Few open-world fantasy games have had the impact that Oblivion has had on the genre. The Elder Scrolls series as a whole is an important milestone for balancing action, exploration, and customization into what the fantasy RPG video game is today. Oblivion is the fourth game in the series, notable for its lush graphics, gripping questlines, and incredibly fun gameplay mechanics, many of which were carried over to the subsequent Skyrim.
Without a doubt, the biggest draw is the game’s world, which is as expansive as it is exciting. Throughout the world, the developers hid Easter eggs and pop culture references that can be easily missed if players aren’t looking hard enough. For those looking to revisit this classic, here are a few clever details to look out for.
9 References To Dune
The Dune franchise is a significant influence on sci-fi and fantasy worlds, and it is not uncommon for references to the literary series to make their way into other books, video games, movies, and music. Oblivion is no exception to this.
Sci-fi fans playing through the game may have noticed that Dune is briefly referenced during Azura’s questline. The player can find a note written by Ghola gro-Muzgol that makes allusions to the Freman religion from Dume. The ghola are reanimated dead in the Dune series, a reference to the character’s vampire status.
8 The Boots Of Springheel Jak
These boots play an important part in the Thieves' Guild questline and offer up incredible acrobatic abilities to the wearer. While most players have encountered these boots, not all may be aware of the Easter egg.
The namesake of the boots is a reference to Springheeled Jack, an urban legend in Victorian era Britain that stemmed from sensationalized reports of a jumping demon. The name fits, as the boots allow for players to jump around like a grasshopper.
7 Lord Of The Rings
Another important fantasy series that has its branch of influence in almost every piece of high fantasy media, The Lord of the Rings is as critical as they come. Needless to say, The Elder Scrolls took some serious notes from the book series, and as such, there are some nods and winks to the franchise in Oblivion.
The reward for completing the Unfriendly Competition quest is a ring called the Weatherward Circlet, a gold ring with an inscription that looks oddly familiar. What's more, some players may have caught a reference a character named Oford Gabings, as detailed in the image above. This name itself is an anagram of Frodo Baggins, and the items he was carrying are exactly like Frodo’s.
6 Blue Suede Shoes
A clever song reference, these shoes are named exactly for the Carl Perkins tune that Elvis Presley made famous in the 1950s.
Unlike many of these Easter eggs, this one is not an isolated occurance. The shoes can be found at multiple locations in the game and are as dashing as their name conveys.
5 Religious And Historical Undertones
There are a few subtle religious references that the game incorporates into their own religions. The Ten Commands of the Nine Divines is something of a nod to the Ten Commandments of the Christian tradition. Additionally, the Order of the Mythic Dawn is close in name with the real-life occult group, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In Chorrol, players can find a statue that closely resembles a famous Michaelangelo sculpture of Mary holding a dying Jesus.
The game has a few historical nods as well as religious ones. For example, Marie Antoinette, the famous French queen, also gets a shoutout in the form of a Dark Brotherhood character, Antoinetta Marie.
4 Arena
The Arena in Imperial City is the place where the toughest characters go to duke it out for fame and fortune. A fantastic poster advertises the Arena and features some different fighters striking a cool pose.
Both the poster and its namesake are both references to the very first Elder Scrolls game, titled Arena. The poster is similar in style to the original box art of the game.
3 Mutiny On The Bounty
The quest "The Forlorn Watchman" has players assist a wandering ghost in his journey for peace. The ghost was a sailor aboard a crashed ship who was killed alongside the captain by mutineers. The Captain is named Laughton, and the main traitor is named Gable.
These characters' names are in fact clever references to the classic film, Mutiny on the Bounty, in which Clark Gable’s character leads a mutiny against the captain of his ship, played by actor Charles Laughton.
2 The Horror, The Horror
The Elder Scrolls games love to throw in film and TV pop culture references as Easter eggs when they can. One such reference occurs during Vaerimina’s quest, in which players must infiltrate the tower of Arkved.
Notes can be found in his room in which he quotes the book Heart of Darkness and its central character Mr. Kurtz’s last line, “the horror, the horror.” The story was infamously adapted into the Vietnam War film, Apocalypse Now, in which the famous line is also spoken.
1 The Black Hand
The Black Hand is the shadowy leadership behind the Dark Brotherhood, the league of assassins who terrorize the Elder Scrolls games. However, not all fans may know the real-world inspiration behind the name of this inner circle.
The Black Hand derives their name from the real Black Hand, the organization that was responsible for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. This act of aggression was the tipping point that started World War I.
