The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is most notable for its graphical and gameplay updates to the 2006 classic, but something that's brought me a lot of joy is how fantastic and, critically, well-cast its new voiceovers are.
The original Oblivion had a ludicrously small cast for how large a game it was, and while this represented a clear area of improvement for the remaster, it also risked wiping out some of the game's distinctive charm.
There's a real tension between "Wes Johnson and Linda Carter's performances are iconic" and "Wes Johnson and Linda Carter keep talking to themselves about mudcrabs."
Bringing back almost exclusively voice actors from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was a genius way to split the difference. In my experience so far, about half the dialogue has been re-recorded, but the fact that the actors are all experienced Elder Scrolls hands I've spent hundreds of hours listening to means they slip into the remaster like they were always meant to be there, simultaneously refreshing and nostalgic.
Here's all the returning Skyrim actors, going off credits on IMDB:
- John Curry: Various (including the Ebony Warrior) in Skyrim, Imperials in Oblivion Remastered.
- Tim Blaney: Argonians in both games.
- Jason Marsden: Wood Elves in both, and you may also recognize his distinctive voice from Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Academy, Tak and the Power of Juju, and more.
- Colleen Delaney: Nords, including Lydia, in Skyrim, Wood Elves in Newblivion.
- Noah Nelson: Orcs in both games.
- Michael Gough: Nords in both.
- Renee Victor: Argonians in Skyrim, Khajiit in Oblivion.
- André Sogliuzzo: Khajiit in both.
- Keith Szarabajka: Dark Elves in both games, memorably also played Joshua Graham in Fallout: New Vegas.
- Ellen Dubin: Nords and Imperials in Skyrim, Imperials in Oblivion.
- Cindy Robinson: Various (including Dark Brotherhood boss Astrid) in Skyrim, Dark Elves in Oblivion.
The rest of the cast, Jan Johns, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Nana Visitor (of Deep Space 9 fame), Phillip Reich, and the prolific Debra Wilson, have all still appeared in other Bethesda-published games in the past as well, including The Elder Scrolls Online, Starfield, and Fallouts 3, 4, 76, and New Vegas, so there's still an element of familiarity and continuity to their performances.
It's not only heartening to see Bethesda maintain these relationships over the years, it's a real treat to hear these familiar voices like they're old friends, and they help contribute to a distinctive soundscape in the studio's games. If there's one Skyrim voice I miss in Newblivion, though, it's the GOAT, Stephen Russell.
For my money, Russell's great gaming legend will always be Garrett from Thief, but he's also had a long and fruitful relationship with Bethesda—possibly in part due to the senior position of former Looking Glass Studios developer, Emil Pagliarulo.
Russell made a memorable turn as cyborg private dick, Nick Valentine, in Fallout 4, and he also played many of the Breton NPCs in Skyrim—including, fittingly, Thieves Guild boss Mercer Frey.
That relationship still appears to be ongoing as well: In just the past few years, Russell contributed his voice to multiple Fallout 76 and Starfield NPCs. But Russell's absence is a very specific gripe in the face of an excellent cast, and getting jumpscared by Szarabajka Dark Elves every few minutes is more than making up for it.
