Rating

A+

Specific Ratings

GameplayB+
GraphicsA
Learning CurveA+
Replay ValueA+
SoundA+

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Huge world with nearly endless exploration.
  • A.I. system works great (for the most part).
  • Beautiful landscapes and cities.
  • Combat is actually fun in Oblivion!
  • Hundreds of different quest options.
Cons
  • Loading times can be a bit of a problem.
  • Can run into bugs from time to time.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion -- Collector's Edition (Xbox 360)

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Summary

Close the curtains, unplug the phone and lock yourself in your house. You're going to be busy for a LONG time.

Images


Description

The next installment of the Elder Scrolls series is finally here, and boy is it ever impressive. This game is essentially the definition of what we've come to expect for the "Next Generation" of gaming. It's perfect for casual and hardcore players alike. You have the option of going through the main storyline in about 20 hours, or devoting as much time as you want to exploring everything, doing all the quests, and basically just "living" in this fantasy realm.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is, simply put, beautiful. The moment you get out into the world you'll feel completely lost, and that’s a good thing. You emerge from the first dungeon onto the bank of a river in a huge forest. You'll feel alone, but take some time to look around. You'll notice all sorts of amazing looking things right off the bat. The draw distance, while not as impressive as Far Cry, is still very nice. You can see for a really far distance and still retain most of the detail. Trees on far away hills, cities and far away bodies of water look awesome. The character models are a gigantic step up from the ugly Morrowind characters. They show facial expressions like happiness, anger and sorrow. You can see wrinkles on the old people. The rag doll physics are very cool and look realistic most of the time. Every once in a while you'll strike a foe down and they will be all twisted looking, but it doesn't happen often. The first time it becomes night, you have to be sure to look up in the sky, because the stars and moon are amazing looking. Oblivion truly does feel like a real world, and this is due in part to the amazing graphics. While it may not have the best graphics on the 360, it is very close to the top. The graphics are almost more impressive on this too because of how large and detailed the world is. Every once in awhile while walking around outside or in the towns you will get some small amounts of stutter as the game loads the area that you're currently in. At first you may notice it, but once you get into the game it’s hardly noticeable. It's a small flaw in a nearly perfect game.

Oblivion leaves Morrowind in the dust when it comes to gameplay. I remember dreading getting into a fight in Morrowind. It was no fun because of the "behind the scenes" dice rolls that governed the amount of damage you did. This has all been taken care of in Oblivion. Fighting is now one of the most fun parts of the game. You no longer have to worry about not doing very much damage even after you've trained your blade skill. If you are a blade master in Oblivion, then you will obliterate all who stand in your path if you are using your sword, guaranteed. Magic is also fun to use this time around. You can hotkey up to eight different items and spells, so you no longer have to go into the menu, pick your spell, cast, then go into the menu again and equip your weapon. It's all been streamlined into simply pressing a direction on the D-pad to select the spell or weapon you want. This greatly improves the flow of the game, as you can switch right in the middle of battle without having to pause and stop the game. Another improvement in the gameplay is the addition of "Fast Travel" No longer do you have to trek across the entire continent to get to a city or dungeon. You can now go into your menu, select the city from your map and instantly travel there. The game calculates the amount of time it would take to get to your destination, so if you leave in the afternoon and pick a place to travel to that is all the way across the continent, chances are good that it will be the middle of the night when you arrive.

The sound in Oblivion is another outstanding achievement. First of all, the music is wonderful. It really fits the tone of the game. The music is very majestic when you are out exploring the great wilderness, but then very dark and ominous when you're in the middle of battle. The battle sounds are another excellent point. When you hit an enemy with an arrow you get a very impressive "thwack" sound as it hits them. The sound of swords clashing together is very realistic as well. Every single character in the game has spoken dialogue, and the voice acting for each one is exceptional. The mouths are synched well with the words, and none of it sounds corny or anything.

There isn't much in the form of an online mode for Oblivion. Bethesda has promised downloadable content, but it looks as though it's going to be coming at us for a price. The first content pack has been release already in the form of horse armor, and for the semi-reasonable price of 200 Microsoft Points, or roughly $2.50, you can buy it. Hopefully we get more in the future, and possibly for free next time.

Since I am reviewing the Collectors Edition, I'll go over that a bit too. Basically, for $10 more you get a replica Septim coin, which is the official currency of Tamriel, a Making of Oblivion DVD and The Pocket Guide to the Empire. You get all of that wrapped up in an awesome box that will make the rest of your 360 games look pitiful. The extra goodies are actually pretty cool too and definitely worth the $10. The coin is solid metal and is pretty neat. The Making of Oblivion DVD is an entertaining watch that gives a lot of insight into what it took to make this game. And lastly, The Pocket Guide to the Empire is definitely a very interesting read that gives a ton of back story about the entire world that Oblivion takes place in. You can learn about all the different races and where they come from, plus learn more about Morrowind and the surrounding countries.

Overall, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the smash hit the Xbox 360 has been waiting for. It's a good game for any owner of the system to get. Casual players can get into it and not have to worry about exploring each and every dungeon. They can just enjoy the beautiful scenery and wonderful storyline. But, there is also enough meat to the game to satisfy the hardcore gamers and keep them interested for literally hundreds of hours. Basically, if you own an Xbox 360 then you definitely owe it to yourself to play this game. It has enough content for just about anyone to enjoy.

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