Games That Deserve a Modern Remaster Like The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion

After years of rumors pointing to its existence, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion finally received a modern remaster this April. Surprisingly, the approach that Bethesda took to remastering Oblivion was somewhat atypical, with the studio retaining the original game engine but updating its visuals using Unreal Engine 5. In essence, Oblivion Remastered toes the line between a ground-up modern remake and a remaster, retaining all of the original gameplay (warts and all) while bringing the game's visuals into the modern era and adding in some much-requested quality-of-life features. It's an approach that opens the door for several other beloved titles from the 6th and 7th generations to follow suit, and there are plenty of incredible games from those eras that deserve a modern remaster in the same style as Oblivion.

To be fair, some of the titles on this list are games that are already rumored to be receiving remakes or remasters, but by focusing on the style of remaster that Bethesda opted for with Oblivion, we're aiming for something that strikes a balance between the two. Instead of just a minor graphical update or up-resing textures to high definition resolution, an Oblivion-style remaster would consist of merging the original game's source code with brand-new graphical assets and visuals courtesy of Unreal Engine 5. So, while there might be an Assassin's Creed IV remake reportedly in the works at Ubisoft, what would arguably be better is for the game to remain exactly the same, just with a brand-new coat of paint that ushers it into the modern era.

• Release Date — November 3, 2009
• Developer — BioWare
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Review Aggregate Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

At this point, it's safe to assume that the Dragon Age franchise is basically dead in the water. The disappointing commercial response to Dragon Age: The Veilguard (despite it being a generally good action RPG) resulted in most of the team getting let go at BioWare/Electronic Arts, leaving the future of the IP hanging in the balance. What if, instead of moving forward, the series looked to the past to revive what's still the series' most beloved entry — the debut title? Dragon Age: Origins is still an excellent RPG with some strong writing, interesting characters, great world-building, and challenging combat. A modern graphical remaster is practically all it would take for Electronic Arts to have a major hit on their hands.

• Release Date — May 26, 2009
• Developer — Sucker Punch Productions
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation 3

Sucker Punch hasn't stopped making great games since it brought superhero games into the modern era with Infamous in 2009, but there's a strong case for the studio to go back and remaster that classic title after it releases Ghost of Yōtei this October. Long-trapped on the PlayStation 3, Infamous is one of several titles on Sony's 7th-gen console that remains unplayable on modern hardware, and it's a shame because it still holds up as an original and forward-thinking experience more than 15 years later. Like the other games on this list, barely any enhancements need to be made to Infamous' gameplay in a remaster, freeing up Sucker Punch to put resources into giving it some impressive visuals on-par with Ghost of Tsushima and liberating it from its exclusivity on an old platform.

• Release Date — October 29, 2013
• Developer — Ubisoft Montreal
• Publisher — Ubisoft
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360

Out of the games we've chosen as deserving of a modern remaster akin to Oblivion's, one that seems the most likely is Assassin's Creed IV. Indeed, rumors have been circulating for quite some time that point to an Assassin's Creed IV remake currently being in the works at Ubisoft, but it might not even need something that ambitious. More than 10 years from its original release, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is still arguably the best game in the Assassin's Creed franchise and one of the greatest pirate simulators of all time. So instead of remaking the game, Ubisoft could focus on keeping the cherished gameplay of the original intact while giving it a groundbreaking visual overhaul in line with the impressive performance and graphics of this year's Assassin's Creed: Shadows.

• Release Date — November 2, 2004
• Developer — Guerrilla Games
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 70% (Mixed or Average)
• Platforms — PlayStation 2

Sony has been a little remaster-happy in recent years, releasing updated visual enhancements to many of its most popular first-party titles (sometimes even within a single generation removed from their original release). But the recent remaster of Days Gone is an important step toward giving underrated first-party Sony exclusives a second shot with audiences, and it opens the door for another cult classic from the PS2 era to receive the same treatment: Killzone.

The second and third Killzone games were visual powerhouses that achieved strong critical and commercial success, but the limitations of the PS2 hardware held back the original game in the series from earning the same kind of accolades. But that doesn't mean it's any less of a great shooter. In fact, the Killzone HD remaster as part of the series' collection on PS3 made great strides toward improving the game, and a modern remaster could finish the job.

• Release Date — July 25, 2001
• Developer — Remedy Entertainment
• Publisher — Gathering of Developers, Rockstar Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox

At this point, Remedy Entertainment is one of a small handful of studios that can seemingly do no wrong, and a lot of players are hoping for it to finally pull the curtain back on the long-rumored remake/remaster of the original Max Payne. While the project has been rumored for quite some time, there's still no concrete evidence to go by regarding what the scope of the project might be, and the success of the Oblivion remaster sets a strong precedent for Max Payne to follow in its footsteps. At the time of its original release, Max Payne was one of the first games to implement the flashy action and bullet-time spectacle of The Matrix and the films of John Woo, and imagining what that same kind of diving and shooting action might look like with some impressive Unreal Engine 5 visuals is an enticing prospect.

• Release Date — April 12, 2005
• Developer — BioWare
• Publisher — Microsoft Game Studios
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, Xbox

Along with Dragon Age: Origins, another BioWare classic that is absolutely deserving of a modern remaster is Jade Empire. Even though the game's creator, Mike Laidlaw (who, incidentally, also helped create Dragon Age) is no longer at BioWare, that shouldn't stop the studio from taking what's already a rock-solid action RPG and giving it a strong, modern visual uplift. Jade Empire's main hook is its real-time combat, which ultimately helps separate it from being too similar to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. KOTOR's remake is already in development with Aspyr at the helm, but there's nothing stopping Jade Empire from getting a halfway remake/remaster project that brings the title into the modern era. Better yet, it could be just the springboard the series needs to get the sequel fans have been requesting for decades.

• Release Date — December 15, 2005
• Developer — Namco Tales Studio
• Publisher — Namco Bandai Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PlayStation 2

Like some of the other games on this list that deserve a modern remaster, there's actually a good bit of evidence that points to Tales of the Abyss being one of the more likely candidates to see that dream come to fruition. Namco Tales Studio recently announced that it was going to be going back through the series and remastering the most beloved Tales games in the franchise to help bring attention to the excellent, but often overlooked, JRPG series.

That initiative kicked off in earnest this year with Tales of Graces f Remastered, and the prevailing rumor is that Tales of the Abyss is the next game to get the same treatment. As far as the classic Tales games go, Tales of the Abyss is one of the all-time greats, and all it needs is a bit of visual polish and some quality of life updates to help it become one of the better RPGs available on modern hardware.

• Release Date — December 21, 1998
• Developer — BioWare
• Publisher — Black Isle Studios, Interplay Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC

The original Baldur's Gate is still one of the greatest and most foundational CRPGs ever made, along with being the game that helped put BioWare on the map. But other than a remaster for PC (which also eventually made its way to iOS and Switch), the original Baldur's Gate is definitely a product of its time that has a bit of a hard time not showing its age. Rather than have BioWare tackle an Oblivion-style remaster of the game, the duty should fall on Baldur's Gate 3's Larian Studios, which has more than proven itself adept at handling the IP. Combining the gameplay of the original Baldur's Gate with the graphics engine of Baldur's Gate 3 would be a perfect fit that would allow players to experience one of the greatest RPGs ever made in a whole new light.

• Release Date — March 22, 2005
• Developer — Santa Monica Studio
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 94% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PlayStation 2

Outside the HD Collection containing the first two God of War titles on the PS3, the original games in what's now one of Sony's most important and successful franchises remain trapped on their original hardware. Considering how much longevity Sony has gotten out of the series courtesy of its PS4 reboot and sequel, it's high time that Sony Santa Monica remasters the original God of War using modern visuals and brings it to the PlayStation 5. In theory, they could easily remaster both God of War and God of War 2 as part of a single package, but there's a case that it would be better to enhance the original game in the series using modern visual flourish while keeping the core gameplay entirely entact, with 2005's God of War serving as a clear contrast between the modern Norse mythology saga.

• Release Date — June 23, 2000
• Developer — Ion Storm
• Publisher — Eidos Interactive
• Review Aggregate Score — 90% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 2

25 years later, the original Deus Ex is still an impressive technical achievement and one of the greatest games in the genre it helped birth: the immersive sim. Considering how well Deus Ex's gameplay holds up even in a modern context, it's arguably one of the prime candidates to receive a remaster in the same vein as Oblivion. Like Bethesda's recent Oblivion remaster, a modernized version of Deus Ex could simply merge the existing original gameplay engine with Unreal Engine 5 handling the game's visuals to great effect, showcasing how forward-thinking of a title Deus Ex was back in 2000 all while letting returning players revisit the title how we remember it and giving it the opportunity to capture a brand new audience. Half-Life already got a similar treatment with the fan-made Black Mesa, and Deus Ex deserves the same.

• Release Date — April 29, 2008
• Developer — Rockstar North
• Publisher — Rockstar Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 98% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

For many longtime Grand Theft Auto fans, the series' fourth entry stands as the best in the franchise solely based on the strength of its excellent story and protagonist Niko Bellic. It also doesn't hurt that Grand Theft Auto IV reintroduces players to the sprawling metropolis of Liberty City in stunning graphical detail, modernizing the setting that helped usher the series into its 3D era and place as one of the most important and groundbreaking IPs in gaming. But despite all that praise, Grand Theft Auto IV remains trapped on past-gen hardware, with the title only playable on PC in terms of current platforms. Aside from some small tweaks to vehicle handling and a slight visual uplift, Grand Theft Auto IV remains practically perfect, and it's one of the more obvious games that would benefit from an Oblivion-style remaster.

• Release Date — May 2, 2002
• Developer — Bethesda Game Studios
• Publisher — Bethesda Softworks
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, Xbox

We've gotten no less than 5 different versions of Skyrim since its original release. Oblivion now has its long-awaited remaster. It stands to reason that, finally, the time is nigh for Bethesda to go back and remaster the most pivotal entry in the Elder Scrolls series: Morrowind. Morrowind is truly unlike any other Elder Scrolls game, and the fact that many of its most ardent fans are still finding reasons to go back and play it (or even make new games that use it as a primary inspiration) speaks to its lasting impact. Now that the other modern Elder Scrolls games have had their time in the sun, it's only fair that Morrowind gets its due by being the next game in the series to receive a remaster similar to Oblivion's, which it could especially benefit from in terms of its more obviously aging visuals.

• Release Date — November 18, 2002
• Developer — Ubisoft Montreal
• Publisher — Ubisoft
• Review Aggregate Score — 93% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox

Originally a PC and Xbox exclusive before eventually making its way to other 6th-generation consoles, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell was practically a revelation at the time of its release. The title was one of the few modern stealth action games that could hold a candle to progenitors like Metal Gear Solid, and the combat and stealth sandboxes it provides to players are still impressive all these years later. While the first game in the series seems like a shoo-in for an Oblivion-style remaster that retains the original gameplay engine and updates the visuals, it would also be excellent to get a remaster package that contains the original three games in the series under one umbrella. With any luck, the new Splinter Cell game reportedly in the works will take the series back to its roots.

• Release Date — October 19, 2010
• Developer — Obsidian Entertainment
• Publisher — Bethesda Softworks
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Other than Oblivion, perhaps the most-requested Bethesda game to get a remaster is Fallout: New Vegas. Well, now that Oblivion has gotten its due, it's Fallout: New Vegas's chance to get a second lease on life, and it's an ideal candidate for a similar kind of remaster. Fallout: New Vegas is the one game in the modern Fallout series that Bethesda didn't develop (instead handing that duty off to Obsidian Entertainment), but that's precisely why the game needs a remaster. New Vegas features some of the best writing and quest design of any Fallout game, and its gameplay (along with Fallout 3's) still remains the template on which the modern Fallout titles are based. All it needs is a nice visual uplift to bring it into the modern era and a port to modern hardware while we all wait for Fallout 5.

• Release Date — March 24, 2015
• Developer — FromSoftware
• Publisher — Sony Computer Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 92% (Universal Acclaim)
• Platforms — PlayStation 4

Perhaps the most-requested remake or remaster in gaming history is one for Bloodborne. Originally released 10 years ago as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, Bloodborne marked a turning point for FromSoftware in which, under future president Hidetaka Miyazaki's direction, the studio took some great risks to develop an action RPG that clearly shifted its design philosophy away from the Dark Souls series that had helped the company achieve notoriety. Since that original release, Bloodborne has taken on a bit of a mythical status thanks to its place as a PS4 exclusive, with fans desperately grasping at straws for any sign that the title could be getting a modern remaster to run at 4K 60 FPS or come to PC.

As far as the "remake vs. remaster" debate over Bloodborne goes, there's a case to be made that the title is about as close to perfect as a game can get. So instead of building the game back up from scratch, a modern Bloodborne port to PC and PS5 could simply go the Oblivion route, keeping the original source code intact while simply updating the visuals and performance in a way that makes the title consistent with current-gen gaming experiences.