Summary
The Dark Brotherhood questline fromOblivion Remasteredis often considered one of the best questlines inThe Elder Scrollsseries, and it’s easy to see why. Many players have been drawn to the franchise through the faction of contract killers, and it is up there as one of the most iconic groups in videogame culture. With a roster full of dark characters, each full of personality and their own reasons for serving Sithis,Oblivion Remastered’s Dark Brotherhood is especially memorable for its variety, but particularly for ‘Whodunit?’
‘Whodunit?’ takes players to a party of sorts in Skingrad, a very unusual place for theDark Brotherhoodto be. But, of course, it is no ordinary party, and with the door locked shut from the outside, everyone must die. One by one, the player will dispatch the guests, using their prejudices to throw suspicion onto other attendees, until they are the only one left standing. Instead of a test of might, it is a test of wits, and a master manipulator can successfully avoid suspicion right until the end.
‘Whodunit?’ Might Be Oblivion Remastered’s Most Creative Quest
There are not many problems inOblivion Remasteredthat can’t be solved by waving a sword at something until it dies, and while a player could do that during ‘Whodunit?’, they would miss out on its best feature.‘Whodunit?’ allows the player incredible freedom of choicein how they approach it, giving them every opportunity to explore it the way they want. They can silently kill targets isolated in rooms, place poisoned apples within reach of guests, or manipulate them into killing one another. Each guest has a fleshed-out backstory, and these can be used against them to turn their fears into prejudice, and they can be convinced that the guest they distrust the most must be the killer.
Making a save outside the house is recommended. That way, the quest can be replayed in a different order.
Depending on what order each guest dies in, the reaction of the rest can change. Some actions will convince them of another living guest’s guilt, while others will shatter their preconceived notions about who it could be. One way or another, accusations will be thrown around, and several paths can open up for the player to kill each target in an order that is most likely another guest to take matters into their own hands. If done properly, certain guests will take it upon themselves to murder each other, feeling like they have just saved themselves from the killer, ironically taking up the murderer’s mantle themselves. Anincredibly chaoticOblivionplayer can leave weapons lying around, just to encourage a bit of vicarious murdering.
‘Whodunit?’ Shares an Important Feature With the ‘Paranoia’ Quest
This fan-favorite Dark Brotherhood quest has something in common with ‘Paranoia,’ which usesOblivion’s immersive featuresto make players think outside the box. Both are really quite simple in what they ask the player to do, but it is in how each quest dresses up the task with layers of intrigue and an unfolding narrative. Feeding Glarthir’s paranoia is similar to stoking the fears of the party guests, encouraging them to act unwisely. If followed in this way, players don’t actually have to do a lot to get through it, yet it is far more memorable than crawling through a Necromancer’s dungeon for the twentieth time.
The brilliance is in the simplicity. There is a rewarding feeling watching all the setup lead to a chaotic conclusion, and many players will probably have a very wry smile on their face as they listen to the guests feeling reassured that now, surely, the killer must be dead, and how good it was that they could trust the player character. After all, the honorable Hero of Kvatch would never do such a thing. ‘Whodunit?’ is one ofOblivion Remastered’s best quests, and players who haven’t delighted in some meddling and manipulation should absolutely go and play it.
