The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion was pretty special when it launched back in 2006. Bethesda's well-regarded role-playing game offered the player freedom to explore a captivating world however they liked. Its open-ended nature was remarkable at the time – there was so much to do, but it was presented in a way that never felt overwhelming and that allowed you to play at your own pace.
For many, it was easy to spend hundreds of hours in the province of Cyrodiil.
19 years later, Bethesda has launched a remastered version. Developed with Virtuos, its intent is clear. "We want people to feel the way that they did back then, but it's still a game of its time. You want to keep those bones in place. You want some of that old charm," said Bethesda head Todd Howard, when the remaster was announced.
Its approach, then, is rather curious, as it straddles the line between 'remaster' and 'remake'. Yes, the core remains largely unchanged from 2006, but when factoring in some of the changes that attempt to modernise parts of the game, the result is an experience that feels muddled.
There is no right or wrong way to take on a remaster, and some alterations – like the redone menus and adding sprinting – work in the game's favour in making it more enjoyable in a non-intrusive way. But there are a few changes that make Oblivion worse when it comes to specifically trying to evoke that 2006 spirit, which at that point raises the question of why some dated parts of the game were left untouched while others were deemed fine to try and improve.
Instead, it could have benefitted from leaning more heavily on one side or the other – towards remaster or remake – for greater consistency in vision and execution, rather than trying to have the best of both worlds.
What to Read Next
Related: Old Skies review
One of the more notable changes is the remaster's overhauled graphics, but it's also one of the more unconvincing parts of this version.
On a strictly technical level (and ignoring some performance issues), the game does look a lot better, carrying a greater level of detail and fidelity and with improved character models. The work done in Unreal Engine 5 is impressive. However, stylistically the visuals are a disappointment and don't feel reflective of how the game's art style was back in 2006. It feels like it contradicts the intent of this version being a 'remaster'.
The original Oblivion's use of vibrant colours was a large part of its identity, but the remaster opts for a desaturated colour palette and a reliance on fog effects.
The lush greens outside now appear comparatively more brown, while dungeons look more drab than before. Some places like Bruma and Bravil look fine – the visual upgrade emphasises some of the cities' more individual aspects – but in many other areas, the more grounded style doesn't feel faithful to how it was.
The original game's distinctly bright style helped to create a sense of wonder during exploration and emphasise a change in atmosphere when entering Oblivion areas. The remastered version, by comparison, looks more generic with an art direction that struggles to evoke the same kind of feelings from 19 years ago.
The approach to the visuals would have been less of an issue if the remaster was treated more like a remake instead – distinguishing it as its own thing. However, underneath its appearance, this is a game that tries to retain the feel of the original game while undermining this through some of its choices on what to tweak.
The combat is an example of this. It hasn't aged particularly well, but is playable and largely faithful to how it was back then. Some of the changes – like new combat animations – improve on the original but in subtle ways that fit with your idea of how the game played in 2006.
However, health regeneration has been added, diluting the need for potions and restoration spells. If the idea is for the remaster to feel like the original, why introduce something that alters the balance of the combat? And if you instead want to modernise the game, why not go further with the changes to make the fights more satisfying?
Related: Blue Prince review
The remaster is caught in two minds, unsure of what direction to take, and there are other design decisions that point to this. The level-up system has been tweaked; both major and minor skills now give experience and the player manually spends 12 points across three attributes per level. These are changes that smoothen the original system and help the player to keep up with the level-scaling of enemies.
If they wanted to, the developers could have gone further by revamping the divisive level-scaling. But that's still here, and it's not a bad thing as it keeps Oblivion's very particular sense of progression.
However, one thing that was updated for modern standards is the compass, and not for the better. It now arguably giving away too much information. That the compass always tells you the name of the location you're headed in the direction of – something that wasn't in the original – detracts from some of the feeling of discovery while roaming the open world.
The remaster wants to modernise some parts but not others. It feels the need to 'improve' the compass, but not the scaling of certain quest rewards. It overhauls the game's visual identity, yet acknowledges that the 'jank' from the original is a key part of its charm and leaves that aspect alone (including the more inconvenient bugs that impact quests).
If it sounds like we're being harsh on the remaster, it's because we loved the 2006 original and so much about that game still delivers – from its sandbox and world-building to the non-linear design and memorable quests. The Dark Brotherhood questline, where you take on a number of assignments as part of a guild of assassins, remains a highlight of the series.
The issue isn't that Oblivion doesn't hold up, because it does despite the Oblivion areas feeling repetitive over time. However, the remaster is confused with its ideas on how to bring the game into the present day.
The remaster wants to remind you of what it was like to play Oblivion in 2006, but some changes make it lose sight of this and it feels just enough like a different experience to be jarring. At the same time, this version does not commit the other way and retains some of Oblivion's notable flaws – resulting in a game that's caught in the middle and does not quite work either as a remaster or as a remake.
Platform reviewed on: PC
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is out now on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.
