The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredis a triumphant recreation of the 2006 classic, no doubt about it. It’s much more visually impressive than the original, but it manages to accomplish this beauty without adulterating its unmistakable visual style. Indeed,Oblivion Remasteredis a sight to behold in many ways.
But it’s certainly not perfect. Much like the 2006 version,Oblivion Remasteredis far from a polished technical experience, and is outdone by a number of contemporary open-world games, such asRed Dead Redemption 2andCyberpunk 2077(post-updates, of course), in terms of realism and verisimilitude. On the one hand, this is something of a letdown: even modern Bethesda games have been criticized for their “jankyness,” relentlessly compared to their more polished contemporaries, so a version ofOblivionon par with, say,Baldur’s Gate 3, would have been nice. But it may also be worth looking atOblivion Remasteredthrough a more charitable lens.
There Are Pros and Cons to Oblivion Remaster’s Retained Jank
Oblivion Remastered Is Just as Goofy and Immersion Breaking as the Original
Make no mistake, whileOblivion Remasteredimproves upon several facets of its progenitor, boasting better facial animations, flashy visual effects, and all manner of advanced performance and graphical options, it still feels like a 2006 game in some ways. NPCs still have awkward and stilted ambient conversations, characters still repeat the same lines of dialogue verbatim, and enemies are still hilariously out-of-tune with their surroundings. For those who prize realism and immersion in their gaming experiences,Oblivion Remasteredmight not be up to snuff.
Perhaps this can be seen as a missed opportunity. After all, this is meant to be a sharpened, better-honed version of the original game, and improvements like better facial animations can be undermined when the characters they belong to are sliding around the environment as if they’re on ice, or asking “who’s there?” when the player is standing directly in front of them.Starfield, Bethesda’s latest RPG, was relentlessly criticized for such technical oversights, so why shouldOblivion Remasteredbe exempt?
Without the Jank, Oblivion Remastered Wouldn’t Be ‘Oblivion’
Naturally, nostalgia and positive prejudice soften the above criticisms a bit.Oblivion Remasteredisn’t exactly marketed as a from-the-ground-up remake of the original; players are still technically playing a 19-year-old game, just with a shiny new coat of paint. For better or worse,Oblivion’s cultural footprint is defined by its silly animations, dialog, and glitches—it came out during an era when players were far more forgiving ofBethesda’s now-infamous bugs.
But there are more objective arguments in the game’s favor as well. While one player may have their immersion broken by unrealistic NPC behavior and bugs, another might simply find them humorous and charming. Moreover, “immersion” isn’t just about a game looking and acting as realistic as possible. It can also be about a game providing the most robust and detailed atmosphere within its means, andatmosphere is something thatOblivion Remasteredhas in droves.
Just like the original,Oblivion Remastered’s quaint-but-gorgeous world design, hair-raising soundtrack, environmental storytelling, and well-wrought lore contribute to a powerful interactive adventure. It’s easy to compare a game likeRed Dead Redemption 2, with its complex AI behavior and scheduling, toOblivion, arguing that the latter should be more like the former, but this neglects the fact that these games target entirely different experiences. Put another way,Oblivionmight be janky, and even broken in some ways, but it’s still just as effective today as it was nearly twenty years ago—a powerful testament to its enduring legacy.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
WHERE TO PLAY
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion™ Remastered modernizes the 2006 Game of the Year with all new stunning visuals and refined gameplay. Explore the vast landscape of Cyrodiil like never before and stop the forces of Oblivion from overtaking the land in one of the greatest RPGs ever from the award-winning Bethesda Game Studios.Rediscover CyrodiilJourney through the rich world of Tamriel and battle across the planes of Oblivion where handcrafted details have been meticulously recreated to ensure each moment of exploration is awe-inspiring.Navigate Your Own StoryFrom the noble warrior to the sinister assassin, wizened sorcerer, or scrappy blacksmith, forge your path and play the way you want.Experience an Epic AdventureStep inside a universe bursting with captivating stories and encounter an unforgettable cast of characters. Master swordcraft and wield powerful magic as you fight to save Tamriel from the Daedric invasion.The Complete StoryExperience everything Oblivion has to offer with previously released story expansions Shivering Isles, Knights of the Nine, and additional downloadable content included in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
