Oblivion Remastered Deluxe Edition: Is it worth it? 🎮✨

Main Summary

Oblivion Remastered Deluxe Edition expands the experience with new missions and exclusive gear sets.
DLCs should provide meaningful content to justify their purchase, while avoiding fragmenting the original experience.
Bethesda's track record with monetization raises concerns about future strategies for remastered titles.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered It launched with a wealth of additional content that elevates the gameplay experience beyond the original. While it's exciting to see so much classic content, there are concerns about what financial decisions Bethesda might make following the success it has received, even after some previous setbacks.

With renewed confidence from its fans, will Bethesda make controversial decisions in the coming stages?

Oblivion Remastered: New DLC Content

Argonian in full armor holding a sword in front of the Imperial City in The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered. — Bethesda

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Deluxe Edition offers a wealth of additional content that significantly enriches the classic gameplay experience. This package includes two new quests that allow you to obtain armor sets and weapons based on the powerful gods Akatosh and Mehrunes Dagon.

These missions tell a strong narrative around these special items. Akatosh's sets reflect order and mastery of time, while Mehrunes Dagon's represent chaos and destruction. This duality even extends to the horse armor, available in two styles: "Order" and "Cataclysm."

Additionally, the Deluxe Edition includes a digital art book and soundtrack app that don't directly affect gameplay, but offer a deeper dive into the remaster's creative and musical process.

While Bethesda won't be offering official mod support in Oblivion Remastered, PC gamers won't be holding back.

The value this offers Remaster proves the public is ready for more Bethesda editions that revive classics. The additional content comes as a real gift, as the base game and its core content, including the original DLC, are accessible at no extra cost.

The legendary expansions Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine are already included in the base game, providing approximately 15 additional hours of gameplay at no additional cost, a detail that fans deeply appreciate.

Daedric Prince of Madness, Sheogorath, in front of his throne in The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered — Bethesda

A key aspect of remasters is including all the original content plus DLC to prevent users from feeling like they have to pay more to enjoy the full experience. The success of the Deluxe Edition lies in this transparency and generosity.

When DLC provides significant content, a higher cost is understandable and even justifiable. Bethesda has always created immersive worlds, and the Deluxe Edition amplifies that sense of depth and exploration.

Not all DLCs are equally valid. For example, in Dragon Age: Inquisition, to close Solas' story, it is mandatory to purchase the DLC Dreadwolf, which creates the feeling that a significant portion of the narrative was blocked behind an extra payment.

Similarly, in Mass Effect 2, the DLC Arrival It is crucial to understand the plot in Mass Effect 3, making it appear that a key segment was put up for sale additionally, affecting the entire experience.

A good example of well-done bonus content is The Witcher 3, whose expansions add valuable new adventures, without affecting the conclusion of the main plot, being rather new stories to explore.

In Oblivion Remastered, additional content is a great value for players, although Bethesda will have to be careful not to fall into practices that users may consider abusive.

Bethesda's History of Controversial Monetization

Player in full armor aiming a bow at a minotaur near a fire in The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered — Bethesda

Bethesda has been the focus of controversial debates over its monetization strategies. An iconic example is the "Horse Armor" DLC released in 2006 for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. For just $2.50, it offered a simple cosmetic change for the horse with no real gameplay benefits.

At the time, charging for visual modifications was considered excessive and unfair by many players. While other content expanded the game with real improvements, this DLC was criticized for its perceived minimal value.

The controversy over microtransactions and monetization exaggerated began to grow with these practices, generating distrust in the gamer community.

Subsequently, the implementation of the paid mod system in Skyrim generated even more criticism. Although the idea was to support mod creators, many players criticized the disproportionate prices and the potential for disrupting the collaborative ecosystem of free mods.

Leaked screenshot of combat in the supposed Oblivion remaster.

Rebuild and they will come.

With so many free mods available on platforms like Nexus Mods, the paid mod system seemed unfair and raised concerns about potential harm to the collaborative and creative community. Many players believe these decisions could transform creative spaces into mere commercial showcases.

In short, Bethesda is saddled with a history of controversial monetization decisions. Players want consistent quality, something they Oblivion Remastered has been offered for now, but community monitoring is still active.

We Don't Want More Full Game Testing as a Business Strategy

Player holding a sword and looking at a river next to a house in The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered — Bethesda

Bethesda is a fundamental part of the platform Game Pass, which promises access to all of its subscription titles. However, this offer could change, as currently only the Ultimate tier includes full games at launch, excluding other tiers.

The Deluxe Edition isn't included in Game Pass, which is reasonable given that it's extra content. However, there's concern that Bethesda might opt to offer only trials or demos in the future to encourage full purchases.

Examples like EA Play on Game Pass, where games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard They offer a free trial to attract sales, showing that this practice is already gaining ground. This could undermine the original promise of full access via subscription.

It is critical that Bethesda maintain integrity in its offerings. We enjoyed Oblivion Remastered on Game Pass, but we must be vigilant to prevent more games from fragmenting into incomplete demos.

For now, Bethesda's remasters seem to be on the right track. Oblivion Remastered is a faithful and significant improvement which has thrilled both longtime fans and new players. We hope this strategy continues, especially with future remasters like Fallout 3.