Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC) Review
Posted by Jamie Lyons on 07.20.2006
The Elder Scrolls series is one of the best, and most popular in the Action-RPG genre. Can number 4, Oblivion, compare to the previous titles? Find out inside!
Graphics
Even on a semi-decent Graphics card, the world of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a rich, detailed and all round stunning place to look at. NPCs and enemies are well animated and the facial expressions change depending on their mood. For example, a seemingly pleasant looking half-pint Wood Elf was smiling sweetly at me until I decided to try and steal a pair of boots, she instantly called for the Guards and her face contorted into an evil scowl…oooh, scary!
Gameplay
TES: Oblivion’s gameplay is fairly simple, it can be played in either First or Third person and the controls are easy to master. Combat is an uncomplicated affair; press the attack button a few times for a quick combo or hold it down for a satisfyingly bone-crunching heavy attack. Character advancement is nothing special or new in this game, you choose a few speciality areas such as Blade, Blunt, Archery, Destruction magic, etc and level up accordingly.
I have a huge problem when I play RPGs which is an almost irreversible urge to re-roll every character after 10 minutes, Oblivion eliminates this, even if you begin the game hacking and slashing your way through dungeons, you can change up your playstyle at any point, and although you may not be proficient with a bow (for example) you will soon gain experience and be unleashing crippling knock-back arrows within an hour or two. The lock-picking system in Oblivion becomes a kind of mini-game, you have to move the lock pick and unlock each tumble without breaking the pick.
I do feel, however that the magic system is somewhat lacking in this game, higher level spells are (obviously) more powerful but their animations aren’t much better and they appear to lack any real power (although this is not often the case).
There is a huge range of armor and weapons in the game, from standard short-swords and wooden bows to huge 2 handed silver broad swords and Elven bows.
Vampire stalk the world of Oblivion and it is possible (and likely) that at some point during your adventuring you will contract the disease. This unlock specific Vampire weaknesses and strengths, and although there is a mini-quest to find the cure, it seems to lack any real depth. When I first heard about this feature I was quite excited, but then a little bit let down when I saw the result.
You can take your arrows back if needed.
Sound
The sound in Oblivion does nothing but add to the general fantasy atmosphere. Changing with the situation, the background music conveys the mood at the time; whilst exploring, the music creates a general air of mystery then completely changing when you attack/get attacked to an up-tempo battle march. The voice acting is quite well done, however hearing different NPCs saying the same thing, in the same voice can take away from the realism sometimes. And there’s nothing worse than thinking you’ve gotten away with your last murder, only to hear “HEY YOU!” as soon as you lave the building.
Lasting Appeal
With so many Guilds, factions and NPCs to rob/maim/kill, this game can be replayed over and over. Finished the game as a spell-slinger? Try again as a stealth archer, or sledgehammer wielding oaf (sadly, Triple H is not a playable character :P). To finish every aspect of this game would take months, maybe longer as there is such a huge world to explore and hundreds of quests. User-created mods add countless races, features, items and storylines to the game, extending the lasting appeal by a great deal. Bethesda official releases also add a multitude of content but are roughly $2 a pop.
Fun Factor
There are only 3 drawbacks I can finds with this game.
1) Axes are listed as Blunt rather than Blade weapons.
2) Traveling between distant points can be a little tedious.
3) Frequent, yet brief load times.
Now, the axes thing can be solved with a small, user-created mod and thankfully; you can fast-travel to any major town and to any location once you’ve been there. The load times; as I said can be frequent but most of the time are barely noticeable as more than a quick freeze of your player character. That being said, this game is fun! Even if you get bored of exploring or missions, a quick save of the game and a high spot in town can make for some fun shooting practice!
The 411
Oblivion is, simply put, the best Action RPG on the market, in the history of the world, ever! A massive, beautiful world filled with interesting character and a great plot coupled with easy to master controls for all aspects of the game make this a must-play for all PC gamers, RPG fans or not.
Graphics
9.0
A beautifully rich world with higly detailed NPCs and characters.
Gameplay
10.0
Easy controls, good, fun gameplay.
Sound
9.0
Atmospheric music and background sounds, coupled with good voice-acting.
Lasting Appeal
10.0
Countless mods and releases keep this game going forever!
Fun Factor
9.0
Hundreds of things to do and kill, what's not fun about that!
