When Bethesda unveiled Oblivion Remastered earlier this week, it was a revelation that left fans in awe. The 2006 classic, once known for its quirky, potato-faced characters and blurry stretches of low-res grasslands, has now transformed into the most visually stunning entry in The Elder Scrolls series. With years of HD overhauls setting a low bar for expectations, seeing the Imperial City reborn in Unreal Engine 5 with ray tracing was a shock. Not only that, but the game has been enriched with enhancements to combat, RPG systems, and numerous other details. This led me to question whether Bethesda and developer Virtuos had misnamed it. Could this be an Oblivion Remake rather than a remaster?
It turns out, I wasn't the only one with this thought. Many fans and even Bruce Nesmith, the senior game designer of the original Oblivion, have suggested that the term "remaster" might not do justice to the extent of the changes. However, after spending several hours with the game, it became clear that while Oblivion Remastered looks like a remake, it fundamentally plays like a remaster.
The reasons behind its remake-like appearance are straightforward: Virtuos has meticulously redesigned every single asset from scratch. From trees to swords to crumbling castles, everything you see on screen is brand new. This overhaul not only meets modern graphical standards but exceeds them with beautiful textures, stunning lighting, and a new physics system that makes every arrow and weapon strike feel impactful. Even the NPCs, while recognizably the same characters from 2006, have been entirely recreated. This ambitious project aims not to merely replicate the past but to elevate it to 2025 standards, making it the best-looking Bethesda Game Studios RPG to date.
Yet, it's not just about the visuals. Combat has been significantly improved, making swordplay feel more engaging than ever. The third-person camera now includes a functional reticule, and every menu, from the quest journal to dialogue and minigames, has been refreshed. The original, often-criticized leveling system has been replaced with a more intuitive hybrid of Oblivion and Skyrim's approaches. And yes, you can finally sprint. With such extensive visual and gameplay upgrades, it's easy to see why some might consider it a remake.
However, the distinction between remakes and remasters is murky. There are no clear industry standards, and terms are often used loosely. For instance, Rockstar's "Definitive Edition" remasters of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy are essentially upscaled versions of the original PlayStation 2 games, while the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, also labeled a remaster, features entirely new assets and looks like a modern game. Remakes like Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls by Bluepoint are rebuilt from the ground up but remain faithful to the originals, whereas Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake take more creative liberties. This lack of clear definitions complicates the classification of Oblivion Remastered.
New lighting, fur, and metallic effects are just the tip of the iceberg of Oblivion Remastered's changes. Image credit: Bethesda / Virtuos
Despite its modern appearance, Oblivion Remastered retains the core of the original game. The loading screens, the quirky persuasion minigame, the simplistic city designs, the awkward NPC interactions, and the somewhat clunky combat all hark back to the game's 2000s origins. Even the bugs and glitches, preserved for their charm, remind players of the game's age. Bethesda's approach was to enhance every part without altering the core experience, ensuring that it still feels like a game from a previous era.
Comparing Oblivion Remastered to newer titles like Obsidian's Avowed highlights its age. While Avowed offers modern combat and exploration mechanics, Oblivion Remastered remains a product of its time. Yet, it retains the magic of its world, with its expansive fields and intriguing quests that still stand out against Skyrim's more repetitive missions. The game's old-school approach to player freedom feels refreshing in today's gaming landscape, but its dated dialogue, system interconnectivity, and level design are clear signs of its age. A true remake would have updated these elements, but Oblivion Remastered is about reliving the past.
In the world of movies, remakes are new productions with fresh casts and scripts, while remasters enhance existing films to meet modern standards. Oblivion Remastered is akin to a 4K restoration of a classic film—it pushes visual quality to the limit but remains a product of its time. As Alex Murphy, executive producer at Virtuos, aptly put it during the reveal stream, "We think of the Oblivion game engine as the brain and Unreal 5 as the body. The brain drives all the world logic and gameplay and the body brings to life the experience that players have loved for almost 20 years."
Oblivion Remastered is precisely what it claims to be, and its achievements should not be underestimated. It sets a new standard for remasters, one that other AAA titles should aspire to. Unlike the Mass Effect Legendary Edition or Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, which felt like mere re-releases, Oblivion Remastered is a labor of love that looks like a remake but plays like a remaster, honoring the original while bringing it into the modern era.
