The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered review: The ruler of my own dreams

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One significant Role-Playing Game (RPG) from the 21st century is The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. This game expanded the realm of Tamriel, generated moments that are hard to forget, and inadvertently spawned numerous memes throughout its journey. Oblivion shifted our perspective on Bethesda Game Studios and redefined the course for the Elder Scrolls series. Now, Virtuos has revisited the land of Cyrodiil, enhancing it with stunning visual improvements and mechanical tweaks, all while preserving what made Oblivion uniquely itself.

The hour of doom

In a refreshingly rephrased manner: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered pushes the boundaries between what is regarded as a remaster and a full-fledged remake. Utilizing Unreal Engine 5, Virtuos has given Oblivion a comprehensive graphical and textural overhaul. The characters and creatures now boast updated models that match contemporary graphics standards, along with streamlined animations to smooth out their movements.

In the process of updating the game, the developers have not only retouched and rerecorded voiceovers for different characters, ensuring each race has a unique vocal style. Moreover, they’ve improved the lip-syncing of the character models to match their dialogue, which is one of the numerous contemporary enhancements made to the game.

In a refreshing update, the revamped version of 2006’s original eliminates the blurred appearance, showcasing a more vibrant and diverse color palette across the game. Although many fans appreciate Oblivion’s distinctive artistic style, the high-definition version undeniably takes your breath away. The remastered Cyrodiil offers an immersive experience with its lush forests, towering mountains, and serene water bodies, all of which appear stunningly beautiful in this new iteration. Lost within the world of Elder Scrolls has always been a rewarding journey, and the enhanced visuals in Oblivion Remastered ignited my curiosity to delve into every corner of the game.

Absolutely, Oblivion has been updated to run smoothly in 4K resolution and higher frame rates. I’ve predominantly played it on my PC, but I’ve also dabbled with it on Steam Deck. While there were some compromises when playing on the handheld device, the overall experience was still satisfactory. The game performed well in enclosed areas, but I encountered some problems during more crowded open-world sequences.

Gladiator club

As a gamer immersed in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, I can tell you that not only have they enhanced the visuals, but they’ve also given gameplay a significant boost. Virtuos has cleverly included a dedicated sprint button, making traversing this vast world a breeze. However, your speed will pick up even more as you level up your Speed attribute. The overall movement system is now silky smooth, and I find myself switching to the third-person camera more often, thanks to the noticeable improvements they’ve made to it.

In battle, numerous subtle adjustments combine to create a more tangible and less burdensome sensation. The swings of weapons and movements of shields seemed truer to life, making melee combat significantly more appealing to me. Although I usually prefer stealthy archery, I found myself appreciating the diverse strategies I used while ascending in the Arena ranks.

In the updated version, some alterations might not be instantly apparent. However, one underappreciated enhancement that truly stands out is the significantly reduced loading screen duration. Despite my affection for Bethesda RPGs, it’s reasonable to criticize the frequent and lengthy pauses they force you to endure while viewing loading screens. In Oblivion, you’ll still encounter these pauses whenever you enter or exit a store, but this time, the wait is noticeably shorter and less frustrating.

The gates of Oblivion

After all these years, stepping back into this world left me amazed at its enduring quality. The tale remains one of Bethesda’s finest, and I had somehow overlooked just how many captivating characters reside in Cyrodiil. The Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine expansion packs are part of the remaster, making it my first time experiencing them. They blended effortlessly into the main game and turned out to be some of my favorite narrative experiences overall.

As a fan, I must acknowledge that Virtuos skillfully revamped several aspects of Oblivion that were starting to feel outdated. However, I yearned for a comprehensive update to enemy scaling. The concept of level scaling might seem logical: the world is vast and open, so newcomers shouldn’t encounter areas where they are instantly overwhelmed, while they should be consistently challenged. In practice, though, it turns simple tasks into frustrating ordeals, and hinders my ability to gauge the difficulty of a given situation independently. It also becomes punishing when tackling some of Oblivion’s more challenging quests, as delaying them until a higher level only amplifies their difficulty, making them excessively brutal.

For Cyrodiil

In essence, Oblivion Remastered retains its original charm while sporting a fresh coat of paint, but remains true to its roots with quirks and bugs that were emblematic of Bethesda games from the era. This 2006 gem, renowned for its bugs, is now more polished and presentable, yet still carries its share of awkward animations and outright blunders that have been affectionately preserved as part of its legacy. There’s an undeniable charm to this game’s world, narrative, and characters, evoking a strong dose of nostalgia for those who grew up in the 2000s. As we approach its 20th anniversary, Oblivion Remastered offers the definitive way to revisit Bethesda’s flawed yet iconic masterpiece, which continues to set the bar high for western RPGs.

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2025-05-07 02:42