Platforms: PC, Xbox S/X, PS5 | Developer: Virtuos, Bethesda Game Studios | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Is Unreal 5 Worth the Issues That Come With It?

I’ve played Oblivion since it was released when I was 7 years old, and it’s likely my most played game of all time. Needless to say, I look back on this game with nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses. When I learned about the remaster, I was genuinely excited to see what could be done to my beloved game without taking away what makes it Oblivion, and yes, the problems are a part of its identity.

I’m glad to say they’ve quite literally just improved the original game in so many ways, while not forgoing any of the charm, except maybe the colour pallet, which isn't going to be an issue for most. Oblivion Remastered is still the same wonderful adventure, with some of the best quests in open-world gaming to this day. If you haven’t played the original but have played Skyrim, this remaster will hopefully feel right at home with its new gameplay and UI improvements.

Alas, one enormous problem overshadows this otherwise great game: the performance issues that are all too common in titles using Unreal Engine 5. If you have a high-spec PC, this game will look gorgeous. However, if like me you have a decent PC (3080, Ryzen 5600X), you’ll be required to use FSR and frame generation just to make the game playable on medium… Commonly in games, enabling these features results in visuals that look muddy, blurry, and washed out. At that point, what’s the point of a modern remaster if it only looks great for less than 1% of players? This is by far my biggest disappointment with the remaster, and unfortunately, I don’t believe patches will be able to fix it.

That said, the game can still look pretty good at times, especially if you’re not too close to things, and the Oblivion gates are a visual treat that I’d die to see on maxed-out settings.

The Same Game I Fell In-Love With

Touching more specifically on performance: with a 3080 and Ryzen 5600X, I had to settle on medium settings with FSR and frame generation enabled just to maintain between 40–60 FPS. Even then, the game stuttered like a bitch at times. Performance was notably better indoors, especially in caves and some houses, though this didn’t apply to every interior. I eventually had to turn frame generation off due to unplayable input lag. I also experienced numerous crashes that seemed to happen at random, though thankfully the game autosaves frequently.

Upon loading into the game, I was surprised by how all the races looked, particularly the Argonians, whose new cartoonish appearance I really disliked. There are no facial pre-sets in the game to choose from either, so you're stuck fiddling with sliders, which I’m terrible at when it comes to making something decent-looking. Orcs have been done the dirtiest, they look absolutely vile, but are the best if you’re aiming to create a classic Oblivion monstrosity.

A new addition to the character creator is the ability to choose your character’s background. The game doesn’t actually tell you what these do, but from what I’ve read online, they’re a substitute for the original game’s gender-based attribute bonuses, where male and female characters used to receive different stat boosts.

When the game first started, I was practically drooling over how good it looked and how well it seemed to run... That didn’t last. It’s worth noting that this remaster uses the old game engine for handling logic, while Unreal 5 handles the visuals. That means nothing about the areas or quests has really changed, and you won’t be finding any new loot. Making your way through the familiar tutorial, you’ll notice some new weapon animations, I really liked the short sword's new flair during swings. The third-person camera has also been improved, making both archery and melee combat more viable in that view. The option is there for those who like it, but I suspect most players will still prefer first-person.

One change I’m not too fond of is the new UI. It’s reminiscent of a knockoff Elder Scrolls Online interface, frankly, it’s ugly. With just a few small tweaks, like removing the thick black box that appears when hovering over an item or NPC, it could look much cleaner. The menus, however, are more respectable. Everything from the original is still there, just laid out more clearly.

On the plus side, gameplay-wise, it felt great. You no longer feel like you're slashing at paper, I'd say it’s on par with Skyrim’s melee combat. Some welcome tweaks include stagger no longer being random; now it only happens if you’re out of stamina and blocking.

Exiting the tutorial sewers, you're likely to be greeted by a very long loading screen, ultimately a sign of things to come. It eventually loaded, but the iconic “big step out” moment was completely ruined by the terrible performance and my excitement shattered.

The Best Of Oblivion

The main story in Oblivion has you searching for the recently assassinated Emperor’s last surviving illegitimate son, with the goal of making him the new Emperor. This search leads you to Kvatch, a city that’s been destroyed after an Oblivion gate opened right outside its walls. Similar to Skyrim and its dragons, this is one of those points where some players might choose not to progress the main story. That’s because once you complete the Kvatch gate, more gates begin appearing around the map, which can be a hassle and cause more issues for you.

Overall, the main story is fine. Some quests send you into caves, which I personally don’t enjoy in this game, but there are a few standout missions, like infiltrating a cult. The storyline isn’t very long and should only take a few hours, making it similar in length to the major guild questlines.

Where Oblivion truly shines is in its well-written and creative side quests. For example, the first half of the Dark Brotherhood storyline is full of great, memorable missions, like a whodunnit murder mystery where you’re the killer, or a contract where you have to make an assassination look like an accident. Outside of the guilds, you can find new quests just by asking for rumours from the awkward NPCs around towns. This conveniently adds the quest to your journal and points you in the right direction.

Those awkward NPC interactions might be really jarring for new players, especially when listening to them chat amongst themselves, really showing the game’s age. In the remaster, this has been addressed by adding more voice actors, rather than relying on a small handful of people to voice everyone. That said, maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but I love the awkward NPCs and their equally stupid conversations. They give the game character and charm, it feels alive in a way. But I get that the average player might not feel the same.

Speaking of charm, Oblivion’s vibes are unmatched. The music is unforgettable, and the world is full of wonderful-looking locations. This is something Bethesda has consistently nailed with each Elder Scrolls title, Skyrim, for example, has an impeccable atmosphere that you just can’t get in other open-world games.

One major gameplay difference between Oblivion and Skyrim is how stats affect your character. In Oblivion, stats give you bonuses at certain milestones, some even unlock new moves, like a dodge roll you’ll probably never use. My personal favourite thing to do is jump everywhere, leveling Acrobatics and Athletics, which lets me run at ridiculous speeds (even faster with Skoooooooma) and jump super high, clearing Oblivion gates as fast as possible.

Old Issues Still Not Resolved

Despite being a remaster, some of the original game's issues still persist, and while they aren’t the end of the world, a remaster was the perfect opportunity to address them. My biggest gripe is that some of the old bugs are still here. Multiple times, quests bugged out on me, forcing me to reload an older save. On one occasion, I even ran into a classic infinite loading screen.

There were definitely some missed opportunities for quality-of-life improvements. For instance, there’s still no keyring, meaning your inventory gets cluttered with dozens of random keys, making it messy and annoying to navigate. Then there’s the absurd difficulty scaling. On the recommended setting, the early game is almost too easy, but cranking it up just a little makes enemies complete damage sponges. And once your character levels up, more and tougher enemies will spawn. This makes some moments, like the Battle for Kvatch, chaotic as hordes of Daedra annihilate every NPC. Funny? Yes, but frustrating.

I also have a few minor grievances that don’t ruin the game but are still worth mentioning: some of the new armor designs like the arena raiment feel off, the weight limits are a little too restrictive, lockpicking chests is mostly unrewarding, the UI remains ugly, and character faces are still cursed.

Conclusion

Overall, Oblivion Remastered has been one hell of a nostalgia trip, one that’s been sullied every step of the way by poor performance. Beyond the optimisation issues lies a fantastic new version of Oblivion that’s visually stunning and meaningfully improves on the original gameplay.

If you can push past the technical problems and you’ve never played Oblivion before, you’re in for a pleasant surprise, with some of the best quests and refined gameplay on offer. Hopefully, it can capture you the same way it did me all those years ago. For returning players, you probably know this game like the back of your hand, but even so, I still recommend giving it a shot for a good hit of nostalgia.

While the “wow” of the remaster was lost for me, I’d still recommend the game, or at least wait a few months for stabilization updates that might make for a smoother experience.

▲ Still Oblivion under the hood

▲ Meaningful improvements to gameplay

▼ Old bugs still persist

▼ Terrible performance and crashes

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Review