The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a fantastic modernization of an iconic open-world RPG, even if it maintains some of the jank and rough edges of the original.

Despite its name, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered comfortably toes the line between a remake and remaster

A beautiful remaster of a great game that leaves some very old, obvious issues untouched.

The original Oblivion’s a great game, and this remaster’s a good re-packaging of it. It’s an excuse to fire up an Elder Scrolls title that doesn’t feel a million miles from contemporary yet again, but I’m still not sure we needed one.

Oblivion Remastered is a welcome reminder of just how special the 2006 RPG can be. Performance issues and tedious design elements aside, Virtuos and Bethesda deserve real credit for bringing Oblivion back in such a way that doesn't detract from the original vision, and the meme-worthy identity that it's fostered over the years. This is, arguably, the definitive Oblivion experience - or at least it will be, once the awkward wrinkles have been ironed out.

Oblivion Remastered is a lovingly retouched makeover of an endlessly fun power fantasy that’s not afraid to show its retro goofiness. It charms not despite its technical flaws, but in large part because of them.

There’s a real charm to this world, its story, and characters. As a kid who grew up in the 2000s, I’ve got a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in Oblivion, and a bit of concern realizing that this game is approaching its 20th anniversary. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is undoubtedly the new definitive way to experience Bethesda’s flawed masterpiece, a game that continues to be a standard for western RPGs.

Enhancing the original where it mattered most while preserving what made it truly unique, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered stands as the definitive way to experience Bethesda’s classic. Although the shift in atmosphere and noticeable performance issues will put some players off, as will the dated gameplay, the game couldn't have debuted on current gaming platforms in a better way.

There's absolutely no doubt that anyone that played the original game, whether it was on Xbox 360 or PC, is excited and pleased that this game exists,

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has enough improvements that it could arguably be considered a full-blown remake.