Why The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remake Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think
A new batch of rumors about a remake of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion has recently surfaced. According to these reports, which originate from a former Virtuos employee — the very studio believed to be developing the project — players can expect not just a visually enhanced version on a modern engine, but a fundamentally overhauled game featuring improved gameplay. Even better, it might land sooner than you’d think — later this year, in fact. For anyone who hasn’t played the original, we’d like to explain why a remake of The Elder Scrolls 4 is such a big deal, and why Oblivion remains a fan favorite nearly three decades after its initial release.
A “Mundane” Fantasy?
Back in the day, TES4 was criticized for having a somewhat generic setting, especially when compared to its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. That game’s world was so bizarre — people traveling on giant fleas and living in gigantic mushroom houses — that it was as far from ordinary as possible. Next to it, Oblivion’s European-style architecture, lush forests, armored knights, and familiar goblins felt like your typical Western fantasy. Ironically, what was once seen as a shortcoming might now be one of the game’s strengths.
In their search for unique aesthetics, many modern fantasy games have distanced themselves so far from old-school genre conventions that, funny enough, classic fantasy feels fresher now. For example, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim borrows heavily from Norse mythology, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is inspired by Slavic folklore, Elden Ring channels a Japanese take on Western fantasy, and the upcoming Avowed clearly draws on Morrowind’s influence. Now that every big RPG is trying to stand out with its setting, the more down-to-earth Oblivion suddenly seems unique by comparison. Its pastoral landscapes can best be described as cozy, and that coziness is something modern RPGs often lack.
Have You Played TES4?
Bethesda’s Last Game with Exceptional Writing?
It’s no secret that Bethesda’s more recent titles have faced criticism from fans, primarily for weak storylines, forgettable dialogue, reduced nonlinearity, and simplistic quests. The backlash started during the wildly successful Skyrim, got louder with the release of Fallout 4, and peaked after the first major expansion for Starfield.
Fans criticize Skyrim for its overly straightforward quests that offer little meaningful choice, and for relying heavily on radiant or procedurally generated missions. Fallout 4 took a few more steps backward, cutting dialogue options down to four — often leading to the same outcome. And while Starfield made some attempts to return to a more traditional RPG style by addressing player feedback, it still fell short of the high bar set by older Bethesda titles.
In this context, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (and, to an extent, Fallout 3) comes across as Bethesda’s last true attempt at a “pure” RPG with all the genre’s best features. Quests in TES4 feel less repetitive, more inventive, and often bring fresh, self-contained stories. Admittedly, they rarely have a huge impact on the entire game world, but they still provide multiple ways to resolve them, and sometimes even throw in new gameplay mechanics. In the mission “Whodunit?”, for example, the game shifts into a fantasy take on Hitman, where your character has to eliminate party guests without being discovered.
Oblivion’s narrative is also fairly unconventional: it’s not just another tale of the “chosen one” — in fact, the player character isn’t even the main hero. Some people disliked this approach, but you have to admire the writers’ willingness to try something different. It’s worth noting that much of Oblivion’s success as an RPG is credited to Ken Rolston and Mark Nelson, who were instrumental in shaping the overall narrative and quest design style. Some Bethesda fans believe the quality dipped after they left.
Surprisingly Hilarious
Despite its occasional dark plot points, Oblivion often veers into glorious absurdity. First, there’s plenty of humor built into the quests themselves — there’s even one where you have to save giant rats, not kill them as you’d do in most RPGs. Second, the voice acting was done by a small team of actors who often deliver their lines in an over-the-top way, making it hard to take the game too seriously. And third, its simulation of NPC life can be unintentionally hilarious: characters behave oddly, interact in bizarre ways, and move with such awkward animations that Oblivion has become an endless source of memes.
Room for Improvement
Still, even with its cozy setting, great quests, and sense of humor, The Elder Scrolls 4 is hardly perfect. That’s why hopes are high for the remake. Rumor has it the updated version will significantly refine combat — for instance, blocking mechanics may take cues from Souls-like titles. Archery is said to be getting a smoother feel, and enemies will supposedly react more convincingly when struck. If you didn’t know, combat is one of the original’s weakest points, along with a clunky interface and a somewhat lackluster stealth system. These might all be addressed, allegedly.
And let’s face it, recommending the original Oblivion today is tough due to its dated visuals. While it was cutting-edge back in 2006, it aged surprisingly fast. To the point where fans are developing complex mod to bring TES4 into the Skyrim engine. The potential official remake, however, is expected to run on Unreal Engine 5, raising hopes that TES4 can once again impress players with its visuals.
***
An updated and improved The Elder Scrolls 4 could well be the ideal way to tide fans over until The Elder Scrolls 6 finally drops. That likely won’t be for several more years, and we also have no idea how good it will be. It could end up being disappointing.
So how do you feel about the idea of a remake? Do you think Bethesda and Microsoft should pour all their resources into new projects instead? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
How Faithful Should Remakes Be to the Originals?
-
Rumor: Details Emerge on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake
-
Todd Howard on Fallout 1 and 2 remakes: «We're not ready to spend time on that right now»
-
Fan-Made Oblivion Remake Unveils New Screenshots
-
A new hint about the remake of TES 4: Oblivion has appeared
-
TOP 10 interesting facts about Todd Howard