Oblivion is the first RPG I ever played — and this new remaster is more than I could have hoped for

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered screenshot.

You know that “Ratatouille” meme where the sour-faced food critic takes a bite of Remy’s carefully prepared meal and is instantly transported back to their childhood? That was me the first time I booted up The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and the iconic theme music began to play.

I vividly remember first diving into the fantasy world of Cyrodiil as a fresh-faced 11-year-old when I got my beloved Xbox 360 back in 2006. It was the first RPG I’d ever played and in many ways a formative gaming experience. It showed me that video games could not only tell grand stories in a rich fictional world but also react to player actions in surprising ways.