10 things to do first in Oblivion Remastered

The world of Oblivion Remastered is massive and full of things to do and see. From intriguing locales to varied quests and intricate dungeons – there’s enough to keep you busy for hundreds of hours. 

However, like any open world game, you might be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of possibilities as you head out from the gloomy ambiance of the sewers to the vibrant beauty of Cyrodiil. 

While you can pursue the golden path and find the late Emperor Uriel Septim VII’s last son, there are other intriguing things to do as well in this enormous fantasy world. As such, here are 10 things we think you should do first in Oblivion Remastered.

In Oblivion Remastered, Birthsign provides permanent passive boosts to your character. Since you only get one chance to change it, you must pick your Birthsign carefully, as it can be incredibly useful or useless to the build you’re aiming for.

For instance, if you want to be a standard spellcaster, The Atronach is one of the best options since it increases Magicka by 150 points. Or, you could opt for The Serpent, which would allow you to deal poison DoT damage. Likewise, The Shadow Birthsign is perfect for stealth builds as it grants invisibility. 

As soon as you head out of the sewers, you are free to go anywhere in Cyrodiil. However, we recommend checking out the nearby Ayleid Ruins first, as these are good sources of XP. You will also find plenty of tantalizing loot there.

Head straight northeast from the Imperial Prisoner, and you will find Vilverin. Turn right and head southeast across the meadow to find Fort Urasek. From here, climb uphill towards the east, and you will come across Nagastani. 

All the aforementioned dungeons boast different enemy encounters and provide unique loot. From new spells to gear pieces, there’s plenty to find here. By exploring these, you will also get a good feel of the dungeons in Oblivion, so it’s a win-win situation.

Why cross meadows and mountains on foot when you can do so on horseback? Thankfully, you can get a horse quite early on in Oblivion Remastered for free.

Look for Chestnut Handy Stables outside the Imperial City Talos Plaza District. Head inside and talk to the Orc woman, Snak gra-Bura. You will have to convince her to give you a horse.  

Initially, she won’t be willing to part with one of her horses. However, should you persist and choose the dialogue option, “I’ll take any horse, I’m not fussy.” she will give you one for free. This horse won’t win any competitions, but it should make traveling more convenient until you have the gold to buy a better one.

Alternatively, you can get a horse for free by talking to Prior Maborel in Weynon Priory. However, you’ll first have to deliver the king’s amulet to Jauffre, which is part of the main quest, ‘Deliver the Amulet.'

In Oblivion, sleeping lets you level up your character and assign all the skill points. If you’re coming off of Skyrim, this may seem a bit jarring at first, but fret not, as it’s not as big of an issue as it might seem.  

You can rent rooms in our town in the game, but it will cost you a ton of gold. Hence, we recommend using the bedroll in the Abandoned Shack near the Imperial City’s Waterfront district early on to sleep.

There are other houses in the area where you can also sleep. While the house owners won’t have any problem with you sleeping on their bedrolls, you might not find their houses unlocked at all times.

Oblivion’s persuasion mini-game is perhaps its strangest gameplay mechanic. However, it’s also quite rewarding, so the sooner you get accustomed to using it, the sooner you can start reaping its rewards. 

Unlike Skyrim and Fallout 4, quests in Oblivion aren’t straightforward. Often, you’ll have plenty of ways to tackle a situation, and one of the easiest ways to move forward would be to persuade someone and retrieve valuable intel from them. Doing so will also improve Speechcraft and make it easier to get by without violence. 

Hence, we recommend dabbling in Oblivion’s persuasion system as much as possible, or else you’ll miss out on using a very effective gameplay mechanic.

Guilds in Oblivion Remastered are a gateway to some of the most substantial stories, quests, and loot in the entire game. If you’re a sneaky assassin, you might want to join the Dark Brotherhood and complete their quests to unlock some of the best daggers and bows in the game.

Likewise, if you’re a ranged magic user, you would benefit from joining the Mages guilds. It’s a great way to unlock some of the best magic spells in the game and learn more about the esteemed Arcane University. 

Whether you join the Dark Brotherhood, Mages Guild, Thieves Guild, or Fighters Guild, plenty of intriguing stories and loot await you. Hence, it’s best to start one or all from the get-go and dive head-first into some of Oblivion’s best content.

The best thing about Oblivion Remastered (or any open-world Bethesda game) is that you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. In Oblivion, you can use this opportunity to travel North — towards the highest point in the game, and unlock the most scenic house for free. 

Frostcrag Spire is situated on the northernmost tip of Cyrodiil. It’s a bit east of Bruma, next to the Jerall Mountains and Skyrim’s border. You can spot its clockwork-style tower from a long distance. 

As you approach it, you will automatically begin the quest, ‘Frostcrag Spire,’ which is all about restoring and customizing this place to your liking. While it’s best suited for mage users, you can still use it to store items and as a place to sleep. 

Additionally, you could also take this opportunity to admire the entirety of Cyrodrill from here, which has been brought to life so vividly in Oblivion Remastered through the power of Unreal Engine 5.

Furthermore, when the sky is clear, you can gaze towards the North and notice High Hrothgar peaking in the distance. Now, who wouldn't want to get nostalgic about Skyrim?

No one likes rummaging through their inventory for two apples and a dozen rat meat in the heat of the battle, so it’s best to create shortcuts for the items you’re most likely to use. It’s an excellent way to sort your gear and can help save time during combat and exploration.

If you have played any modern Bethesda RPG, you already know that asking bartenders and guards about potential rumors is one of the best ways to get intel on new side quests and notable points of interest. Oblivion is no different in this regard. However, given how little hand-holding this game does compared to Skyrim, it’s even more insightful here.

Even if you’re not playing a mage, it’s best to have at least one restoration spell ready to use in case you run out of healing potions. If your Class Specializes in Magic, your character will know a healing Restoration Spell by default. 

If not, you’ll have to purchase it from one of the many vendors across Cyrodiil or loot it from a mage’s corpse. In addition to the Heal Minor Wounds spell, we recommend acquiring defensive spells like Protect and Defend. 

It’s worth noting that Oblivion Remastered is a relatively challenging RPG compared to the likes of Skyrim and Starfield. What’s more, all difficulty options feel a bit off-balanced as of this writing.

While you can one-shot most enemies in Novice and Apprentice, even the most basic enemies feel incredibly tanky on anything higher than those. As such, it’s best to stock up on healing potions and have a restoration spell ready before heading into one of Oblivion’s many dungeons.

These are just a few things we recommend doing first in Oblivion Remastered. For more on the game, stick to esports.gg.