The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

ES IV: Oblivion (2006) was amazing back when it first came out, (and yeah, it still is!) a sheer tour de force, epic genius and masterpiece! And yet, while it may seem a bit graphically dated nowadays, the game still laid precious groundwork for many other RPG fantasy greats to come. Not only that, but it is one of the console games that really showed developers how much "Open World" styled games could be appreciated by players and the vast potential therein. Role playing games thrive in open world settings, especially when in First Person perspectives. And this game brought players that knowledge, along with endless hours of fun.

Many other reviewers have stated the many wonderful things about this game previously, including voice acting, writing and storyline, soundtrack, quests, and especially the epic lore found in ES games. I completely agree. Gameplay was super fun and made first person mode a near must for me, especially in Fantasy. Love the immersion of this series. The Elder Scrolls series rocks. Extended edition DLC was also great. Overall, this modern classic still holds up and offers endless ammounts of fun and enjoyment.

P.s. While I adore this game in all its imperfections and outdated glory, I may secretly be wishing this game was up for a Bethesda Remaster soon. Maybe someday we'll get a "Skyrim-esque" graphic version of the Oblivion masterpiece.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, truly, an amazing and beautiful game. No, game, this isn't a game, this is digital art. Few games, *ahem*, digital pieces of art have total thrown me into an entire world of myth, and realism. The people have actual lives, the world evolves, and you grow and live in a different place. The computers, wait, the artificial beings are so smart its scary, like when the Ferbes came out. The people talk to you and each other, and have 100's of hours of spoken dialog. The each have names and personalities and respond differently to all situations. Same with the vast wildlife, like deer, wolfs, and big-ass spider people. The world is so huge, you'd get even more lost just going to the nearest Fighters Guild than walking to the Governor of Rhode Islands dentist office. The total obsession of the digital work of artistic master piece does come at a price. Though loading isn't killing long, its not very fast. The pop up does suffer at times as well. Other issues like jumping could have been tweaked but nothing serious. Overall the realistic values of this is beyond belief, from books, to the ingredients of a meal, potion making and all the quests truly support a gigantic step for all of digital artwork, um... kind. *9.5 out of 10*

This game is the reason gamers like me don't get much sleep. It's basically your everyday fantasy RPG (Role Playing Game) set in a world full of demons, monsters, knights, bandits, goblins, and more. That's where the similarity ends. The game is based in a mythical world that's just plain massive. It's basically a country with several cities and towns. The mapping is spectacular, with no two areas alike (swamps, mountains, gaping forests, snow covered lands, lakes, rivers), the towns have unique architecture, and not to mention the developers show how the 360's graphics engine can make for some very realistic water effects. Everything in this game is superb, right down to the sound (not to mention Sean Bean and Patrick Stewart lend their voices). It wasn't enough to knock it down a point, but I did find the character creation a bit of a challenge, along with some of the people in the game, too many of them look old and worn out. Other than that, this game hit every mark in my book... it allows for complete control of your character, you can be a mage (magic) or a warrior, or both. You can actually choose your path. Follow the main quest first and beat the main story line, or follow some side quests and get your character to a more respectable level (which I recommend)? I truly believe out of any non-MMORPG out there this has one of the biggest replay value factors ever, not to mention hours upon hours of gameplay and entertainment (some quests require you to travel great distances to complete). The gameplay is fantastic, the selection of tools, weapons, and other items is magnificent, and the graphics are, for lack of a better word, gorgeous. This game, so far, is the only RPG that comes very close to real life. I think the only thing that makes it different from real life is that the real world has no reset button. This is a must have, must play, must get addicted game. Like great literature, this you cannot put down until it's done!

My husband got Elder Scrolls: Oblivion because he was a big fan of Morrowind. I myself, not so big a fan, but only because I never really got into the game. He carefully researched and got a new video card recommended by the game requirements, an Invidia 7800GS. I wouldn't play this game unless you had a video card & processor capable of handling it. Otherwise it's move the cursor, wait a minute, move the cursor, etc.

Now that being said, it is positively one of the most fun games I've played in a long time. I never really got into Morrowind or any of the other elder scrolls games. I recognized that they were fantastic games, but I never really enjoyed them. I have taken the computer away from my husband. From the minutiae of detail you can infuse into your character, to the AI response to your actions, the scope of the landscape.. the weather changes, the leaves moving.. the deer prancing in the distance that you can actually hunt.. It's amazing.

I've only done one or two of the quests.. and just started roaming into one of the many little dungeons. I thought it would just be bandits, but got farther down and started finding secret caverns.. light play is amazing. I stumbled into an underground chamber and was amazed by the lighting and the details.. until the bones started walking towards me. It was eerily creepy and wonderfully immersive.

I definitely would recommend this game for the PC for the module creations as well. I look forward to getting player made modules off the internet and seeing what other people are enjoying about this game.

10/10

I picked up this game "Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" and I was immediately hooked in its advanced graphics and its vast and varied options. When I first heard of this game, I was hoping for an original and inspired RPG with a slew of classes, races, and other options, with some insight on its very own geologic time scale, and with its own human cultures. This title didn't meet my hopes and expectations, it surpassed them. Oblivion delivers far better graphics than my 1.4 GHz processor can work with, a cast that could not have been better-assembled, a history that I could never have pulled entirely from my brain, and a series of race options that I would never have thought possible. The humans are not only culturally divided, they are geologically divided as well. In other words, two of the races look very human but are not human at all according to the lore that this is apparently the third sequel (fourth original) in. The game-play is very well-thought out, you have different skills that you can advance in, and all of the characters' and creatures' effectiveness are quite realistic. There are also many paths to choose, from warrior to sorcerer to hit-man; and more. I could easily see why this game got a 9.5 and "Computer Game Of The Month" award from Game Informer. I can't see anyone with even half a brain hating this game. If you are aged 13 to elderly and are a fan of fantasy, Bethesda, or just of anything that makes any sense in the world of its story, then Oblivion is for you.