Every time the volunteer team behind Skyblivion, a fan-made remake of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, comes out with a new dev update, I make the same mistake. I figure, "I know what they're all about, I've played Oblivion for a million hours, nothing here can surprise me." Well color me surprised, the team's latest development diary really got me going. Skyblivion is going to do things with Cyrodiil's Ayleid ruins and Skyrim's UI that have me giddy as a longtime Oblivion sicko.
The thing that consistently impresses me is how Skyblivion addresses one of the original game's greatest weaknesses—its repetitive environments—while preserving the hazy, high fantasy daydream vibe that still has a hold on my psyche 18 years later. The new dev diary gives a peak of how the team's continuing that process in the overworld with the autumnal Great Forest region, but the real heat is underground.
