On Oblivion Remastered day, former Blizzard boss says he’s “skeptical about 20 year old remasters” because “the bar has simply moved from safe open world RPGs to what Elden Ring brought us all”

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Previously at Blizzard, Mike Ybarra shares his significant insights regarding the unveiling and launch of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.

Indeed, for those among you who might be discovering Oblivion Remastered for the first time: it’s now accessible on consoles, PC, and Game Pass, and it certainly looks impressive. However, the vocal Ybarra expresses some doubts about how it will compare to modern RPG giants like Elden Ring.

He expressed doubts about 20-year-old remasters in a tweet. He believes that while the original was great, its remastered version won’t compare favorably to contemporary masterpieces like Elden Ring. In his opinion, the standards have risen from simple open world RPGs to what Elden Ring has delivered.

“I would love to be proven wrong. But I’m not,” he added.

Although I’m currently in the process of downloading the 125GB version of Oblivion Remastered, preventing me from providing immediate feedback, I can examine reviews from those who have played it. Surprisingly, early indications suggest that the critic’s assessment might be off the mark. Despite its $50 price tag, the game has skyrocketed to the top of Steam’s global best-selling games, and with nearly 4,000 user reviews already published, there appears to be a growing consensus: Oblivion is still a hit!

Currently, approximately 82% of Steam reviews are favorable, with a significant portion of the remaining reviews expressing issues related to performance. While these concerns should not be dismissed, they do not necessarily strengthen the assertion made by Ybarra that the fundamental aspects of the game have deteriorated over time.

Regarding your view on the significance of nostalgia, Ybarra expressed a different perspective, stating, “I understand where you’re coming from, but with all these ‘retreads’ of past games, I feel that the appeal of nostalgia may be diminished. It’s possible I’m mistaken, but it seems to me that the gaming community is yearning for something new and innovative more than ever.

It seems that Ybarra may have overlooked the vast number of players who were initially introduced to The Elder Scrolls universe through Skyrim in 2011, and therefore missed out on Oblivion’s initial release. This is a situation I find myself in as well, eagerly awaiting a modernized version of Oblivion so I can experience what many die-hard fans still consider the best game in the series. I’m thrilled about what Elder Scrolls veteran voice actor Wes Johnson hinted at, calling it potentially a “revelation” for gaming experiences.

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2025-04-23 03:09