Finishing Skyblivion is a new dev diary series about the last leg of the Oblivion remake mod’s run to release

With unofficial Oblivion remake Skyblivion aiming to arrive this year, one of its developers has kicked off a new dev diary series documenting the work they’ve been doing to get the massive Skyrim mod ready to emerge through the release gates.

While the folks behind Skyblivion certainly haven’t been shy when it comes to regularly showing off their progress, it’s always cool to see more of the blood, sweat, and tears that’s going into finally getting such a gargantuan undertaking into players’ hands. Then again, maybe I’m just partial to trippy glimpses at Uriel Septim’s detached head floating in the development void.

Finishing Skyblivion is the name YouTuber and Skyblivion implementation lead Heavy Burns has given to this series they’ve just released the first episode of, and it certainly delivers on said trippy glimpses right off the bat. You see, among the various bits and bobs documented in the video is putting the final touches on exported NPC head models the mod’s artists have developed, to ensure they look as detailed as the mod’s character creator will allow.

Cue shots of severed heads with glowing purple eye holes sitting in the great grey unknown, ready to have their brows, beards, and trims retextured so they look a bit more presentable. Among the characters getting makeovers here are the likes of the Dark Brotherhood’s Lucien Lachance and emperor Uriel Septim himself. The fact that the devs have made the latter look exactly like his bald acting man Patrick Stewart definitely adds to the weirdness of the floaty bodylessness.

There are also a couple of bits that’ll likely be of interest to youm regardless of whether you get as much of a giggle from the bizarre visuals afforded by WIP mods or games as I do. There are some nice looks at how Anvil and the Imperial City are shaping up, with Heavy Burns revealing that the latter’s “the final part of the overworld that is yet to be finished” ahead of release.

There’s also some statue installation in the realm of Oblivion you’ll travel to as part of Boethiah’s Daedric quest, and while it’s still quite lava-filled, it’s got plenty of nice touches to set it apart from Mehrunes Dagon’s chambers of evil. Kerb-tweaking and sign-making are also covered, if you’re interested in learning the ins-and-outs of some modding for yourself.

The YouTuber finishes up by teasing that Skyblivion’s next full developer diary isn’t too far away, with the project still looking for any volunteers with the skills to help get it over the line. If you want an idea of what the mod’s full release might look like, check out our interview with project lead Kyle ‘Rebelzize’ Rebel from June.