Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review

NOTE: Elder Scrolls IV is available for purchase on the consoles above but this review was done on the PS3 standard edition. I am aware that some bugs and glitches were fixed for this version and even more in the Game of the Year edition. The score and following review are based on the PS3 standard edition (to reiterate). So now that that’s over…the intro!

This is probably the oldest game we’ve reviewed (and may very full remain that way) but it is one of my favourite games of all time. With that as a preposition and the score already revealed above here is the review.

Oblivion is one MASSIVE game. I mean absolutely GIGANTIC! I can’t think how else I could explain to you how large the size of the game is so if you don’t get it, shame on you! For those of you who do get my message of enormous scope you will have to understand the difficulty of writing a review that isn’t 10,000 words. I could not possibly encompass the whole game in text, either because I forgot, didn’t experience it myself, or my friend killed the person I had to talk to. Despite all of that I will do my best to actually talk about the game from now on. Oblivion starts you off with character customization. You can choose from different races that have different attributes, abilities, and skills that can be advantageous depending on how you play. After you choose a race you then can customize the facial features of your character which is very in-depth and you can get very creative with it. Personally I just did some tweaking, made my guy look like my standard character I use for RPGs and I was off.

You start your adventure off inside a prison cell as some dark elf taunts you from across the hall. Guards then come into your cell and you learn about the story of the game. The story has you guarding the Amulet of Kings from the various evil forces which want it destroyed. The amulet can only be worn by a true king (other can not physically put it on) and is sacred to the peace in the realm. Like a true RPG the beginning is a bit clumsy, giving you some direction but not a whole lot. Once you finally escape the prison you are greeted by the beauty that is the graphical presence. To be more specific, you look out onto a stream with a small dock over it, mountains in the back, ruins nearby, and lush, bright green grass. It is tremendously beautiful and I truly wish a place of such elegance existed.

You then are free to do whatever you want. I found this

refreshing as some RPGs tend to make the tutorial last too long. You can go adventure off, go do quests, meet new people/creatures, see new towns, and generally have fun. The side quests are a bit repetitive at times with many being in or near the fetch quest category. Some are genuinely unique such as the guild related quests. Oblivion is familiar territory in the medieval fantasy world with creatures such as orks, trolls, minatours, and wizards inhabited the realm. Although familiar, it is very stylishly presented making it feel new even if it is not.

The skills in the game range a wide amount of abilities. There are several magic skills for the different magic abilities, some armour and weapon skills, crafting skills, object and environmental manipulation skills, and others as well. You will find

equipment a long your journey that can enhance your skills as well with the possibility of having a level higher than max. Eventually you will also be able to enchant items to raise your skill, effectively using a skill to enhance that same skill or another. There are many things to explore in all areas of the game, and skills are an interesting one to discover.

Of course there would be little fun if there was no combat in the game (unless you like walking around – then go outside!) so it’s probably something I should bring up. The combat can be played in either first person or third person. I liked first person because it gave the game a more immersive feel. The four main types of combat are magic, hand to hand, archery, and weapon based. There are combinations and branches of some of them but those are the main types. It is difficult to build a character good at all forms so you’ll find yourself picking one or two of the combat types to base your character around. All of them have

plusses and minuses but unless you are willing to use the dupe glitch (creates more of most items) than you will probably want to avoid using archery as your main combat skill as finding arrows can be a pain. I have a weapon based file and a magic file. Both files have completely different styles of gameplay and quest outcomes which is what makes RPGs so great. Along with striking (attacking) is blocking. Unless your going to do a Homer Simpson boxing style character you’ll probably want to have some way to defend yourself. You can block with either a shield or something in your hands. A shield has many benefits over an object both stats-wise and ability-wise. Shield + longsword = I WIN.

As in many RPGs, exploration is a big part of Oblivion. When you get a quest to complete the marker is basically right on top of the objective but you do have some freedom to explore to get there.

Exploring can lead to interesting goodies and secrets throughout the world as well. One of the most compelling elements of Oblivion is that it doesn’t always explain itself 100% or at all. For instance, if you go inside of a goblin lair and steal the shaman’s staff, the goblins of that tribe will chase you EVERYWHERE to get it back. Not right away, but once they notice it’s gone they will try to find and kill you. Steal several staves and you have a goblin army chasing you as they kill each other while also trying to kill you. That is an awesome element to either discover on your own or just try it out after hearing about it. Awesome!

A big part of the main quest is shutting down the oblivion gates which are scattered all over the place which let the inhabitants of oblivion come to the realm. You have to shut them down all together but because there is so many there is only a set amount you must deplete. Oblivion is a horrible place full of monsters and death (like the bathroom of that one friend who eats a lot of Mexican – like a lot). To shut the gate down you go inside and fight your way to the top of the large central tower and remove the orb which can be used to enchant your equipment.

There’s more I could say but I think I’ve probably said enough. Oblivion is one of my favourite games of all time but I had to be fair as there are problems with the game. Can’t wait for Elder Scrolls V (whenever that may come)…

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