RPG fans have recently received a powerful reminder of Bethesda’s one-time dominance in the genre in the form of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. Without even taking into account the remaster’s impressive graphical improvements, it’s clear to see why the 2006 original is so beloved: it was far ahead of its time, with unique social-sim dynamics, an expansive open-world, and subtle, rich environmental storytelling that was unparalleled at the time of its release.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of Oblivion Remastered’s many improvements is how they highlight one important truth: Oblivion has aged incredibly well. Sure, the voice acting and character animations can be a bit wonky, and the combat isn’t exactly up to par with something like Elden Ring, but Cyrodiil is just as lovely, whimsical, and enthralling today as it was almost twenty years ago. In other words, Oblivion Remastered may not play “like new,” but it is polished to the point where players can better enjoy the strong fundamentals of the original release, repackaged for modern sensibilities. This makes Oblivion Remastered a fantastic achievement, which is more than can be said about Skyrim’s myriad rereleases.
Character Customization Is Oblivion Remastered's Most Unexpected Triumph
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion makes a number of improvements over the original, but character creation is one especially worth mentioning.
Oblivion Remastered Shows Skyrim’s Special Editions How It’s Done
Skyrim Has Been Released To Death, With Little To Show for It
As most gamers of a certain age are likely aware, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has been ported, remastered, and rereleased ad nauseam since its initial launch in 2011 Bethesda itself has poked fun at this tendency for frivolous remasters and rereleases a number of times, with notable gags including the “port” of Skyrim for the Amazon Echo, which allowed players to explore the titular country exclusively through audio and voice commands.
But the humor of these innumerable rereleases has diminished over the years, and by the time Skyrim: Anniversary Edition released for $50 in 2021, audiences had grown tired of such ostensibly low-effort ports. Indeed, Bethesda has been increasingly viewed as an opportunistic and greedy company in recent years, and the endless barrage of Skyrim releases has contributed to this shift in reputation.
It’s especially interesting, then, that Oblivion Remastered is so polished, ambitious, and worth the cost of admission. Virtuos rebuilt the original Oblivion from the ground-up in Unreal Engine 5, totally transforming the visual experience while making meaningful quality-of-life improvements and tweaks. All of these improvements are even more significant due to the fact that Oblivion has not been released nearly as many times as Skyrim, so this spruced-up version feels far more impactful and worthwhile.
Hopefully, Bethesda Learns from the Success of Oblivion Remastered
Oblivion Remastered’s reception has been immeasurably better than that of Skyrim’s often-superfluous rereleases, so one can hope for a future where this sort of ambition is Bethesda’s modus operandi. It would be many gamers’ dream come true if, say, Fallout 3 were to be remastered in Unreal Engine 5, rather than getting some sort of “anniversary edition” in a few years, which only featured higher resolution and frame rate options. Who knows, maybe even Skyrim itself could be rebuilt in a similar manner as Oblivion Remastered, to wonderful results.
With any luck, Oblivion Remastered could mark a pivotal point in Bethesda’s remake and remaster strategy, driving home a fact that many gamers already know quite well: an ambitious remaster will always be better received than a low-effort, high-cost cash grab. Whether Skyrim’s bevy of rereleases can be called “cash grabs” is a matter of opinion, of course, but they certainly look the part. Doubly so, now that audiences have Oblivion Remastered to compare them 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
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
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 123.2 GB
