Oblivion Remastered Might Be Bethesda’s Most Honest Game Yet

Summary

Oblivion Remastered stays true to the original game's quirks, bugs, and jank.
The game is a remaster, not a remake, focusing mainly on visual improvements.
Oblivion Remastered's Deluxe Edition even includes the infamous Horse Armor DLC, showing commitment to the original game's charm.

It's finally here. After countless leaks and rumors, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has finally shown itself, and it has been off to a very strong start since its surprise launch. For longtime veterans, Oblivion Remastered is a trip down memory lane with a fresh look, and for newcomers, it's a chance to experience one of the most defining Elder Scrolls games in style. While it does have a lot of style, however, it still keeps a lot of the substance of the original game intact.

For all intents and purposes, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered might be Bethesda's most honest game yet. Rather than attempting to convince its audience that Oblivion Remastered is something that it isn't, both its showcase of the game and the game itself are proof that Bethesda doesn't want that at all. Instead, it knows its fans wanted Oblivion, so it gave them Oblivion — and it's better for that.

The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion Remastered Unwritten Rules Explained

The Unwritten Rules of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered Explained

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By Josh Cotts

Oblivion Remastered Shows Bethesda's Commitment to Its History

Oblivion Remastered Overhauls the Visuals But Embraces the Original's Quirks

Ahead of Oblivion Remastered's release, one of the biggest questions about the rumored Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remake was whether it would or should retain the quirks, bugs, and jank of the original game. After all, that is a significant part of not only what makes Oblivion what it is, but also what gives an Elder Scrolls game its personality. Now that Oblivion Remastered has launched, that conversation has continued, except that it has somewhat shifted inside the looming shadow of the much larger debate about whether Oblivion Remastered is a remaster or a remake.

Well, technically, Oblivion Remastered really is just a remaster, despite all the gameplay improvements it introduces. For a game to be a true remake, it needs to be built from the ground up, potentially with new assets, a new direction, and revamped mechanics. A great example of a true remake is Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which still maintains the core story and gameplay principles of the original game but builds on top of them something entirely brand-new. The primary thing that Oblivion Remastered has changed is its visuals, though, again, its gameplay has improved in some ways.

Oblivion Remastered has made improvements to the original game's third-person mode, its leveling system, its sneak and stealth system, and much more.

What this has ultimately resulted in is Oblivion Remastered's Cyrodiil embracing the quirks of the original game rather than disposing of them or trying to cover them up. In a way, this is Bethesda being honest about what Oblivion was and still is, especially in light of the fact that it chose to call it a remaster rather than a remake.

Oblivion Remastered Even Includes the Original's Horse Armor DLC

Oblivion Remastered has even gone so far as to offer the infamous Horse Armor DLC, which was not only one of the first major microtransactions for a single-player game, but also one of the best-selling DLC packs for the original Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. However, in an age of gaming when microtransactions are largely looked down upon, simple Horse Armor DLC might be a tough sell. Nevertheless, it shows Bethesda's commitment to double down on the original Oblivion's charm, even that which extended beyond the game itself.

In a way, this is Bethesda being honest about what Oblivion was and still is, especially in light of the fact that it chose to call it a remaster rather than a remake.

Oblivion Remastered isn't trying to be flawless, and that's what makes it so unique as a Bethesda game. The developer had an opportunity here to significantly improve the gameplay of a game that is nearly twenty years old, and instead it chose to let Oblivion continue to be Oblivion in the remaster, only with the fresh coat of paint it has long needed. Oblivion Remastered embraces the flaws of the original, showing Bethesda isn't afraid of the quirks found in its games, instead of trying to convince its fanbase that its new game is polished to perfection.

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