The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered – Former Blizzard President Says it Can’t Hold Up to Elden Ring

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Although The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has had a successful debut, it appears that former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra isn’t particularly swayed by it. On social media platform X, Ybarro openly shared his opinions about the game, along with other remasters of older titles.

As a devoted fan, I’d like to echo Ybarra’s thoughts in his post: In my opinion, even with a spruced-up appearance from the Remastered version, classic role-playing games such as The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion can’t quite match up to contemporary RPGs like Elden Ring from FromSoftware. I think that the standard for modern RPGs has been set so high that older titles struggle to outshine them.

As a devoted gamer, I’ve got to express my doubts about 20-year-old remasters. What was once an amazing experience, now refurbished, just can’t stand up against modern masterpieces like Elden Ring in my eyes. The standard for open world RPGs has evolved from the safe and predictable to what Elden Ring has delivered us. I’d be thrilled to be proved wrong, but I’m not holding my breath.

In response to other posts, Ybarra expressed his opinion that a remake would be preferable over a remastered version. He stated, “I’d fully support a genuine remake.” He further clarified why he feels unsure about the current plan, stating, “The term ‘remaster’ is what makes me hesitant.

When discussing the appeal of a remastered release that triggers nostalgia, Ybarra argues that this emotional pull might not be as strong due to the abundance of remakes and remasters that have been previously launched in the industry.

In response to the discussion on nostalgia giving an edge to older games, Ybarra expressed, “I understand your point, but it seems like we’ve remastered so many titles that the nostalgic factor might not be as strong.” He continued, “Perhaps I’m mistaken, but I believe the gaming community is craving something new and innovative more than anything else.

In discussing Elden Ring, Ybarra clarifies that he’s not solely comparing The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered to FromSoftware’s game based on it being a Souls-like title. Instead, he emphasizes the aspects of exploration and intricate combat system that Elden Ring offers, which are more significant points of comparison.

He wrote, “What I’m referring to isn’t ‘souls’ in the traditional sense, but rather the exploration, the categories, the battle mechanics, and so forth. Simply put, it’s about a higher standard of quality.

Although Ybarra’s perspective suggests that gamers prefer innovative titles over remakes and remasters of older games, his argument seems to overlook the significance of introducing classic games to a new generation of players.

Initially, playing Oblivion smoothly on a contemporary PC was quite a challenge due to its need for several community-created patches to rectify game-halting issues. However, console gamers missed out entirely as Oblivion was exclusively launched on the Xbox 360.

Earlier this week, “The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered” made its debut simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Notably, it’s also accessible via PC and Xbox Game Pass. Here’s a rundown of key features about the game.

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2025-04-23 17:42