The Witcher 3 Remastered Makes Me Sad One of the Best Open World RPGs Still Doesn’t Have a Remake
Open-world RPGs have become the most popular and most common games in the genre. Developers continue pushing boundaries with enormous environments, intricate quests, and increasingly sophisticated graphics. Yet some of the greatest RPGs ever made emerged long before these advancements became standard. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains one of the genre’s finest achievements, and its next-gen update introduced improved visuals, ray tracing, and other enhancements. However, I can’t help questioning whether it really needed this upgrade, especially considering there are still some legendary RPGs that need it.
To this day, I cannot believe we don’t have a remake or remaster of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It is one of the most ambitious and distinctive open-world RPGs ever created. Bethesda transported players to an alien landscape in 2002 and it has had such an image on players. Vvardenfell is one of the most unique settings in the genre, but time has not been kind to the Morrowind. Unlike The Witcher 3, which remains visually impressive and mechanically accessible, Morrowind has aged considerably. Its combat, interface, and presentation can discourage newcomers despite its incredible worldbuilding. A remake could easily fix every single one of these issues.
The Witcher 3 Didn’t Need Its Next-Gen Upgrade
There is no doubt The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Exceptional storytelling, memorable characters, and a world that feel alive have all solidified this position. Geralt’s journey has impacted so many players and the next-gen update only improves this, or at least it will once all the bugs are ironed out. These additions were welcome, but the original game already looked great and have aged well in the decade since its release.
The issues aside, The Witcher 3 still feels and look great. Admittedly, the combat did divide fans, but it was functional and didn’t detract from the game’s strongest points. The improvements overall aren’t essential to enjoying Geralt’s adventure. I would much rather revisit a slightly older-looking game that performs consistently than struggle with technical issues introduced by graphical features. That’s especially true when the underlying experience remains largely unchanged. A better-looking The Witcher 3 is still fundamentally the same outstanding RPG that players have enjoyed for years.
The Witcher 3 benefited from its free next-gen update, but it didn’t require a complete overhaul to remain enjoyable. Morrowind, meanwhile, presents the opposite situation. Its extraordinary setting and ambitious RPG mechanics deserve preservation, yet its aging technology creates barriers for modern audiences. Giving it a remake could introduce an entirely new generation to an experience that remains unlike almost anything available today.
Morrowind Is Still One of Bethesda’s Greatest RPGs
What makes Morrowind extraordinary isn’t simply its enormous world, but how different that world feels. Vvardenfell features towering mushroom settlements, volcanic wastelands, ancient Dunmer strongholds, and cities shaped by competing political and religious factions. It doesn’t feel like just another European fantasy world. It has its own traditions, architecture, and conflicts. Exploring this environment feels like you are in an alien world and unlike anything else in the genre.
The gameplay reinforced that. Morrowind provided extensive character-building options, spellmaking, enchanting, and remarkable freedom in how players approached objectives. Its quest directions often relied on written descriptions rather than modern objective markers, encouraging players to study their surroundings and learn the geography. This stands out compared to the hand-holdy RPGs we have today. It could be frustrating at times, but its willingness to trust players made exploration rewarding. Few modern open-world RPGs embrace that independence.
A remake wouldn’t need to eliminate those defining qualities. Improved animations, refined combat feedback, updated interfaces, and modern graphical technology could make Morrowind more approachable without sacrificing its identity. The challenge would be preserving its complexity rather than simplifying everything to resemble The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The challenge would be preserving its complexity rather than simplifying everything to resemble The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. A remake would make its original vision more accessible while preserving the sense of discovery.
Oblivion Remastered Proves Morrowind Deserves Another Chance
Bethesda’s release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered in April 2025 is exactly the treatment Morrowind deserves. It rebuilt the game’s visuals using Unreal Engine 5 while retaining its underlying gameplay foundations. It also introduced improvements to mechanics such as leveling and combat. This made Cyrodiil more inviting to modern players without completely abandoning the original experience. Its existence makes the absence of a similar Morrowind project even more frustrating.
Of course, Morrowind presents additional challenges. Its systems are older, its combat is more dependent on tabletop-inspired calculations, and its quest design demands greater patience. Bethesda would need to be very careful in how it approached what was preserved and improved. Fan projects such as Skywind, which aims to recreate Morrowind using Skyrim’s engine, demonstrate the enduring enthusiasm surrounding the game. But this isn’t comparable to an official project from Bethesda, even if it shows the appeal.
The frustrating reality is that Bethesda has not officially announced a Morrowind remake. With The Elder Scrolls VI also in development, there is no guarantee the studio will revisit its older RPG anytime soon. Nevertheless, Oblivion Remastered shows it could easliy work. Meanwhile, The Witcher 3 is already an exceptional game that doesn’t need the upgrade it received. Morrowind deserves the opportunity to become accessible to modern players without losing what made it special. If any classic open-world RPG deserves to be rediscovered, it’s Bethesda’s unforgettable journey through Vvardenfell.