The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios, Virtuos
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release Date: 23rd April, 2025 – Available Now
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here
Overview
Some games stand the test of time. They define not just a genre, but the industry as a whole, becoming benchmarks for what will take place in the future. Two decades ago, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion became of those games. It was a monumental achievement in open world RPGs for the future, opening the doors for everything that would come afterwards. Bethesda have dropped The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered to celebrate that achievement, releasing it without any true fanfare after years of development. How does this updated version work by today’s more critical standards? Let’s find out.
Story
I am not going to go on and on about the story of Oblivion as nothing has really changed on that from that perspective. You close Oblivion gates that could eventually lead to the world’s end after the assassination of an emperor with no heir. Stop chaos. You know the drill. It isn’t this main questline that the game is remembered for however, it is how much rich lore pours into every side quest, book, and so on – all which is found through organic discovery. It has been over 15 years since I went through Cyrodiil, and let me tell you that this time was really special. There is a never-ending amount of things to do and see, and exploration is so rich with enchanting characters and little moments that feel comfortably nostalgic. Is all the dialogue perfect? Not at all, in fact, most of the errors for this were left in tact to give players that janky nostalgia, but it does nothing but heighten the experience as a whole. Stop and read, check what that NPC has to say, look around that corner. These moments mean a lot, and this version excels at keeping them in tact for the player.
Gameplay
Speaking about Oblivion in terms of gameplay is kind of complicated when you are trying to make sense of everything to an audience. That is mostly because everyone is going to do something different. Want to go on quests? Well, there is that. Want to just farm items and sell? You are covered there for sure. The premise is basically setting out in a world with a (optional) first person perspective. You find quests and interact with the world to progress at your pace, which allows for the game to feel more inviting to newcomers to not just this game, but RPGs in general. There is also a lot of depth by design, where a player can create specific character builds and explore the world, partaking in the offerings designed around that build. Everything is open-ended and fluid by design, as even when the game has a mishap with glitches, the player never truly gets stuck or bored of what is before them. You can always start over.
A lot has changed to modernize this remastered version. To myself, the most important addition was that of the Clairvoyance spell from Skyrim, which allows players to be guided along on whatever quest they may on with a quick gesture, where light leads the way. It was a simple addition, but one that really assists if you may get stuck or lost in this massive world within. Levelling has also been made easier, with new ways to gain experience from minor skills. Players can sprint at free-will, which helps a lot with travel. A lot of past issues that came with the time have been modernized so the game is more accessible like Skyrim. These are all modernizations that make sense and work, without hindering the feel of it being Oblivion. Sure, there are still annoyances like over-encumbrance, but for the most part – players will feel a lot less burdened by the archaic mechanics from the original in this version.
The entire UI has been re-worked to also feel modern. I personally was never bothered by the little nags when playing years ago, as a game this scope never came perfect. That being said, I can say this is absolutely a breath of fresh air as there are a lot less disruptions to the gameplay that rework tutorials to being optional, rather than intrusive. I have played Skyrim so much, sometimes I forget what mechanic game from that game or the predecessors before it like this or even Morrowind. It’s crazy to think that Oblivion didn’t have so many of the quality of life kinks worked out that didn’t actually come until Skyrim, and this version really is a testament of how important those changes were.
My first character I made was a Breton mage, just like in the original. I killed someone early on the first time around and got swept up in The Dark Brotherhood path, became a vampire, and slowly made my way to the main quest after around 100 hours. That was all years and years ago. Here, I didn’t kill anyone, and managed to discover a ton of questlines that I didn’t partake in and the game feels completely new. Like, I know there is my old path if I want it and that is weirdly exciting to think about, but this new playthrough has me thrilled to see what I failed to find this time around. That is what makes this remake special. There is so much world to explore. So many caves or dungeons to find and land to trek to. Fast travel makes this more simplistic, and I spend my time not playing thinking about what to do next.
We are kind of in age where whenever a special release comes around, publishers are so eager to remake it and make more money that they forget about the player base entirely. Nothing is ever new if you get a remaster every two years or so. Oblivion Remastered is kind of a wake-up call to the industry that time needs to pass to do these remasters, as the experience is much more special to older and newer players alike when they can have it redelivered organically like Bethesda did here. This game feels so new and nothing has changed. Everything feels like an adventure, and while ports have still existed, this version has enough changes to make it easily worth its price tag. Its really a superb offering.
Audio
I cannot state enough how great the soundtrack is to Oblivion. From the opening credits, to the atmospheric tunes that play as you trek into a dangerous area alone, the music in the Remaster is exceptional and sounds fantastic. The world feels alive with constant chatter and massive amounts of dialogue, a lot of it which was recently recorded by new voice actors to fix some of the inconsistencies and restraints of the original team. Most lines were left in tact to keep that feel from the original, while others have been refined to simply ensure most things make more sense this time around. Bethesda could have left most of this alone and still have gotten a pass, but you can see the amount of detail put into making these changes feel effective that almost make this feel like an entirely new, yet incredibly familiar experience.
Visuals
Here are where the big changes come. The visuals have been completely updated and this game is simply gorgeous. I remembered Oblivion being far more colorful than Skyrim, but almost was afraid to revisit it because I didn’t want my nostalgia to be wrong. You don’t have to worry about that at all in this version. Weather effects have been updated. Caves are brighter and far more detailed. The textures have been updated and seem almost photo-realistic. Its incredible to walk around and look at the reflection in water or notice how the grass and trees all have such great amount of detail. Character models are probably the greatest improvement, as the humans actually look like humans. Each race feels more distinct, with better animations that recreate the entire experience. When I tell you this game has atmosphere like no other – I mean it. There is something really awe-inducing when booting up the game, where just taking a walk is an experience in itself. The visuals and performance are by no means perfect, but man does it feel thrilling to behold.
Overall
Reviewing something like Oblivion is kind of an odd thing to do. Everyone who knows what this game meant to them will be getting it day one. Despite this, every single player will have a difference experience that is tailored to how they play, and what they are looking for an such an expansive RPG. The question is, was this remake faithful? Was it able to recreate a world without ruining the rich atmosphere and deep mechanics of the first? The answer here is thankfully yes. The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered sets a new bar for remasters. Not just the quality (which is exquisite here), but how they are handled. The timing, What has been updated versus what was left flawed. The team here obviously cared a lot about doing this right, and it shows. Sure, it won’t change your mind if you never were a fan, but it may make you decide to finally make the plunge in what is now the definitive release of the game. This release comes with so much care and attention that it will certainly lead to this namesake’s legacy being stronger than ever before, showing us why it was so important years ago. This is the Bethesda I want to see succeed in everything they do in the future.
