The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review

Gameplay: 9, Superb.
Graphics: 10, Prime.
Sound: 10, Prime.
Value: 10, Prime.
Tilt: 10, Prime.

GAMEPLAY



To put it bluntly, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is and will be one of the best games ever.

The game follows the classic gameplay of the Elder Scrolls series. You are given a huge, detailed, lavished world and you are free to do anything you want.

Morrowind was a really good game, not an easy act to follow. But Oblivion did it.

The world is huge and detailed. You can do anything you want anytime you want. There are tons of interesting places to explore, forts, mines, caves, forests, cities, villages, mountains, farms, everything been unique. It is really a huge achievement. There are tons of quests, everyone been interesting. The quests vary from helping an old fisherman collect money for his retirement to avenging a farmer's dead wife to rescuing a ship that was hijacked with you on board. You will never be bored by the depth of and amount of the quests.

The characters, apart from the generic guards, are all incredibly detailed, each one having their problems, job, schedule, e.t.c. The Radiant AI helped a lot to make the characters even more interesting. However, it has some flaws. For example, you can break into somebody's house at night and wake them up. You can chat with them normally, though if they don't like you enough, they'll call the guards and you'll end up with a fine.

GRAPHICS

It's very simple: This game was centuries ahead of it's age in the graphics department. No matter were you go or what you do, you will always be charmed by Oblivion's beautiful graphics. Everything is incredibly detailed, the textures don't glitch and there are some incredible views, such as looking from Dive Rock or seeing the Imperial City from above. EVERYTHING in the game looks incredible!

Of course, if you are playing on the PC, it means you are gonna need a fairly strong one. However, the requirements aren't that big. Remember, it is a 2006 game after all.

SOUND

2 words: Simply amazing. Jeremy Soule, the master of videogame music, created some absolute masterpieces, like Wings of Kynareth (video to the right).

The voice acting is great. Though you may be disappointed by the small variety of voice actors, the acting is realistic and has emotion.

The sound effects are also very interesting in their own, like dropping an item and striking something with your weapon. Though there still isn't much variety, it remains realistic.

VALUE

You ask about value? The game is more than worth the few bucks/euros/pounds you are gonna give to get it. Such an incredible game must not be missing from the library of any video games fan.


TILT

Just read the rest of the review. I believe you'll find everything there enough.

FINAL RATING: 9.8, Superb

The Bottom Line: One Of The Best Games Ever.