Review in Progress: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

Out of the blue, much like a member of the Mythic Dawn sneaking up to take down the emperor, the remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has arrived, and it’s a surprise I’m more than happy to welcome. Given it’s one of my all-time favorite RPGs, it’s no shocker that I’ve already sunk a good day into it: I’ve been busy shutting Oblivion gates as the hero of Kvatch, brokering devilish deals with Daedric gods, battling my way to the top in the Imperial City arena, and diving into the various faction quests. The refreshed version has impressed me with its notable upgrades. Having recently revisited the original Oblivion, its flaws were fresh in my mind, making me truly appreciate the revamped interface, reworked voice acting, and especially the graphical enhancements that breathe new life into this classic nearly two decades old. That being said, the familiar quirks persist: awkward animations when mounting a horse, some broken quests, and occasional jerky framerate issues. But as someone who doesn’t just rely on nostalgia, I’m thoroughly enjoying this quirky open-world adventure once more.

The most striking improvement in Oblivion Remastered is undoubtedly the visual upgrade. While it may not hold up entirely to today’s standards, comparing this version with its 2006 counterpart is a revelation. The map is crisp, with an impressive draw distance my younger self could only dream of. Lighting and shadows have received a substantial update, and the synchronization of character lip movements is much more refined, making for a pleasant surprise. However, some elements seem to have missed the upgrade memo—like the hilariously awkward faces of most NPCs, which look cartoonish and often a little cross-eyed. Still, these oddities may just be part of the authentic Oblivion charm. So, while not every Nord or mudcrab matches the beauty of a high-budget game in 2025, it’s still a significant enhancement. It’s one of those instances where I remember thinking this was how the game looked back in 2006, even though it clearly wasn’t, which says a lot about how well the spirit of the original has been captured.

One of the most impactful changes to gameplay in this remaster is the addition of a sprint ability. Yes, believe it or not, there was no such thing in the original game over a decade ago. For those who never played it, just know you’re in for a treat courtesy of Akatosh. Although sprinting does drain stamina, something that usually bothers me in RPGs where running is constant, it’s a trade-off I’m happy to make. Oddly, it gives the illusion that the map, including cities and dungeons, has shrunk since you can now explore so much quicker. This change has even got me more invested in skills and magic that boost stamina, seeing as how I’m using it for nearly everything. Despite the extra management this requires, it significantly cuts down the tedium when navigating familiar territories.

Another major area of improvement is the user interface, along with changes to the skills and leveling system, and a new feature called Character Origins, which tweaks starting stats. The UI now feels up-to-date with modern design trends, featuring welcomed enhancements you might not immediately notice. The compass is now at the top of the screen, offering more detailed guidance, and the health, magicka, and stamina bars are more conveniently separated. Menus have been reorganized for more intuitive toggling between spells and character details. Some features do feel a bit old-fashioned—like the quest log awkwardly popping up in the middle of the screen to announce your progress—but these minor inconveniences haven’t detracted much from my experience. I need to delve deeper into the revamped leveling system to fully grasp whether these changes are beneficial.

Despite Virtuous Games taking the reins for this remaster, it still screams Bethesda, bugs and all. Already, I’ve experienced oddities such as one moment where an Oblivion gate vanished before my eyes or NPCs who decided to just walk off despite being crucial to quest progression. Luckily, I was able to continue the questline even though the log didn’t update, otherwise, I’d have been more frustrated. Performance hiccups have also cropped up on the Xbox Series X; losing frames whenever autosaves trigger or while juggling too many combat scenarios is a bit annoying. While these typical bugs don’t ruin the fun, it’s disappointing to see that decades later, the fantasy world is still a bit rough around the edges.

That wraps up my thoughts for now. I plan to dive back in to finish the main quest, explore the Shivering Isles, and maybe cause some chaos around Cyrodil just to hear those iconic arrest lines from the Imperial guards once more. Time to go catch vampirism or something. Goodbye for now!