The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a massive game that requires a review. Since it was released this week, I’ve played over 20 hours and barely touched the surface of Cyrodiil’s content. The new release has something for everyone, whether they started with Skyrim, enjoyed the original’s quirks, or are fresh to the game.
I hadn’t gone to Oblivion in almost two decades, but I immediately recognized some of the huge changes in the remaster when Patrick Stewart’s voice told me he’d had visions of my heroism through a better-rendered visage. The visuals are Oblivion’s most visible changes, but they go beyond a fresh coat of paint. The careful balance between keeping the original’s strange charm and incorporating current enhancements has been successful, from what I’ve seen.
Major Oblivion Remastered Changes
With fast loading screens, beautifully detailed locations, and a simplified UI that retains the original’s design, the game looks and runs better. Sprinting is a significant upgrade, combat is more realistic with new animations and combos, and auto-aim is new.
The game performed differently on an Xbox Series X. The Console still had grass and performance difficulties, but the PC never did. In all versions, NPCs became trapped and walked in place, and bizarre ragdoll physics repercussions were still present, but they were mostly considered “it’s not a bug, it’s a feature.”
Keep the Original Oblivion’s Charm
Much love for the first Oblivion, which was a mess. The game had many exploit flaws, unusual line readings, NPC bugs, and more, but since much of it wasn’t game-breaking, it became charming
Oblivion’s appealing jankiness is a double-edged sword. For every comically strange line delivery and character trapped midair, some bugs hurt players. I recommend playing on PC for the aesthetics and console commands in case something goes wrong. After a primary plot quest character wouldn’t spawn, I had to use it to further the mission.
I found the answer in an old forum thread for the original game, even if my bug isn’t well-known. This possibly game-breaking flaw isn’t new, but the remaster didn’t cure it. Players should realize that this is unlikely to be an isolated incidence in Oblivion’s many questlines before starting it.