Review in Progress: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

Imagine the surprise when a remaster of “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” suddenly appeared on the horizon, much like a member of the Mythic Dawn sneaking from the shadows to deliver a shocking blow. And let me tell you, as a fan of the original game, I’m more than willing to dive right into this new version. This RPG holds a special place in my gaming journey, and in just a day, I’ve already shut down a dozen Oblivion gates, brokered devilish deals with Daedric deities, and battled my way to the top in the Imperial City arena. I’m working my way through various faction quests, and the improvements I’ve seen so far are impressive. Having recently revisited the original “Oblivion,” its flaws were fresh in my mind. So, seeing the revamped UI, revamped voice lines, and especially the polished graphics really breathes new life into this nearly 20-year-old title. Yet, it’s not all sunshine and roses. There are still quirky animations, some buggy quests, and occasional frame rate drops. But for someone who isn’t solely swayed by nostalgia, I’m truly enjoying my return to this wonderfully quirky open-world gem.

The graphical enhancements are undoubtedly the star of “Oblivion Remastered.” While it may not meet today’s cutting-edge standards, when you compare it to its 2006 counterpart, the difference is staggering. The entire map is crisp, offering a draw distance that would have been unfathomable back in the day. The improvements in lighting, shadows, and character lip-syncing astonish me. However, not everything has been updated—somewhere along the line, the NPCs’ faces slipped through the cracks. They range from comically grotesque to downright cross-eyed creatures, evoking a sense of nostalgia in their very awkwardness. Although not every Nord or mudcrab can compete with the visual splendor of current big-budget games, the facelift it received is impressive. It’s funny how memory plays tricks, as I remember it looking just as good in 2006, even though it clearly didn’t, a testament to how well the essence of the original has been captured.

One remarkable gameplay tweak is the introduction of a sprint button. Can you believe it? In a game where sprinting never existed, it’s hard to imagine navigating Oblivion without it. If you’ve never played before, you might not appreciate just how significant this gift from Akatosh is. Now, while sprinting costs stamina—a mechanic that usually irks me—it’s a worthwhile trade-off since it also makes the map feel more compact. Cities and dungeons can now be traversed in half the time, altering the dynamic significantly. It’s also pushed me to focus more on enhancing skills and magical buffs that boost stamina, given its newfound importance in swift exploration. Navigating familiar areas rapidly makes the experience far less tedious.

The remaster also brings significant changes to the game’s UI, skills, and leveling system, along with a feature called Character Origins, which adjusts starting stats. The UI has been modernized to fit contemporary preferences, introducing subtle yet welcome changes. The compass, now situated at the top, offers more information, and health, magicka, and stamina meters are more thoughtfully spaced across the screen. Menus are far more intuitive, allowing quicker access to spells and stats. Despite some elements that retain an old-school vibe—like the jarring quest log that interrupts gameplay—the overall modernization makes a significant difference. I plan to dive deeper into these revamped systems before deciding if they’re ultimately advantageous or otherwise.

While developer Virtuous Games spearheaded this remaster, the unmistakable Bethesda touch remains, bugs and all. I’ve encountered peculiar occurrences, like an Oblivion gate vanishing unexpectedly and NPCs suddenly becoming unresponsive mid-quest. Thankfully, these glitches didn’t hold up my progress too much. Performance-wise, I’ve noticed frame drops on Xbox Series X, particularly during autosaves or when overwhelmed by enemies. These minor hiccups haven’t ruined my experience outright, but it’s a shame that 20 years hasn’t completely ironed out these quirks.

This is just the beginning of my journey through updated Cyrodiil. Before wrapping up my full review, I’ll be diving deep into the main questline, exploring the enigmatic Shivering Isles, and perhaps wreaking a little havoc across the land. Who can resist the familiar refrain of the Imperial guards as they catch wrongdoers once again? Until then, I might just succumb to vampirism for old time’s sake. Goodbye for now—a wild adventure awaits!