When it comes to the difference between a remake and a remaster, the lines can get a bit blurry. Now that it’s been officially revealed and launched, we know that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is the latter. But what, exactly, does that mean for this updated take on the game? While a remake is a full re-imagining of an original, a remaster tends to try and stay truer to its source material. Updates will primarily be about upgrading what’s there, meaning visual improvements and other gameplay tweaks to modernize the game. In terms of the Oblivion remaster, Bethesda has laid out a pretty clear path for what changes we can expect to see as we dive into this new take on Oblivion.
Fans of the original game will be pleased to hear that the team tried to retain the “original charm” of Oblivion. Even so, the modern updates from the new Unreal 5 engine and lessons from gameplay improvements in Skyrim gave the developers at Virtuos an opportunity to really bring the classic game into the modern era. The remaster features a whole host of quality-of-life improvements, along with other improvements.
The Oblivion remaster includes both the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions, along with the original game’s story largely as it was originally told. However, the game gets a big visual makeover with 4K resolution, 60 fps, and new textures, lighting effects, and landscape improvements. Every character model, spell, and weapon animation has been updated as well, giving the game a dynamic feeling, including time of day and weather effects to really bring the world to life. In addition to these visual enhancements, the remaster adds some quality-of-life features, as well.
Quality-of-Life Updates in Oblivion: Remastered
The original game story may be intact, but some of its clunkier gameplay elements won’t be. The remaster adds in some QoL updates to help Oblivion: Remastered feel more like a modern game, including:
- HUD, menu and map reworks
- Improved UI for systems like Persuasion, Clairvoyance, and more
- Modifications to levelling, encumbrance, non-combat perks, and other mechanics
- Improved enemy scaling
- Enhanced accessibility features
- Additional autosaves
- Revised first-person and third-person camera
Along with these key changes, the developers tease that the QoL updates include “much more.” Basically, it seems like the game will be faithful to the story, lore, and world, but will feel much more like a new RPG. It may not be Elder Scrolls 6, but Oblivion: Remastered doesn’t look like it’ll be a barely-touched Skyrim re-release, either. How many of the original glitches and quirks will be retained, we’ll have to play to find out.
RELATED: Oblivion Remaster Borrows Skyrim Features for “Best of Both Worlds”
Along with these changes in the Standard Edition, those who buy the Deluxe Edition of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will get some additional DLC for the extra $10. These items are mostly cosmetics, though there will be a few bonus quests to unlock those cosmetics, along with a digital artbook and official soundtrack for the remaster.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is available now for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. Both versions are also on sale for a modest discount at Fanatical while supplies last.
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