"The Elder Scrolls 4 – Oblivion Remastered" played: Nostalgic trip
Freshly polished, but outdated in terms of gameplay. "Oblivion Remastered" plays like the original. However, the fun quickly becomes a nuisance on the PC.
(Image: "The Elder Scrolls 4 – Oblivion Remastered" angespielt)
Almost out of nowhere, the remaster version of the classic role-playing game “The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion” was released on April 21. Prettier textures and a little fine-tuning of the game mechanics are intended to pamper old fans and attract new ones. The DLCs “Knights of the Nine” and “Shivering Isles” are included in the remaster. Surprisingly, this even causes current PC hardware to stutter.
The good old days
There's a lot going on in Cyrodiil. The Emperor is dead and with his last sigh of life he has entrusted us with saving the land from the evil forces from the realm of Oblivion. This means that we first have to find the rightful heir, then gather a few allies and go into the supposedly final battle. It's not quite that straightforward after all. There are a few caves to explore and demons to defeat on the way to the goal.
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“Oblivion” is considered one of the pioneers of modern open-world role-playing games. It was state of the art in 2006. Great graphics, tough enemies, original gameplay. In addition to the main quest, players were free to explore the world with numerous side quests. Like its predecessor, “Morrowind”, there were no fixed character classes in “Oblivion” and players rose in experience levels if they repeatedly performed certain activities such as running or fighting. Modern games such as “Kingdom Come: Deliverance” have now successfully copied this game mechanic.
The good news is that anyone who loved this game back then will also get their money's worth here. In addition to improvements to the controls and the user interface, the weather system has been revised, and a few other details have been added to ensure smooth gameplay and a modern look. Especially with a few harmonious ray tracing effects, “Oblivion” looks better than ever before.
Outdated gameplay
Our impression from our playthrough hours is that the individual quests have not been touched. Although we can follow the main quest in a straight line, we miss out on many details that make life in Cyrandiil easier. There is a fixed sleeping place for leveling up in a side quest as well as an unbreakable lockpick for the numerous locks in the game. Thanks to a fast-travel function, we don't have to constantly explore discovered locations on foot or on horseback.
Of course, a bit of crafting is also a must. With the right ingredients and tools, we can brew potions or repair our equipment. This is also necessary because every blow with the sword damages the weapon until it breaks. Only when we slowly get into a routine will our equipment last longer and our crafting skills become more efficient.
"The Elder Scrolls 4 – Oblivion Remastered" angespielt (5 Bilder)
However, none of this can cover up the monotony of the missions. In the main quest, we have to close demon gates, which are almost identical, including the enemies. There is only variety in the side missions, such as the search for a picture thief or a murder investigation. However, much of the action is always similar. Too often we have to explore a cave, kill everything and return. It's all presented in a matter-of-fact way. The sword fights seem spongy, the firing of magic bullets imprecise.
For PC gamers, the game's hardware starvation turns out to be the real boss. Low frame rates and recurring game crashes spoil the adventure. Following the latest update in the Microsoft Store, there is still an upscaling function for DLSS, FSR and XeSS, but this can suddenly no longer be switched on. According to Bethesda's statement on Reddit, this is just a visual error in the settings menu. Upscaling would still work.
Admittedly, the technical problems are not catastrophic. If you can live with 30 FPS, you'll be happy without upscaling. But it is unnecessary. After all, despite the update, “Oblivion” is no visual competition for “Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2”. Why a shadow drop when the game was obviously not yet technically ready? Bethesda and the development studio Virtuos could have taken their time. The nostalgic trip back to the good old days of open-world role-playing games is thus severely disrupted.
Interim conclusion
“The Elder Scrolls : Oblivion Remastered” is a nostalgic role-playing trip that will delight fans of the original in particular. The world is more detailed thanks to the new graphics, the lighting effects are harmonious, and the gameplay is virtually unchanged. The truth is, however, that the competition now does a lot better. The in-house “Skyrim” is an “Oblivion” in XXL format, “The Witcher 3” is more spectacular and “Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2” is more mature in its presentation of the open game world and role-playing elements. All that remains for “Oblivion Remastered” today is the narrow niche of nostalgic transfiguration that overlooks the game's ageing gameplay. Old school for loyal fans.
“The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered” has been released for Windows, Xbox Series and PS5. It costs around €50 and is included in the Game Pass. We played the Windows version for a few hours for our hands-on.
(emw)
