The launch of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered in April remains one of the most surprising shadow-drop launches in recent memory. With Oblivion being such a defining and iconic entry to the Bethesda franchise, many fans were rightfully excited to re-explore Cyrodiil or even delve into the game's story for the very first time. Now that the dust has settled around the game, it has left a legacy of being quite faithful to the original and graphically stunning, although some big points of criticism are equally obvious.
Since the release of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, some particular sticking points have remained throughout the game's community. While many players cite some frustrating performance issues, the jarring jump in difficulty between the game's rigid difficulty options seemed to be quite a universal experience. A fairly large update recently went live across all of Oblivion Remastered's available platforms, and its renewed approach to difficulty might have come too late to have the impact it needed to have.
Oblivion Images Compare Remaster to the 2006 Original
Fans of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion come together to compare images of the original 2006 title to its recently released modern remaster.
Oblivion Remastered's Big Difficulty Update Has Already Missed its Golden Opportunity
Oblivion Remastered made the bold decision to do away with the difficulty-slider approach of the original game, inviting a lot of potential criticism towards one of the title's most important aspects. Instead, Oblivion Remastered opted for a series of difficulty presets for players to choose from, including Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, and Master. Even with the more intelligent approach to level scaling in Oblivion Remastered compared to the original, players were quick to note how unfairly difficult Expert difficulty was compared to preceding presets.
For players wanting a fair sense of challenge throughout their Oblivion Remastered playthroughs, many fans considered Adept to be too easy, especially at earlier levels. Conversely, the jump to Expert difficulty was more than extreme, with enemies becoming immensely spongey due to their increased health pools and the significant player damage penalties. As opposed to offering a genuine level of challenge, Expert mode in Oblivion Remastered has been lambasted for the way it can bog down combat in a monotonous way.
It seemed clear from the very outset that Bethesda would need to tweak these difficulty presets, at the very least, and the 1.2 update aims to do just that. Launching across all platforms on July 16, the 1.2 update crucially adds the Journeyman difficulty preset to the game, nestled in the glaring gap between Oblivion Remastered's Adept and Expert. This is attempting to provide that middle ground of difficulty that players have been wanting to see since the game launched in April, though many fans by now have already moved on to other titles.
Oblivion Remastered's 1.2 Update Comes With Even More Benefits, Despite its Poor Timing
The 1.2 update also comes alongside specific difficulty fine-tuning options for player damage and enemy damage, allowing for a much more refined and personalized overall approach to difficulty. Thankfully, the update also comes with a huge range of bug fixes and performance improvements, such as rectifying a commonplace crash during the final fight for the Shivering Isles DLC. Some players are still reporting performance issues despite this, with it being clear that more work needs to be done to optimize the game even further.
As well as difficulty, performance, and bug fixes, the 1.2 update for Oblivion Remastered introduced improvements to UI, audio, and a range of quests.
While the changes that have come with the 1.2 update are much-needed, it still feels as if the update should have launched much earlier than it has. For a purely single-player game, waiting close to five months after launch for such an important update is a huge missed opportunity, with many players having stopped playing Oblivion Remastered already. Of course, this improved approach to difficulty will hold the game in good stead for future players and dedicated fans. Regardless, the core engagement window for the title has sadly passed by while being defined by unfair difficulty presets that left a lot to be desired by many players.
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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
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion™ Remastered modernizes the 2006 Game of the Year with all new stunning visuals and refined gameplay. Explore the vast landscape of Cyrodiil like never before and stop the forces of Oblivion from overtaking the land in one of the greatest RPGs ever from the award-winning Bethesda Game Studios.
Rediscover Cyrodiil
Journey through the rich world of Tamriel and battle across the planes of Oblivion where handcrafted details have been meticulously recreated to ensure each moment of exploration is awe-inspiring.
Navigate Your Own Story
From the noble warrior to the sinister assassin, wizened sorcerer, or scrappy blacksmith, forge your path and play the way you want.
Experience an Epic Adventure
Step inside a universe bursting with captivating stories and encounter an unforgettable cast of characters. Master swordcraft and wield powerful magic as you fight to save Tamriel from the Daedric invasion.
The Complete Story
Experience everything Oblivion has to offer with previously released story expansions Shivering Isles, Knights of the Nine, and additional downloadable content included in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
