Like a member of the Mythic Daybreak coming out of a secret room to stab the emperor in the again, a remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has proven up out of nowhere, and it’s a dagger I’ll gladly throw myself on. As considered one of my favourite RPGs ever, it’s no shock that I’ve already put in a full day’s value of taking part in: I’ve closed a dozen Oblivion gates because the hero of Kvatch, made Faustian bargains with a bunch of Daedric gods, fought to turn into champion of the world in the Imperial Metropolis, and am nicely on my method to finishing a number of of the faction questlines – and thus far I’m fairly impressed by the substantial upgrades of this new model. I not too long ago revisited the unique Oblivion, so with its shortcomings very clear in my thoughts, the improved UI, revised voice traces, and particularly the graphical overhaul have made this practically 20-year-old basic massively extra playable. That stated, I’ve additionally seen a disappointingly recognizable quantity of jank, like bizarre animations when getting on a horse, damaged questlines, and common framerate hitching. However as somebody who’s fairly proof against the charms of nostalgia alone, I’m nonetheless having a improbable time returning to this adorably bizarre open-world journey.
It in all probability goes with out saying that the graphical improve is Oblivion Remastered’s largest enchancment. Whereas issues undoubtedly don’t look anyplace close to the conventional requirements of at the moment, placing this model side-by-side with its 2006 doppelganger is eye-raisingly spectacular. The complete map is crisp, with a draw distance my teenage-self might have solely dreamed of. Lighting, shadows, and character lip syncing in specific have been overhauled a lot that it’s truly type of surprising. That stated, different issues bizarrely didn’t get the memo, just like the faces of NPCs, that are nearly universally hideous and cartoonish and have a couple of 40% likelihood of being cross-eyed. (Though, actually, being horrified by character faces would possibly truly be a part of the genuine Oblivion expertise.) So not each Nord and mudcrab is as lovely to have a look at as your typical huge price range sport in 2025, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a complete glow up. It’s a kind of conditions the place I one way or the other bear in mind issues wanting similar to this in 2006, regardless that they very clearly regarded a lot worse, which speaks to how the spirit and elegance of the unique has been maintained.
Maybe the factor that has had the most important impression on gameplay in Oblivion Remastered is the inclusion of a dash button. When you haven’t performed Oblivion in over a decade, sure, there was no sprinting – wild, I do know – and if you happen to by no means performed it, simply perceive that you simply’ll by no means actually know this present you’ve been granted from Akatosh himself. I don’t even actually thoughts that I’m now dropping stamina by sprinting (one thing that annoys me in RPGs the place you’re actually at all times working round). It’s value it, even when it does have the odd facet impact of creating the complete map really feel smaller, particularly cities and dungeons that may now be absolutely explored in about half the time. This alteration has additionally made me care a complete lot extra about investing in expertise and magical buffs that improve my stamina, since now I’m utilizing that meter for practically every thing I do. However regardless of the additional fiddling that causes, transferring shortly via areas I already know just like the again of my hand makes for a remarkably much less tedious time.
There are additionally a bunch of main modifications to the UI, expertise, and leveling system, in addition to a completely new function referred to as Character Origins, which appear to additional modify beginning stats. The UI has been modernized with at the moment’s design sensibilities, so there are many appreciated additions you may not even discover. The compass has moved to the highest of your display and supplies far more data; the well being, magicka, and stamina meters are actually spaced out throughout the display as a substitute of being shoved into one nook collectively; and the menus are far more intuitively positioned, so you may toggle between your spells and character stats so much sooner. Some parts nonetheless really feel fairly outdated timey – like the hunt log popping up proper in the center of the display anytime you’ve reached a brand new milestone in one, awkwardly interrupting no matter you have been doing – however most of those annoyances haven’t bothered me a lot simply but. I additionally simply have to spend extra time with the altered leveling system and expertise to grasp if these modifications have been for higher or worse.
Though developer Virtuous Video games headed up this remaster, that is nonetheless a Bethesda sport via and thru, and with that comes a whole lot of bugs. I’ve already seen odd stuff, like one time when an Oblivion gate disappeared earlier than my eyes, or how an NPC walked away and wouldn’t let me discuss to them even when my quest goal instructed me I needed to (although I used to be nonetheless capable of advance the questline regardless of the log not updating, in any other case I’d be madder about that). Then there’s simply plain and easy efficiency points I’ve seen whereas taking part in on Xbox Collection X, like how I lose frames for a second or two anytime the autosave triggers or if I’m battling too many soiled, rat-faced scamps in Kvatch. Up to now most of this has been the same old cheeky blunders that typically don’t smash my time, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly a bummer to see that 20 years wasn’t lengthy sufficient to repair this janky fantasy world.
That’s all I’ve received for now, however am hoping to have a full overview earlier than too lengthy. First I wish to wrap up the principle quest line, pay a go to to the Shivering Isles, and possibly go on a rampage throughout Cyrodil simply to listen to the Imperial guards give me their arrest monologue a number of hundred extra occasions. Okay. That’s it. Gonna go catch vampirism or one thing now. Goodbye.