The Elder Scrolls VI Needs To Bring Back Oblivion's Combat

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim graced our seventh-generation consoles nearly 14 years ago (oh, now I do feel old). And when it arrived, the aforementioned fifth mainline entry in the beloved franchise brought with it a wealth of “improvements”, which included an updated (broodier and less cartoonish) overall look and feel, a looping dungeon design, modernised (keyboard and gamepad) controls, and alongside all of that even grew a very talented and dedicated modding community. Really, Skyrim spoiled us all (or at least it did for the first couple of re-releases).

Overall, Skyrim did a solid job of correcting the copious amounts of pure derp that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion had unnecessarily injected into the series. It managed to restore some of that previously abandoned bleakness, doing away almost entirely with Oblivion’s sunshine, rainbows, and uncanny round-faced character aesthetic. However, one thing that Oblivion definitely did better was combat. In Skyrim, it may indeed feel far more natural to control those axe swings or to shoot those fireballs because of the improved smoothness of the slicker combat system… but it also feels much flimsier, too! As though you're smacking your opponent with a damn noodle — a wet one!

In Oblivion, however, melee combat feels more restrictive, forcing players to commit to their attacks. There's a real sense of heft to your swings, which just feels awesome when compared to Skyrim's reckless slap fights. And the risk/reward system means that if you mistime those swings of yours, then you will more than likely be punished for it. Which brings me to another point: the NPCs seem to make tougher combatants in Oblivion. Honestly, I do not know whether the AI behind combat is genuinely superior in Oblivion or not. However, due to the slower and clumsier combat, it does give the impression that it is. The steadier exchange of blows between you and your enemies gives both parties more time to react, and NPCs take advantage of that quite successfully; they may try to overwhelm you with a flurry of light attacks or throw up their shield just as you wind up a heavy strike, which will stun you and leave you open for them to a riposte.

Granted, Oblivion is still ultimately a hack-and-slash affair, but it has something a little closer to duelling than Skyrim does, and combat it is far more satisfying to participate in because of that. I don't even mind that the shield bash — which was added in Skyrim — is absent. In Oblivion, that is simply what the regular block function is for. You time your defence, and from that, your attacker will be knocked back and stunned. The stun lock nightmare that is the shield bash from Skyrim actually ruins the flow of combat.

Magic is superior too, and not simply from a variety or utility standpoint but just from a purely combat-focused one. Having the ability to hold a weapon and then cast a spell using the same hand is brilliant. It makes you far more versatile and allows you to tackle combat any way you like. Skyrim's alternative magic system, which requires players to discard their weapon in order to benefit from a new twin-hand casting system, is fine. It is just fine. I can appreciate that Bethesda tried something new, but it was a swing and a miss. The pure tedium of having to constantly open the quick-select menu to switch between spells and weapons is one of the most heinous crimes committed to a videogame.

Finally, in Oblivion, when you throw in the old Speed attribute, alongside the now-discarded Acrobatics and Athletics skills, combat is just all-around more fun! Giving players some manoeuvrability, verticality, and general versatility in which to approach fights. Even Oblivion’s (and prior games’) Fatigue system was interesting, which forced players to manage their stamina, adding further welcome complexity to combat encounters.

And that about wraps up my two-cent thought regarding The Elder Scrolls VI. I'm not too concerned with what else it will inevitably attempt to change or update from its predecessors; I would just like to see a return to the way Oblivion handled combat. But what do you think? Do you prefer Oblivion-style combat, or do you have other changes in mind that you would like to see implemented? Drop me those thoughts down in the comments below.