With the release of Oblivion Remaster on April 22, 2025, I asked myself: Do we really need more remakes of older games, or would it be better to see new entries in beloved franchises?
Bethesda, in particular, stands out when it comes to revisiting old titles. Who could forget the countless iterations of Skyrim? Meanwhile, The Elder Scrolls 6 was teased back in 2018—7 YEARS AGO! Of course, the global pandemic likely slowed development, and I know Bethesda didn’t dedicate resources to the Oblivion Remaster itself (that was mostly handled by Virtuous). Still, from an outsider’s perspective, it might seem like they’re spinning their wheels.
Now, don’t get me wrong—some games truly benefit from remakes and remasters. I have a wishlist full of titles I’d love to see receive the care they deserve. Unfortunately, licensing challenges and studio closures mean many will likely never happen. But then there are games, like The Last of Us, that seem to be remastered endlessly. Did we really need another version of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, especially when The Last of Us 2 Remastered launched on PS4 not so long ago? Perhaps it’s my bias as an Xbox owner that clouds my judgment, but it feels excessive.
But with every remake of games that came out since 2020, there are also games that have been remade/remastered that definitely deserved that treatment. Spyro and Crash Bandicoot are shining examples of how to bring the soul of a game into the modern era, while franchises like Doom have managed to retain their essence and innovate simultaneously.
Cost is another huge factor. Having Oblivion Remaster on Game Pass is a relief—it saves players from shelling out $50 or more. Compare that to Skyrim, which many of us have purchased multiple times due to its endless rereleases. Speaking of Skyrim, I must have purchased that game three times over the course of all its releases.
Then there’s the other side of the coin. Sometimes the remake/remaster absolutely ruins the game it is trying to bring into the current generation of consoles. Look at GTA Trilogy—three beloved games in their own right, but the “Definitive Edition” was an absolute catastrophe. Bug-riddled and sometimes not even working. I feel this tarnished the games it was trying to introduce to a new audience.
Maybe this is me overthinking what a new Elder Scrolls game could be, as I’m a massive fan of the series. Sure, I’ll play The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. But at the same time, I’ll always be longing for something, like maybe that new The Elder Scrolls VI game that’s in development. Time will tell if this debate will ever end, but if there’s money to be made from nostalgia, higher-ups at studios will always try to cash in.
