Gather ‘round, heroes of Tamriel—whether you’re a battle-hardened Champion of Cyrodiil or someone who just likes to punch mudcrabs for stress relief. Bethesda has finally delivered what fans have been meme-ing, dreaming, and (let’s be honest) modding into existence for years: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, released in a surprise “it’s out now!” shadow drop on April 22, 2025. If you’ve ever wanted to relive your 2006 adventures—but with fewer potato-faced NPCs and more jaw-dropping sunsets—your time has come146.
A Remaster Worthy of the Nine Divines
Let’s get this out of the way: this is no lazy upscaling job. Oblivion Remastered is a full-on, 115GB behemoth of a download, rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5. That’s right, the same tech that powers the latest blockbuster games is now rendering Cyrodiil’s rolling hills, haunted dungeons, and, yes, the infamous Adoring Fan’s gravity-defying hair124.
Every character model has been lovingly redone, so each race looks distinct (Argonians are finally less “lizard in a hoodie” and more “majestic swamp dragon”). The world is bursting with new environmental assets, dynamic lighting, and weather effects so realistic you’ll want to put on a raincoat before heading to Bravil. Even the spell animations have been given a magical facelift—fireballs now sizzle, frost spells sparkle, and healing glows with the comforting warmth of a freshly baked sweetroll24.
Gameplay: Old Friends, New Tricks
Oblivion Remastered keeps the heart and soul of the original—open-world exploration, quirky quests, and the freedom to roleplay as a noble knight, sneaky thief, or cheese-hoarding maniac—but with a raft of modern upgrades26.
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Movement & Combat: Animations are completely redone, third-person controls are now genuinely playable (no more “drunken puppet” syndrome), and you can finally sprint by clicking L3. Combat feels meatier, with new on-hit reactions and improved bow aiming. Enemy movement is a bit slower, making every fight feel more deliberate and less like a Benny Hill chase sequence2.
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UI & Quality of Life: The compass now shows the distance to your objective, there’s an auto-aim toggle, and the interface is built for modern screens (no more squinting at tiny quest text). Even loading screens have been given a glow-up with new art2.
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Leveling System: Bethesda and Virtuos have cleverly merged Oblivion’s classic leveling with Skyrim’s experience system, making progression feel more rewarding and less like a spreadsheet. You can now invest virtue points into any attribute, even those outside your class—because who hasn’t wanted to roleplay as a stealthy orc wizard with a penchant for acrobatics3?
The Whole Package (Yes, Even the Horse Armor)
Oblivion Remastered comes loaded with all the original expansions—Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine—plus every bit of DLC you remember (and probably a few you forgot). And in a move that proves Bethesda has a sense of humor, the Deluxe Edition includes exclusive horse armor. That’s right: horse armor is back, and it’s shinier than ever. Some things never change, and we wouldn’t have it any other way14.
Performance: Mostly Smooth, Sometimes Nostalgic
Early reviews praise the remaster’s beauty and ambition, with modern features like DLSS, frame generation, ray tracing, and uncapped frame rates. Most players are seeing smooth performance in cities and interiors, though the overworld can occasionally stutter as the game streams in all those high-res assets. But hey, if you played the original on a launch-day Xbox 360, you’ll probably call this “charmingly authentic”3.
A Warm Welcome Back to Cyrodiil
Whether you’re a returning hero or a newcomer, Oblivion Remastered is a love letter to one of the most beloved RPGs ever made. It’s available now on Steam, Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for $50/£50 (or $60/£60 for the Deluxe Edition with all the shiny extras)146.
So go forth, close those Oblivion gates, and remember: if you see the Adoring Fan running toward you, it’s not a bug—it’s a feature. Welcome back to Cyrodiil, champion. May your inventory always have room for one more sweetroll.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go see if Sheogorath’s cheese wheels look even more delicious in 4K.