Highlights

  • Mods can modernize Oblivion for players who find the game dated, offering UI upgrades, new content, and improved visuals.
  • Popular mods like Kvatch Rebuilt and Unique Landscapes Compilation enhance gameplay, offering new quests and stunning vistas.
  • The Unofficial Oblivion Patch is essential for bug fixes, while Qarl's Texture Pack II updates textures for a more modern look.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is considered by many to be one of the finest open-world western RPGs of all time. This game features a lush and diverse world coupled with some groundbreaking mechanics — for its time, at least — that have helped it garner a stellar reputation ever since its widely anticipated release. That being said, there's no denying the fact that the game hasn't aged all that well, with most people using this title as a way to churn out memes and nothing else.

Related
5 Ways Oblivion Is The Definitive Classic Elder Scrolls Game (& 5 It's Morrowind)

Both Morrowind and Oblivion are definitive titles in The Elder Scrolls franchise, but which one is better as a truly classic Elder Scrolls experience?

However, that's not to say that Oblivion is completely unplayable. There are several ways in which this title can be rendered playable, mainly through the use of mods. Given how massive the modding community is for most Bethesda games, it's easy to see why so many fans love downloading a wealth of fan-made fixes and content to make Oblivion as engaging and fun as possible for them. These mods tweak multiple aspects of Oblivion's gameplay to make it feel more modern and exciting for players who may find the game to be a bit dated at times.

Updated on April 17, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Even after all the years that have passed since Oblivion's release, a lot of people still go back to this game from time to time to experience the magic of The Elder Scrolls from a time when Bethesda was moving in a bold and innovative direction. Despite a few oddities here and there, there's no denying that Oblivion is a fun open-world RPG. The story of the Hero of Kvatch as they start out from the position of a lowly prisoner before venturing through numerous Oblivion gates and stopping a heinous evil from taking over the land is one for the ages. Of course, this game hasn't really aged all that well, but mods do a great job of modernizing the title as much as possible while giving players more things to do in the open world. The keep things fresh, this lsit have been updated with a few more mods for players to check out.

27 NorthernUI (Oblivion Style)

Downloads: 28,472

NorthernUI (Oblivion Style) mod for Oblivion

Oblivion's UI isn't the greatest, but fans can live with it since it doesn't come in the way of the overall package. However, players who just like a cleaner interface or are playing this game for the umpteenth game can go for a UI upgrade that makes the game look more polished than ever before.

A simple UI upgrade can do wonders for a game's presentation, and this can be seen when players download the NorthernUI mod for Oblivion. The game's menus are certainly more tolerable, making it easy on the eyes of players who are worried about the game's dated presentation. It's certainly not a critical mod that players must download, but serves as an alternate option that players can check out if they've played the vanilla game to death and don't mind changing things up a bit.

26 Voices For Female Dremora NPCs

Downloads: 46,280

Female Dremora NPC voices mod for Oblivion

The Dremora is an aggressive race that players will encounter many times in Oblivion. This Daedric species will serve as a thorn in the protagonist's side every step of the way, trying to hunt them down and end their lives whenever players wander into the world of Oblivion. While this species is pretty tough in its own right, one thing that irritates players is the fact that there are no female Dremora in the game.

Thankfully, many mods add multiple female models of the Dremora in the game, making the title feel more fleshed-out and sensible. However, none of these Dremora have a proper voice, which can break immersion to an extent. This all-purpose mod adds a bunch of voices for Female Dremora, which goes a long way in making their inclusion feel more natural in the game.

25 Through The Valleys Collection

Downloads: 67,877

oblivion-chatgpt-new-quests

Modding games can be pretty fun, but the act of downloading every mod one by one can become a downright chore after a point. This can make for a rather annoying time, but players can alleviate these issues by downloading curated mod collections where other people have done the work for them. One such collection is labeled Through the Valleys and serves as a great combination of fun mods that players can download to enhance their experience of playing this great game.

the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim-key-art
Related
Elder Scrolls Game Tier List

The Elder Scrolls 6 is likely still far off, and the rich history that preceded it has seen several ups and downs prior to Skyrim's success.

This mod preserves the original aesthetic of the game, making it perfect for players who have never played this game before or purists who don't appreciate changes that take too many liberties with the art style of this game. It's a painless way to mod the game that most people will have a great time with.

24 Ascension - Immersive Vanilla 'Overhaul'

Downloads: 126,569

Ascension - Immersive Vanilla 'Overhaul' mod for Oblivion

Oblivion is a fun game, but it's far from balanced. Leveling feels like punishment to the player, and players can become extremely wealthy in no time at all if they're slightly diligent about looting. So, players wouldn't mind a mod that brings a bit more balance to the game's systems.

This mod is perfect for players looking for a muted change to Oblivion without tinkering too much with the core aspects of the game. Players who want to preserve the vanilla experience while refining some rough edges will be pleased by this minor overhaul mod.

23 Natural And Atmospheric Oblivion

Downloads: 178,124

Natural and Atmospheric Oblivion mod for Skyrim

Given how exploration is a huge part of what makes Oblivion special, it's easy to see why so many players would love a mod that enhances the weather in this game. This is especially important for players who have played through this game before and would like a change of pace.

The Natural and Atmospheric Oblivion mod is a huge boon for these players. Not only does it redo the vanilla weather states present in the game to make the skybox even prettier, but it also adds extra weather patterns that make exploration feel even more engaging. It's a simple yet refreshing way to make the moment-to-moment gameplay even more engaging, coaxing many players to clock in another playthrough.

22 Balanced NPC Level Cap

Downloads: 205,588

Balanced NPC Level Cap mod for Skyrim

Oblivion's level scaling feature was meant to maintain a consistent level of challenge as players explored the world and leveled up. However, the unexpected by-product of this mechanic was that progression felt like a punishment at times, with non-optimal leveling choices leading to enemies completely obliterating the player at higher levels.

Oblivion grand souls
Related
Oblivion: 7 Creatures With Grand Souls (And Where To Find Them) For The Most Potent Enchantments

Players looking to secure the best enchantments in Oblivion should seek the following creatures with Grand Souls.

To avoid this unnecessary frustration, players can simply download a mod that ensures that the NPCs in the game don't end up reaching astronomically high levels. This helps the game be more sensible, especially since players won't be struggling against run-of-the-mill enemies even after attaining the best equipment and stats.

21 Balanced Creature Stats

Downloads: 219,417

Creature Spawn Chance Fix mod for Oblivion

There's a wide variety of creatures that players will encounter during their adventures in Oblivion. As one would expect, the difficulty of these creatures increases over time, but players at ridiculously high levels will be frustrated that these monsters somehow pose even more of a challenge to them because of the broken level-scaling mechanic.

To avoid this frustration altogether, players can just download a mod that ensures certain creatures don't level up past a certain point. This helps things feel more realistic, especially since pathetic monsters can't boss players at higher levels anymore, which should've always been the case.

20 Oblivion Rebirth Collection

Downloads: 289,134

the-elder-scrolls-4-oblivion (1)

Players who have played through the game multiple times and want to enjoy this game with a fresh coat of paint will love what the Oblivion Rebirth Collection brings to the table. It overhauls the visuals of the game while both adding and tweaking numerous facets of the title's gameplay to make for a new and engaging experience in every way.

This mod adds new locations for players to explore, a revamped magic system, better leveling, improved stability, and visuals that look pretty great. It's a great collection that fans can download if they want to enjoy the best version of Oblivion in modern times without having to face the hassle of selecting the best mods and downloading them one at a time in a pretty painstaking and lengthy fashion.

19 Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul

Downloads: 403,527

Msirae Faythung From The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion

This mod completely changes one's experience with Oblivion, making it a mod that only players who have completed the game before should try out. Not only does it change the structure of the game itself, but it also makes the combat more challenging and tactical.

Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul is one of the most popular mods for the game, and it's easy to see why this is the case. The early game might seem downright impossible at times, but players who get a hang of things will enjoy the added challenge and other such differences brought about by this mod.

18 Beautiful People

Downloads: 503,130

Beautiful People mod for Oblivion

Regardless of how much people may love Oblivion, there's no denying the fact that the characters in this world are extremely ugly. Most faces are too round, plain, and downright uninteresting to look at.

Elder Scrolls Best Final Missions
Related
Best Final Missions In Elder Scrolls Games

The ending of a game, particularly an RPG, is hugely important, and the Elder Scrolls games are all about producing big finales in the last missions.

To remedy this situation, players can download one of the best mods for Oblivion called the Beautiful People mod. It enhances the faces of everyone in Oblivion to make them less of an eyesore, with some faces being a treat to look too!

17 Better Dungeons

Downloads: 534,688

A dungeon corridor

While Oblivion might be a blast to explore, some of the caves in the game feel extremely drab and boring in comparison to the rest of the title's exploratory opportunities. With the Better Dungeons mod, this irksome trait of the game will become a thing of the past. Each cave will be more unique and feature a number of novel encounters and puzzles as well to make the act of exploring these places less annoying.

16 Companion Vilja

Downloads: 553,396

Companion Vilja in Oblivion

There are various companion mods available for Oblivion that end up making these partners more of a joy to interact with. Out of all these mods, Vilja is easily the most fleshed-out and enjoyable of the lot. The script and voice acting of this companion are second to none, making for a unique and memorable experience as the player travels the vast expanse of Cyrodil with Vilja the Nord.

15 Immersive Weapons

Downloads: 670,283

Immersive Weapons mod for Oblivion

Oblivion is full to the brim with a diverse range of weapons that allow players to deliver the highest damage possible in battle. However, some people might bemoan the fact that this variety simply isn't enough.

Oblivion-The-21-Best-Graphics-Mods-You-Need-To-Install
Related
Oblivion: The Best Graphics Mods You Need To Install

These mods can leave Oblivion looking like it's a game that was just released yesterday.

For those players, the Immersive Weapons mod is easily one of the best mods for Oblivion they can download. Featuring a bunch of lore-friendly weapons that end up looking downright impressive to boot, this mod is an easy recommendation for any Oblivion fan.

14 Kvatch Rebuilt

Downloads: 684,204

Kvatch Rebuilt in oblivion

A mod that adds a ton of well-made custom content to the game, Kvatch Rebuilt is a great way to enhance the enjoyment that comes from exploring this amazing city. It gives players an excuse to try out Oblivion once again, which is what most fans want anyway.

From multiple new quests to even new bosses, Kvatch Rebuilt is a must-have if players want to enjoy the definitive Oblivion experience. The voice-over work is decent enough that players don't feel detached from the rest of the game, either!

13 Weather - All Natural

Downloads: 764,774

Weather - All Natural mod for Oblivion

Weather mods are a must-have for any Bethesda title. In the case of Oblivion, this particular weather mod ends up enhancing the game in an amazing fashion.

With a whole host of new and beautiful weather patterns added to the mix, this excellent Oblivion mod is a must-have for any player who wants their treks through the land of Cyrodil to be all the more scenic. From orange hues to raging thunderstorms — the sheer variety of this mod is beyond compare.

12 Unique Landscapes Compilation

Downloads: 816,184

Unique Landscapes mod for Oblivion

Most Elder Scrolls games have breathtaking views, and Oblivion is no exception to this golden rule. However, Oblivion is still a very old game, and most of these landscapes have lost their luster somewhat.

To ensure that a player's trek through Cyrodil is beautiful, one should look no further than the Unique Landscapes Compilation mod. This excellent Oblivion mod ensures that the views that players are treated to in the game are splendid and breathtaking.

11 Universal Silent Voice

Downloads: 879,243

The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion alessia caro dialogue argonian player

Given Bethesda's reputation, it's only a given that bugs are still present in Oblivion to this day. This includes certain mistakes in the audio where dialogues don't even load.

Oblivion Vs Skyrim
Related
Skyrim Vs Oblivion: Which Elder Scrolls Game Is Better?

The Elder Scrolls' series last two main games have both been acclaimed, but which is better between Oblivion & Skyrim? From combat to story let's see.

In this event, the Universal Silent Voice mod will add an eight-second pause in the game so that players have time to read the subtitles, at the very least. This doesn't happen often, but it occurs just enough times for players to find this mod critical to immersing themselves in the story of Oblivion.

10 Alternative Start Arrive By Ship

Downloads: 908,010

A ship in The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion

After multiple playthroughs of Oblivion, some people might get bored of playing through the same prison escape over and over again. With this mod, players can enjoy a completely new and quick start to the game.

This mod makes the start of the game feel a lot like Morrowind, with players arriving in the land of Cyrodil on a boat. It's a simple mod that will certainly give players something new to kickstart their journey into the lands of Oblivion for the umpteenth time.

9 Improved Trees And Flora 2

Downloads: 1,172,765

Improved Trees And Flora mod for Oblivion

Oblivion's world might feel extremely fleshed out, but there's no denying the fact that it's still very much a product of its time. Therefore, there are times when the world's vegetation might feel sparse when compared to other modern open-world titles.

With this mod, these issues become a worry of the past. Now, players can roam a version of Cyrodil that's bustling with trees and flora across the board, making for a rather beautiful experience indeed.

8 Deadly Reflex

Downloads: 1,174,067

elder scrolls gnarl oblivion shivering isles

There's no denying that the combat in Oblivion is as basic as can be. Most players might get bored of button mashing over and over again... which is where this mod comes to the rescue.

It adds a bunch of alternate flashy moves that both players and NPCs can perform in combat. This makes battles more intense, with the new features including a kicking system, the ability to throw weapons, and a ton of gore on top of all that!