I remember when I first sat down with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion back in 2006, it was just such a jaw-dropping and fantastic RPG experience. It was my first time with a Bethesda RPG, and I was hooked. So much so that I ended up getting 100% of all the achievements on Xbox 360. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is more than a simple remaster, but it manages recapture the feel of playing it like it is the first time. And if it is your first time, you’re in for a real treat. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered stands as one of Bethesda’s best RPGs and a world filled with wonderment and danger.
The visual overhaul is immediately apparent. Gone are the blurry textures and jagged edges that time had cruelly inflicted upon the original. Instead, we are greeted with crisper environments, and a generally more naturalistic color palette. The rolling hills of the Gold Coast, the snow-capped peaks of the Jerall Mountains, and the eerie depths of the Great Forest all benefit immensely from this visual upgrade. Sunlight filtering through the leaves now casts dynamic shadows, and the rain-slicked cobblestones of Chorrol glisten with a newfound realism. It’s not a complete ground-up rebuild, but this can trick you into thinking that it is. The Creation Engine is still powering the logic, NPCs, quests, and Unreal Engine 5 powers the graphics. This yields mixed results, but ultimately ensures that the core of Oblivion is preserved above all else.
The character models, while improved, still retain some of their original and bespoke charm. The infamous potato-faced NPCs are no longer, sporting smoother features and more detailed expressions. The armor and weapon models have received a significant boost in detail, making each piece feel more substantial and visually distinct. Clanking around in a full suit of Daedric armor now carries the visual weight it always deserved. My personal favorite, glass armor now receives the luster it should have had. The user interface has also been subtly refined, feeling cleaner and more intuitive without straying too far from its original design. This is a smart move, as the original UI, while not perfect, had a certain charm and functionality that many long-time players appreciated. They did keep in tact the design of ink to parchment paper from everything from selecting items in your inventory to looking at your map to leveling up skills.
The core gameplay of Oblivion remains largely untouched, and this is where the remaster truly shines. The character creator is incredibly deep, allowing you to pick any of the races from TES lore such as a Breton, Imperial, Argonian, Khajit, or Dunmers and make them as gorgeous or grotesque as you’d like. The freedom to explore the vast open world, to forge your own path, and to become whoever you want to be is still incredibly compelling. Whether you choose to follow the main questline, unraveling the mysteries of the Oblivion Gates and the Mythic Dawn cult, or lose yourself in the myriad of side quests, guild storylines (the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild remain standouts), and even random encounters, Cyrodiil offers a staggering amount of content. The sense of discovery, of stumbling upon a hidden cave, or needing to free a man imprisoned in a painting, is as potent as ever.
The combat system, while functional in its time, feels a tad dated compared to modern action RPGs. It’s still a relatively simple affair of swinging your weapon, casting spells, and blocking. While the remaster doesn’t overhaul this system, it does feel slightly more responsive, and the visual feedback from attacks and spells is more satisfying thanks to the improved graphics. However, don’t expect the fluidity and complexity of more recent titles. The crux of Oblivion’s combat lies more in the variety of weapons, spells, and enemy types rather than intricate mechanics.
The magic system, however, remains a standout. The sheer number of spells available, the ability to create your own custom spells, and the diverse schools of magic offer a wealth of strategic options. Whether you prefer to incinerate your foes with fireballs, paralyze them with a well-placed spell, or summon powerful creatures to fight by your side, the magical possibilities in Oblivion are truly impressive. The visual effects of spells have also been significantly enhanced in the remaster, making each incantation feel more impactful.
The world of Cyrodiil itself is a character in its own right. Each city and town has its own distinct personality, from the bustling Imperial City at the heart of the province to the sleepy fishing village of Anvil on the Gold Coast. The inhabitants, while still prone to some repetitive dialogue, feel more alive thanks to improved facial animations and more detailed character models. The ambient sounds of the world, from the chirping of crickets on a summer night to the howling winds in the mountains, contribute greatly to the immersive atmosphere.
The main quest line is still as intriguing as ever, from the short lived vocal appearance of Sir Patrick Stewart to the ongoing words from Sean Bean, there’s a cast of characters to know and fight along side. The mystery of the Oblivion Gates to the assassination of the Emperor are really great ways to move things forward, and it feels like an invasion is happening. Aside from the main campaign, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered rightly includes the two major DLC expansions from the original: Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine. Both are excellent in their own right, but the Shivering Isles is a visual splendor and delight that has to be seen to be believed.
While the technical improvements are welcome, I did encounter a few minor bugs and glitches during my playthrough. Nothing game-breaking, mind you, but the occasional odd physics interaction or a character getting stuck in the environment served as a reminder that this is still fundamentally the same game we played nearly two decades ago. It would have been nice to see some of these long-standing issues addressed more comprehensively in the remaster, but the fact they remained says a lot about the preservation this goes after.
Performance could be a lot better, but it seems to be an issue with the game running on Unreal Engine 5.1 than anything else. But it’s hilariously an unintentional callback to how demanding The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was on PCs back in 2006. I had to enable DLSS and Frame Generation to achieve decent framerates, which on this PC can be anywhere from 80-120fps, depending on whether you’re outside or inside. These are solid framerates to be sure, but the performance hit that a game running on Unreal Engine 5 takes is noticeable.
My PC Specs:
– Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
– Intel Core i9 13900K @ 5.8GHz
– ASUS ROG RYUJIN II 360 ARGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
– G.SKILL TRIDENT Z5 6000MHZ 64GB (32×2) DDR5 RAM
– ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GDDR6X
– WD_BLACK SN850X M.2 (4 TB)
– LG UltraGear 34GP950B-G (21:9 Ultrawide @ 3440×1440)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered successfully revitalizes a classic RPG with significant visual and technical improvements, making it a must-play for fans of this series, or Bethesda. While it doesn’t feel wholly modern, anyone playing this for the first time will find so much to love and enjoy here. Prepare to lose yourself once again in the captivating world of Cyrodiil and all the locations within its borders. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is not a perfect remaster, but it’s a damn good one, preserving the heart and soul of Oblivion while making it shine on modern hardware.
A Steam code was provided by Bethesda for review purposes
