The release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on Unreal Engine 5 has caused a wave of nostalgia among long-time fans of the series and attracted many new players. The updated version of the cult 2006 RPG retains all the key mechanics of the original, while offering a visual update and some gameplay upgrades. At the same time, such a huge success of the remaster makes you wonder what conclusions Bethesda should draw when working on The Elder Scrolls 6.
Bethesda once reigned supreme in the RPG genre. Morrowind was a game-changer for its time, and subsequent titles Oblivion and Fallout 3 cemented themselves as giants of the PS3 and Xbox 360 era. Skyrim, despite being one of the most popular games of all time, marked a turning point in the company’s design philosophy. Starting with this title, Bethesda took a course on simplifying mechanics. This approach helped Skyrim win over a mass audience, but subsequent titles Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and Starfield received mixed reviews for oversimplifying the RPG elements. However, this did not make them any less popular, and the modding community was especially positive for F4.
The current market is showing that complex RPGs are back in demand. Earlier this year, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, a sequel to Warhorse Studios’ 2018 RPG, was released. The game received many high marks and proved that complex RPG systems can be enjoyed even by streamers and content creators without losing depth. Now, Oblivion Remastered is confirming this trend, showing that players are yearning for real RPG mechanics.
What have Bethesda games lost in recent years?
In Oblivion, every action contributed to a sense of character growth. Every activity improved skills, allowing you to not only level up, but also unlock new abilities: holding a drawn bow longer, shooting while jumping, or using dodges in combat. These abilities weren’t given to you from the start; they had to be earned. In Skyrim, skill development happened through a talent tree, but many perks were just percentage increases in effectiveness, which felt less natural and satisfying.
Oblivion also featured a reputation system, similar to Fallout’s karma system, which was not properly implemented in Fallout 4. You could persuade NPCs to like you, bribe them for more information or help. An alternative approach was to invest points in the charm skill to be a more pleasant conversationalist.
Even the class system worked better in Oblivion. While Bethesda games traditionally don’t lock players into a specific class (and Skyrim did away with them altogether), Oblivion offered the option to choose a pre-made class or create your own, including the ability to name it. From a roleplaying perspective, this made a huge difference.
Todd Howard said during the presentation of Oblivion Remastered:
Every time we think about Oblivion, we ask ourselves: what if we could give that moment to everyone again?
Hopefully, these words will be reflected not only in the remaster, but also in the work on The Elder Scrolls 6. Over the past 14 years, our time in Tamriel has been noticeably limited (except for The Elder Scrolls Online), and experiments with the Fallout and Starfield series have been, to put it mildly, controversial.
Oblivion’s return in such a magnificent form is not only a great event for all RPG fans. Considering that TES 6 is not expected to release until at least autumn 2026, Bethesda still has plenty of time to take Oblivion’s feedback into account.
This doesn’t mean the new game has to replicate elements of Oblivion Remastered, but it can be used as a general guide to what resonates with gamers today. Interesting characters, factions, guilds, stories told through the environment and an emergent story, magic that isn’t simplified to the maximum, and much more – all of this is something Bethesda should definitely think about.
