Played on a ROG Strix Scar 18 2024 and PS5 Pro
I haven’t touched The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion since the days of the Xbox 360, way back in 2006. For me, this was the gateway drug—the first Elder Scrolls title I ever played, and the RPG that opened my eyes to the expansive, choice-driven worlds that this genre could offer. Before Oblivion, I thought RPGs were turn-based affairs or stat screens with minimal flair. But stepping out of that sewers exit and into the sun-drenched forests of Cyrodiil? That moment fundamentally shifted how I looked at video games. So when Bethesda shadow-dropped Oblivion Remastered, the nostalgia hit hard. But what I quickly realized is that, as improved and modernized as this version is, this game still carries its original skeleton—quirks, bugs, and all. It’s not quite a full remake in the Resident Evil 2 sense, but it goes beyond a simple remaster. What we have here feels like a fascinating hybrid of both—a respectful facelift that understands what made the original special, but also isn’t afraid to inject modern polish.
And yet, replaying Oblivion also reminded me of just how messy the game could be. The janky character animations, the broken economy, the scaling enemies—it’s all still there beneath the shiny coat of Unreal Engine 5. Virtuos and Bethesda didn’t so much fix the game as reintroduce it to a new audience with a much-needed makeover. And depending on what side of the nostalgia spectrum you fall on, that’s either going to be endearing or infuriating.
The Remaster vs. the Original
I’m not going to go in-depth with Oblivion, it’s a 20-year-old game with a facelift; we know what to expect and it sold millions in a matter of hours— let’s break it down though, Oblivion Remastered isn’t just a texture pass and a resolution bump. This is a substantial overhaul:
- Unreal Engine 5 implementation brings with it modern lighting systems, real-time shadows, and an overall level of visual fidelity that would’ve been unimaginable in 2006. Cyrodiil is stunning now. Forests feel dense, dungeons are moodier, and the sunsets over Lake Rumare are postcard-worthy. We’re talking reimagined overall textures and assets, RTGI, ect.
- Character models and animations have seen major upgrades. Gone are the expressionless, potato-faced NPCs of yesteryear. New models bring diversity and better facial rigging, though the uncanny valley still lingers, especially during dialogue – even with its upgraded lip-syncing method.
- Voice acting has been partially re-recorded. Not all lines, but enough to notice.
- Expansions included. Both Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine are baked in from the jump, which means you’re getting a definitive experience in one clean package.
As I said before though, Oblivion Remastered still clings to its legacy flaws, as the game was only ported from their previous engine. Guards still have superhuman hearing. NPCs still have odd daily routines that make you wonder if they’re glitched or just eccentric. And the AI pathfinding? Let’s just say the citizens of Bruma are still very fond of walking into walls.
The Magic of Unreal
Bethesda’s decision to transition the game into Unreal Engine 5 is nothing short of transformative. While the core map of Cyrodiil remains untouched, the way it’s rendered feels fresh. Lumen-powered global illumination makes every torchlit cave feels refreshing, even with its monotonous design tone, and ray-traced reflections shimmer off Imperial armor in a way that makes you do a double take. The environments have more detail—tall grass sways with the wind, trees cast soft shadows that evolve over time, and water reflections behave in a natural, fluid manner. It’s not perfect—LOD pop-ins and texture streaming issues still happen occasionally, you still load from zone to zone, SSR is layered on top of RT which still gives that fade-effect at the edge of the screen which can be distracting and particle effects have this jagged lining that flickers uncontrollably—but this engine upgrade breathes new life into a world that, let’s face it, used to look like a watercolor painting on low settings.
Still, from a technical standpoint, this is the prettiest Oblivion has ever looked—by far. One of the biggest quality-of-life wins comes from the remastered user interface. You still have to scroll down your inventory list, painfully, but in its place is a modernized menu that borrows cues from Skyrim and ESO, with tabs for gear, stats, and quest tracking that are easy to navigate whether you’re on controller or mouse and keyboard.
- Compass navigation is now top-screen and unobtrusive.
- Fast travel is still here and mercifully quick.
- Inventory management has been streamlined with sorting filters.
- Third-person camera no longer feels like you’re being stalked by a GoPro on a selfie stick. The over-the-shoulder view adds a welcome cinematic flair.
Some mini-games—like lockpicking and persuasion—remain untouched. They’re still charmingly weird and awkward, and while I get the nostalgia factor, I wish Bethesda had given us the option to toggle new mechanics in. If you played the original Oblivion, you’ll remember the love-it-or-hate-it level scaling system. Enemies level with you, meaning bandits eventually sport Daedric armor like they’re high-end mercs. It’s still present here, but Bethesda has introduced a more hybrid approach.
- Leveling now takes both major and minor skills into account, with the addition of Virtue Points that help round out progress. This prevents you from feeling punished for experimenting with non-combat skills.
- Combat has seen the biggest glow-up. Melee swings have weight, spellcasting animations feel more tactile, and archery actually works in both first and third-person now. There’s also a new location-based damage system—headshots hurt more, and blocking at the right angle reduces more damage.
- Sprinting and stamina management are new features, giving encounters a better flow. Stealth also got a revamp, with detection indicators more aligned with Skyrim’s eye symbol rather than the binary “YOU ARE SEEN” alert of the original.
But again, there are limits to the overhaul. The AI is still inconsistent, enemy pathing hasn’t improved dramatically. And if you were hoping for updated quest logic, like better fail-safes or clearer objectives, you might be disappointed. This is Oblivion, warts and all.
REVIEW SCORE: 8.5
It’s not perfect. It’s not even close to perfect. But it never was—and maybe that’s the point. This remaster doesn’t try to rewrite history. It embraces the quirks, the jank, the messy charm that made Oblivion a cult classic in the first place. And by wrapping it in modern visuals and controls, it invites both old fans and new players to experience one of the most ambitious RPGs ever made. The technical leap is real. The nostalgia is strong. And the heart? That’s still beating, just like it did back in 2006.
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