"New Oblivion: Remake Appearance, Remaster Gameplay"

When Bethesda unveiled the remastered version of Oblivion earlier this week, my excitement was palpable. The 2006 journey through Tamriel, once known for its quirky, potato-faced characters and low-resolution landscapes, has transformed into the most visually stunning Elder Scrolls game to date. Having seen numerous HD overhauls that often fall short of expectations—like the barely distinguishable Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Dark Souls Remastered from their original Xbox 360 versions—I was skeptical. Yet, witnessing the Imperial City, a place I explored nearly two decades ago, now rendered with the breathtaking detail of Unreal Engine 5 and ray tracing, was a revelation. The game isn't just visually enhanced; it also features significant upgrades to combat, RPG systems, and numerous other details. I initially questioned whether this should be called a "Remake" rather than a "Remaster."

It turns out I'm not alone in this sentiment. Many fans, including Bruce Nesmith, the senior game designer of the original Oblivion, feel that the term "remaster" might not fully capture the extent of the changes. However, after spending several hours with the game, it becomes evident that despite its remake-like appearance, Oblivion Remastered retains the core gameplay of the original, marking it as a true remaster.

Oblivion's visual transformation is remarkable because Virtuos has meticulously redesigned every asset from the ground up. This means that everything you see on screen—from trees and swords to crumbling castles—is brand new. The game now meets modern graphical standards with beautifully textured environments, stunning lighting, and a new physics system that makes every arrow and weapon strike feel impactful. Even the NPCs, while still the characters you remember from 2006, are now modeled anew, aiming to meet the expectations of 2025 rather than merely recreating a nostalgic experience. Had I seen this before the remaster rumors, I might have mistaken it for The Elder Scrolls 6.

The improvements extend beyond visuals. Combat has been refined, making swordplay feel more responsive and less like wielding a balloon. The third-person camera now includes a functional reticule, and every menu, from the quest journal to the lockpicking and persuasion minigames, has been given a fresh interface. The original leveling system, often criticized, has been replaced with a more intuitive hybrid of Oblivion and Skyrim's approaches. Additionally, players can now sprint, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. With such extensive upgrades, it's easy to wonder if we're in remake territory.

However, the distinction between remakes and remasters remains murky. Industry standards for these terms are vague, leading to varied interpretations. For instance, Rockstar's "Definitive Edition" remasters of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy merely upscale textures and enhance lighting, still retaining the blocky feel of PlayStation 2 games. In contrast, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, labeled a remaster, features completely new assets and looks modern. Remakes like Bluepoint's Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls rebuild games from scratch but remain faithful to the originals, while Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake significantly alter gameplay and narrative. Traditionally, a game rebuilt in a modern engine was considered a remake, while remasters were limited upgrades within the original technology. But these definitions are evolving, suggesting that remasters preserve the original game's design with graphical upgrades, while remakes offer a fresh take on the original concept.

Applying these definitions, Oblivion Remastered is aptly named. Despite its new visual assets and Unreal Engine 5 enhancements, the core gameplay and structure remain rooted in the 2000s. Bethesda emphasized that they upgraded every part without altering the game's essence, ensuring it still feels like a product of its time. This is evident in the loading screens, the quirky persuasion minigame, the simplistic city designs, the NPC behavior, and the combat system, all of which retain their original charm and quirks, including the bugs and glitches that fans remember fondly.

Recent games like Obsidian's Avowed showcase modern advancements in combat and exploration, highlighting how Oblivion Remastered, while impressive, remains a product of an earlier era. Yet, the magic of Oblivion's world, its expansive fields, and its ambitious features like dynamic goblin wars and engaging quests, still shine brightly. The game's old-school approach to player freedom feels refreshing in today's gaming landscape. However, its dialogue, system interconnectivity, and level design reveal its age. A remake would have modernized these elements, but Oblivion Remastered is about reliving the past with enhanced visuals.

Video games often borrow terminology from other media. In film, remakes are new productions with new casts and scripts, while remasters enhance existing films to meet modern standards. The 4K restorations of classics like Jaws and The Godfather look incredible but are unmistakably products of their time. Similarly, Oblivion Remastered pushes visual quality to its limits, recreating its "exterior" in a new engine, but remains a product of the 2000s at its core. As Alex Murphy, executive producer at Virtuos, aptly put it during the reveal stream, "We think of the Oblivion game engine as the brain and Unreal 5 as the body. The brain drives all the world logic and gameplay and the body brings to life the experience that players have loved for almost 20 years."

Oblivion Remastered is a testament to what a remaster can achieve. It should set the standard for other AAA remasters, unlike the underwhelming Mass Effect Legendary Edition or the controversial Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. There's nothing cynical about Oblivion Remastered; it's a labor of love that looks like a remake but plays like a remaster, honoring the original while enhancing it for today's audiences.