Original The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Designer Says Bethesda’s Remaster Is So Impressive It Could Be Called ‘Oblivion 2.0’

Original The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion senior game designer Bruce Nesmith has said Bethesda and Virtuos’ Oblivion Remastered is so impressive that he’s not sure calling it a remaster “actually does it justice.”

The mastermind behind much of what made the OG 2006 RPG so special shared his thoughts about the newly announced – and released – Oblivion remaster during a recent conversation with VideoGamer. He touched on the “blood, sweat, and tears” that went into bringing every inch of Cyrodiil to life, and that’s why it’s been such a shock to see Oblivion reimagined in nearly every way.

“I was assuming this was going to be a texture update,” Nesmith said. “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, you’re touching every part of the game.”

Bethesda didn’t officially mention Oblivion Remastered before its launch yesterday. Still, longtime fans have been left mostly impressed by the countless changes that range from shallow visual touchups to fundamental gameplay tweaks. Additions such as a new sprint mechanic and changes to the leveling system have many feeling like Oblivion Remastered is less of a remaster and more of a remake, and Nesmith is leaning the same way.

“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.”

Elsewhere in his chat, he attempted to label what he’s seen from Oblivion Remastered so far: “The closest that could come [to categorising it] is Oblivion 2.0.”

As fans gather to appreciate the work that’s gone into Oblivion Remastered, Bethesda has chimed in with its own explanation for how it came up with the name for its RPG re-release. In a statement posted to social media yesterday, the studio explained that it “never wanted to remake” Oblivion. Instead, its focus was maintaining the experience players know and love while modernizing it for newcomers, warts and all.

“We know many of our longtime fans will be thrilled to revisit Oblivion and the land of Cyrodiil,” Bethesda’s statement added. “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.”

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered was revealed and released yesterday as a shadow drop from Bethesda. You can hop into its reimagined version of Cyrodiil on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S now, and if you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, it’s available at no extra cost. For more on how Oblivion Remastered has reinvigorated the Elder Scrolls community, you can check in on how the modding community responded to the surprise launch.

We’ve got a comprehensive guide to everything you’ll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).