The New Oblivion Looks Like a Remake but Plays Like a Remaster

When Bethesda finally unveiled Oblivion Remastered earlier this week, I was astounded. The 2006 journey through Tamriel, once characterized by its quirky, potato-faced characters and blurred, low-resolution landscapes, has been transformed into the most visually stunning Elder Scrolls game to date. My expectations for remasters had been tempered by previous experiences; for example, Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Dark Souls Remastered hardly differ from their Xbox 360 counterparts. Yet, seeing the Imperial City I explored nearly two decades ago rendered in Unreal Engine 5 with ray tracing was a revelation. Moreover, the game boasts enhancements in combat, RPG systems, and numerous other details. This led me to question whether Bethesda and the project's developer, Virtuos, had misnamed it. Shouldn't this be Oblivion Remake rather than remastered?

It turns out I wasn't the only one with this thought. Many fans have labeled it a remake, and even Bruce Nesmith, the senior game designer of the original Oblivion, remarked, "I'm not sure [the word] remaster actually does it justice." Initially skeptical of the remaster label, after several hours of gameplay, it became clear to me that Oblivion Remastered may look like a remake but fundamentally plays like a remaster.

The reason *Oblivion* looks like a remake is straightforward: Virtuos has meticulously redesigned every single asset from scratch. Visually, everything you see on screen is brand new—from trees and swords to crumbling castles. This overhaul ensures that *Oblivion* meets modern graphical standards, with beautifully textured environments, stunning lighting, and a new physics system that makes every arrow and weapon strike feel realistic. While the NPCs are the same characters from 2006, their models are entirely new. This impressive transformation aims not to recreate the game as it was remembered but to elevate it to meet 2025's visual standards. If I had seen this before the remaster rumors, I might have mistaken it for *The Elder Scrolls 6*.

However, the changes extend beyond visuals. Combat has been significantly improved, making swordplay feel more engaging than ever. The third-person camera now includes a functional reticule, and all menus, from the quest journal to dialogue and minigames, have been refreshed. The original, problematic leveling system has been replaced with a more intuitive hybrid of Oblivion and Skyrim's approaches. Sprinting has finally been added. With such extensive visual and gameplay upgrades, one might argue we're in remake territory.

Yet, the distinction between remakes and remasters remains murky. There are no industry-standard definitions, and terms are often used loosely. For instance, Rockstar's "Definitive Edition" remasters of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy retain their blocky PlayStation 2-era look with merely upscaled textures and modern lighting. In contrast, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, also called a remaster, features entirely new graphical assets and appears modern. Remakes like Bluepoint's Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls rebuild games from the ground up but remain faithful to the originals. Resident Evil 2 redesigns gameplay while sticking to the original structure, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth radically alter design, script, and story. These examples illustrate the lack of a unified philosophy in defining remakes.

Historically, a game rebuilt from scratch in a modern engine was considered a remake, while remasters were limited upgrades within the original technology. This definition is becoming outdated. A more fitting modern definition might classify a remaster as a graphical overhaul that preserves the original game's design with minor quality-of-life improvements, while a remake redesigns the game entirely. Under this definition, Demon's Souls and Metal Gear Solid: Delta would be considered remasters, reserving the term "remake" for games that offer new interpretations of old ideas.

New lighting, fur, and metallic effects are just the tip of the iceberg of Oblivion Remastered's changes. Image credit: Bethesda / Virtuos

Applying these definitions, Oblivion Remastered is aptly named. Despite its new assets and Unreal Engine 5 ray tracing, it retains the core mechanics and feel of the original 20-year-old game. As Bethesda stated, "We looked at every part and carefully upgraded it. But most of all, we never wanted to change the core. It's still a game from a previous era and should feel like one."

The hallmarks of that era are evident. Loading screens still appear behind every door, the persuasion minigame remains baffling despite its interface upgrade, and the city designs retain their simplistic, stage-like quality. NPCs still move awkwardly and converse with a lack of grace, and combat, though improved, feels detached. The game also retains its original bugs and glitches, preserving its quirky charm.

Just months ago, Obsidian's Avowed showcased a modern take on some of The Elder Scrolls' core elements. Its dynamic combat and exploration systems make Oblivion Remastered feel dated by comparison. Yet, Oblivion Remastered still offers much in 2025. Its world remains enchanting, with its open fields full of mysteries and oddities. Its ambitious features, like dynamic goblin wars and engaging quest structures, still stand out. The game's old-school approach to player freedom feels refreshing in today's gaming landscape. However, its dialogue, system interconnectivity, and level design are clearly dated. A remake would update these elements, but Oblivion Remastered is about reliving the past.

What do you think the new Oblivion is? --------------------------------------

It's a remake. It's a remaster. It's a different thing and we need a new word for it.

AnswerSee Results

Video games often borrow terminology from other media. In film, remakes are new productions with new casts, crews, scripts, and sets, while remasters enhance existing films to meet modern quality standards. Classic films like Jaws and The Godfather in 4K look incredible but remain products of their time. Oblivion is similar to these restored classics. It pushes visual quality to the limit, recreating its "exterior" in a new engine, but remains a product of the 2000s at its core. Alex Murphy, executive producer at Virtuos, aptly described 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 precisely what it claims to be, and its achievements should not be underestimated. Rather than insisting it's a remake, we should use it as the benchmark for remasters from other major AAA companies. This is the standard that Mass Effect Legendary Edition should have met, and what Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy should have aimed for. Oblivion Remastered is a labor of love, looking like a remake crafted by passionate hands but playing like a remaster preserved by devoted fans. This is exactly how it should be.