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

Bruce Nesmith, a senior game designer for the original The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, has expressed his awe at Bethesda and Virtuos' work on the newly released Oblivion Remastered. In a recent interview with VideoGamer, Nesmith highlighted the extensive effort that went into the original game's creation and his surprise at the comprehensive nature of the remaster. He emphasized that the term "remaster" may not fully encapsulate the depth of changes made to the game.

"I was expecting just a texture update," Nesmith remarked. "But what they've announced and delivered goes far beyond that. They've overhauled the animations, introduced a new animation system, integrated the Unreal Engine, revamped the leveling system, and redesigned the user interface. Essentially, they've touched every aspect of the game."

Despite no prior official announcement from Bethesda, the launch of Oblivion Remastered has been met with widespread approval from fans. The remaster includes significant gameplay enhancements, such as a new sprint mechanic and adjustments to the leveling system, leading many, including Nesmith, to consider it more of a remake than a mere remaster. He described it as "Oblivion 2.0," suggesting that the level of transformation deserves a new classification.

"It's a staggering amount of remastering," Nesmith stated. "It almost needs its own word. I'm not sure 'remaster' actually does it justice."

In further discussions, Nesmith categorized the remaster as "Oblivion 2.0," underscoring the extensive changes made to the game.

As the community celebrates the remaster, Bethesda has shared its rationale behind naming the RPG re-release. In a social media statement, the studio clarified that they did not aim to remake Oblivion but rather to preserve the beloved experience while updating it for a new audience, flaws and all.

"We know many of our longtime fans will be thrilled to revisit Oblivion and the land of Cyrodiil," Bethesda's statement read. "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 unexpectedly released yesterday, available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can access it at no additional cost. The remaster has sparked excitement within the Elder Scrolls community, particularly among modders who are eager to explore the updated version of Cyrodiil.

For those looking to dive deeper into Oblivion Remastered, we offer a comprehensive guide that covers everything from an expansive Interactive Map to complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and Guild Quests, advice on Building the Perfect Character, and a list of Things to Do First, among other resources.