The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the game the most comprehensive and dynamic world ever created. Special Collectors Edition includes: Pocket Guide to the Empire, Making of Oblivion Documentary and Septim Gold Coin. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the world's richest detailedgame ever created. This new chapter uses next-generation technologies to create an immersive adventure game. After the mysterious and untimely death of the Emperor, the throne of Tamriel is empty. With the Empire ready to crumble, the gates of Oblivion open and demons on earth. To end this growing darkness, you must find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel. next-generation graphics for real cities, dungeons and the most realistic forests ever created in a game optimized for HDTVs.
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Well worth the wait, an amazing game
I've always been told the "good things come to those who wait." Well, in this case a GREAT thing has come.
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 here- words 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 addition- I 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.
One of the best rpgs, if not one of the best games of the last decade
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.
Worth every penny.
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!
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