The surprise launch of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has thrilled millions of gamers. Built with Unreal Engine 5, the remaster brings jaw-dropping visuals and modernized UI improvements. Yet, not every change has been met with applause. One classic feature that many players desperately want back is the item menu subcategories, a crucial tool for smoother inventory management in the 2006 original.
Oblivion Remastered Is a Huge Success—But Not Without Criticism
Following years of rumors, Oblivion Remastered was shadow-dropped earlier this week and immediately caught fire, attracting over four million players. Although the game’s systems, story, and world largely remain faithful to the original, updates to the visuals, user interface, and progression mechanics sparked divided opinions.
Among the most talked-about missing features is the absence of subcategories within the inventory menu. In the 2006 release, players could easily sort items such as Apparatuses, Potions, and Ingredients into separate sections, making the management of alchemical tools and loot far more intuitive.
Why Players Miss the Subcategories
In the current version of Oblivion Remastered, all items are lumped together in one unified list. Without distinct subcategories, finding specific items like a mortar and pestle, ingredients for potions, or healing elixirs is far more time-consuming and cumbersome.
A post by Elder Scrolls fan Occasionally_around on Reddit highlighted this issue and quickly gained traction, amassing over 3,800 upvotes. Many users in the comments echoed the sentiment, arguing that reintroducing item menu subcategories would dramatically improve the game’s quality of life without disrupting the remaster’s overall design.
Subcategories desperately need to be put back into the remaster.
byu/Occasionally_around inoblivion
Other UI Concerns from the Community
Inventory management isn’t the only UI-related complaint. Some players have pointed out that local maps are now harder to access, requiring players to zoom in on the world map instead of opening a dedicated local map screen. This seemingly small change has added unnecessary friction to exploration and questing.
Fans have begun calling for optional settings or mods that could bring back these missing conveniences, hoping to strike a balance between modern upgrades and classic functionality.
Will Bethesda Respond?
At the time of writing, Bethesda has not yet addressed the feedback regarding inventory management and map navigation. Given the passionate response from the community, it’s possible that future patches or community mods will restore these beloved features.
Conclusion
While Oblivion Remastered is a triumphant update in many ways, it’s clear that nostalgia and usability are deeply linked for fans. Small details, like inventory subcategories, play a big role in shaping the overall experience. Whether through official updates or fan-driven mods, players hope that the best elements of the original 2006 release will eventually make their way back into the remastered masterpiece.