Like another reviewer, I also just recently purchased my 360 (just yesterday!), though I'd had Oblivion on order for months. I suffered a little buyer's remorse seeing as the $400 for the system really wasn't budgeted at the time I dropped it, but the second I started playing this game, it all seemed to come together.
I'd heard alot about some of the 360's launch titles bombing, and how everyone was still waiting for the "next gen-ness" of this next gen console. So, as a die-hard "Morrowind" fan, my biggest fear was that the hype for this title would match it against standards it couldn't meet. Bethesda has stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball right out of its skin!
Visually, this game is amazing. The grass, the flowers, the trees, the statues, the rocks, the ruins, it's all breath-taking; there's truly no point in trying to describe the visuals herewords simply will not do. The character creation has got to be one of the most meticulous processes I've ever come across; I spent about 40 minutes tweaking my guy's nose, eyes and complexion to get them just right! Long story short, if you invest enough time (because there are tons of features you're able to adjust,) you can most likely make a character that looks disturbingly like yourself...
The combat system is much improved from Morrowind, not to mention more realistic. There's blood now and the 'rag-doll' mechanics are the perfect additionI didn't even realize I wanted rag-dolls until I chopped a guy down at the top of a staircase who then proceeded to tumble down the stairs and lay beaten in a lifeless heap. My jaw simply dropped; it's the little things. I also like that the magic is a bit more accessible now; you need not toggle between melee and magic stances which made for some awkward moments in Morrowind...
The music is perfect. Unlike the sole score in Morrowind that permeated the entire game from beginning to end, Oblivion sports musical themes of mysticism, nature, dungeons, danger, heroism and a bunch others as far as I can tell. I have yet to feel any need to even think about utilizing the 360's awesome custom soundtrack feature with this game.
While all the reading that turned so many people away from Morrowind never bothered me, I must admit that the fact that everything is voiced over makes for a much more engulfing experience. And I do mean everything! No matter which direction you may steer a conversation, the people you'll interact with are on the ball with pertinent, AUDIBLE responses. And don't forget to eavesdrop every now and again; I've been told that you can even pick up some quest by litterally over-hearing NPCs talking amongst themselves!
That brings me to the NPCs (Non-Player/able Characters.) Unlike Morrowind and every other RPG since time immemorial, Oblivion's NPCs do not wander aimlessly, in predictable patterns or stay still in the same place day after day. These NPCs have been equipped with an AI of sorts that has them live there own life (based roughly on a 24 hour schedule, I believe) and interact with there surroundings! They sleep, they eat, they leave their houses to go to market or hang out in bars!
Oh, and the Collector's Edition IS worth the extra $10; very much so! The manual discussing the history of Tamriel is quite an interesting, descriptive read, and I'll admit a bit of childish pride in owning an authentic replica of a gold Septim! But the real gem of the C.E. is the second disc devoted strictly to detailing the making of this epic game. I'm a huge fan of "behind-the-scenes" stuff; I'm often made to consider things I might miss or take for granted without truly appreciating the labors and details that obviously go into creating games of this magnitude. I came away with an even deeper appreciation for the folks at Bethesda.
I could go on, but I've rambled enough. The game is truly amazing and is a worthy exercise of the 360's potential. Fellow Morrowind fans, if you haven't played this yet, you have no idea what you're missing; this is everything we've always wanted Morrowind to be and more. I'll close by saying that if Oblivion is what we've got to see in a next gen consle only four months after its launch, I get goosebumps imagining what we'll see in the months and years to come.
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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (now that's a mouthful of a game title) was suppose to be set for release at the Xbox360's launch day of November 18, 2005. It was to be one of the 360's launch day crown jewels. Instead the game was delayed by Bethesda Software as they deemed it needed abit more polishing and work. There were quite abit of disappointed gamers who'd been waiting for almost 4 years for this nextgen sequel to the best-selling and quite popular The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and its expansion packs. Now, after 4 months of delays, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has been released to the gaming public and the many delays was well worth the wait. Oblivion has turned out to be an excellent, fun and engaging roleplaying game that improves on what made Morrowind such as success and fixing the previous game's inherent flaws.First off, Oblivion could be enjoyed by both Elder Scroll veteran gamers and new players to the series. Like the three previous games in the series, Oblivion takes place in the medieval fantasy world of Tamriel. Similar to the Japanese rpg franchise Suikoden, The Elder Scrolls game could be played without having played the previous titles in the series as each game works both as a continuation of the growing mythology of Tamriel, but at the same time a storyline which works as a stand-alone. Oblivion's storyline, or main quest as some would call it, involves the search for the long-lost heir of the recently assassinated Emperor of the Kingdom of Cyrodiil. The search for this heir would spell either the success of your character's journey to becoming hero of Cyrodiil for helping close the Oblivion Gates popping up all over Cyrodiil, or failing in that be destroyed with the rest of the kingdom. The main quest will take a dedicated gamer somewhere between 25-40 hours to complete and that alone is worthy of this game's purchase. But like Morrowind before it, Oblivion is not just about the main quest. Oblivion is a sandbox-type of game where the player is given free rein on what they should do. The main quest would be there for the player to work on, but they could also delay working on it to explore the huge realm of Cyrodiil and perform the 200 or so sidequests ranging from guildquests, city quests, and freeform quests. I went 100 hours from the day I bought the game before I even began to work on the main quest. But then the beauty of the game comes form the fact that each player could play the game however they want.
Just like the Grand Theft Auto games, Oblivion's gameplay is non-linear, but unlike Grand Theft Auto the gameplay and its many sidequest helps introduce the player to the rich and expansive world of Cyrodiil and Tamriel as a whole. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion took the open-ended gameplay of Morrowind, ran with it and made it simpler and less daunting by allowing for a simple journal log which kept track of all active, current and completed quests taken in by the player. Unlike Morriwind where a player played 15-20 hours before they even figured out what their main quest was supposed to be, Oblivion starts off the player with the main quest. This change in gameplay puts Oblivion heads and shoulders above its predecessor and makes the game much more accessible to the more casual gamer who in the past would've been intimidated by a large, complex game like Morrowind. And unlike other rpgs franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Wild Arms just to name a few, Oblivion doesn't end when a player finishes the main quest. Unless a player has done and finished every sidequest there is in the game, Oblivion continues well after one has found the heir to the throne, closed the Oblivion gates and saved Cyrodiil. Bethesda has already announced that they will continue to extend the game's lifespan by releasing new official questlines through Xbox Live download content. I like to characterize Oblivion as a Massive Multiplayer Online RPG (MMORPG), but without the Multiplayer Online part. In fact, Oblivion's more of an rpg than other MMORPG's like Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft and Guild Wars.
Second, Oblivion sports one of the most comprehensive character creation of any roleplaying game in the history of console gaming. The character creation doesn't begin at the start of the game but during the tutorial section which also acts as the first act of the all-encompassing main quest storyline. A player goes through this first part of the game learning the game mechanics and controls during a very hands-on journey through the Imperial City's sewer and catacombs. How a player goes about playing this stage helps the game come up with recommended classes for the player to choose from. But a player could bypass these recommendations and create a custom class of their own. Doing so they would be prompted to pick one of the 10 different races (4 human types, 3 elf types, and 3 creature types), then following it up with one of a dozen different birth signs (gives bonuses to attributes like Strenght, Intelligence, etc...), and finishing it off by choosing seven major skills that when levelled up ten times gives the player one full character level. If that wasn't enough the player then could then come up with a custom class name that only a player's imagination could limit in variety.
For all micromanaging players out there, Oblivion's character generator also allows for the player to alter, adjust and manipulate their character's facial and head details. From how the eyebrows look to the size and shape of the lips, chins, cheekbones and nose. Oblivion's character generator allows a player to almost create a character who could look like the player themselves or some other person they know. All it takes is time and dedication from working the sliders to get the right look. If a player wanted their character to look like Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn they could do so with time and effort. If they want their character to look like them then they could try and make it happen. The possiblities are endless and again only limited by one's imagination.
Third, Oblivion surely helps usher in the nextgen gaming promised by the gaming industry in 2005. The graphics in Oblivion bar none have to be one of the best looking. Bethesda's programmers and developers really take full advantage of the Xbox360's processing power as it gives the player a rich, lush and believable fantasy world. All of this done in full high-definition. Even when played on a standard TV, Oblivion is great to look at but it's with a HDTV that its beauty could truly be seen in full view and appreciated. From the sunlight and moonlight reflecting off the water surfaces of rivers, lakes and even just puddles of water after a thunderstorm to the swaying blades of grass that move with the wind and moves accurately when disturbed by characters moving through it. Each weapon and pieces of armor show great, fine detail that's also reflected on your player's character. It's not just the gleam and shine of the metal as the light hits them at an angle, but also the etching and rune work done on the gear could be seen from every angle and close-up. If there's to be found a hiccup in Oblivion's graphical beauty its that there's a slight problem of graphic pop-ups and fade-ins of distant images. It's really not enough to take away from the game's beauty, but it's there nonetheless. The PC version also has this problem but moreso if one didn't run the game on a bleeding-edge, hi-powered gaming pc rig.
Lastly, there's the audio part of the visual excellence of Oblivion. This game could truly only be played with justice and appreciation on a surround sound system sporting Dolby Digital 5.1. The game has been developed with true DD 5.1 surround sound and it shows at some of the more stealthy and shadowy gameplay aspects of Oblivion. One could here the ambient sounds of nature when exploring out in the field to the background chit-chat of passing npcs on the streets or in dwellings. The surround sound also helps a player when spelunking in caves and dungeons as enemies could be heard sneaking up on your flanks and rear through satellite speakers. The soundtrack to Oblivion was once again composed by premiere game music composer Jeremy Soule who also did Morrowind's excellent soundtrack. There's a hint of Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings to this soundtrack which just helps accentuate the game's epic and fantasy nature.
In the end, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's four year trip from the minds of Bethesda's creative programmers ans developers has been a trip well worth all the delays. Oblivion has turned out to be a massive open-ended roleplaying game that's both fun and enjoyable to fans and non-fans of the genre and the series. Oblivion's a sandbox-type game which Grand Theft Auto wishes it could be and one that's now set the standard very high for other games in its genre to match and surpass. Oblivion has also officially announced the arrival of nextgen gaming with its HD graphics, true surround sound and excellent gameplay which could last a player 25 hours to 200+ or more. It all depends on the player. Oblivion has become the jewel crown in The Elder Scrolls saga and has become of the best rpgs ever, if not one of the best games of the last decade or more.
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If you don't yet have an Xbox360, this game alone is worth the purchase. Yes, it's that good. It signals the return of single player games, a refreshing change to MMO's like Everquest or World of Warcraft.The difference? Stories. In an MMO you are one amongst thousands of others, scrounging for levels and rare items. In Oblivion, you are the center of the universe. There's a main story, but you can choose to leave it alone if you want. There's a ridiculous amount of quests available, and caves and dungeons to explore. Maybe you just want to go thieving at night. Maybe you just want to wander around and take in the scenery.
It never feels dull because you're in control, and there's a ridiculous amount of things to do. The gameplay is gorgeous, and there's inexpensive add-ons that will be offered to even further expand gameplay...as if you really needed that.
I've been playing since the day it was released, and still feel like I've barely scratched the surface. To those who played Morrowind and didn't like it, this is a much improved game.
Buy it!
Honest reviews on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Collector's Edition) -Xbox 360
I mean, honestly. This game is so huge and vast that if someone were to sit down, play it, "beat it," and then go, gee I should review it, it would be time for the next one to come out. Instead, I'll write a review that I will hopefully update as I progress incase my opinion on the game changes. I've logged a few hours into it so far and right off the bat I know I'll like it.To break it down succinctly before I ramble, if you've played Morrowind and enjoyed it, even a little, you are doing yourself a great disservice by not picking this up right now. If you were disappointed at Morrowind because it was too big that you felt listless and didn't know what to do, pick this game up. If you loved how open and free Morrowind was, pick it up right now. If you've never played Morrowind, well, read on.
Right away, most of the complaints of Morrowind are addressed. After spending a couple hours in the first dungeon/jail escape, you finally see the light of day and let me tell you, from then on, awe and excitement are around every corner. But, unlike Morrowind, in controlled and, if you want them to be, small pieces. Generally, there were two camps of people who played Morrowind: they loved it because it was so open/free that they could do anything they wanted; or, they hated it because they didn't know what to do because it was so open/free.
Oblivion takes the best of Morrowind (the openness) and makes it more accessible. If you want to focus on the main quest, right as soon as you leave the dungeon there's a red flag on your compass and on your map showing where you need to go. In fact, you can click on that town and instantly warp there, should you want to. In Morrowind, it took a bit for the main story to actually appear. In Oblivion you are thrust into the main story right from the beginning. And, if you want, the story can be started right away and has some pretty exciting moments right away.
If you want to, instead, explore the world a bit, well go right ahead. I did the second option, exploring a nearby fort that had catacombs filled with traps, skeletons and a ghost. Tried my hand at pick-pocketing sleeping guards with unfortunate success. Stumbled upon a bandit camp that didn't like me interrupting their probably nefarious deeds.
It's setup so that if you want to, you can very easily pursue the main quest, never get lost and know what you're doing. However, you can also just set out on your own, kingdom be damned and spend the next 100 hours seeing the sights, exploring the 200+ dungeons, and scaling all 17 or so square miles of the land. As an example, one of my friends immediately began the main quest. He's now a good chunk of quests ahead of me in the quests. I took the explorer route and spent the time looking around, finding the ruins and dungeons, joining the guilds etc. Two totally different approaches, both easy to get into and fun to mess around with.
Character creation is similar to Morrowind. There are a ton of races to choose from, about 21 classes (or you can create your own), 21 skill categories and a large handful of astral signs that give you bonuses. For those who've played Morrowind, there's not much difference here. Its all about choice. How do you want to play. Also included is a fantastic character editor where you can change different facets of your character to fit your desire. Really cool.
Choosing your "class" is important in that it will define how you want to play your character. You have 7 major skills that you can assign any of the 21 skills to. Each "kind" of character (melee, stealth, magic) have 7 skills to choose from. Whatever you put in your major skills determines your "class" and how you level, while the remaining 14 become minor skills that can be leveled up (at a slower rate) and don't contribute to your leveling. Races give bonuses to skills and attributes as does the sign you end up choosing.
As you can tell, the game is about openness. Do you want, be what you want. To a lesser extent, Fable tried this with mixed results. But not until this game have I seen so much openness and ability to do practically what you want.
NPCs are on a 24/7 clock. Each one of the 1,000 NPCs in the game have varying levels of needs, desires and goals. They will carry these out without regard to you. Guards will catch NPC criminals, people will go out and hunt. I've seen a guard attack a wolf that was bothering a passerby. It all feels natural and as realistic as any game right now. Mostly. There are some sore spots. The combat AI for any partners you have can be a joke. Sometimes, they will just barrel forward without regard for the other monsters around you. That can lead to very difficult situations as the AI guards round up more than they can handle, die, and then you have a messy situation on your hands.
Other sore spots include guards with ESP. Apparently, if a person wakes up while being killed or isn't killed in one hit, the guard seemingly knows that murder is being committed. And will rush right to where you are. This has caused me a lot of consternation when I'm trying to finish a quest with guards who know not only that I'm a murderer but also exactly where I am. And will continue to chase you forever.
The interface has been retooled. The journal and your inventory is now much much more user-friendly. Quests show up in a log and you can easily select which quest you want as your active quest. Doing so immediately pops up a red marker where you need to go. You won't get lost. I will say its sometimes a little disappointing when an arrow appears over a ruin that the quest says you need to find. Instead of following general directions, I know exactly where to find it. That's a bit disappointing in that it takes away from the exploring portion of it. Minor gripe, though.
The graphics also help promote this world. Terrific, they really make Oblivion come to life. From the trees in the background, to the tall weeds you pass through, everything is animated and created painstakingly beautifully. Its a real world come to life in virtual form. The physics are pretty decent. I've caused skeletons to explode, people flying backwards with a well cast fireball, rolling down hills. Sometimes, the close-ups of people are a little jarring because they don't look so realistic when you get up close and a lot of them look like they have uber-wrinkles or a skin problem. Aliasing is practically non-existent. When you get a horse, the very very very brief pauses in between loading the outworld area becomes a bit more noticeable because it seems to happen a bit more often. Its still not in anyway shape or form to the detriment of the game and is completely understandable given that the world is so huge, but its there and noticeable.
The sound is also terrific. The voice actors are pretty decent, the sound effects awesome and the music really well done. Traveling through a thunderstorm really makes you feel like its raining, lightning and thundering. The clash of steel on steel is exciting, sparks fly.
The game does stutter at times. In the first dungeon, when I brought out a torch, the game paused briefly as it changed the light levels. Not a huge problem by any means. Placing spells on your directional pad hotkey can become a pain as you ready each spell. Though, I love the fact I can wield a sword and a torch/shield AND cast spells at the same time. Love it. I guess there's some framerate issues, but I have barely noticed them at all. There are some pop-ups with the shrubs etc in the distance but really when the game is generating all of this on the fly, I can forgive some very very very minor quibbles.
Overall, if you are a fan of RPGs, I don't know why you wouldn't like this game. Whatever you bring to the table, it will match you. Whether you want to get lost in a virtual world, discover catacombs that really feel like they've never been found before, just go after the main quest, buy and sell houses, try and become a mercantile genius or even become a vampire, everything is up to you. You can do it all, or none of it.
I will say it's hard to be objective with a game that was seemingly crafted just for me. I am usually willing to overlook minor faults etc when the end product is amazing. Such is the case with Oblivion. Everything about it are things I love. I love the openness that is controlled in that I will never get lost. I can't think of many games that give you so much freedom, but in such a way that you won't lose your way. Absolutely terrific, there's nothing here that makes me not recommend it fully-heartedly for RPGers.
The Collector's Edition (which I have) includes a replica of the Septim coin, a map of Cyrodil, a faux-leather covered book containing the history of the land and a making of DVD. All of this in a really awesome, two disk case. Its definitely worth the extra $10 in my opinion.
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If you were like me and played Morrowind while thinking "wow, if this game had better graphics and a better combat scheme, I'd probably never stop playing it", this game is your answer. Oblivion builds on everything that was good about Morrowind and gives it a complete overhaul for your 360. The visuals are breathtaking, literally every screen looks like it could be a promotional screenshot. The environments are IMMENSE! You will spend considerable time exploring each area if you want to find the hidden goodies Bethesda sprinkles through the game. New features include revamped combat system, it's no longer 1.) Squeeze trigger 2.) Hope you hit something. Your actions are involved this time. Lockpicking also introduces a new mini game, which takes a little practice to perfect. You can purchase houses, ride horses, and fast travel by selecting a location on your map. No more scouring the map looking for a silt strider, or constantly recalling to the same place to hop on the "fast travel transit system"! All dialogue in Oblivion is spoken, and the voice acting isn't half bad. Interacting with different persuasions is possible, although I haven't experimented with that much, yet. In all, I don't see any games coming out this year that could really top this in "Game of the Year" voting. The collector's edition comes with a making of disc, a collectable coin from the Tiber Septim quest of Morrowind, and a Collector's book of Tamriel, which actually seemed to be of a higher quality than I was expecting, I was suprised. If you enjoy RPG's, or liked Morrowind at all, don't rent this game and waste 10% of the purchase price, buy it and block out the next two weeks to go exploring!
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