The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is a triumphant recreation of the 2006 classic, no doubt about it. It’s much more visually impressive than the original, but it manages to accomplish this beauty without adulterating its unmistakable visual style. Indeed, Oblivion Remastered is a sight to behold in many ways.
But it’s certainly not perfect. Much like the 2006 version, Oblivion Remastered is far from a polished technical experience, and is outdone by a number of contemporary open-world games, such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 (post-updates, of course), in terms of realism and verisimilitude. On the one hand, this is something of a letdown: even modern Bethesda games have been criticized for their “jankyness,” relentlessly compared to their more polished contemporaries, so a version of Oblivion on par with, say, Baldur’s Gate 3, would have been nice. But it may also be worth looking at Oblivion Remastered through a more charitable lens.
Best Birthsigns For Imperial In Oblivion Remastered, Ranked
Imperials in Oblivion Remastered should consider these excellent birthsigns.
There Are Pros and Cons to Oblivion Remaster’s Retained Jank
Oblivion Remastered Is Just as Goofy and Immersion Breaking as the Original
Make no mistake, while Oblivion Remastered improves upon several facets of its progenitor, boasting better facial animations, flashy visual effects, and all manner of advanced performance and graphical options, it still feels like a 2006 game in some ways. NPCs still have awkward and stilted ambient conversations, characters still repeat the same lines of dialogue verbatim, and enemies are still hilariously out-of-tune with their surroundings. For those who prize realism and immersion in their gaming experiences, Oblivion Remastered might not be up to snuff.
Perhaps this can be seen as a missed opportunity. After all, this is meant to be a sharpened, better-honed version of the original game, and improvements like better facial animations can be undermined when the characters they belong to are sliding around the environment as if they’re on ice, or asking “who’s there?” When the player is standing directly in front of them. Starfield, Bethesda’s latest RPG, was relentlessly criticized for such technical oversights, so why should Oblivion Remastered be exempt?
Without the Jank, Oblivion Remastered Wouldn’t Be ‘Oblivion’
Naturally, nostalgia and positive prejudice soften the above criticisms a bit. Oblivion Remastered isn’t exactly marketed as a from-the-ground-up remake of the original; players are still technically playing a 19-year-old game, just with a shiny new coat of paint. For better or worse, Oblivion’s cultural footprint is defined by its silly animations, dialog, and glitches—it came out during an era when players were far more forgiving of Bethesda’s now-infamous bugs.
But there are more objective arguments in the game’s favor as well. While one player may have their immersion broken by unrealistic NPC behavior and bugs, another might simply find them humorous and charming. Moreover, “immersion” isn’t just about a game looking and acting as realistic as possible. It can also be about a game providing the most robust and detailed atmosphere within its means, and atmosphere is something that Oblivion Remastered has in droves.
Just like the original, Oblivion Remastered’s quaint-but-gorgeous world design, hair-raising soundtrack, environmental storytelling, and well-wrought lore contribute to a powerful interactive adventure. It’s easy to compare a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, with its complex AI behavior and scheduling, to Oblivion, arguing that the latter should be more like the former, but this neglects the fact that these games target entirely different experiences. Put another way, Oblivion might be janky, and even broken in some ways, but it’s still just as effective today as it was nearly twenty years ago—a powerful testament to its enduring legacy.
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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
- Franchise
- The Elder Scrolls
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- April 22, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- April 22, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- April 22, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, PC
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 123.2 GB
