Customer Reviews

Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion

5 star:		(3)
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The fourth chapter in the Elder Scrolls series promises to take you far from reality and plunge you into a fantasy world of swords and sorcery!

In the fantasy world of Tamriel, on the continent of Cyrodil, dark powers plot the total destruction of a lustrous, beautiful world by opening inter dimensional portals into Tamriel, and unleashing armies of demons upon the armies of Men, following the assassination of Emperor Uriel Septim.

After a brief introduction to the gameplay, the character is thrust into the world of Tamriel, free to do as they please. The first thing one notices is the attention to detail. No expense was spared in bringing the world of Tamriel to life. The landscape is lush and green, with rolling hills and beaten paths, plants and trees that gust in the wind, and weather effects that are remarkably realistic. The passage of time is regulated by night-and-day cycles, with many nights offering beautiful views of a star-filled sky and two beautiful moons (provided it's not a cloudy night.) The creatures in Oblivion look, move, and sound real, right down to every detail. Other people in the world go about their daily routines, talk amongst one another, eat, sleep, harvest crops, ride horses... the list goes on!

Oblivion is very open ended, with only one real quest line that keeps the game's progress linear. You don't HAVE to do the main quest at all if you don't want to, and should you choose not to do it, you won't be penalized at all.

There's no obligation to be a typical Fighter/Wizard/Thief type character either. Oblivion offers a variety of other classes to play. There are the standard Fighter/Wizard/Thief types, as well as some hybrid classes. Archer, Assassin, Sorcerer (which in Oblivion, is an armor wearing wizard), Priest, Witchblade, etc. Can't find a class type that you particularly want to play? Oblivion offers you the chance to create your Custom Class! Be exactly the kind of character you want to be.

Of course, everyone wants to play the sword wielding hero, charging into battle with sword and shield. From the moment your sword is unsheathed, the classic *shing!* is enough to get your adrenaline pumping for the first time. Melee combat is marvelous. In the most basic of sword swinging combat, you'll have to time your swings, and defend against enemy attacks either with weapon or shield (or, if you prefer a martial artist character, your fists. Strike your opponent fiercely enough and watch them stagger back from the blow, or fall victim to one such staggering yourself! Let the sound of clashing steel ring through your ears as you parry the blows and fend off attacks! As your skill with the blade gets better, learn advanced combat tricks to disarm your opponent, and even send them flying back! Nothing quite like knocking an enemy off a narrow bridge, and sending them plummeting into a lake of lava below!

If magic is your preference, study in six schools of it. Become a powerful wizard with spells to destroy your enemies. Become powerful enough, and even create your own spells and enchant your own items, custom designed to your specifications! Hurl a lightning bolt at your target, and send them into convulsions on the ground!

Prefer to strike from the shadows? Oblivion has a wonderfully designed stealth system, which takes everything into account: The lighting, the ground underneath you (stone is louder than dirt), the sound you make, the footwear you're wearing, and of course, how well you're able to move around undetected. Sneak up on unsuspecting enemies and stab them in the back with a poisoned dagger, or pick them off from afar with bow and arrow! Retreat to the shadows or turn yourself invisible immediately after striking, and hear your enemies call out to you after you disappear before their eyes!

For all the majesty and wonder in the game, it is not without its flaws, but they are trivial at best. For instance, there are only about 5 voice actors in total used for hundreds of citizens, soldiers, mages, etc. Dialogue does not often get repetitive, but you will certainly notice people start sounding very similar to other people you spoke with in a different town. The game advertises also that the voice talent of Patrick Stewart is used. That's true, but only for about five minutes... that's it. Otherwise, the game is superb, and well worth the money spent!

I've spent more game time on Oblivion than any other game I've owned. I've played the game on the PC platform as well as on this XBox360 platform. Between the two, in terms of being able to lose oneself in the gaming experience, my preference is XBox360. If you value being able to use cheats or mods then you'll want to give this a pass and go to the PC version.

Oblivion feature open game play, meaning you can, with few exceptions, choose the order in which you complete missions throughout the game. There is a primary game mission to follow which is probably a good choice when you first start, until you get used to the rest of the game and then you'll probably find you quickly develop some favorite missions and quests which you'll choose to follow before you return to the main method.

Interesting as well is the leveling system which progressively increases the challenges (and the rewards) of missions as well as the available loot and items you can obtain throughout the game. If you wish the options available to finish all the missions and explore all the available caves, mines, forts, etc. can easily lead to up to 200 hours of game play.

Add to this graphics that all immaculate, scrolling that leaves you feeling like you're in the midst of an animated movie which you're directing and you have all the ingredients for a classic gaming experience.

All that's missing is a multi-player option, which, when you think about it, is probably more the result of the use of the available resources to make the stand-alone option as good as it is.

When you're finished with your character, you're not finished. You'll find it an easy thing to return to the game and change your character and characteristics and then go through the game as a thief, a warrior, a mage and despite the familiar missions the challenge morphs enough in it's new approach that you'll not mind that and will want to play the game again.

Be aware that there are add-ons available through XBox that you will want to look at, in particular the Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine. The cost of adding these on are high enough (despite the time that has passed) that you'd be wise to buy an edition with those additions on, as you'll save money.

All in all, it's hard to imagine a much better RPG. If you like the genre at all you'll have to have this game. If you're not necessarily and enthusiast, this game may just make you one.

5 stars.

bart breen

As I agree wholeheartedly with Ian's assessment of the game I won't repeat his very apt critique of it. In my opinion Oblivion is by far the best RPG game that I have played in a long time. It easily occupied my time for 100 + hours of game play. I would just like to add a few minor critiques of the game. I have recommended this game to many of my friends and have gotten several "tepid" opinions of the game. There are two main frustrations that are being voiced. The first is that they don't understand the complexities of the game. If you are not a fan of RPG games, the aspects of alchemy, potions and magic in it, as well as the thousands of items that can be found in the game, can become confusing and overwhelming at times. My recommendation is to stick with it rather than giving up after a half hour or so. Once you have learned the complexities of the game you will quickly find that you can't turn it off. Secondly, opponents in the game level up as you do, so an imp in the beginning of the game will become more powerful as the game goes on. This has frustrated the player that wants to go back to an area and wreak havoc and seek the ultimate revenge on those little beasties that killed him/her early in the game when he/she finally levels up. Although those monsters become easier to defeat as you gain experience and equipment they are certainly not as easy as other role playing games have been in the past. Some people love this aspect of the game, while others hate it. In my opinion if you don't at least rent this game and try it out then you are doing yourself a great disservice.