"Oblivion Designer Praises Bethesda's Remaster as 'Oblivion 2.0'"

Bruce Nesmith, the senior game designer behind the original The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, has expressed his awe at Bethesda and Virtuos' work on the Oblivion Remastered. In a recent interview with VideoGamer, Nesmith admitted that the term "remaster" might not fully capture the extent of the changes made to this beloved 2006 RPG. He highlighted the immense effort, or "blood, sweat, and tears," that went into crafting the original Cyrodiil and was astonished by the comprehensive reimagination of the game.

“I was expecting a simple texture update,” Nesmith shared. “But what they’ve done is a complete overhaul. They’ve redone the animations, implemented a new animation system, integrated the Unreal Engine, revamped the leveling system, and redesigned the user interface. It touches every part of the game.”

Despite Bethesda not officially announcing Oblivion Remastered until its surprise release, the gaming community has been overwhelmingly positive about the extensive updates. From visual enhancements to significant gameplay modifications, including a new sprint mechanic and changes to the leveling system, fans are feeling like this is more of a remake than a mere remaster. Nesmith himself leans towards labeling it as "Oblivion 2.0," suggesting that the transformation is so profound that it may warrant a new term beyond "remaster."

In his discussion, Nesmith tried to encapsulate the essence of Oblivion Remastered: “The closest that could come [to categorising it] is Oblivion 2.0. That’s a staggering amount of remastering. It almost needs its own word, quite frankly. I’m not sure remaster actually does it justice.”

As fans continue to explore the revamped world of Cyrodiil, Bethesda has shared its perspective on naming the re-release. In a statement on social media, the studio clarified that their goal was not to remake Oblivion but to modernize it for both returning players and newcomers, preserving the essence of the original game, warts and all.

“We know many of our longtime fans will be thrilled to revisit Oblivion and the land of Cyrodiil,” Bethesda stated. “But there are also so many who have never played it. We can’t thank you enough for all the support you have given us and our games over the years. Our hope with this remaster is that, no matter who you are, when you step out of the Imperial sewer – you feel like you’re experiencing it for the first time.”

Oblivion Remastered was unveiled and released simultaneously as a shadow drop, available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can enjoy it at no additional cost. The modding community has also responded positively to the surprise launch, further enriching the game's ecosystem.

For those eager to dive into the revamped Cyrodiil, we offer a detailed guide covering everything in Oblivion Remastered. This includes an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.