Summary
It feels like it has been a long wait with only rumors and leaks to survive on, butThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredis finally here, and it brings with it the classic experience thatOblivionalways was and fuses it with a modern touch to make it all feel brand-new again. By and large, this is whyOblivion Remasteredhas risen to such successso rapidly, as it has found a way to bridge the gap between its past and a new present, appealing to longtime veterans and newcomers alike. In doing so, it feels like a mirror held up to the RPG genre of video games.
Somehow,Oblivion Remasteredfeels both old and new, which is just a testament to Bethesda’s ability to balance what is important with what is necessary. It effectively reaches back almost 20 years, grabs hold of its most foundational elements, and then builds on top of it something that many modern gamers can appreciate if they give it a chance. In this unique space that it has created,Oblivion Remasteredis a reflective lens of sorts that shines a bright light on how far RPGs have come while also proving the lasting appeal of certain design philosophies.
Oblivion Remastered Serves as a Reflective Lens Over the RPG Genre
Oblivion Remastered Shows How Much RPGs Have Streamlined the Experience
If nothing else,The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredshows just how muchRPGs have streamlined their experiencessince its 2006 release. Many modern RPGs tend to hold players' hands and guide them through narratives and worlds, butOblivion Remastered, once players escape the sewers, quite literally tells them, “You can follow the story, or you can do whatever you want!” Many of today’s RPGs also take strides to make their systems more accessible, butOblivion Remasteredretains the depth of the original by embracing its complexity, even if some of those systems are daunting for new players.
Not every modern RPG opts for a more streamlined experience.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is a great example of a modern RPG that refuses to hold the player’s hand, and it’s better for that.
This is, of course, all thanks to the fact thatOblivion Remasteredis a remaster and not a remake, even though that has been up for debate since its launch.The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion’s systems are now nearing two decades old, so it’s only natural that some of them would be regarded as antiquated by modern gamers. While some of those mechanics have been improved,Oblivion Remasteredstill feels dated in some respects, and that’s okay. In the end,Oblivion Remastereda 60-year-old dressed like a 20-year-old, but that’s precisely what allows it to not only show just how far RPGs have come but also how far they’ve fallen.
Oblivion Remastered’s Quirks Show What Once Defined RPGs
Bethesda very well could have remadeOblivion, just as the rumors and leaks suggested it would. Instead, it chose to simply remaster it using the raw power ofUnreal Engine 5for its visuals and then a few modern design principles to improve certain aspects of its gameplay. What this ultimately means, though, is thatOblivion Remasteredstill boasts the quirks of the original game, to the point that some of the same bugs that were present inOblivionback in 2006 were kept around inOblivion Remastered.
Today, RPGs have done their best to offer playerspolished experiences with minimal bugsand glitches in an effort to provide more immersive experiences. However, two decades ago, many RPGs were defined by their humorous quirks and immersion-breaking bugs, as advancing technology allowed developers to experiment, mess up, and still get away with it.Oblivionis a great example of this, as its legacy has lived on for so long thanks to its relentless bugs and oddities.Oblivion Remastered, then, effectively shines a light on the unique personality of classic RPGs by embracing its own quirks rather than dismissing them.
In the end,Oblivion Remastereda 60-year-old dressed like a 20-year-old, but that’s precisely what allows it to not only show just how far RPGs have come but also how far they’ve fallen.
Oblivion Remasteredholds up a mirror not just to the RPG genre, but to the players who have grown up with it. It’s a reminder of what used to define role-playing games before streamlined systems and polished experiences became the norm. The bugs, the freedom, and the depth all still work because they still mean something. For every awkward animation or odd design quirk, there’s a sense of charm and honesty thatmodern RPGssometimes struggle to recapture. In revisiting its past, Bethesda has ended up saying something surprisingly relevant about the present.
