Honestly, I didn’t think Bethesda would actually do it. When those Microsoft leaks first started circulating years ago, the idea of an Oblivion Remastered felt like a pipe dream or a weird fever dream cooked up by fans who were tired of waiting for The Elder Scrolls VI. But here we are in 2026, and the game has been out for nearly a year. People are still obsessed. They’re still arguing. And, most importantly, they’re still getting their butts kicked by Melus Petilius because they don’t understand how the Molag Bal quest works in this version.
It’s weirdly nostalgic. You’ve got these crisp, Unreal Engine 5 visuals that make Cyrodiil look like a dream, yet the underlying game logic is still that same old, janky Gamebryo soul we fell in love with in 2006.
The Prince of Domination hasn't changed his ways. He still wants you to corrupt a "good" man, and it's still one of the most frustratingly specific quests in the game. If you're struggling with Molag Bal Oblivion Remastered, you aren't alone. It’s basically the rite of passage for the remaster.
Why the Mace of Molag Bal is Still a Pain to Get
Most players jump into this quest expecting a smooth, modern experience. They see the 4K textures and the volumetric lighting and assume the scripting got a facelift too. It didn’t. Well, not really. While Virtuos—the studio that handled the heavy lifting for the remaster—did a lot of work to ensure the game doesn't crash every five minutes, they kept the original quest scripts almost entirely intact.
This means the infamous "Molag Bal bug" is alive and well.
The Melus Petilius Problem
To get the Mace of Molag Bal, you have to find Melus Petilius near Brindle Home. The goal is simple: get him to kill you with the Cursed Mace. But he’s a pacifist. He won't fight back unless you provoke him at his wife’s grave.
Here is where it goes sideways for people:
- The Timing: He only visits the grave between 10:00 AM and Noon. If you miss that window, he’s just a boring guy in a hut.
- The Provocation: You have to drop the Cursed Mace at his feet and then hit him. If you hit him before dropping the mace, he might just run away or the script might fail to trigger.
- The Lethality: In the remaster, players have noticed that if your character is too high-level or playing on a high difficulty, Melus might actually kill you. Like, "Load Game" screen kill you.
The game is supposed to teleport you back to the shrine when your health gets low, but if his damage output is higher than your remaining health in a single frame, the script doesn't fire. It's a classic Bethesda-ism. Honestly, the easiest fix is just to lower the difficulty slider for those thirty seconds. It feels like cheating, but it’s better than staring at a loading screen for the tenth time.
Visual Overhaul: The Deadlands Never Looked Better
We have to talk about the graphics. Seeing Molag Bal’s statue in high definition for the first time was... intense. In the original, the Daedric Princes looked a bit like molded plastic. Now? You can see the grime on the stone. You can see the malevolence in the carving.
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The lighting in the remaster really changes the vibe of the Daedric shrines. They used to be brightly lit clearings in the woods. Now, with the new global illumination, the shrine of Molag Bal feels oppressive. The shadows are deeper. The surrounding Great Forest feels like it's closing in on you. It’s atmospheric as hell.
Performance vs. Fidelity
Since the shadow drop in April 2025, the community has been divided. PC players with beefy rigs are having a blast, but even on PS5 and Xbox Series X, there are some frame rate dips when the lighting gets complex.
The remaster is heavy. 125 GB.
That is a massive jump from the original’s tiny footprint. Most of that is the uncompressed audio and the UE5 assets. If you're playing on a console, I highly recommend the "Performance" mode. The "Fidelity" mode looks like a painting, but when you're trying to time a parry against a Dremora, you need those frames.
The Skyblivion Comparison
You can't talk about Molag Bal Oblivion Remastered without mentioning Skyblivion. For those who’ve been living under a rock, Skyblivion is the massive fan-made project to rebuild Oblivion inside the Skyrim engine.
It was supposed to come out in 2025, but it got pushed to 2026.
So now we have this weird situation where an official remaster exists, but the "fan" version is still coming. People keep asking which one is better. It's like comparing apples and... well, slightly different apples. The official remaster is the real Oblivion. It has the same combat, the same weird leveling system, and the same charm. Skyblivion is essentially a Skyrim mod. It feels like Skyrim.
If you want the authentic Molag Bal experience—jank and all—the remaster is where it's at. If you want a modern RPG that just happens to be set in Cyrodiil, you're probably waiting for the mod.
Getting the Most Out of the Quest
If you're going for the Mace of Molag Bal, don't just rush it. The remaster added some subtle environmental storytelling that wasn't as obvious in the 2006 version. Check out Melus’s house. Look at the textures on the grave. The developers added some weathered details to the tombstone that really sell the tragedy of his story.
It makes the "corruption" part of the quest feel a little more devious.
Quick Tips for Success
- Save often. I shouldn't have to say this for a Bethesda game, but the remaster likes to crash during cell transitions sometimes.
- Level 16+ is the sweet spot. You can start the quest at level 13, but the Mace is leveled. You want the best version of it.
- Don't wear your best armor. If your armor is too good, Melus will take forever to "kill" you. Stand there in your undies if you have to.
The Mace itself is a beast in the remaster. The "Absorb Strength" and "Absorb Magicka" enchantments are visual treats now, with purple energy tendrils pulling from your enemies. It's easily one of the best-looking weapons in the game.
The Future of Cyrodiil
Despite the "Mixed" reviews on Steam early on—mostly from people who wanted a full remake rather than a remaster—the game has been a massive hit. It’s currently one of the most-played titles on Game Pass. It proves there is a huge appetite for these classic experiences, provided they don't look like they were smeared with Vaseline.
What’s next? Rumors are already swirling about a Fallout 3 remaster following the same formula. If they can capture the same lighting and atmosphere they did for the Molag Bal shrine, I'm all in.
But for now, Cyrodiil is plenty big.
Go find that shrine. Deal with the frustration of Melus Petilius. Get that mace. It’s a piece of gaming history that looks better than it ever has, even if the "Bethesda magic" (bugs) is still part of the package.
Next Steps for Players:
If you've already secured the Mace, your next stop should be the Shrine of Boethia. The remaster's version of the "Tournament of Ten Bloods" is a technical marvel with the new engine, featuring improved AI that actually makes the arena fights challenging. Also, make sure to install the Unofficial Oblivion Remastered Patch if you're on PC—it fixes the health-check script for the Molag Bal quest so you don't actually die during the teleportation phase.