"Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remaster Impresses Designer, Dubbed 'Oblivion 2.0'"

Bruce Nesmith, the original senior game designer of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, has called the newly released Oblivion Remastered—a collaboration between Bethesda and Virtuos—so transformative that he believes the term “remaster” might not fully capture its scope. In a recent interview with VideoGamer, Nesmith reflected on the immense effort that went into crafting the original 2006 RPG and expressed genuine surprise at how thoroughly the game has been reimagined.

“I was assuming this was going to be a texture update,” Nesmith explained. “I didn’t really think it was going to be the complete overhaul that they’ve announced it to be... I would not have batted an eye at that. But to completely redo the animations, the animation system, put in the Unreal Engine, change the leveling system, change the user interface—I mean, that’s touching every part of the game.”

Though Bethesda did not formally announce the remaster ahead of its surprise release, fans have responded positively to the depth of changes—ranging from visual enhancements to core gameplay mechanics like the new sprint function and revised leveling system. Many, including Nesmith, now argue that Oblivion Remastered feels less like a traditional remaster and more like a full remake.

“That’s a staggering amount of remastering,” he added. “It almost needs its own word, quite frankly. I’m not sure remaster actually does it justice.” When pressed to categorize what he’s seen so far, Nesmith offered a fitting label: “The closest that could come [to categorizing it] is Oblivion 2.0.”

Bethesda has since clarified its intent behind the project, stating via social media that it “never wanted to remake” Oblivion. Instead, the goal was to preserve the beloved experience while modernizing it for both longtime fans and newcomers—warts and all. “We know many of our longtime fans will be thrilled to revisit Oblivion and the land of Cyrodiil,” the studio shared. “But there are also so many who have never played it. Our hope with this remaster is that no matter who you are, when you step out of the Imperial Sewers, you feel like you’re experiencing it for the first time.”

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered launched as a shadow drop and is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can access it at no additional cost. For players diving in, [ttpp] offers a comprehensive guide covering everything from an interactive map and full walkthroughs of the main quest and guild missions, to character-building tips and must-do early-game tasks.