They say you can’t go home again—but Bethesda just handed us the keys to the Imperial City, polished the brass on every gate, and said, “Yeah, you can.” Oblivion Remastered is finally here, and it’s the high-fantasy blast from the past we didn’t know we needed (until we got lost picking Nirnroot for 3 hours).

Whether you’re here to relive that first gate to hell or you’re a first-timer wondering why everyone’s talking about that cheese-loving mad god, buckle up. Because Oblivion Remastered is as weird, wonderful, and wobbly as you remember—now with 2025 glow-up graphics and quality-of-life tweaks that finally respect your time and your nostalgia.

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The Premise: Close the Gates, Save the World, Pet a Troll (Maybe)

Set in the richly varied province of Cyrodiil, Oblivion still kicks off with the same legendary setup: the emperor is dead, the gates of Oblivion are opening, and you—a literal prisoner—just so happen to be the last hope for Tamriel. Classic Bethesda.

The main quest holds up surprisingly well, especially with the remastered cutscenes and a few re-recorded lines adding some modern punch to Martin Septim’s brooding messiah vibes.

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Graphics & World: From Potato Faces to Portrait-Ready

Remember the old Oblivion NPCs with stretched smirks and uncanny valley eyes? Gone. This remaster blesses us with retextured characters, overhauled lighting, and completely redone flora and architecture. The Imperial City at sunset? Absolutely majestic.

Yes, Skyrim still feels more grounded in terms of realism, but Oblivion Remastered leans into a painterly, slightly surreal aesthetic that works beautifully. The glow of Daedric portals is more ominous than ever, and the Shivering Isles? Still a trip, now in glorious detail.

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Combat & Gameplay: Better, But Still Oblivion

Here’s where it gets tricky. Combat in Oblivion Remastered is smoother and less janky—animations have been cleaned up, spell effects are more responsive, and stealth actually feels stealthy—but it still carries the DNA of 2006.

You can still run backwards in heavy armor and snipe with arrows like Legolas on caffeine. But honestly? That’s part of the charm. Bethesda clearly chose to preserve the spirit of the original, clunky jumps and all, while sanding off just enough of the rough edges to make it feel playable today.

Also: no more psychic guards! Steal a tomato in Bravil, and the guards in Anvil no longer know immediately. Progress.

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Voice Acting & Dialogues: Hello Again, Sean Bean

The original voice cast is back—with a few modern flourishes. There’s more variety in NPCs, less “same guy, different robe,” and dialogue boxes are snappier and more natural. You’ll still hear a lot of recycled lines, but that’s tradition at this point.

Radiant AI has also been tuned to stop NPCs from casually walking off cliffs or obsessing over corn. Mostly.

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Final Thoughts: A Love Letter to Weird Fantasy

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a celebration of what made Bethesda games weird and wonderful in the first place. It’s high fantasy without the grimdark, epic but goofy, profound and deeply memeable. And in an era of open-world fatigue, there’s something charming about a game that still believes in hand-placed dungeons, faction drama, and stealing a horse for no reason.

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Final Score: 8.5/10

Pros: Stunning visual overhaul, smoother gameplay, still gloriously weird
Cons: Some legacy jank, occasional pacing bloat, not as modernized as it could be

Should you play it? If you love fantasy RPGs, yes. If you’re already humming the Fighters Guild theme? You never left.