Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered Review (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, & PC)

Although Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered is now available to play on the current-gen Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC platforms, it doesn’t abandon its roots, staying true to the jankiness and goofy nature that made the original so special. And I guess that’s the essence of a remaster. You don’t want to completely overhaul every nitty gritty visual and gameplay element, so much so that it can be mistaken for a remake. You want to polish up the rough edges so that a more contemporary audience can enjoy a more seamless gaming experience. 

But at the same time, you want to remember why you’re remastering the original in the first place: to improve on the visuals and controls, yes, but retain the charm and areas where the original hit the spot just right. The nostalgic aspect must remain genuine and memorable as it is. And in all of these things, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered excels beyond expectation. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, taking your expected journey step-by-step in our Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered review below.

First Things First

Most gamers made the foray into the Elder Scrolls franchise a bit late, when The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim simply blew our minds. But there were other “classics” before it: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002). As you can imagine, the early and mid-twenties were still a time when open-world fantasy RPGs were still getting their bearings. It was no surprise, therefore, that Morrowind and Oblivion, after it, launched with such a chaotic pile of jank and bugginess. 

And yet, under the hood of all that mess lay a hidden gem. A special place where you can easily pour tens or hundreds of hours into doing whatever you want. It was a place to wander around and fulfil your heart’s desire, whether that’s invading people’s personal space, foraging deep into the abyss of treacherous dungeons, or coming up for air to bask in the warmth of morning sunshine. 

Bugs or No Bugs

So, with a remaster upon us, which struck out of the blue no less, I had mixed expectations. On the one hand, it would be great to complete a main quest without encountering a roadblock, entirely due to the developers’ or the dated engine’s fault. With the Unreal Engine 5 as sort of the masking tape for the underlying dated Bethesda’s Gamebyro’s engine, I was nearly sure I had nothing to worry about the graphics. But what of the gameplay itself? What of the performance? 

I had mixed expectations because part of the jankiness and bugginess of the original turned out to be unexpectedly goofy, so much so that it garnered quite a steady fanbase on the socials. As numerous games have proven since, a dash of bugs here and there might actually be the humorous missing piece you need to make for a wholesome gaming experience. But not if it causes frustration. 

In any case, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’s jank may be its most memorable factor for some fans, and hence an aspect the developers might want to retain in the remaster. 

Yes-ish to Bugs

The good news is Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered doesn’t completely erase its goofiest moments. NPCs storming off mid-conversation, sewer rats constantly shoving themselves into walls, and sneaking up on them to level up your Sneak skill progression, duplicate valuable items, and so much more, bugs still exist, some you can exploit to your advantage. Nearly 20 years later, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered remains the buggy but beautiful mess you remember, beautiful in the way it manages to steal chuckles out of you. 

It’s almost as if Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered is hardly trying to be competent. The opposite, maybe, with some botched dialogue and voice over deliberately retained for comical effect. Yet, you cannot deny that some bugs simply are present to drive a nail through your head. The quest-breaking bugs, in particular, can impede your progress, forcing you to reload. 

At some point, you will grow even the slightest bit frustrated. And for gamers who have never played Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered, unable to appreciate the original’s goofiness, I doubt any explanation would matter to them. “A remaster is meant to be smooth and seamless,” I imagine they’d grumble, pissed the developers didn’t deliver.

Under the Hood

But the developers would then refute that Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered is so much more than its bugs. And I would agree, 100%. This is the same intriguing open world fantasy RPG, with just as intense and compelling questlines, exploration, sub-stories, and more. Emerge from the sewers, an unnamed prisoner, lost and confused as to who you are, and you feel challenged to carve a new identity. 

More so, an identity you have freedom over, wandering off into places unknown. Sure, you can choose to follow the main story as the menu so intuitively directs you to. But nothing is stopping you from wandering off the beaten path. And once you defy what’s expected of you, there’s no going back, as you get sucked into a cascading stream of morally corrupt but hella satisfying decisions. 

Or choose to be the hero and the world will comply, the nonplayer characters singing your praises every which way. This is a world that is breathing and alive, it’s most interesting folk being the people you run into. At every turn, there’s an interesting random thing to do. There’s a mysterious glow leading up to valuable treasure. But not without mowing down hordes of goblins. There’s a mysterious locked door taunting you with whatever secret is behind it. 

Always, wherever you wander into, an intriguing, immersive thing awaits.

Slay the Monsters

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered’s combat has received a revamp too, although not quite at the same level as more exhilarating systems like Avowed. You still have your wide assortment of weapons and spells to tinker around with, which is where the joy of combat lies, especially with the bugs you can exploit. Overall, combat feels weightier than the original, with accompanying satisfying visual and sound effects. 

Find creative ways to slay the monsters in Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered and you should enjoy a pretty decent enjoyable time. 

When you examine combat more closely, though, you’ll notice more enhancements. The progression system takes away the frustrating aspects of the original, for instance. You no longer are forced to choose a primary skill to level up, which may not always work in your favor against enemies stronger in other skills. Now, any active action you take enhances the respective skill and levels up your character overall.

Moreover, you have other easy-to-miss touch-ups like the sprint function. For some gamers, Cyrodiil is a familiar place to return to. Not to mention the soon-to-be-recurring Oblivion gates you’ll be shutting down. It helps to sprint to your target, despite the stamina it consumes, if not fast travel. 

Escape from Reality

Meanwhile, there are far more improvements you might notice upon placing Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered side-by-side to the original. Items like the UI, which is now more intuitive and easy-to-scroll as per today’s gaming standards. 

And overall, the overhaul on the graphics, which has to be the most notable change in Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered. Cyrodiil is a feast for the eyes. From the lighting to the shadows and environmental detail, the open-world looks and feels like a proper escape from reality. 

However, character models could use a little more love, perhaps in a future update. They have an uncanny nature about their movement and detail feels at odds, like the crossed-eyed faces. 

Verdict

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered is here before The Elder Scrolls VI, and that’s fine because, ultimately, it feels like it’s managed to do what it was intended to do. Despite some mishaps here and there, true fans of Oblivion are likely to appreciate how faithful and true the remaster has remained to the original.

But just as fair caution: Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered isn’t without it fault. Its riddled with bugs and tons of glitches, many of which you can use to your advantage. Once again, fans have taken to Reddit to post about all sorts of bugs. The response? Well, they’re either utterly hilarious or plain frustrating. In that case, you can either hit credits with a smile on your face or possibly give up on the remaster a little too soon. 

I presume the former will most likely be diehard fans who remember the aspects that made the original so special. The goofiness of the original remains intact in the beautiful mess Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered is. The latter, however, are likely newcomers looking for a smooth and seamless gaming experience akin to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. 

So, which gamer are you? Well, if you do decide to play Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remastered, rest assured an intriguing open-world awaits with plenty of fun activities to keep you engaged for hours on end.