Oblivion and Gears remasters in 2025? 2006 is so back

I didn’t believe the rumours, I thought they were clickbait. Then I found myself frantically refreshing the PlayStation Store… and it was real. They did it. An Oblivion remaster. Praise the Nine!

Like many others, Oblivion defined a huge part of my early gaming life. I spent thousands of hours in Cyrodiil during my early teens finishing every quest line and side quest I could, delving into Ayleid ruins, roleplaying as the new Arch-Mage, and going on personal quests to hunt down necromancers. It was the first game that gave me a true sense of freedom and exploration.

Since then, I’ve tried to replay it, but it never hit quite the same even with mods. Until now.

A Beautiful New Cyrodiil

This remaster sets a new standard for how older games should be revitalized. Rebuilt using Unreal Engine, every town, city, and landmark has been beautifully brought back to life (See images below). The lighting is stunning, and the visual overhaul manages to make the world look brand new while still feeling comfortingly familiar,  a nostalgic overload in the best way. 

Every item and armour piece is recreated in stunning detail. The faces no longer look like potatoes, towns that looked a bit washed out on the original look so much better and probably more in line with Bethesdas original intention.

If there was a game I could forget existed so I could replay it for the first time again I would pick Oblivion or Dark Souls. This remaster is as close to that feeling as possible with Oblivion.

Gameplay and Quality of Life Improvements

The core gameplay remains untouched, and that was the right move. It’s still the same beloved Oblivion underneath  ~bugs and quirks included~ because under the hood, it’s still running on the original Gamebryo engine.

However, the remaster does bring in some much-needed quality-of-life upgrades:

• A more informative and streamlined UI
• Improved combat animations
• Haptic feedback on PS5 Dualsense controller
• Faster load times
• A new questline featuring an excellent new armor set
• An all round smoother gameplay performance

It’s a faithful, respectful update that enhances the experience without rewriting it.

Some of the lines have been redone by new voice actors which improves the variety from the original version. This stops you from hearing the same handful of voice actors in every town, the main voice actors such as Sean Bean and co remain. But all of the whimsical charm is still there and the classic lines remain such as; 

“Stop right there criminal scum” and this from Owyn in the Arena, what did he even mean by this?

An Open World That Still Feels Alive

If you’ve played Skyrim but never touched Oblivion, this is the perfect time to go back. The world of Cyrodiil is still one of the most detailed and immersive open worlds ever made. There’s so much to do without the game feeling bloated or overbearing. The factions have fully fleshed-out quests and storylines, the enemy and armor variety outshines many modern games, and the exploration is just as magical as it was nearly two decades ago. For mages having the ability to create spells is an absolute game changer and a bit of a game breaker when done correctly.

The NPCs each have schedules, homes, and morality systems, something that even some of today’s open-world titles still struggle to emulate. It’s a living, breathing world built for discovery and very easy to immerse yourself in.

Not Without Its Flaws… But Still Endearing

Yes, the level scaling system is still outdated and a bit busted. Bandits will rock Daedric armour just to keep up with your level. But it’s part of the whimsical charm like a grandparent who might still hold some outdated views, you let it slide because of all the joy they bring.

Final Verdict

🎯 Score: 88/100

Oblivion Remastered is a brilliant makeover of one of the best RPGs of its generation. It manages to feel both fresh and familiar, and whether you’re revisiting Cyrodiil or exploring it for the first time, there’s no better way to experience it.

The KOTOR remake could take a lot of inspiration from how this was handled, faithful, polished, and full of heart.

I wouldn’t hold off on getting this one, its bags upon bags of value for the price-tag. This is the perfect stopgap while we all wait for The Elder Scrolls VI. Bravo, Virtuos Studio; now can we please get Morrowind next?