With the long-rumoured Oblivion remaster allegedly dropping tomorrow (except Todd Howard is enjoying 4D chess once more), it’s time to revisit one of the crucial beloved RPGs of all time. Whereas The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is legendary for its most important questline involving portals to hell, Daedric princes, and the ever-enthusiastic Martin Septim, it’s the aspect quests that really gave the sport its coronary heart—and frequent moments of hilarious weirdness.
From shady dealings in Skingrad to trippy dreamscapes in Bruma, Oblivion, together with its expansions Shivering Isles and Knights of the 9 – each of that are stated to be included within the remaster – provided a few of the most memorable and artistic diversions in RPG historical past. Right here’s my high ten finest aspect quests you completely shouldn’t skip (once more).
1. Whodunit?
Location: Darkish Brotherhood Questline
The best way to Begin: Be part of the Darkish Brotherhood by killing an harmless NPC and sleeping. Given by Ocheeva in Cheydinhal.
Why It’s Nice: It’s “Clue,” in the event you had been the killer and in addition extraordinarily dedicated to your craft. Locked in a mansion with 5 friends, your activity is easy: homicide everybody with out elevating suspicion. It’s a delightfully depraved sandbox of stealth, manipulation, and social deduction—and arguably probably the most enjoyable you’ll ever have committing serial homicide.
2. The Final Heist
Location: Thieves Guild Ultimate Quest
The best way to Begin: Full the Thieves Guild questline.
Why It’s Nice: Stealing an Elder Scroll isn’t simply any Tuesday evening crime—it’s the final word flex. This capstone to the Thieves Guild is a fancy, high-stakes infiltration of the Imperial Palace. It’s obtained riddles, traps, and a few very tense sneaking. Actually, you’ll really feel like a medieval Ocean’s Eleven (if Danny Ocean had been a Khajiit in a hood).
3. A Brush With Loss of life
Location: Cheydinhal
The best way to Begin: Converse to Tivela Lythandas in Cheydinhal to seek out her lacking painter husband.
Why It’s Nice: You actually bounce right into a portray. The sport turns into an oil-painted dreamscape, the place you battle goblin-like creatures with a magical paintbrush. It’s whimsical, bizarre, and proves Oblivion was by no means afraid to let its freak flag fly. Plus, it’s most likely the one quest in gaming the place Bob Ross may have been the ultimate boss. Bear in mind, there aren’t any errors, simply completely happy little stabbings.
4. Via A Nightmare, Darkly
Location: Bruma
The best way to Begin: Converse with Kurdan gro-Dragol on the Jerall View Inn.
Why It’s Nice: You dive into a person’s troubled desires to rescue him, wandering via a surreal nightmare panorama stuffed with haunting imagery and metaphorical monsters. It’s principally Inception, besides as an alternative of a totem, you’ve obtained a sword and nobody explains the plot 5 occasions. And the soundtrack isn’t composed of BRAAAMs.
5. All the things In Its Place (Shivering Isles Growth)
Location: Crucible, Shivering Isles
The best way to Begin: Converse with the OCD-riddled Dunmer, Shelden, in Crucible.
Why It’s Nice: The Shivering Isles is stuffed with weird residents, however few are as hilariously obsessive as Shelden. You’re tasked with retrieving gadgets he believes had been stolen—besides they weren’t, and he simply doesn’t like them being misplaced. It’s a textbook case of insanity, however the type that ends in laughter, not horror.
6. Paranoia
Location: Skingrad
The best way to Begin: Discuss to Glarthir, a suspicious Wooden Elf lurking round city.
Why It’s Nice: This quest is a descent into delusion—solely it’s another person’s. Glarthir thinks the entire city is conspiring in opposition to him, and he desires your assist to show it. Do you assist his insanity or flip him in? It’s one of many funniest, darkest, and most unpredictable quests within the recreation. Bonus: you’ll by no means take a look at a Skingrad citizen the identical once more.
7. The Collector
Location: Imperial Metropolis, Talos Plaza District
The best way to Begin: Converse to Umbacano, a charmingly shady Altmer noble.
Why It’s Nice: An extended treasure hunt throughout Ayleid ruins that finally devolves right into a traditional case of “wealthy man lies to adventurer.” It mixes exploration, archaeology, and betrayal in excellent Elder Scrolls trend. Plus, Umbacano’s smug voice alone makes the entire thing price it.
8. The Fork Of Horripilation (Shivering Isles Growth)
Location: Bliss, New Sheoth
The best way to Begin: Converse to Massive Head, a mad Argonian with an unhealthy obsession, in Bliss.
Why It’s Nice: Massive Head has misplaced his treasured Fork of Horripilation, and he wants it again. Not desires—wants. You’re tasked with retrieving this completely ineffective piece of cutlery, as a result of clearly, the destiny of the Isles depends upon it. The search is a masterclass in ridiculousness, wrapped in layers of insanity, and capped off with one of the crucial weird characters within the recreation. It’s splendidly pointless in all the proper methods—precisely what you’d count on from Sheogorath’s realm.
9. The Siren’s Deception
Location: Anvil
The best way to Begin: Converse to Maelona exterior the Rely’s Arms in Anvil.
Why It’s Nice: A trio of suspiciously pleasant ladies lure you to a secluded farmhouse, and—shock!—you’re ambushed by a gang of bandits dressed like they simply walked off the set of Skyrim: Love Island. This quest is an element cautionary story, half crime drama, and all hilariously over-the-top. The setup is tacky, the twist is absurd, and the loot isn’t unhealthy both. It’s a type of uncommon moments the place Oblivion winks at you and says, “Yeah, we all know.”
10. Mazoga The Orc
Location: Leyawiin
The best way to Begin: Converse to Rely Marius Caro in Leyawiin Fortress.
Why It’s Nice: Mazoga looks like your typical grumpy Orc, however beneath the robust exterior is a surprisingly noble character arc. Assist her change into a real knight in an unexpectedly touching sequence of quests. It’s a fantastic reminder that Oblivion was by no means afraid to problem fantasy tropes—even when it did it with all of the subtlety of a warhammer to the face.
