The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck OK)
Current goal: Try not to get too distracted on my way to Skingrad.

Oblivion Remastered is basically everything I want from one of these. It overhauls the visuals without changing too much beneath the hood. It doesn’t replace the original, which you can still buy and play separately. And it gets me close enough to that version of Oblivion from 2006 that I revere in my head but which is way rosier than the one that actually existed. I’ve never beaten an Elder Scrolls but Oblivion might be my favorite, a “just right” Goldilocks compromise between Morrowind (great but unplayable) and Skyrim (more polished but too grim).

Cyrodiil is my favorite ESO locale by a country mile. The imperial seat, it’s a rich, cosmopolitan province that’s warm, welcoming, and beautiful, but with the dangerous, occult edge thanks to all those portals to the demon realm. I also prefer Oblivion’s more freeform action, where magic does a lot more than just blow enemies up and you don’t have to constantly swap between gear to play the way you want.

There’s been a lot made of Bethesda deciding to drop it right on top of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the critically acclaimed new RPG from a much smaller team, but as someone playing both I feel they’re actually perfect compliments to one another. Where Oblivion is first-person high-fantasy in an open world, Clair Obscur is a linear Belle Époque-punk adventure with turn-based combat. It might be gaming’s latest “Barbenheimer” after all, though I don’t know if it can top 2020’s Doom Crossing. — Ethan Gach

And that wraps our picks for the weekend. Happy gaming!