The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition (2009)

I'm going to be 100% honest in this review. I bought this game because I'm too broke for the remaster, but the 2009 edition is amazing. The graphics aren't even that bad and I love the concept of ranking up in guilds and factions, picking your race, buying items with gold, raiding dungeons, spells, and the side quests. I got the game for 5 bucks but honestly I would pay 10-15. Rating - 8.3/10

its so good and probably better than the remaster because nothing could capture the beauty of the shittiest 2006 graphics ever.

I literally love this game but if you're interested in ALL of the DLC, don't buy this version. Steam won't let you buy this version and the deluxe version on the same account without jumping through annoying hoops and steam support is completely unhelpful about it, and honestly, low-key kind of rude. I will ALWAYS love oblivion but having the deluxe goty and goty versions as separate feels scummy at best and scammy at worst. (I have edited out all the swearing in my review, feel free to sprinkle it in where you see fit).

It is really only enjoyable when it's modded correctly, but modding it is a pain to do. Without some modding assistance, the game is very prone to crashing to desktop. This being said, I would still recommend it. Just remember to save your game often.

Recently replaced by the 2025 Oblivion remaster, you can still load this up and experience the original potato face NPCs. Bethesda jank is always the best jank.

Played this game off and on since I was 7 or 8 years old, I'm almost 24 now. To keep things at least mildly short, all the main questlines still hold true, although fighter's guild is a bit boring but it's still alright. There is some blatantly obvious jank in the game, like the NPCs or the stability of the game, but this game also has a certain charm that has me coming back as you could probably tell by my hours on this game, most likely because of rose-colored nostalgia glasses but everyone is allowed to indulge in nostalgia. Now, there is a huge modding community, and you can easily go either the "cracked out" path or the "pre-bethesda remaster" route, either are respectable paths and can lead to having a much more enjoyable time. Anyway, I'd give this a solid 9/10 only because of the jank that hasn't aged very well, but literally everything else has aged like a fine wine!

I can't even see anything. I'm able to watch the opening cutscene, but my character won't show when I try to make them and when I load into the world it's just a grey screen with my hp and stamina bars and a crosshair. Why can't I even see the game?

The origin of the NPC memes...I used to play this game a lot in my childhood and it feels so nostalgic coming back to it. I'm pretty sure you came across the memes already so you know what this game is all about. It's a huge world with good graphics and a lot of areas to explore. Whether you like doing missions for certain people on your own or you'd like to join a guild, the choice is yours. Whether you like to play as a warrior or a magician, I'm sure you'll find the right role for yourself and there's so much stuff to do in this game. Besides the main storyline you get the chance to basically tell your own story and that's what makes it so cool for me. If you want to explore the origin of the NPC memes and play a great game, I'm pretty sure you'll like it. Just keep in mind that this version is only in English, but includes all the DLCs.

A perfect prequel to the timeless Skyrim. Lets just say it wouldn't be crazy if you said this game was better, which I never thought possible to be better than Skyrim, but there's an argument to be made. Once you get past the janky-ness of the game, you'll start to realize that's exactly part of the boundless magical beauty this title holds. A timeless gem by Bethesda, and a must play if you haven't already! <3

This game along with fallout 3 was the peak of Bethesda games, the quirky story line is something worth playing. After this, Skyrim and Fallout 4 really lost something and became boring.

Leveling system very different from usual, hard to master, but pretty entertaining. The ambience and theme of the game is very well built.

Made before the rich destroyed the art of game making, flawed but wonderful.

It's so hard to tell you how much I love this game. I didn't play it at launch, on account of being only nine at the time, so I missed out on the initial hype and didn't know too much about it in general when I picked it up (I thought playing a stealth archer was the coolest and I was so smart for figuring that out, ha). But it quickly became one of my favourite games ever. The world design is absolutely captivating. The colours and overall aesthetic are bright and stylized in a way I find hard to describe, and while the graphics are FAR from realistic, the whole game is just an incredibly immersive experience. Even just walking around in the game is enjoyable. The quests are mostly well-written, and as someone who first played Skyrim, I found it to be a breath of fresh air (No longer do I have to be the thane of every city, and the leader of every faction!). The game is, of course, full of jank, but it manages to be so in the most charming way. Maybe I'm viewing it through nostalgia glasses, but regardless, I recommend it to everyone I know. So, I’ll recommend it here as well!

Great game with an amazing theme of fantasy but be prepared to go in oblivion portals over and over again

The original version of this game honestly holds up better than the remaster imo, for a few key reasons: 1. The remaster is basically in the dark ages of modding right now as of June 2025, the date of this review. There are mods for the game, which are awesome, but no mod manager has been created yet. Sooooo that's a massive issue right out of the gate, largely due to- 2. The remasters insistance of UE5 visuals baked on the LOOOONG dated Gamebryo engine. Which, as I've heard, is horribly optimized for performance. And the remaster is exceptionally bad at performance right now. 3. The price is better. Admittedly 50 bucks is better than 60, or god forbid EIGHTY, but I was planning to get the remaster for the summer sale. It's 20% off. 20% off a game with no mod manager and shit performance, I'm keeping my hard earned money thank you very much. If it were 50% off or preferably more I MIGHT have gotten it. Might. The original GOTY deluxe edition is only 20 bucks, runs infinitely better, and has DECADES of mods and a rich history behind it all. 4. Ok now, this is gonna be a hot take. I think the visuals of both the original and the remaster are pretty good in their own right. However, I LOVE the "painted world" aesthetic of the original to death, which the remaster does not have AT ALL. But that isn't exactly a bad thing per se. Just a different visual style. 5. Even minor things like physics, the original does better! If you cast a powerful enough shock spell, anyone hit with it will be sent flying 20 meters across the sky! In the remaster...they just kinda...drop dead....realistically....yeahhhh...I really don't like how they botched up the physics in favor of "rEalIsm!!"...in a fantasy game no less! 6. Now yes, the original absolutely has aged poorly in some aspects. The character models are notoriously ugly, but a key part of Oblivion's charm nonetheless, but there are even worse things, like the leveling system and unbalanced enemies as a result of the leveling system. My biggest gripe with the original was the combat. You always kept getting randomly staggered while enemies move way too fast, and combat generally consists of blocking following by circling the enemy and spamming attack while preventing them from being able to. Power attacks don't stagger enemies unlike in Skyrim, and honestly don't even do that much more damage! The magic system, while MUCH better since you can make your own spells, is also really flawed, and I don't mean the absolute fun you can have in making broken shit, but I mean the unfun aspects, like the strange balancing of certain spells causing them to be underpowered as fuck, (why do bound weapons only last FIFTEEN SECONDS by default? Where are the "on target" Absorb Health spells?!) and some levels of spells not even being present on mages, so you have to make your own. (Drain Fatigue has Novice, Apprentice, and Expert variations, but no Journeyman spells? WTF??) Initally I was attracted to the remaster, hyped even! Because it seemed to have finally fixed the combat system and made many QOL changes, enemies even reacted to your attacks, which the original didn't have! But then, the issues kept growing. And growing. And growing! I actually went back to my modded original game, and honestly, I had LOADS of fun there! And it actually made me stop...and realize....why did I want the remaster again? C-Can you even CALL it a remaster?! It looks more like a reMAKE to me! Generally the rule of thumb for all Elder Scrolls games is this: If there is something you don't like or something you want for whatever reason, a mod will fix/create it. If it doesn't exist, someone out there will make it. Tbh, I really wish we didn't have to mod our games to fix things like performance or crappy combat systems that really don't hold up today, but alas, that's kinda how it just works, pun very much intended. But yes, the modding community has done great strides in fixing a lot of issues I have with the game, including the combat, thanks to a recent mod. It's FAR from perfect, even in my modded setup, and could use much improvement, but it feels SO much better than vanilla! And hey, if you can appreciate the vanilla game, warts and all, or even genuinely enjoy the original combat system, that's not a bad thing at all! I do appreciate the vanilla game for what it is, and my first experience was Oblivion on the Xbox 360, and I had an awesome time there! Unfortunately, due to my experience with the game, I don't think I can ever go back to pure vanilla. Mods have spoiled me. The best part about the remaster was actually making me appreciate the original version all the more! Who would've thought? Oh! Here's something the remaster doesn't have! There's a mod for the original Oblivion where every time a guard says "You have my ear, citizen" they will literally give you one of their ears! ...as an alchemy ingredient, but honestly, that's even funnier! Humor like that is something we need in games today. TLDR: Remaster bad, original good, don't waste your time with the remaster and just get the GOTY deluxe edition, you won't regret it

It's bethesda game. Interesting side quests. There are lot of things you can do in this game.

My favorite game of all time! A world you can lose yourself in for hundreds of hours.

This is the original oblivion in all its beauty and bugs... i played it since my pc can t run the remastered edition

Not sure what went wrong but I came back to play this game as i havnt in along time now it does not run at all Immediate CTD with no warning or reason why.... From a fresh reinstall no mods just DLC that came with it... I think I got this for free I cant remember

Oblivion might be showing its age with dated graphics and occasionally clunky mechanics, but beneath the surface lies one of the most immersive and charming fantasy worlds ever created. The voice acting can be hilariously repetitive and the level-scaling system is far from perfect, but none of that stops the game from delivering countless memorable quests, unique guild storylines, and a genuinely magical atmosphere. With mods, the game becomes even more enjoyable, fixing many of its shortcomings and enhancing visuals to near-modern standards. While it’s not as polished as Skyrim or as deep as Morrowind, Oblivion strikes a perfect balance between accessibility and depth. If you're willing to look past some 2006 jank, Cyrodiil still has plenty of adventures waiting.

played this game as a skyrim kid, got infuriated how much more depth there is that is no longer in skyrim. now i cry because skyrim mods still don't restore a fraction of the personality this game has D:

best game ever made, found glitches in character creator screen, now i have an argonian with human lips above his mouth

I haven't played this game for long but it's awesome. I heard of the oblivion remastered coming out and I don't have a great computer so I got the original. Was I disappointed? Absolutely not. This is a great game and I love how camp it is.

Great first-person point of view with over-the-shoulder camera option. Immersive stories and enormous open world environment.

Loved the aesthetic, music, and quests. But the dungeons, levelling and the dialogue could have been better.

Great all time classic. Hard to believe this came out in 2006. Going to try out the remastered version after this one.

Like most Elder Scrolls games, Oblivion hails supreme. Despite it's many bugs and defects, the game is absolutely flawless. The charm brought in by these bugs make for some hilarious moments and honestly was one of the key reasons I fell in-love with it. The story and lore, the side missions, the attention to details, every piece unique and special in it's own quirky way. Oblivion is a highly appealing game and I have no doubt the new remake is just as or more so beautiful. For me though, I love the classic styles, the older graphics, the more buggy feature, from stiff movements to graphical errors and texture problems that never go away. They all present a charm that brings a smile to my face. I suppose the only thing I wished we could've had in this game was a choice of story moral where you could play a Dremora or secret Daedric entity, probably sent from Dagon to kill Martin and end the septim line, but alas it's not part of the game. I will always love these games for what they are. Imperfect and splendid. In my mind, that is a true masterpiece ^^

A really decent older game, part of the elderscrolls. It has great quests, and good for its day

As casual player, I always loved side quests from elder scrolls games. This one is no different: old, but gold! So much fun... not like the news AAAA titles... well, play it vanilla and moded. It does not matter. Just play it. And you will not regret it!!

it's a pretty good game ngl. ESPECIALLY for people who have potatoes instead of pcs like me pretty good

It says I own the deluxe version but it doesn't let me install it, its probably good tho

Best game ever! I have spent thousands of hours on this masterpiece of a game when I was a teenager!

It may feel less fleshed out than Skyrim but some mechanics are genuinely better and it's overall very enjoyable even from someone who played skyrim first

Playing this again in 2025, after last playing it sometime in 2011. 10 years later, it still holds up great. Maybe the graphics aren't the pseudo-realistic ones that we see in recent games, but they hold up just fine. Also... System requirements - 512 MB RAM. When was even the last time that RAM was measured in MB? And the non discount price being ~10% of the remaster. Amazing

All i can say is this game runs near perfectly on my System, probably only crashes every so often but that easy fixed with a few community mods. I personally dont run any mods to play this and other than keybinding being weird its next to flawless in my honest opinion.

Classic open-world RPG experience that overflows with quirky charm, containing dozens of hours worth of adventure. Oblivion is a landmark title and remains a must-play for fans of the genre.

Great game, fun and engaging quests, lots of them as well. Funny dialogs and smaller glitches. Only thing I HIGHLY recommend is installing 2 mods, one that fixes leveling attributes and another for fixing leveled items. Otherwise it's a gem of a game.

I didn't like Oblivion 15 years ago, but since I came back a few years ago and modded the hell out of it, it is an extremely relaxing game. The leveling is atrocious, the combat is not good, and it rides a fine line between being a poorly-written fantasy and a cute, charming fairy tale. However, if you're willing to download 100 or so fan made mods and edit the .ini to your liking, it can be a very soothing time waster.

After the remaster basically set my PC on fire, I though I'd try the original with the mega-sale. This game is absolutely wonderful- don't get me wrong, it looks like claymation and combats not great, but the story is amazing, and traversing and exploring this world is so much fun!

i like it because storywise, its freaking awesome. i might say its better than skyrim. although graphics and dialogue are buns, all the pros outweigh that con. 10/10. would 100% recommend to anyone who really wants a good story, with nice character building.

fun i really like creating spells and the story is good

Needs to have controller support activated with purchase, given subsidy to the standing Nvidia now circumstances. Why would most buy this if they had a PC? Not generally relevant. Thus, it should have the big picture access in desktop, or simply leave the controller support activation in the access of a product key. .. ... .... Jazz!

The controller support for this game is terrible, especially considering that it was released for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Otherwise, great game. But coming from a console player, not having controller support is a shock.

Oversaturated and dated graphics, voice acting with room for improvement, glitches... but who cares because also so many good stories and sub stories, big map with cities that feel like cities each with their own sense of identity... the devs clearly put a lot of love into this and I'm enjoying playing this on Steam Deck in 2025. Had to pick community controls to get it to work for me, some clever controls some people have done, taking advantage of features of the Steam Deck I forgot existed. Another thing, I really feel like my character is evolving and improving still after 62 hrs and I'm still having challenging fights and enjoying not mastering archery - this many hours into Skyrim and I'd be a stealth archer and winning every fight.

Um dos melhores RPGs que já joguei. Ele tem elementos que muitos modernos não possuem e deveriam ter.

This is when bethesda was a good company and had high iq. now not so much . im actually going back to this game because oblivion remastered melted my cpu , seems to be a intel chip + unreal 5 un optimized bug that floors your cpu to 100% while your gpu sits at 40% until it melts your cpu RIP 10th gen i5 , gtx 4090 ti , 58 gigs of ram is now trash and this company will do nothing about it i mean they made atleast 60$ x 4 million in the first month then expect modders to fix their game for free while it melts cpu's in the mean time.

It's not horrible, but the leveling system is pure self harm. Many mods are no longer working and crashes are frequent. It penalises you for playing how you want to play instead of grinding out minor skills before using your major skills- the ones you want to use. See here for more info: https://pt.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Efficient_Leveling

Game refuses to start despite following the numerous tips & tricks from others that had the same problem.

If you can't run the remastered version or don't want fps drops like your enthusiasm, you still have this game on your back. I like the smooth graphics, that runs better in most of the potato builds.

Played the game originally in 2006 including all the DLC when it launched in 2009 and is definitely one of the best RPG and Bethesda games ever made. Got hyped about the remaster but it won't run on my PC so I purchased the OG GOTY edition again. Still holds the test of time as one of my all time favorite games ever! While so many argue about which Elder Scrolls game is the best I say neither. They're all uniquely good in their own way. For the low price being an older game it's a must try IMO. While there are thousands of mods in 2025 the game is still amazing on it's own merit and the visual fidelity is greatly improved without mods. To keep it simple I've decided to stick with the basic 3 Unofficial Patch mods for bug fixes, the 4GB Patch, and for a bit of a balanced leveling system I use Auto Update Leveled Items And Spells. A little reading on the mod page on Nexus Mods guides you to a very simple installation process. BTW thank you steam for making controller support through keyboard and mouse button mapping simple and effective for us console players!