If a game ever needed a rating option BETWEEN 👍 and 👎, it's this one. For reasons outlined below.

At its core, Oblivion Remastered is a GOOD game.

The issue is: this is due to the Oblivion part of the game rather than the Remastered part.

Oblivion was a great game 20 years ago and that hasn't changed; frankly, it's *fantastic* that a whole new generation of players can experience the magic of Cyrodiil! And while the remastered version improves some shortcomings of the vanilla game, persistent crashes, game-breaking bugs, performance issues, and zero communication about future updates hold it back from being the true second coming of The Elder Scrolls.

CORE CHARACTERISTICS

• STYLE: Open World RPG
• AVG. SESSION: 30 minutes - Endless Hours
• CHALLENGE: Variable (Easy to Brutal)
• MOOD: Chill Fantasy Adventures in a Picturesque World

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➕ An improved LEVELING SYSTEM. The original game's most painful aspect—a punishing leveling system that required constant micromanagement to stay ahead of an ever-leveling world—is officially fixed. Baseline requirement: fulfilled! ☑

➕ The WORLD. Cyrodiil is as beautiful as ever: living, breathing, and infested by demon-gates to discover in your travels. The landscape is dotted with a variety of locations to explore, and—in classic Bethesda fashion—(nearly) every space encourages and rewards you for searching every corner. It’s a masterclass in environmental storytelling.

➕ The MUSIC. The ever-present soundtrack remains a cornerstone of the experience, embedding itself in your soul long after you've stopped playing.

➕New GAMEPLAY CHANGES. The teams at Virtuos and Bethesda implemented numerous quality-of-life improvements to modernize the game, which greatly enhance the experience—even if there's ample room for further improvements.

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〰️ The GRAPHICS. Looking back to 2006, the graphics are undeniably better than what the game offered 20 years ago… That said, the visual updates feel like modest improvements, at best. Moreover, persistent visual bugs hold the graphical updates back from truly shining, undermining the core purpose of the re-release.

〰️ The LACK OF MECHANICAL IMPROVEMENTS. While this isn’t a full remake, it’s disappointing that so many opportunities for improvement were left on the table. Decades of modding and bug reporting on fan-made wikis laid a SOLID foundation for the game to go above and beyond: not only as a brilliant game, but as a love letter to fans eager to return to Cyrodiil.

But in the end, it’s just…fine… Oblivion was brought into the modern era, but only slightly elevated above its 2006 stature; and in a modern age of rich RPG games, it falls well short of modern expectations.

〰️ LIMITED NPC VOICEOVERS. Yes; they added a number of new voice lines to the game, but there are still countless moments where an NPC is talking and reacting to another NPC about another NPC with the same voice. It’s….weird.

〰️ That OLD OBLIVION JANK. The Virtuos team has preserved many of the quirks that make Oblivion distinctly an Elder Scrolls game...and while most of these quirks are charming and entertaining, certain issues—like common objects violently exploding as you enter a room—desperately needed meaningful improvements.

〰️ NPC AI. Again: in a modern age of REALLY good RPG’s, the behavior of NPC’s can range from odd to frustratingly intrusive. Whether it’s a shopkeep stalking you in their store, enemies detecting you through solid stone walls, or missing animations causing them to slide and float around the world…there are notable issues that detract from a good experience.

〰️ PICKPOCKETING. While enjoyable, the system is a game of chance without any visibility into the odds. Any mechanic that not only encourages, but necessitates, the [F5] [F9] loop deserves a deep and meaningful review.

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➖ PERFORMANCE. You don’t need to look too far to see that the graphical improvements came at a cost. Even on modern hardware, the game runs FAR from smooth, and ample graphical issues drag down the immersive experience if not the technical one.

Beyond these performance problems, you'll also be doomed to experience...

➖ CRASHES. Whether it’s an Unreal Engine crash or an infinite black-screen as you fail to load a new map, get very comfortable with the Quicksave [F5] key if you want to avoid losing progress. (I’m grateful they now Autosave at every zone transition, but it doesn’t help if the game soft-locks AS you’re loading…)

➖ LOOT SCALING. The classic Oblivion loot-scaling is back with all its frustrations. As you level, the world levels with you; while in principle this is an interesting idea, the reality is that it’s not long before enemies show up wearing endgame armor to mess up your day. This undermines the mid-game experience—that sweet spot between finding your footing and becoming an unstoppable god—particularly when everyone from the common bandit to random travelers at the inn begin rocking full Daedric armor while you’re still jumping around in leathers…

➖ INVENTORY MANAGEMENT. Another missed opportunity: managing your inventory certainly belongs in a bygone decade. Enjoy spending hours scrolling through menus, opening screens that close after one action, a lack of tooltips to make informed decisions, and the tedious task of sorting through hundreds of items with minimal organizational tools.

➖ WHERE IS MY HORSE? Seriously, Bethesda…where is my horse?


➖ The LACK OF A PLAN. Perhaps the most subtle—and yet, most important—issue with Oblivion Remastered isn't about what's in the game, but what's missing.

The developers have maintained complete silence about potential post-release improvements, leaving the audience wondering whether this was just a quick cash grab or if there's a genuine plan for ongoing development. With an array of issues and ongoing quality-of-life improvements holding it back from being truly remarkable, we’ll have to see.

At least for now, the portents are not (yet) looking good…

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Here's the bottom line: Oblivion Remastered is a decent-enough game.

Whether you're discovering it for the first time or revisiting your 2006 memories, it's worth playing. New players will get to enjoy the true-to-form-and-jank prequel that made huge strides for The Elder Scrolls series and set the stage for the beloved Skyrim. And returning fans are destined to lose (at least) a few hundred hours replaying an enduring classic.

However, the Remaster falls *well* short of modern standards and leaves many opportunities unexplored. If you're not eager to jump in right away, consider waiting and following the Skyblivion[skyblivion.com] project instead. The modding community may just take Oblivion to an entirely new level—as they often do—by creating the definitive version of a game that goes well above-and-beyond expectations to earn your time and attention.

Let's hope! 🤞

⭐ OVERALL: 8/10