Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon vs The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Skyrim-style exploration versus a nostalgic remaster — choose between fresh ambition and proven quests.
Updated 27d ago
A grimdark Skyrim-killer with crunchier combat and packed-with-stuff exploration — buys in if you can stomach the solo-dev pacing.
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 Sep 8; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 8.
| Measure | Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered |
|---|---|---|
| Value Too close to call | ||
| Price now | $44.99 Steam | $31.49 −37% · Fanatical |
| All-time low | $17.99 | $28.36 |
| Cost / hour | $1.61/hr $44.99 · 28 h main story | $1.81/hr $31.49 · 17 h main story |
| Off its low | +150% low was Feb 2024 | +11% low was Nov 2025 |
| Main story | 28 h | 17 h |
| Health Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 88% 35k reviews | 75% 70k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 84% 669 votes · vs 88% lifetime | 47% 354 votes · vs 75% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 4,509 Aug 2026 · ↓ 33% MoM | 2,940 Aug 2026 · ↑ 12% MoM |
| Launch peak | 18% of May 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 25,568 May 2025 | 140,837 May 2025 · now at 2% |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 2 months ago | 15 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 1 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | 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.
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Exploration is the hook that keeps 100-hour fans coming back — every hidden nook holds something worth the detour, and combat's weighty crunch holds up across playthroughs.
Mid-game quests start to drag, and interior spaces lacking maps make navigation a persistent friction even for veterans.
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 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon if
- You want an open-world RPG without quest-marker handholding
- You enjoy Arthurian lore with a grimdark twist
- You can tolerate rough edges for a cheaper $1-2 per hour value
Pick The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered if
- You loved the original Oblivion and want a visual upgrade
- You're comfortable modding to fix performance issues
- You prefer a shorter main story at 17 hours over Tainted Grail's 28
Bottom line
Choose Tainted Grail if you value fresh exploration and lasting support; pick Oblivion Remastered only if nostalgia outweighs its technical flaws—its 76% positive reviews signal a lukewarm reception.
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