We Loved Oblivion Remastered, But One Year Later, It Still Has Big Problems

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I playfully called my review of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered “Cheese for everyone!” and it’s easy to see why I was so excited. The anticipation for this remake was huge – fueled by months of rumors and leaks. Bethesda and Virtuos built that excitement with teasers and a special announcement on the game’s anniversary. By the time they showed off the improved graphics and the game’s famously charming dialogue, most of us were already convinced it was going to be great.

It wasn’t just a visual upgrade; the game was significantly improved. Issues with leveling were addressed, making skill development feel rewarding, and combat became smoother with updated animations. Most importantly, the update successfully modernized the original game while preserving the unique personality and creative storytelling that made the world of Cyrodiil and the Hero of Kvatch’s journey so captivating.

This game is a classic, offering a captivating story and plenty of engaging side quests. The Shivering Isles expansion, often hailed as one of the best ever created, made the $50 price tag even more appealing, even if the Digital Deluxe Edition was a bit frustrating with its collection of armor, weapons, and, notably, two different horse armors.

As expected, Oblivion Remastered was a huge success. Even though it was available immediately with a Game Pass subscription, it became one of the top-selling games in the US for 2025. It quickly surpassed the sales of the original game, and Bethesda discovered a reliable way to boost profits: revisiting and updating their classic titles.

Okay, so the game was fun, but honestly, the bugs were a real pain. I’m not talking about the little quirks they put in on purpose – those were actually kind of charming. No, these were serious bugs that could completely break the game, and the performance wasn’t always great either. A lot of other players were reporting issues too, and it turns out trying to build the game with two different engines caused a ton of headaches. I’m really hoping Virtuos fixes everything quickly, because it has so much potential!

After waiting for two months without a reply, players became increasingly impatient. The game developers then released update 1.1 in July to fix many crashes, followed quickly by update 1.2 with even more improvements. This second update also included options to change the game’s difficulty and independently control damage dealt by players and enemies.

The game was completely abandoned after its release – that’s not an overstatement. There haven’t been any updates since. Surprisingly, even Redfall received more post-launch support, despite being poorly reviewed and not selling well, according to Phil Spencer. Think about that for a second.

Even after a year, Oblivion Remastered still has noticeable performance problems, including stuttering and crashes. It’s especially frustrating because the game tends to run worse the longer you play. The more you explore the world and get immersed, the more likely you are to experience significant performance drops.

Most players feel the recent updates either worsened the game or didn’t improve it much at all. Overall satisfaction is very low.

As a big fan, it’s frustrating to see what’s happening with the Oblivion remaster. You’d think, seeing how popular it is on Game Pass – nine million players in just three months! – that Bethesda and Microsoft would want to keep supporting it and make it the best way to play the game today. But it feels like they just took the money and ran. It’s honestly a mess. Looking at the recent Steam reviews, it’s sitting at ‘Mixed’ with only about half of players recommending it, which is pretty rough. Even Starfield, despite its own issues, has gotten better reception than this!

There are several possible explanations for why Oblivion Remastered wasn’t updated further. Virtuos, the studio that worked on it, had layoffs shortly after release, potentially leaving them with fewer resources. It’s also possible that the project needed a lot of ongoing help from Bethesda, who were already focused on other games. Finally, Microsoft might not have wanted to invest more money in the remaster.

Don’t worry, Xbox is clearly still focused on making money from updated versions of older games, which is why rumors suggest Fallout 3 is getting remastered – likely to capitalize on the popularity of the new TV show. Unfortunately, this approach might also harm another classic game, potentially repeating the issues seen with the Oblivion Remastered release. While nothing is official, the possibility of Fallout: New Vegas receiving the same treatment isn’t encouraging. Will Microsoft keep repeating this cycle, prioritizing profits over quality?

On top of everything else, Halo: Campaign Evolved might face serious technical issues. It’s trying to update the original Halo‘s code with new graphics from Unreal Engine 5, which is a risky combination. Considering the negative reaction to the initial announcement, the lack of any gameplay footage since then, and rumors of a July release, it’s hard to see how this project is progressing smoothly.

That’s all in the future, of course. Hopefully, things will go more smoothly when it’s released, or soon after. We’re optimistic and hoping for the best.

It’s disappointing that Oblivion Remastered didn’t get the wider attention it deserved, because it’s a really solid project. The graphics are stunning, and for a while, it seemed like proof that Bethesda’s classic game could be revitalized with modern technology. It showed what another studio could achieve with Unreal Engine 5 while keeping the core gameplay intact. Unfortunately, that potential hasn’t been fully realized.

I’ll always remember exploring dark, dangerous caves and fighting anyone who stood in my way, especially when a mysterious assassin from the Dark Brotherhood approached me. The shock of witnessing the king’s sudden death, and then setting out to find his heir in this huge, gorgeous world, will stay with me. I’ll never forget battling the creatures pouring out of the gates of Oblivion, or stumbling onto an inn that turned out to be a pirate ship and having to fight my way free. Even the constant nagging from overzealous fans and the way I completely broke the game’s magic system are vivid memories. That’s what I get to relive with Oblivion Remastered.

It’s a shame that new players will likely encounter many frustrating technical problems that Microsoft and Bethesda didn’t resolve. Hopefully, Bethesda will learn from 343 Industries’ experience with Halo: The Master Chief Collection and prioritize fixing these issues before releasing their next remastered game, as a gesture of goodwill to players.

Bethesda has a track record of releasing games with issues – Fallout 4 and its add-ons received a mixed response, and Fallout 76 was a major disappointment at launch. Despite this, Starfield still attracted millions of players. It’s likely that when The Elder Scrolls 6 is released or Fallout 5 becomes available for pre-order, many people will still be eager to buy it. Perhaps this is simply how things work with a dedicated fanbase and a company like Bethesda.

Please keep in mind that the opinions shared in this article belong solely to the author and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2026-05-12 15:45