Summary
- Oblivion Remastered is a visual upgrade, reaffirming the importance of The Elder Scrolls' world design.
- Bethesda's commitment to The Elder Scrolls' worldbuilding is highlighted in the remaster.
- The improved visuals make Oblivion's world more captivating despite dated gameplay.
Nearly two decades later, what is widely considered one of the best Elder Scrolls games ever made has finally been remastered using the raw power of Unreal Engine 5. While many Elder Scrolls fans have been awaiting more news on The Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda recently revealed and simultaneously released The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, offering a more substantial upgrade than many were likely expecting. However, that upgrade is almost entirely visual, with only a few improvements made to some of its gameplay. That's not necessarily a bad thing though.
If there's one thing that the release and success of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered confirms, it's that The Elder Scrolls has never really been about gameplay at all. Many longtime fans have already flocked back to Cyrodiil with Oblivion Remaster, and it has even expanded its audience by welcoming in newcomers. Given the fact that Oblivion Remastered is primarily a visual upgrade of a game with mechanics that are almost twenty years old and the attention that it has garnered, there's a strong case there that The Elder Scrolls has always been about something much larger than its gameplay.
Oblivion Remastered Gained a Higher Age Rating Than the Original
Curiously, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered boasts a higher age rating than the original open-world game from back in 2006.
Oblivion Remastered Proves That The Elder Scrolls Has Always Been About Its World
Oblivion Remastered's Status Shows Bethesda's Commitment to What's Important
For quite some time ahead of its release, various leaks and rumors surrounded The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, to the point that it almost seemed too good to be true. Many of these leaks and rumors, however, suggested that Oblivion Remastered would actually be a fully-fledged remake rather than a simple visual overhaul. After fans got to witness the recent reveal and shortly thereafter began playing Oblivion Remastered, though, many have still called it more of a remake than a remaster, simply due to the extent that it has been improved.
Regardless of the gameplay improvements that it has introduced, Oblivion Remastered is nevertheless technically a remaster, as the original game has not been remade, only improved. While that might seem like a disappointment when viewed through a certain lens, it shows Bethesda's commitment to what's important: The Elder Scrolls' world design and its worldbuilding in general.
It's fairly common knowledge among the Elder Scrolls community that the franchise has always been built around its lore and world design, but elements such as those can be quieted by demands for better gameplay twenty years later.
The Elder Scrolls has long embraced its quirks and janky gameplay, simply because it has so much to offer in its world. The fact that Bethesda opted to only remaster The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is proof that the series' gameplay is really secondary to its worldbuilding. Simply improving the visual effects of Oblivion's world of Cyrodiil is enough to make it feel worth revisiting in this modern era, even if the gameplay still feels close to two decades old.
Oblivion's World Is More Engrossing Than It Has Ever Been in the Remaster
Thanks to the extensive visual overhaul of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, its world is more engrossing than it has ever been. In a way, the breathtaking scenery and rewarding, open-ended exploration are enough to excuse the dated gameplay mechanics, as the remaster has done exactly what it was meant to do. While some modern gamers might have preferred some updated mechanics instead of merely a visual upgrade, Oblivion Remastered maintains the identity of what made the original such a hit while giving players the opportunity to see it in a brand-new way.
The Elder Scrolls has long embraced its quirks and janky gameplay, simply because it has so much to offer in its world.
Rather than reinventing the original game or the series in general, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered remembers what made it special in the first place. It's not trying to modernize every piece of its design or reshape the past into something more up to par with today's standards for gameplay. Instead, it shows reverence by simply sharpening the edges of a game that was always more about wonder than mechanics. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered may not play better, but its successful launch is proof of what really matters in the franchise: worlds that are worth exploring, discovering, and simply bearing witness to.
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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
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
