When Bethesda unveiled Oblivion Remastered earlier this week, I was astounded. The 2006 journey through Tamriel, once known for its quirky, potato-faced characters and low-resolution grassy plains, has now transformed into the visually stunning pinnacle of The Elder Scrolls series. Previous HD remasters like Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Dark Souls Remastered often fell short of expectations, barely distinguishable from their Xbox 360 counterparts. Yet, seeing the Imperial City I explored nearly two decades ago rendered with Unreal Engine 5 and ray tracing was breathtaking. Moreover, the game has been enhanced with improved combat, refined RPG systems, and numerous other details. Given these extensive changes, I initially questioned if Bethesda and developer Virtuos had misnamed it. Shouldn't this be called Oblivion Remake rather than remastered?

I wasn't the only one with this thought. Many fans have labeled it a remake, and even Bruce Nesmith, a senior game designer from the original Oblivion team, 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 that while Oblivion Remastered may look like a remake, it fundamentally plays like a remaster.

Virtuos has undertaken a monumental task, redesigning every single asset from scratch. This means everything you see on screen—trees, swords, crumbling castles—is brand new, meeting modern graphical standards with exquisite textures, stunning lighting, and a new physics system that enhances realism in every arrow shot and weapon strike. Though the NPCs are the same characters from 2006, their models have been completely recreated. This overhaul doesn't just aim to evoke nostalgia but strives to meet 2025's graphical expectations. It's the most visually impressive Bethesda Game Studios RPG to date, and had I seen it before the remaster rumors started, I might have mistaken it for The Elder Scrolls 6.

Beyond its visuals, the combat system has been significantly upgraded. Swinging a longsword now feels more impactful than it did in the original. A functional third-person camera with a reticule has been added, 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 coherent hybrid of Oblivion and Skyrim's approaches. And finally, players can sprint. With such extensive visual and gameplay enhancements, it's tempting to categorize it as a remake.

However, the distinction between remakes and remasters remains murky. Industry standards for these terms are undefined, and publishers often use them interchangeably. 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, resembling a modern game. Remakes like Bluepoint's Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls rebuild games from the ground up but remain faithful to the original experiences. Resident Evil 2 redesigns interaction while sticking to the original structure, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth radically alter design, script, and story. These examples, all considered remakes, highlight the lack of a unified philosophy.

Traditionally, a game rebuilt from scratch in a modern engine was deemed a remake, while remasters were limited upgrades within the original technology. This definition is increasingly outdated. A more fitting modern definition might classify a remaster as a graphical overhaul that preserves the original game's design with minor gameplay enhancements, while a remake redesigns the game entirely. This would reclassify Demon's Souls and Metal Gear Solid: Delta as remasters, reserving the remake label 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 the charm of a rudimentary AI. Even the combat, despite significant improvements, feels detached and unwieldy. And the game retains its original bugs and glitches, preserving its quirky charm.

Recent games like Obsidian’s Avowed showcase the future of The Elder Scrolls' core elements. Its dynamic combat and exploration systems make Oblivion Remastered's mechanics feel dated. Yet, Oblivion Remastered still offers much in 2025. Its world remains enchanting, with its vast, Rohan-like fields full of mysteries and oddities. Its ambitious features, like dynamic goblin wars and engaging quest structures, remain compelling. The game's old-school approach to player freedom feels refreshing in an era where modern games often guide players too closely. However, its dialogue, system interconnectivity, and level design reveal its age. A remake would update these elements, but Oblivion Remastered is about reliving the past. Hence, it is aptly named Oblivion Remastered.

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 standards. The 4K restorations of Jaws and The Godfather look incredible but are unmistakably products of the 1970s. Similarly, Oblivion Remastered pushes visual quality to its limits, recreating its "exterior" in a new engine. Yet, beneath this, it remains a product of the 2000s. As Alex Murphy, executive producer at Virtuos, explained 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 and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy should have met. Oblivion Remastered is a labor of love, looking like a remake crafted by passionate hands but playing like a remaster preserved by devoted fans. That's exactly how it should be.