Earlier this week, Bethesda surprised everyone when it announced and then launched The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. While it has long been rumored to be in development, no one really expected it to be shadow-dropped like it was. Plus, the game itself feels so much more than a simple remaster, as Virtuos and Bethesda actually remade the experience in a whole new engine. This has led to something truly special for fans of the franchise, and now that The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is here, the studio should take this even further.
Oblivion Remastered may have only just launched, but Bethesda is sitting on a treasure trove of titles that are long overdue for remasters such as this. Both The Elder Scrolls and Fallout could benefit immensely from remasters, and as the wait between mainline Bethesda games seems to be getting longer, it's the perfect time to deliver just that.
Oblivion Remastered Might Be Bethesda’s Most Honest Game Yet
Oblivion Remastered stays true to its roots by preserving its flaws, and that commitment to authenticity is what sets it apart as a Bethesda game.
Oblivion Remastered Should Just be a Sign of Things to Come
The Wait Between New Bethesda Games Seems to Be Getting Longer
One of the biggest reasons why remasters of older Bethesda titles seem like a must is because the wait between mainline entries seems to just be getting longer as the years have gone by. Of course, this is likely due to the fact that these games are getting larger with each entry. Regardless of the cause, though, fans of said franchises have mostly been left with nothing new or exciting to turn to during these long gaps, except for a few re-releases or smaller-scale spin-off titles like The Elder Scrolls: Castles.
In 2002, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind hit store shelves; only four years later came Oblivion, and then fans had to wait five years for Skyrim to release. In stark contrast, after more than a decade, The Elder Scrolls 6's release date is still unknown. At the same time, Fallout fans got the third game in 2008, and then the New Vegas spin-off only two years later. Fallout 4 would then launch five years after that, but 10 years later, there is no news on the fifth game or another singleplayer spin-off. While fans do have Fallout 76 to check out, that's not the singleplayer RPG some are looking for.
Remasters of Older Elder Scrolls and Fallout Games Can Fill the Gap
During these long gaps, the franchise has added some mobile spin-offs such as The Elder Scrolls: Blades, VR versions of Fallout 4 and Skyrim, and a brand-new IP in the form of Starfield. These projects aren't the same as a mainline Fallout or Elder Scrolls game, but the next best thing made itself clear upon the release of Oblivion Remastered.
Even though Oblivion is hardly a new game, this remaster really feels like a fresh new addition to The Elder Scrolls series. Not only has it completely remade the game in Unreal Engine 5, but because it has been almost two decades since the original, many players are experiencing it for the very first time. Because of that success, its release should kick off a new trend for the studio. As players anxiously wait for the next mainline chapters, remasters of what came before could be the perfect way to bridge the gap.
There have been rumors of a Fallout 3 remaster, and if it ends up being real and on the same level as Oblivion Remastered, then it could be exactly what the series needs to buy time for Fallout 5. Then, as players wait for whatever the next chapter is, they could be treated to another remaster, kicking off a pattern for the foreseeable future so that fans never run out of RPGs to enjoy.
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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
