The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, launched on April 22, 2025, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, revitalizes Bethesda’s 2006 RPG masterpiece with Unreal Engine 5 visuals, refined mechanics, and the same boundless open world that captivated millions. As you roam Cyrodiil to foil the Mythic Dawn’s plot and seal the Oblivion Gates, the game’s freedom invites bold choices—but also perilous missteps. Some mistakes can lock you out of quests, cripple your character, or sap the joy from your adventure. Drawing from player experiences and the remaster’s quirks, here are seven critical mistakes to avoid at all costs in Oblivion Remastered to ensure your journey as the Champion of Cyrodiil remains legendary.
1. Finalizing Your Build Too Early
The tutorial in the Imperial City sewers lets you customize your race, birthsign, class, and major skills, but locking in a poorly planned build can haunt you. For instance, choosing a stealth-focused class like Thief with major skills like Sneak and Marksman, but neglecting combat skills like Blade or Destruction, leaves you vulnerable against scaled enemies like Dremora in Oblivion Gates. The remaster’s updated leveling system allows flexible attribute allocation, but major skills still drive level-ups. Picking unrelated skills—say, Acrobatics, Speechcraft, and Heavy Armor—slows progression and dilutes your effectiveness. Test your build in the tutorial, pair synergistic skills (e.g., Blade, Block, and Heavy Armor for Warriors), and choose a complementary race and birthsign, like a Breton with The Mage for spellcasters. Adjust before exiting the sewers, as this is your only chance to change freely, preventing a gimped character later.
2. Triggering Too Many Oblivion Gates Early
Rushing the main quest, particularly after delivering the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre, spawns multiple Oblivion Gates across Cyrodiil, flooding the world with tough Daedric enemies that scale with your level. If you’re underleveled (below level 10) or lack gear, these gates make exploration grueling. The remaster retains this mechanic, and premature gate spawns can still occur due to bugs, as noted by players. Instead, pause the main quest after “The Path of Dawn” and focus on side quests, such as the Fighters Guild or “A Brush with Death” in Cheydinhal, to gain XP, gold, and items like the Honorblade of Chorrol. This builds your character’s strength, making gates like those near Bruma more manageable. If gates appear unexpectedly, reload a save or enter and exit one to despawn it, ensuring the world remains navigable.
3. Ignoring Quest Order for Guilds
Joining guilds like the Mages Guild, Thieves Guild, and Dark Brotherhood is a highlight, but tackling their quests out of order can cause conflicts or lockouts. For example, progressing in the Mages Guild before the Thieves Guild’s “The Elven Maiden” quest risks expulsion from the Mages Guild, as a key NPC is involved in both. Similarly, the Dark Brotherhood’s “Bad Medicine” quest can fail if you’ve advanced too far in the Fighters Guild, as overlapping objectives clash. To avoid this, start with Sanguine’s Daedric quest for a useful item, then complete the Thieves Guild, followed by the Dark Brotherhood, and save the Mages Guild for later. Save before starting guild quests, and check your journal for overlapping objectives. This order, widely recommended by players, minimizes bugs and preserves access to guild rewards like spellcrafting or fences for stolen goods.
4. Neglecting to Cure Diseases Promptly
Combat with vampires or their thralls can inflict Porphyric Hemophilia, a disease that turns you into a vampire after three days if untreated. Vampirism brings boosts to attributes but also sunlight damage, NPC hostility, and fast travel restrictions, which can disrupt your playthrough, especially for new players. The remaster doesn’t simplify curing it—without the Vile Lair DLC’s Font of Renewal, the cure involves a lengthy quest. Other diseases, like Helljoint from wolves, reduce attributes until cured. Always check your statistics menu after fights, and cure diseases immediately with potions, Cure Disease spells, or visits to Altars of the Nine in city chapels. Keeping Cure Disease potions (crafted via Alchemy or bought from alchemists) in your inventory prevents these afflictions from derailing your adventure.
5. Over-Reliance on Exploits and Glitches
Oblivion Remastered retains the original’s exploitable magic and glitches, such as item duplication or paintbrush climbing, which can tempt players to amass wealth or skills quickly. However, using these—like duplicating Skooma to max Alchemy or exploiting the Dornish Wine glitch for infinite gold—can break the game’s economy and challenge, leading to burnout. Players report feeling hollow after exploiting, as it trivializes quests and combat. The remaster’s physics glitches, like UE5-enabled jumps to reach the Temple District’s endgame door, can also skip the main story, robbing you of its narrative. Avoid these by playing organically, saving before testing glitches, and focusing on quests for rewards. If you accidentally overexploit, reload a prior save or start fresh to preserve the RPG’s depth and satisfaction.
6. Failing to Manage Fame and Infamy
Your character’s Fame and Infamy, tracked in the statistics menu, affect NPC interactions and access to divine altars. High Infamy from Thieves Guild heists, Dark Brotherhood assassinations, or bounties (e.g., stealing in Bruma) makes NPCs hostile and blocks Altar of the Nine buffs, crucial for healing or attribute boosts. For example, if Infamy exceeds Fame, you can’t use the Chapel of Dibella in Anvil for restoration, impacting tough fights like the Battle of Bruma. The Knights of the Nine pilgrimage resets Infamy but requires visiting multiple wayshrines, which is time-consuming mid-campaign. To avoid this, prioritize Fame-building quests early, like “Fingers of the Mountain” or aiding Kvatch’s citizens, and pay off bounties promptly via guards or Thieves Guild fences. Monitoring Fame/Infamy ensures you stay in the Divines’ good graces.
7. Skimping on Saves and Backup Files
The remaster’s bugs, such as disappearing Oblivion Gates, crashing Paralyze effects, or save file corruption (especially with special characters like quotes in character names), can wipe out progress. A notable player issue involved losing companions Martin and Jauffre after a quest destroyed a guild building, halting the main story. Another reported a Steam Cloud bug erasing saves. Failing to save frequently or maintain multiple save files risks these disasters, particularly during lockpicking, dungeon dives, or quest choices like “The Killing Field” in Chorrol. Save before every major action—entering Ayleid ruins, persuading NPCs, or closing gates—and keep at least three rotating manual saves. Perform local backups on PC to counter Steam Cloud issues. This habit, emphasized by the community, safeguards your playthrough against Oblivion’s lingering jank.
Why These Mistakes Are Catastrophic
These seven mistakes—finalizing a bad build, triggering gates early, ignoring guild quest order, neglecting diseases, overusing exploits, mismanaging Fame/Infamy, and skimping on saves—can ruin Oblivion Remastered by locking you out of content, breaking immersion, or forcing restarts. The remaster’s Unreal Engine 5 overhaul enhances visuals and UI, but the core game retains Bethesda’s signature volatility, with enemy scaling and bugs amplifying poor choices. A weak build struggles against level-scaled Minotaurs, while early gates flood Cyrodiil with unbeatable foes. Guild conflicts can bar you from the Arcane University, and vampirism or high Infamy disrupts NPC interactions, limiting role-playing. Exploits and infrequent saves risk burnout or lost progress, especially with reported performance issues like stuttering on Ryzen CPUs.
Avoiding these errors maximizes enjoyment. A balanced build, like a Nord Warrior with Blade and Restoration, thrives in combat. Pacing the main quest with side content, like the Shivering Isles’ quirky quests, builds strength for gates. Strategic guild progression unlocks rewards like the Shadowmere horse, while curing diseases and managing Fame/Infamy keeps mechanics accessible. Multiple saves counter bugs, such as the Frostcrag Spire sound loop, ensuring you can recover from glitches. These choices preserve Oblivion’s magic—its radiant AI, spellcrafting, and immersive quests like “Whodunit?”—while embracing the remaster’s modernized Cyrodiil.
Tips to Stay Safe
To navigate Cyrodiil wisely, adopt these habits. Test your build in the tutorial, focusing on two combat skills (e.g., Destruction, Conjuration) and one utility skill (e.g., Alchemy). Complete early side quests, like “The Gravefinder’s Repose,” for gear before advancing the main story past “Breaking the Siege of Kvatch.” Follow the guild quest order (Sanguine, Thieves, Dark Brotherhood, Mages) and save before each mission. Carry Cure Disease potions and check your status after vampire fights. Avoid exploits by earning gold through quests or selling loot to fences like Ongar in Bruma. Maintain Fame above Infamy via civic quests, and save every 15–20 minutes, especially before Oblivion Gates or minigames. On PC, update AMD drivers to 25.4.1 and disable overlays to fix fatal errors, as players suggest.
Conclusion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a triumphant revival of a genre-defining RPG, blending nostalgic charm with modern polish. Yet, its freedom comes with pitfalls that can derail your adventure. By avoiding these seven mistakes—finalizing a bad build, triggering gates early, ignoring guild quest order, neglecting diseases, overusing exploits, mismanaging Fame/Infamy, and skimping on saves—you’ll safeguard your playthrough from ruin. Embrace Cyrodiil’s quirks, from its potato-faced NPCs to its spell-crafted hilarity, and approach each choice with caution. Whether you’re sneaking through the Dark Brotherhood’s sanctum or battling Daedra at the Great Gate, these tips ensure your Hero of Kvatch rises unhindered. So, save often, plan wisely, and dive into Tamriel—you’ll see why Oblivion Remastered is a must-play in 2025.
