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The rumors were true: on April 22, Bethesda released a remaster of the beloved classic game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The fourth installment in the series has retained a devoted cult following, even nearly twenty years after its original release. It’s important to note that this isn’t a complete remake, but rather a visual remaster that gives the nearly two-decade-old title a significant update.
Without hesitation, we saddled up our armored horses and set off to explore the newly polished lands of Cyrodiil. Here are our impressions.
The main plot has remained as it was in the original game. The story centers on the impending destruction of the world as Oblivion Gates—portals to a demonic kingdom—begin tearing open across the land of Cyrodiil. These gates unleash terrifying Daedric creatures, threatening to put the empire into chaos.
You start the game as a nameless prisoner who unexpectedly becomes the last hope of the realm after witnessing the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim VII. Before his death, the emperor passed you with a mysterious amulet and a command to find his hidden heir, Martin Septim, a priest unaware of his royal heritage.
As the story unfolds, you must help Martin accept his destiny and lead the fight against the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon, whose cult—the Mythic Dawn—is behind the apocalyptic events. The main quest follows your journey alongside Martin to close the Oblivion Gates, recover ancient relics, and ultimately protect the empire.
The Oblivion IV Remaster is an open-world RPG game. Players are free to explore cities, dungeons, and wilderness at their own pace, following the main- and side quests.
Combat remains in first- or third-person with straightforward melee, archery, and magic systems. The character progression is shaped by the skills you choose to use.
You can join factions like the Dark Brotherhood or the Mages Guild, each with its own deep questline.
While the remaster offers improved graphics, lighting, and performance for modern systems, it still preserves the game’s old-school design, which is complete with low-quality animations, awkward menus, and occasionally clunky mechanics. It’s a nostalgic trip that stays true to its roots, for better or worse. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes unsettling, and always leaving you wondering: how is this still possible in 2025?
The audio design and character voice acting have been updated and generally hold up well. Still, technical hiccups happen occasionally. For instance, overlapping dialogue from different characters is surprisingly frequent.
What does remain flawless is Jeremy Soule’s magnificent orchestral score. The music of The Elder Scrolls IV is as enchanting as ever, and the first notes of the main theme still send chills down the spine.
Shortly after Oblivion Remastered launched, longtime modder Arthmoor released the Unofficial Oblivion Remastered Patch (UORP) on Nexus Mods. However, it has immediately provoked major backlash within the modding community.
Critics accused Arthmoor of rushing the patch, reusing old fixes without proper testing, and trying to reestablish a monopoly on unofficial patches. Some users reported bugs introduced by the patch, while others warned against using it altogether.
Arthmoor defended the patch, claiming it was thoroughly updated and stripped of redundant fixes already included in the remaster. Still, many gamers recommend waiting until both the game and UORP stabilize before installing it.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a solid remaster. It hasn’t undergone a major overhaul, and some of its old flaws remain, but it’s been meaningfully polished in key areas and visually elevated to a new level. A must-play for nostalgic fans or anyone who missed it the first time around.