The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered | Everything New Added To The Game

Out of nowhere, Bethesda hit players with a surprise: Oblivion Remastered is here, and no one saw it coming. With no significant marketing build-up or countdown, the remaster appeared and suddenly appeared like a long-lost relic uncovered in a dusty Ayleid ruin.

And while it's not a full-scale remake from the ground up, it does deliver a significant visual and technical upgrade, alongside some intriguing new content fans never got to experience in the original release.

Hidden additions, gameplay tweaks, and welcome quality-of-life improvements beyond shinier textures are among the updates. Here are 10 things players have discovered so far in Oblivion Remastered.

1. Stagger Mechanics Are No Longer Random

Combat in the original Oblivion could be maddeningly unpredictable due to a random stagger mechanic. Your character could fall to the ground without notice if they get hit, even if they are blocking. It didn't seem fair, making it frustrating and impossible to plan close fighting. Thankfully, that randomness is gone in the remaster.

Now, the only way to get staggered is by blocking while completely out of stamina. Giving rewards for managing stamina instead of leaving results up to chance makes combat more transparent and fairer. This small change has a big effect on how close combat works.

2. Headshots Are Now a Thing

In the original Oblivion, it didn't matter where you hit an enemy in battle. Hitting someone in the foot or the head did the same amount of damage. But Bethesda has added something that Skyrim players are used to: damage that depends on where you strike.

Hitting someone in the head with a bow or a long spear now does a lot more damage. By letting them do new things, this change makes stealth-archer builds more useful. A careful aim and setting are also helpful.

The difference is significant enough that players can now plan stealth encounters more strategically, though it's still harder to remain undetected than in Skyrim. This small addition dramatically improves ranged combat, adding a tactical layer previously missing from Oblivion's mechanics.

3. Health Gains Are Now Retroactive

In the original game, character health was directly tied to how much Endurance you had when you leveled up. That meant if you didn't prioritize Endurance from the very beginning, your HP would be permanently stunted. It was a harsh and confusing system, especially for new players.

The remaster fixes this by retroactively making HP gains. If you increase Endurance later in the game, your total health adjusts accordingly. You're no longer punished for not min-maxing your build from the start.

This change simplifies character progression, removes unnecessary pressure, and ensures all players, new or returning, can enjoy the game without worrying about irreversibly gimping their characters.

4. Paintbrush Gravity Exploit Has Been Patched

A fan-favorite exploit from the original game, using gravity-defying paintbrushes to climb into the sky, has been officially patched out. Originally, paintbrushes could be dropped in midair and would simply float, suspended in place. Because they were treated as physical objects, players could stand on them, effectively building their own makeshift staircases.

This bizarre quirk was used for everything from skipping sections of quests to escaping from locked areas or just building absurd towers for fun. Sadly, in the remaster, paintbrushes now obey the laws of gravity. Drop one, and it falls like any other item. The dream of a floating staircase into the sky is gone, but the memories live on.

5. The Infamous Unmarked Cave Is Now Fully Accessible

The original Oblivion had a locked location labeled only as the "Unmarked Cave." Despite years of speculation, there was no legitimate way to enter it without console commands or unofficial mods. The key to the door simply didn't exist in the game's files, even though the dungeon behind it was fully built out.

Now, in the remaster, players can finally explore it; no mods or exploits are required. The door remains locked at first, but it can now be picked like any other door in the game. Inside, the dungeon spans three connected areas: the Unmarked Cave, the Unmarked Cave Mazeway, and the ominously titled Unmarked Cave: Black Queen's Hall.

Despite the build-up, there's not a ton to find besides a few monsters and standard dungeon fare. There's no rare loot or hidden story content. There are, however, players who have been wondering about this mysterious location for nearly two decades, and the ability to finally walk through the door is legitimately rewarding enough.

6. The Local Map Still Exists, But It's Hidden Behind Zoom

One small but noticeable change in the remaster is how players get to access the local map. When you go into a building or dungeon in the original game, the world map instantly changes to a view of the area you are in. That change doesn't happen immediately in the remaster.

To access the local version, players have to physically zoom in on the map screen. Even though this is a small change, it initially caused some confusion. Some players even thought the tool was gone for good. Thankfully, it hasn't—it just takes an extra step to activate.

The local map retains its original hand-drawn aesthetic and functions just as it did before, though some hoped for minor upgrades, such as better labeling of interiors or quest markers. Still, its presence is a reassuring sign that Bethesda tried to preserve the spirit of the original game where it mattered most.

7. Spell Skill Progression Is Based on Magicka Cost

Another change that was made behind the scenes changes how players move forward in fields where they cast spells. At first, growth was based only on the rank of the spell, not on how much it cost or how well it worked. To get better, players often cast the cheapest high-rank spell over and over again.

There is now a link between the amount of experience you get and the spell's Magicka cost. There is a difference between spells that give you more skill experience and spells that give you less. It's simpler to understand, fairer, and awards people who use complicated magic instead of spamming skills that don't do anything.

This change will make a big difference for people who play Restoration, Destruction, or Mysticism.

8. New Quests Included in the Deluxe Edition

Oblivion Remastered adds fresh narrative content in the form of two official new quests, both exclusive to the game's deluxe edition: A Wound in Time and A Burning Trail. These aren't overly concealed, but they also don't appear in your journal automatically; you'll have to find them yourself.

A Wound in Time begins right outside the ruined city of Kvatch. There, players will encounter a priest named Iev Alner (a name that couldn't sound more like it was plucked straight from a Daedric prophecy). He initiates a fairly linear but rewarding quest, and upon completion, he offers access to the exclusive Order Armor set.

The catch? You can only claim one piece at a time, but there's a workaround—simply keep engaging him about equipment, and you'll eventually collect the full set. A bit tedious, but worth it.

The second quest, A Burning Trail, is more complex. It starts with a story in Imperial City and leads to a strange note left by the Mythic Dawn cult at the Talos Plaza statue. After that, a series of cryptic messages and hidden hints led to a confrontation with the person responsible for the mystery.

After completing this quest, players can unlock the ability to summon Mehrunes' Harbinger, who, much like Iev Alner, dispenses unique gear, this time from the Harbinger Set. It's a darker, edgier counterpart to the Order Armor.

These quests were advertised as part of the deluxe edition, so they aren't exactly secrets, but for longtime fans, two new official quests in Oblivion are about as new as they get.

9. Object Grabbing Is Still Present, With Some Skyrim-style adjustments

The ability to grab and move physical objects with your character is a fan-favorite feature from both Oblivion and Skyrim, which is still present in the remaster. Players can hold down the interact button to grab physics-enabled items and move them around. It's mostly for fun, but it's part of what gives Bethesda's RPGs their signature flavor.

The new grabbing system closely mirrors Skyrim's implementation, but with one key difference: items no longer interact with NPCs while being held. That means you can't drop a bucket over someone's head to rob them blind, but you can still throw around furniture, rearrange corpses, or create general chaos in your house.

The physics has also been tuned to feel weightier, making objects more grounded and realistic, but also a little harder to maneuver. Still, it's a welcome inclusion that preserves the immersive sandbox feel that fans expect.

10. The Bound Weapon Repair Exploit Still Works

Anyone who played Oblivion a lot probably remembers the strange, quirky, game-breaking things that people did. Many of them have been fixed in the remake, but not all of them have been. 

One exploit that survived the update involves bound weapons. In the original game, casting a spell to summon a bound sword, axe, or bow created a temporary weapon that vanished after a short time. However, players discovered that if you repaired that weapon using repair hammers and dropped it, it would remain permanently in the world, effectively turning a temporary spell into a real, tangible item.

That exact exploit still works in the remaster. With one slight twist: you can now holster-bound weapons without vanishing, which is a helpful quality-of-life improvement. But the core of the exploit remains intact; cast, repair, drop, and wait. The weapon won't disappear, and you now have an infinite source of free gear or vendor trash. It's not the most overpowered glitch, but a nostalgic reminder of the game's quirky past.

Oblivion Remastered doesn't reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't pretend to. Instead, it refines, patches, and polishes one of the most iconic RPGs ever made, making it more accessible, balanced, and fulfilling.

Looking through unfinished dungeons, going back to old favorites, or finding the deeper combat and magic, the remaster brings a classic game to life without taking away what made it great.

Oblivion Remastered has both new quests and old dungeons that have been closed for a long time. It also has streamlined features and old-school adventures. It's not a huge change, but it doesn't have to be. Giving an old favorite a new lease on life is sometimes all it takes to bring back the magic.

Also, check our The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Review and other guides below:

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