Oblivion: Remastered, PS5 Review

We thought we would give the Oblivion Remaster review to Nina. To see what a Gen-Zer, makes of this 20 year old game with a new lick of paint.

From what I’ve seen online, the general consensus among past-gen gamers is that the Oblivion Remaster is great. It’s brought the fantasy RPG of the 2000s to next-gen consoles, and with it, it’s also brought nostalgia and great memories. It’s also given newer-gen gamers– gamers like me– a chance to experience Oblivion for the very first time.

So, how did I find it?

Let’s get out of the dungeon sewer and get stuck in…

I should preface this review by saying that, while I was only 2 years old when Oblivion originally released, I was in high school when Skyrim came out. I played the hell out of that game, and to this day it’s got a very special place in my gamer heart. Those memories very much influenced my experience playing Oblivion Remastered. Because the two games feel very similar. Same art and writing style, same gameplay systems, same Bethesda quirks. If you remember liking these aspects of Skyrim, then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy them in Oblivion Remastered, too.

In a similar vein, if you’ve played any Bethesda RPG and enjoyed it, then you’ll probably enjoy Oblivion Remastered. So long as the somewhat dated-looking graphical “style”, old-fashion gameplay systems and the odd framerate drop don’t bother you. Stangely, it’s still leagues better than Starfield in every regard (which is crazy, when you think about it) and I’d also argue its writing is tighter and its gameplay is more in-depth that Fallout 4.

But if you have no experience with Bethesda RPGs, or you know they are not your cup of tea, then Oblivion isn’t going to blow you away. It’s more of the same. On the better side of the ledger, absolutely, but it’s nothing revolutionary. Considering this is a 20 year old game, though, that isn’t surprising. If anything, it’s impressive that its systems, story and experience still hold up so well, and a real testament to both its original developers and the devs behind this remaster. 

And once the world opens up

There’s a specific point I want to highlight about this game. And that’s its exploration. Oblivion has an enormous emphasis on it. While it’s got a minimap with quest markers and a spell called Clairvoyance that shows you the path to your objective, not all locations or objectives will appear for you. More often than not, you need to ask NPCs for directions. Or check for signposts. Or open your map and manually find where you need to go using information you’ve gathered from said NPCs or signposts. It’s super old-school and it’s super SUPER fun!

If you’re craving an RPG that doesn’t hold your hand excessively and instead allows you to go where you want to go, discover things at your own pace and has many opportunities for emergent gameplay and story-telling, give Oblivion a nudge. I think you’ll find what you’re looking for here. 

So, in conclusion, how did I as a gen z gamer find Oblivion? I liked it…. A lot. And I recommend anyone who is even a little interested in it to give it a try. Even if Bethesda games are usually your thing, Oblivion is one of their better ones. Hell, it might even be one of their best. It’s a classic for a reason, after all. Just keep your expectations realistic and you’ll have a good time. 

Thanks Nina, and now, a footnote from Richard

You ‘had’ to be there.

Oblivion came to me at the dawn of the Xbox360. for that first year or so, I spent countless hours exploring. Every night I’d fire it up humming a tune eerily like the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean and continue my Quest.

To aimlessly wander the world of Oblivion, collecting everything not nailed dow, trying to be naughty without getting caught and ignoring the quest line, because I felt like I could just exist in eth game without following a preset path. It was liberating and as Nina said ‘Super Fun’. There were also the treasures and mysteries that you could stumble across, often wondering if they had been discovered already, or trawling forums for secrets and special items.

Even now I’m on my way to reclaim FinGleam – a helm of underwater breathing that was my mainstay back in the olden times.

Oblivion had freedom and choice, once I spent an evening trying to innocently cause a pub fight, hoping the Guards would come and start waving their swords around. Why? Because somebody in that pub had a suit of glass armour I wanted, but I couldn’t afford to go to prison for it. Again.

Oblivion Remastered now reminds us of innovations that we take for granted these days. Such as being able to fire an arrow across a valley, then go and find it where it landed. The rough of course is clunky combat, swinging cameras and the curse of being overburdened. Bethesda games do know how to create open worlds, unlike the cut and paste affairs we get from Ubisoft these days.

Oblivion Remastered has given me more of a rose tinted glow that Gears of War ever did, it’s fair to say I’m loving it again and I’ll stay a while, although maybe not forever.

Now, what’s over that next hill…