The main character in this story is Shirley Curry – the beloved figure of the gaming community known as Skyrim Grandma.
Shirley has gained this title because, until recently, she was primarily known for her passionate gameplay of only one game: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. However, she has recently transitioned into a new exciting phase: becoming Oblivion Grandma, with the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. At 89 years old, she continues to explore the vast landscapes of Cyrodiil in the Oblivion Remastered version, carrying with her an unyielding spirit of discovery.
Shirley Curry, born in 1936, has become a symbol of the Elder Scrolls gaming community since she started uploading her gameplay of Skyrim on YouTube over a decade ago.
With her heartfelt gameplay, Shirley has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers and even caught the attention of Bethesda, who honored her by adding her as an NPC in Skyrim. Now, as the “Grandma of Skyrim” begins her adventure in Oblivion, she faces challenges that many seasoned gamers encounter: reverse controls, tricky puzzles, and… the mini-game of “lockpicking.” Currently, her YouTube channel contains two videos titled Learning and Still Learning, documenting her journey of exploring the new game. In the videos, she doesn’t hide her surprise at how the remastered version feels both familiar and challenging, as she encounters differences compared to Skyrim.
Despite initially facing several hurdles, Curry began to appreciate the unique depth of Oblivion Remastered. Notably, she spent time wandering through the walls of the Imperial City, continuously capturing screenshots of the environment – an action that embodies the essence of Skyrim, while also showcasing her dedication to immerse herself in the world of the game. However, there remains one crucial question to determine if Shirley truly “likes” Oblivion as she did with Skyrim. In her second video, she bravely dives into one of the game’s most iconic dungeons – a place that is not very welcoming to newcomers. The dark atmosphere, muted colors, and winding corridors all contribute to an experience that can be quite disheartening.
Finally, she faced the notorious difficulty of Oblivion: the mini-game of lockpicking. In a confusing and unfriendly interface, she could only know the long, tedious process before finally… attempting to hit the “auto-resolve” button – a solution that many gamers have had to resort to. Despite encountering numerous challenges, the writer still hopes that Shirley will continue her journey of exploration across the land of Cyrodiil.
