The video game industry has greatly changed since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion launched in 2006. In the last twenty years, live service “forever” games have become popular. The number of new releases each year has also increased rapidly. For context, about 1,000 games launched in 2006. Last year, that number jumped to over 4,000.
With so many options, players can’t try everything that looks interesting. Instead, they must choose carefully and use their limited gaming time wisely. That’s why, despite my excitement, I can’t recommend The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Its current technical state doesn’t justify the time investment.
I recall playing Oblivion when it was first released. Still, I’m pretty sure I never finished it. Back then, I was focused on competitive shooters like Rainbow Six. My attention stayed on the FPS genre. That’s what makes The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered so exciting to me today. This remastered release gives me another chance to experience a legendary RPG many hold dear.
Developer & Publisher // Virtuous, Bethesda
Platforms // PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (Xbox Game Pass), PC
MSRP & Release Date // $49.99, April 22nd, 2025
Reviewed On // PlayStation 5 Pro
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered – Reminder That Something’s Never Change
I take no pleasure in saying this, but I feel it’s important to talk about the major issues I experienced with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered before diving into anything else. Unfortunately, much of my time with the game was plagued by technical problems—frequent stuttering in the open world, quests getting soft-locked, and game-breaking bugs that forced me to turn to Reddit threads or long-abandoned wikis for solutions.
In my opinion, one of the biggest reasons for these issues is that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered isn’t a true rebuild. At its core, it’s the original 2006 game with a graphical facelift using Unreal Engine 5. While the updated visuals and animations are welcome, they don’t solve the long-standing problems baked into the game’s foundation. Unreal Engine 5 has its well-known challenges—I noticed similar problems while playing Black Myth: Wukong. But in Oblivion Remastered, many bugs felt like direct carryovers from the original release. For example, Oblivion Gates wouldn’t spawn
During my playthrough, I encountered several quest-related bugs that disrupted my progression. One notable example occurred during the quest “Spies,” where Jearl failed to spawn in her house as expected. Despite numerous attempts—reloading saves and experimenting with different in-game actions—she wouldn’t appear. Eventually, I managed to trigger her presence, but not without considerable frustration.
Fortunately, this quest happens relatively early in the main storyline, so I was able to move past the issue. However, it was just the beginning of a pattern. Similar bugs continued to surface throughout the game, leading to a compounding sense of frustration.
I Was Getting a Glimpse of Magic in Cyrodiil
I’d be disingenuous if I said I didn’t enjoy my time with the game at all. For starters, despite some inconsistencies, the visuals are often stunning. The graphical overhaul especially shines at night and in areas with dynamic lighting, like fire effects or flashes of lightning during storms. The inconsistencies I noticed were mostly in character models, particularly their facial features, which sometimes felt out of place.
On a more positive note, the improved combat and leveling systems were immediately noticeable and added to the overall experience. More so when all these things are extended to a robust character creation, which allows you to pick a race, align major and minor skills with your playstyle. When it comes to combat, a few things have changed from the original release that improve the experience, such as added sound and visual effects. Also, a crosshair was added for a better aiming experience.
The game also adds more depth to your character creation, influencing how certain NPCs react to you throughout the world depending on your race. It feels like a true sandbox experience—you’re free to steal, cause chaos, or follow the rules and play honorably. Every choice you make carries consequences, and these decisions can impact your playthrough in a variety of meaningful ways. For example, during the quest “The Path of Dawn”, the player chooses to join or refuse to align with the Blades. Joining the Blades will let you loot most of the items inside Cloud Ruler Temple, as well as get a free horse and a place to sleep. Not joining does not have any benefits.
Narrative Death By A Thousand Bugs
While the storylines and quests in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered are often enjoyable, too many issues pile up, ultimately dragging down the overall experience. As an example, some quest chains are fun and engaging, but other elements, like closing Oblivion Gates, quickly become repetitive and feel like a chore. These gates only feature a limited number of layouts, so after clearing a few, the rest begin feeling predictable and uninteresting. In many cases, you can bypass most enemies and rush straight to the end to close the gate, which removes any sense of challenge or reward.
Combined with poor open-world performance, this made exploration feel more like a burden than an adventure. Eventually, I found myself fast-traveling whenever possible to avoid the stuttering and frame drops. Between the repetitive gate mechanics and the lackluster performance, traveling on foot or horseback didn’t feel enjoyable or worthwhile.
Eventually, the game’s poor technical performance significantly impacted my overall story experience. By the end of my playthrough, I found myself constantly questioning whether certain NPC behaviors and in-game mechanics were functioning as intended. This uncertainty took me out of the immersion and made it difficult to enjoy the narrative.
Music & User Interface
When it comes to the music, players can enjoy the original soundtrack, which is sure to please longtime fans of the series. Personally, I appreciated what the music brought to the overall experience—it added atmosphere and emotion throughout the journey.
However, my only minor complaint is that many of the tracks share a similar tone, which can cause them to blend at times. Despite that, the soundtrack does an excellent job of complementing the adventure and enhancing the journey.
One of the key selling points promoted with the release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered was the updated user interface. While the new UI is noticeably cleaner and easier to navigate, it ultimately feels like a half-step forward. The menus look polished, but they lack essential features, most notably, the ability to efficiently filter and organize items.
This can become frustrating in a game where players are constantly collecting weapons, armor, potions, and other loot. A more robust inventory management system would have gone a long way in enhancing the overall experience.
Final Thoughts
The experience of playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered can vary greatly from player to player. For many longtime fans, nostalgia plays a significant role, helping to overlook the game’s flaws and rough edges. Returning to a beloved classic often enhances their enjoyment.
However, I don’t share that same emotional connection. While I’ve played the original game before, I never fully experienced it. This gave me the unique opportunity to view Oblivion Remastered with a fresh perspective, free from nostalgia, and more focused on how the game holds up today.
Looking back on my entire experience, it’s difficult to recommend The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered in its current state. While there were moments of magic and true RPG greatness—especially when seeing the impact of my choices on the world—those highlights are overshadowed by persistent technical issues.
Frequent crashes, performance problems, and quest progression bugs severely detract from the overall experience. I hope future patches and updates will address these issues, allowing Oblivion Remastered to reach its full potential for returning fans and new players.
Final Score – 7/10
Pros
- Improved Animations and Graphical Fidelity
- Wide Variety of Weapons and Spells
- Improved leveling system from the Original
Cons
- Poor Performance and Crashes
- Bugs and Glitches from the Original Game still exist
- Aspects Of Open World Feel Repetitive
Disclaimer – A Code was Provided By the Publisher For Review Purposes
