Avowed vs The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Obsidian's tight, lore-rich RPG versus Bethesda's open-world nostalgia trip — one respects your time, the other your memory.
Updated 11d ago
Dual-wielding a wand and a flintlock is genuinely great — but the open world is empty and the choices never branch, so it misses the Obsidian reactivity you came for.
Shivering Isles and the Daedric questlines hold up 20 years on — but a stutter-riddled UE5 port and a year of dev silence make this one to wait for on sale.
By the numbers
Prices checked Aug 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 7.
| Measure | Avowed | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered |
|---|---|---|
| Value Avowed wins on value | ||
| Price now | $29.99 −40% · Steam | $30.09 −40% · GreenManGaming |
| All-time low | $29.99 | $28.36 |
| Cost / hour | $1.49/hr $29.99 · 20 h main story | $1.73/hr $30.09 · 17 h main story |
| Off its low | At its low low was Jun 2026 | +6% low was Nov 2025 |
| Main story | 20 h | 17 h |
| Health Avowed wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 77% 13k reviews | 76% 70k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 72% 242 votes · vs 77% lifetime | 50% 488 votes · vs 76% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 1,007 Jul 2026 · ↑ 16% MoM | 2,633 Jul 2026 · ↑ 5% MoM |
| Launch peak | 5% of Feb 2025 launch peak · as of Jul 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 19,161 Feb 2025 | 140,837 May 2025 · now at 2% |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 5 months ago | 13 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Avowed
The combat's magic toolkit — dual-wielding wands, guns, and swords with flashy spells — keeps long-haul players coming back.
The open world feels big for no reason, and choices don't matter, leaving progression gated and exploration unrewarding for many 100-hour vets.
from our August 2026 verdict
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
The quest design and world charm hold up over 100 hours — the Shivering Isles and Daedric questlines are what veterans replay.
The stutter and crash-riddled UE5 port is the wall long-time players hit, made worse by a year of silence from the devs.
from our August 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Avowed if
- You want a focused ~35-hour RPG with deep lore and meaningful dialogue choices.
- You loved Pillars of Eternity and want to explore more of Eora in first-person.
- You prefer tactical first-person combat that rewards learning stamina and stagger mechanics.
Pick The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered if
- You want to replay a nostalgic classic with modern visuals and 100+ hours of systemic mayhem.
- You value open-world freedom and side-quests like the Dark Brotherhood over a tight narrative.
- You are okay with dated systems (leveled scaling, floaty combat) wrapped in a UE5 remaster.
Bottom line
Avowed for lore-focused players who want a tight, modern RPG; Oblivion for nostalgia hunters who still love Cyrodiil's chaotic freedom despite its 2006 quirks.
More comparisons
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