stretched to 40 minutes. Sometimes, in the unpredictable world of gaming, an NPC you expect to be in one spot has taken a detour. It’s the kind of delightful unpredictability that makes games so engaging.
The focus of this reveal was the city of Cheydinhal and its surrounding areas, freshly landscaped in the game. This follows the Skyblivion team’s triumph earlier in the week when they completed the landscaping for the final region of Cyrodiil, the Niben Basin and Valley. Two quests took the spotlight here: the Fighters Guild mission involving Biene Amelion’s debt and the classic ‘A Brush with Death.’ If that last one isn’t ringing a bell, it’s the quest where you step into the painted world of Rythe Lythandas, a dark elf artist, armed only with a magical brush to free him.
The standout feature in both quests was the meticulous attention to detail and polish evident in Skyblivion’s environments. At one point, project lead Kyle ‘Rebelzize’ Rebel simply walked into Cheydinhal, a scene familiar to anyone who’s played both vanilla and modded Oblivion. The nostalgia was palpable, especially in how the team has captured the essence of the original while smoothing over its rougher, early-2000s edges.
The painted world quest is a testament to this. In the original Oblivion, it might have seemed like just another room unless you viewed it through the game’s oil painting aesthetic. Skyblivion, however, transforms it into a sprawling dungeon, maintaining its visual allure even with Skyrim’s more realistic art style. The climax? A space textured to resemble unpainted canvas.
Another highlight is the revamped interaction menu UI. Designed to bring more of Oblivion’s vibe into the experience, it balances out the Skyrim-flavored inventory, compass, and map. Fighting skeletons has its surprises too. Some have tails, specifically crafted for elves and beast races, showcasing the modders’ dedication to detail—something even Skyrim didn’t feature.
While there isn’t an exact release date yet, just the broad 2025 timeframe, the team is optimistic, assuring fans, “We are confident we can get it out this year.”
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this latest glimpse into Skyblivion. Share your opinions below, and don’t miss our recent interview with Skyblivion’s project lead, Rebel. Curious about those official Oblivion remake rumors? We’ve got all the details for you there!
