The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360)

When something threatens to steal your life, things can't possibly be good at all. Or can they? Enters Oblivion, with 16 miles to explore, over one hundred hours of gameplay to unravel and thousands of characters to interact with. End of life as we know it is starting to look good after all.

Oblivion, as you should already know, is Bethesda Software's fourth game in the Elder Scrolls series, following on from the highly successful Arena, Daggerfall and Morrowind. All of the games so far have given users incomparable freedom, dropping the chosen character into a world where their decisions come first.

Unlike some games which have attempted this formula, notably Fable, the entire world doesn't revolve around you. There are people living their own lives, having their own conversations and doing their own chores, many not knowing and not even caring who you are. Obviously, you can build fame by fighting in the Arena, joining one of the game's four guilds, or even getting the wrong kind of name for yourself by being arrested. You see, there is so much to talk about in Oblivion, there is no way I can possibly sum up all my experiences in this review.

To be honest, Oblivion is like life itself. You can talk to your real, alive friends, and share each other's inevitably different experiences. You can brag about becoming the arena champion or boast about that killing spree you went on in town, which raised your bounty to 100,000. Oblivion is about experiences, and experiences it delivers.

But let's not forget that there's a game here to talk about. Oblivion offers one of the best main quests in gaming yet, not to mention the superb selection of side quests to jump into. Sticking to the main quest line though, the game has you travelling from one side of the 16 mile landscape to the other, in order to complete the main game. Once you have finished the main storyline though, don't even think about telling everybody `I've completed Oblivion, Na, na, na, na, na!', because you aren't even half way there. The side quests add hours on to the already huge lifespan, meaning you'll be hooked to Oblivion's virtual world for months.

Graphically, this game offers some of the most detailed towns and mountains ever to grace a console - but only close up. Unfortunately, pop up textures and an unstable frame rate deflate your early hopes regarding the graphics. Still, ignore the chugging performance of the engine, and think of how big the game actually is once again. 16 square miles. What do you expect the textures and the frame rate to be like in a game this huge?

Another whammy with the huge game world are the frequent loading times, which can turn in to hefty ones sadly. Still, it gives you time to go and make yourself a cup of coffee whilst the next steps in your new virtual life are loaded.

The music and voiceovers have also been executed very well, with each and every individual having their own, recognisable voice. Actors Patrick Stewart, who voices the Emperor, and Sean Bean, voicing his son Martin, add to Oblivion's celebrity list. But from now on, Patrick Stewart and Sean Bean should be known as the Emperor and Martin, if we manage to actually talk about anything other than our new life again.

So, I must go, as I feel myself being drawn towards my Xbox 360 controller once more, the portal to the other world. The portal which will remain open for months to come. The portal to the rest of my days....

Where can you start on this game.

Since there is already 150+ reviews I won't go into too much detail.

The game is limitless. You can play this game for over a year and still have loads to do. Next Generation at its finest.

Best Moment: Right at the beginning. You start in a prison, go through a "tutorial" type of play, simple enemies. Just to get you used to the battle system, you only do it once. I mean once you get going you won't be replaying this game for many years to come.

Anyways, Once you've past the first mission, you exit through this tunnel and all you see in front of you is a open world. You can go anywhere,do anything, go north, south, east or west, over rocks, swim in the waters, fight people camping out, nick their stuff, hunt for deer, lions, bears, fish, go to towns, talk to the people, get missions, do or do not do the missions, follow the main quest, don't follow it, do side quests, join guilds, large guilds, secret guilds or smaller clans, fight in the arena, become a champion, or don't, hunt out monsters, hunt out vampires, become a vampire, collect different herbs for recipies, make potions, sell potions, find weapons, use weapons, sell weapons, enchant/enchance weapons, cast spells on yourself, cast spells on others, fight with fists, swords, bows or magic.... IT'S ENDLESS!

DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT TO, IN WHATEVER WAY YOU DEEM FIT.

This game is not just a game, its another life. Some games these days are too stressful. This game can be and at the same time doesn't have to be. Its a game of games, its fun to play, its challenging. You can save anywhere at anytime, there is downloadable content, there is a expansion due out for it in the near future.

This game is the best you can get for any console if you like RPG, hell if you don't like RPGs this is like no other. You couldnt have more freedom if you tried.

Get it. You have to. You know you want to!

Told ya I wouldn't go into too much detail :P

Dan

Oblivion is the forth in Bethesda`s long line of the elder-scrolls series but dont worry you dont have to have played the past elder scrolls game to get or understand this or to follow it
each instalment of the famed series is a game on its own(in the same world ofcourse which has a fantasy medievil setting with its own wild animals-monsters-races and locales)on a personal note this game is the reason i bought the Xbox360 and having played prevous games in the series(Morrwind for one)was looking forward to this one i`ll start with the good points and then the bad
THE GOOD
first off creating your character is just huge(the options are almost unlimited from sex race and hair to having a big nose to a small chin it took me about 1-hour just to make what my guy looked like...........very extensive creation system)

the country in which the story is set is unblievably MASSIVE
you start in a prison and have to go through dungens but when you emerge the view is beautiful(the graphics are the best seen in the 360 so far)people creatures the wilderness is superbly done........but back to the size the main story is 20-25 hours long but dont worry about that theres enough content to last for 200+ hours of gameplay you will never be bored(i wasent and i havent finished the game) nine citys dozens of settlements and 200 dungens(each diffirent)

okay the combat system in one word SUPERB its not skill driven(like the last few)skills are VERY important though but its based on YOUR skill as well as your chracters very much an action based system the buttons are one trigger to block one to attack the right bumper casts spells 8 hot keys on the d-pad which you can assign to weapons spells potions,ect diffrent moves
are done by pressing a direction(on the right thumbstick)and press the attack button diffrent moves are unlocked by progressing through levels very simple yet very effective

in such a big world you may thing "damn i have to walk there"well theres a fast travel system which lets you go to places REAL fast or you can by a horse and take a slower way taking in the view i can go on about the good points but i have limited space.........

THE BAD
the games good but this comes at a price this has to be one of the buggest games for the 360(or any old xbox game for that matter yeah it has even more bugs than morrwind bethesda`s last elder scrolls game)get 20-25+ hours into the game and every 30mins to an hour an "error disc message" popsup(not just me but half or more people who have this game have this problem)it has terrible slow down(after the 20+ hour mark)i (like many others)
have a hard drive and this happens.......the elder scrolls forum has a fix but it only works for 1hour then back to square one........Very bad customer support complaints(loads of them)have been made to bethesda and not ONE word back in response(even if they said they knew about the problems and had a patch in the works would be enough for some people even me)and then you have the normal bugs getting stuck in walls,ect

in my opinion this game would get a 5-star rating if it wasent for the major Bugs and customer support but some of these bugs are game breakers i wouldent mind getting stuck in a wall here and there but some BUGS are INFURATING........and until bethesda
get a move on and fixed it will be 3-star game