The Elder Scrolls are back, but not as we know it...

For those of you unfamiliar with the The Elder Scrolls franchise...where have you been? The game - which started its life as a DOS PC title back in 1994 (originally as a first person combat adventure, before its well-publicised switch to the RPG that we all know and love) - is still regarded by many as one of the greatest franchises of all time.

However, it was the title's switch to the next-gen format that cemented its position in history. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion pushed the Xbox 360 and Sony PS3 to the very boundaries of graphical brilliance; a tad ironic when you consider that the company responsible for its publication - Take-Two Interactive (together with Bethesda Softworks) - is a subsidiary of 2K games, the very company that, this year, produced the horrible looking Duke Nukem Forever. Better still, Oblivion had managed to build on its equally impressive prequel, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, averaging a 94% rating based on 90 critics, compared to Morrowind's 87%.

Yet in recent years, the quest for realism - plus the fact that Oblivion is now five years old - has meant that the The Elder Scrolls franchise has faded into the background somewhat, with Oblivion now representative of a distant great; a game that, while revolutionary at the time, has since been outshone. However, all this is about to change.

Through the use of a new mod, Andoran, Oblivion has been given a complete overhaul into what is basically - considering the work within - a new game. Originally conceived as a Prologue to events in the core series, Andoran features new maps, new characters, new textures, new effects - new everything by the looks of things. Quite simply, Andoran is now comparative to a major house refurbishment - the original foundations and designs have been left intact, but the remainder has been gutted and given a 21st Century appeal. Now, if you are struggling to believe how a pre-existing game could be redesigned to such an extent, why not check out the video below (apologies, it is in Russian):

While many will see this as a mere promotional push ahead of the release of The Elder Scrolls 5 - due for release on the 11th November (aka 11.11.11) - it should not be taken as so. This game is a complete redesign of what we knew and loved from Oblivion, and as such deserves the credit of any new release. What's more, Andoran is due to be released for free, at the end of the year, with the only stipulation being that you are already possessive of a licensed copy of Oblivion.

Anyhow, if you would like a bit more information on Andoran: Prologue, why not visit its official website (don't worry, this one's in English)...

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