Unfortunately, video games age. Systems become dated, graphics lose their allure, and even the rose-tint of nostalgia struggles to hide blemishes. Sometimes a game is best left as a memory, where the graphics are recalled as being better than they were and the rough edges feel smooth.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered takes players back to Cyrodiil and presents the game as we all remember it: with beautiful landscapes, fantastic quests, and none of the things that bogged down the original.
There were rumors and rumblings of a remaster of Oblivion over the past few years. Nothing substantial, but enough to excite players who fondly remembered the game when it launched in 2006 on PC and as an Xbox 360 console exclusive. It was one of the first times players got to experience a sprawling open-world game in high definition, with real-time combat, lengthy and creative quests, and adventuring that fit the iconic Elder Scrolls universe.
But time isn’t kind to games from that era. Thankfully, the team at Virtuos and Bethesda Game Studios were busy cooking. In April 2025, the teams shadow-dropped The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. In one swift move, it was announced and released, allowing both new and returning players to experience the gorgeous landscape of Cyrodiil.
The remaster managed to capture the magic of what it felt like to play Oblivion 20 years ago. That’s what’s so special about this remaster — it’s not a one-for-one recreation. It’s how players remember it feeling, how we remember it looked, not necessarily how it actually did.
How did the teams do this? By tweaking and changing things to modernize the game without detracting from its admirable quirks. For starters, the leveling system was overhauled, ensuring players can no longer softlock progress by accidentally making the game too hard. Find yourself picking up a lot of things? Becoming over-encumbered no longer makes you immobile. Even health regeneration was added, letting you slowly recharge your health when out of combat.
There were also a bunch of bug fixes and UI improvements, like containers being labeled as empty, the dialogue minigame using colors, and outlines around items you’re aiming at. All of these fixes help create a smoother, more modern-feeling game.
But the visuals are obviously the big winner here. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered looks absolutely stunning, with the weird, Xbox 360-era glow gone. It’s replaced with crisp textures, vibrant colors, lighting that looks like it follows proper physics, and character models that aren’t nightmare-inducing.
For those who grew up playing Oblivion, the game exists in a special memory state. The first time exiting the sewers, exploring your favorite town, and playing through the Dark Brotherhood quests are all pivotal moments from our past. With The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, we get to experience these again as if for the first time, and with visuals and systems that look and feel modern.
Better yet, a new audience gets to see just how good Oblivion is — and just how much better the lockpicking is in this game.
Out of all the excellent remakes and remasters that released this year, there is only one that can close shut the jaws of Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has won the Shacknews Award for Best Remake/Remaster of 2025.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/147247/best-remake-2025-elder-scrolls-4-oblivion-remastered
