The original Oblivion was the first Elder Scrolls game that I played, and at the time, it was mind-blowing. Oblivion was a major step forward for open world fantasy games, filled with interesting places to explore and fascinating stories to discover. Elder Scrolls fans hungry to revisit the classic game have been calling for an Oblivion remake or remaster for years, especially in the wake of so many Skyrim re-releases. With The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, Bethesda and Virtuos have finally answered the call. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered successfully updates the classic for modern audiences, while simultaneously staying true to its roots.
Even though Oblivion Remastered is billed as a "remaster," it honestly does more than some games that claim to be remakes. Oblivion Remastered offers a complete visual overhaul of Oblivion, with far more realistic character models, lighting, and textures. Oblivion Remastered makes great use of Unreal Engine 5 to deliver a version of Cyrodiil that is nothing short of drop-dead gorgeous. From the snarling faces of attacking goblins to the light of a torch illuminating a cave, Oblivion Remastered looks stunning. There is something to be said about the goofy, glowing bloom of the original's art style, but there's no denying Oblivion Remastered's graphics are a massive improvement.
Oblivion Remastered's upgrades don't stop with the graphics. Virtuos also revamped Oblivion's UI and made smart changes to the gameplay without going too far and robbing the game of its quirky identity. Perhaps most notably, Oblivion Remastered's combat is way better than the 2006 original. Combat is still not quite at the level of modern games like Avowed, but battles in Oblivion Remastered are far more engaging and dynamic than in the OG, elevated by detailed animations to make it all feel more intense. Whether one is blasting enemies with spells or going with the traditional sword and shield approach, they should have a good time cutting down foes in Oblivion Remastered's sprawling open world.
Exploring Oblivion Remastered's open world is a treat for newcomers and veterans alike. Those nostalgic for the original game will have a blast taking a trip down memory lane and comparing Oblivion Remastered's locations to how they looked in 2006. Those that have never played Oblivion before will especially enjoy discovering what Cyrodiil has to offer. Whereas many modern open world games are needlessly large and have a severe lack of interesting things to find, Oblivion Remastered has little in the way of wasted space.
Oblivion Remastered is Full of Smart Improvements
While players are walking around Oblivion Remastered's Cyrodiil, they have the choice to do so in first-person or third-person. Back in the day, Oblivion's third-person mode was little more than a gimmick. The movement was awkward, and it was vastly inferior to playing the game in first-person. With Oblivion Remastered, Virtuos has radically improved the third-person experience. Like how the combat is elevated by improved animations, so too is third-person, with Oblivion Remastered characters moving in a far more realistic way than their 2006 counterparts. Third-person in the 2006 Oblivion was silly and immersion-breaking, but it's a 100% viable alternative to first-person mode in Oblivion Remastered.
Whether in third-person or first-person, nearly every major action players take in Oblivion Remastered can help improve their skills in that category, in turn granting XP that lets them level up. The original Oblivion's level system was clunky and weird, but had its own unique charm. Oblivion Remastered retains elements of it, like having players sleep in order to level up, but also makes it less annoying by not forcing players to focus only on their major skills. All skills provide XP, and when players level up, they are able to freely choose which attributes they want to improve.
From a gameplay standpoint, Oblivion Remastered is clearly leagues ahead of the original, offering a better way to experience some of the best stories ever told in an Elder Scrolls game. Oblivion Remastered has all the quests and Guilds intact, letting players once again experience the twisted Dark Brotherhood questline, join the Mages Guild, or take up arms with the Fighters Guild. Oblivion is full of memorable quests, and getting to relive those stories with the gameplay improvements provided by the remaster is a real treat.
Is Oblivion Remastered's Premium Edition Worth It?
Oblivion Remastered features all the base game content from the original, but it also incorporates the 2006 game's post-launch DLC packs and major story expansions, including Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles. Shivering Isles is a particularly fun expansion with a wild story that is definitely worth experiencing. Those willing to shell out extra cash for Oblivion Remastered's Premium Edition get even more quests to complete in the form of two questlines that grant players unique weapons and armor.
The Premium Edition costs $59.99 and the Premium Edition Upgrade costs $9.99 for those that already own the base game or are playing through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Both questlines are an excuse to get outfitted with sleek new equipment. One of the questlines is fairly interesting, though it does have some annoying back-tracking, while the other is a rather obnoxious scavenger hunt. None of the equipment one gets from these quests can be sold to merchants, which is frustrating, but they're otherwise fine and look cool, if nothing else. The quests themselves aren't particularly fun, though, so I don't think that the Premium Edition is really worth the price of admission. There is so much to do and see in the base game that players will hardly miss the fairly mediocre and short Premium Edition exclusive quests.
New quests may be tempting for longtime Oblivion players that want to experience something new in the remaster, and that's understandable. Beyond these quests, Oblivion Remastered offers a near-identical experience to the original game in terms of actual content, warts and all. Oblivion Remastered has frustrating bugs and technical problems, including the occasional chugging frame rate, that were unfortunately not ironed out ahead of release. Some of the Oblivion Remastered bugs are goofy and nostalgic, but others are annoying and game-breaking, like the issue where some unlucky players have reportedly been losing their save files.
Some would argue that Oblivion Remastered's technical problems are part of the charm, but I would have rather seen a more polished game. But even with the occasional headache, Oblivion Remastered is still such an impressive "remaster" that it's honestly more of a remake. Oblivion Remastered delivers a breathtaking open world full of engaging quests and characters and makes smart gameplay improvements to bring the 2006 classic to modern standards. It's an easy recommendation for newcomers and nostalgic vets alike.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- April 22, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
- Gorgeous visuals bring Cyrodiil to life like never before
- Smart upgrades to combat and leveling
- Third-person mode is actually viable now
- Some of the best stories ever told in an Elder Scrolls game
- Unfortunate technical problems
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. The Best War Games was provided with a Premium Edition Xbox Series X code for this review.