Oblivion Remastered gives the original game a graphical and mechanical overhaul while retaining its core charms. All of Oblivion's original questlines are still present, and even the jankiness that many players find so charming in the original was retained in Oblivion Remastered. With the release of the remaster, new player stats about player behavior have been released through player achievements.

Some of the most popular questlines in Oblivion are the different guilds and factions. The most popular guild among Oblivion players is the Mages Guild. This is a staple guild in The Elder Scrolls and appears across the series' different games, even if it was replaced by the College of Winterhold in Skyrim. The Mages Guild is the official authority on magic in Tamriel, and its headquarters are located within the Imperial City at the Arcane University. With University access comes privileges that make members of the Mages Guild better magic-users than others.

Oblivion Remastered, 8 Tips For Surviving In Master Difficulty - Feature Image-1
Oblivion Remastered: 8 Tips For Surviving In Master Difficulty

For anyone considering a playthrough of Oblivion Remastered's grueling Master difficulty, these tips are essential for making it through unscathed.

Oblivion's Mages Guild is Incredibly Easy to Join

While both the Mages and Fighters Guilds include engaging questlines, the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild are two of the most popular questlines in Oblivion and are highly praised online. The disparity between player behavior and their conversations could be due to a number of culprits.

Other Oblivion Guilds Require More Work to Join

While the Mages Guild is the guild that has drawn the most players, it may be simply due to the ease of joining it. Other guilds, such as the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild, require certain conditions to be met that can be difficult to achieve unless the character is behaving in a certain way, such as getting arrested or killing an innocent. Rather than needing to meet these conditions, the player simply needs to speak to any of the guild leaders at any of the city guild chapters. The difficulties in joining the other guilds may be why they're ranked lower than the Mages and Fighters Guilds in player achievements.

The Mages Guild presents a barrier that players need to overcome to gain access to the best parts of Oblivion's magic system, actually requiring players to join it to use it to its full potential. To gain access to these features, players need to advance far enough in the Mages Guild story that they get access to the Arcane University. The Arcane University in the Imperial City offers a range of services that other guilds don't have, including access to creating unique enchantments, staves, and custom spells.

The Mages Guild Unlocks Oblivion's Magic System

The Arcane University Grants Access to Spellcrafting

Oblivion's magic system has a great balance between utility and complexity. It's incredibly easy to understand, with a wide range of powerful spell effects available to players. Some players have created spells to break the laws of physics, including jumping over the map, or reflecting damage so that every hit from an enemy kills the enemy while the player takes no damage. The amount of customization means that players can make Oblivion as serious or as unrealistic as possible, allowing them to forge their own experience.

Joining the Mages Guild is required for those who want to tap into the best parts of Oblivion's magic system. Spellcrafting and enchanting are only available at the Arcane University, which requires getting all the recommendations from every Mages Guild hall from every city in Cyrodiil. This means that players can't only join the guild, but have to be invested in at least some of its quests in order to unlock advanced magic. This is a great way to have players engage with the Mages Guild beyond using it as a tool.

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Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
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Released
April 22, 2025
ESRB
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Virtuos, Bethesda
Publisher(s)
Bethesda
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Engine
Unreal Engine 5