Bethesda has announced and shadow-dropped The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered overnight, with all keen players now able to hop in on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5, as well as for “free” via an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
For those just waking up to the news, the game has already been available for several hours now, and in that time, it’s made a massive impact. Despite being available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, it’s proving wildly popular on Steam. As of writing, it’s hit an all-time player peak of 159,949 so far, and the number is still climbing. It’s also the #1 top seller without notice, and per Twitch stats, it’s hit a viewer peak of 460,946.
It appears that despite Oblivion being absent from the world of gaming for two decades, and despite Skyrim frequently dominating conversations about the “best” Elder Scrolls, Oblivion still has enough juice to take over modern gaming chatter. It’s also fair to say Bethesda has chosen a good time to launch this Oblivion remaster, given the relative quietness of April game releases.
While it competes with other RPGs like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 this week (a fellow Xbox title), the tail end of the month lacks big-name blockbuster hits. It feels like the right time for Oblivion to come jostling into the scene, and based on early performance, it does appear players feel the same.
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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered – Official Trailer
Whether folks are jumping into Oblivion for the first time, or returning to a favourite adventure, it appears the game is proving popular. While some online discourse is veering into questions about the value of remakes and remasters as opposed to original games, and some freaks are more concerned with renamed gender sliders (stop), there’s plenty of folks loudly enthused to be revisiting a nostalgic favourite.
Based on early reports, it appears this Oblivion remaster does an excellent job beautifying the original game, with refreshed visuals, textures, and character models making it feel more akin to a modern game (even with a notable brown/beige hue).
Anyone who’s played the original will know it hasn’t quite held up over the years, with stylised character models being particularly uncanny. While this remaster doesn’t take away all of those stylistic choices, it does refresh models, add plenty of realism, and make the adventure grander and more impressive.
For those folks awaiting more news about The Elder Scrolls 6, it may just tide you over. It’s not quite the same, but more Elder Scrolls is never anything to sniff at. Those keen to jump in can now play the Oblivion remaster through Xbox Game Pass, or purchase it standalone for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.
