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It's get lonely in Oblivion

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 28
Date: October 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a good game. Graphics are great and their is a lot to do. The thing that sucks about it is that you're all alone. Most RPGs have multiple characters in your party allowing you to explore difference voices and stories. In this game, it's just you in a huge world. It's kind of depressing.

why?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: October 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Oblivion is without a doubt deserving of the game of the year title. It is however disappointing that I will have buy the game over again just to play the Shivering Isles expansion pack. It is wrong that they just don't release the individual pack in retail or psn to save some money. I don't know if they are going to do that in the future but I know I can't wait so I am stuck paying 60$. CRUEL CRUEL WORLD!!!

Great Game - now how do I get to the expansion games?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 10
Date: October 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Ok - I give up - How do you load the Shivering Isles and/or Knights of The Nine? Like a previous reviewer, I've already played Oblivion through and plunked the $60 down just for the addon games, but there doesn't seem to be any option to load these other games. Someone HELP!

The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 9
Date: October 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have not played the game of the year edition however the origional PS3 version includes the Knigts of the Nine expantion and it is included in the main body of the game not as a seperate game. You don't have to lode up Knights of the Nineor the Shivering Isles they are just part of the game. I hope that answers your question

Sets the bar too high, ruins all other games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 18
Date: October 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

OK, I've been ruined so badly that all other games seem less appealing now. Guess I'll have to wait for Elder Scrolls V now :)

This is the best game I've ever played, period.

It was hard to stop. The flexiblity of gameplay it provides is phenomenal. Great graphics, non-repetitive actions, non-linear flow, awesome soundtrack, numerous challenges...I can keep going. I spent 5 months playing this game at least 2-3 days out of a week, lasting about 2 hours at least. It is so vast, engaging and challenging enough to keep it interesting. No wonder it's the game of the year.

Released Too Soon...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 17 / 34
Date: October 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

THe following are my pros and cons for this title:

Pros:
Captivating game. I cannot put the controller down.
Superb graphics.
Awesome sound and sound effects.

Cons:
Poorly ported. This game is full of bugs and locks up frequently. One example is while completing the thieve's guild, I went to the Anvil castle for the closing cutscene and to get the cowl. Following the cutscene, the Countess walks to her thown, sits backwards in mid air and the game will not give me the Gray Fox's cowl. My character is locked in place and cannot move. I have to shutdown the system and reboot, then load at the last save point. I cannot complete this quest without starting over. This is only one example of a mirad of bugs in this game. Great concept, poor programming skills.

I spoke with Bethesda and they say nothing is wrong with their game. They told me to send my PS3 back to Sony for repair....nice software vendor!

SCREW YOU BETHESDA STOP RIPPING OFF PS3 OWNERS!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 11 / 47
Date: November 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I bought the original bug-filled Oblivion for my PS3. I finished it and really liked playing it but I find it a joke that Bethesda re-releases this game less than a year later with all kinds of added content. If you want to play this content you have to buy the new game. Why not make the new content downloadable for a small fee to existing owners? I'll tell you why, they suck that's why. Just want more money...... The game is really good if you can overlook it freezing up and you save a lot so you can work around the bugs.

Believe the Hype

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: November 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

What can I possibly say about this revolutionary computer RPG that hasn't been said?
To me this is arguably the best computer game in the history of video game, period.

'Oblivion' is a non-linear, free-form, 1st-person RPG, colored with beautiful next generation graphic that enhances the immersive gameplay set in the gigantic gameworld, where you can do anything anywhere anytime you feel like it.

There are over 20 cities and settlements, 300 quests, 300 dungeons, caves, ruins, tunnels, and whatnots available in the game (combining 'Knights of the Nine', official DLCs, and 'Shivering Isles').
Then there is TES Construction Set. Using this amazing toolset used by Bethesda to create TES IV Oblivion, there are literally over 2000 mods made by gamers like you and I, available for free and still coming out on a daily basis.

I spent close to 200 hours with over 50 mods installed and I only covered less than 70 quests. I was too busy crawling underground, fighting monsters, retrieving loots, selling them for better equipments and houses, decorating.
To hell with saving the world. I only finished half of the main quest, and I have no intention to finish it in the foreseeable future.

The production value is simply stratospheric. From character design, character model, environment, grass, tree, flower, water, animal, item, monster, building, right down to single pebble and stone, Bethesda paid so much attention to details that it is breathtakingly marvelous.

Music by Jeremy Soule and sound effects are another praise-worthy achievements.

No other RPG in the history of video game gives the gamer so much freedom in gameplay as it is so evident from the very beginning in character creation.
If you spend enough time, you can virtually create any actual person's face both living or dead in uncanny resemblance.

Whether you like it or not, I think 'Oblivion' has set the standard by which all future CRPG, and even other genres to some extent, will be measured for a long time.

To Bethesda's credit, 'Oblivion' successfully streamlined the CRPG mechanics from its beloved franchise into more accessible mainstream game that became a runaway success; or dumbing down for console kiddies as many describe, depends on how you look at it. I know many of people were turned off by the changes made from older TES series, and 'Oblivion vs Morrowind: Which is better?' is still one of the most fiercely-debated topic in the official forum. Since I have fond memories of all previous TES series, I won't get into the flaming war. I just don't see any constructive point of insisting one game over another. They all have pros and cons, and no game is perfect.

I couldn't read single review of new CRPG called 'Two Worlds' without comparing it to 'Oblivion'. What a burden and curse it is for 'Two Worlds', which has been brutally trashed by critics and users alike. I really love that game, too. Although I really enjoyed that game, it was ultimately not enough to erase the memory of 'Oblivion'. If 'Fallout 3' becomes anything close to the success of 'Oblivion', Bethesda Softwork will become the next formidable RPG Giant like 'Blizzard' / 'Black Isle' / 'Bioware' trinity once achieved back in the days. You can be sure Bethesda will come out with TES V, and its success is pretty much guaranteed no matter which direction it will take.

Now I think far too many game mechanics from the past CRPGs such as 'Ultima', 'Baldur's Gate', 'Wizardry' or 'Diablo' series stemmed from the limitation of technology at the time rather than game design choice. I still have the original copies of 'Baldur's Gate' and 'Diablo' series along with 'Ultima' series, 'Wizardry 8', 'Planescape: Torment', 'Fallout 1, 2', and of course 'Daggerfall' and 'Morrowind'.
Except for 'Morrowind', I don't see myself playing and enjoying those game as I once used to anymore.
I tried them recently and was pleasantly surprised how pathetically they are outdated now. The vidio gaming asthetics have grown exponentially since those days.

Even 'Morrowind' took some adjusting time to re-immerse myself. When I say technology, I am not just talking about graphic but the scope and possibilities that was just not feasible in the past. The improved technology doesn't always result in better game but it immensely helps to create immersive gaming world, and the technology lifted all the barriers for game developers to realize their vision into games. This will result in new convergent games that crossover the genres. Upcoming games such as 'Mass Effect' and 'Fallout 3' are the evidence of new gaming asthetics being formed right now.

What would you like to see in the future Bethesda RPGs in terms of game mechanics?

For me, one thing I really like to see is the interaction with NPCs improved. Radiant A.I. is the right direction for the NPC interaction, but I like to see more detailed implementation. In 'Gothic' series, NPCs actually perform various activities, which player character can also performs. NPCs react when weapons drawn upon or intruded by. I know these reactions in 'Gothic' are scripted events but the presentation makes them as if the NPCs were alive. NPCs in 'Oblivion', while acting on dynamic schedule, sometimes look like pantomiming. Many times I've witnessed the awesome NPCs interaction only possible with 'Radiant A.I', but many times NPCs walks around aimlessly in circle, too. The character deposition drops when weapon is drawn during conversation, but it would be nice to hear more distinctive reaction from NPCs about the fact. Daily routine could be more detailed in animation. Fishing, chopping woods, forging metals, making weapons, eating and drinking, the lists go on. I like to have more dialogue choices and right to refuse any quest. Many times you are given just one choice in 'Oblivion'.

Another thing is consequences of player character's action and its influence to the persistent world such as guilds. In 'Oblivion', your deeds, either good or evil, hardly create impact on the gaming world. Although there are more than one method to solve many individual task, and more than one result in outcome of the quest, it really doesn't change the grand scheme of the game. I heard 'Bethesda' is really working hard on this for the upcoming 'Fallout 3'. Multiple endings and various intricate political stands among different factions would be greatly appreciated.

Next thing is different combat mechanics for 3rd person perspective. 1st person perspective is outstanding in 'Oblivion' but it would be sweet to have the alternative combat mechanics in 'Vanity Mode' also. That way, gamers have choice between realistic 1st-person combat and more arcady 3rd-person combat. Accurate jumping mechanics like the one in 'Metroid Prime' would be awesome compared to the unrealistical moonwalking in the air in 'Oblivion'. More acrobatic combat moves like rolling and dodging would be fantastic additions.

Havoc engine is great, but I hope the object manipulation becomes more useful in the actual gaming world, quests, or combat in the next iteration.

And my pet peeve of the game, it's so difficult to fight the enemies while NPCs are around, especially the essential characters that you must protect.

These are merely the positive suggestions rather than pointing out the game's flaws.

New ideas to improve the immersion for too much open-endedness would be great idea to narrow the gap between linear RPG and non-linear RPG.

Making RPG and simulating more life-like world is the ultimate holy grail Bethesda has been working for since 'Arena', I am sure.
No matter which TES game you like the most, the pathetic reality is that the choice of CRPG is very scarce in the market right now, and we need more refined game like 'Oblivion' to embrace mainstream casual gamers without alienating the hardcore RPG gamers so that market will once be crowded with good CRPGs.

The newly released GOTY (Game of the year) edition of 'TES IV Oblivion' contains the original 'Oblivion' along with 'Knights of the Nine' and 'Shiverilg Isles'. Unfortunately, the rest of the official DLCs (Downloadable Contents) are not available in the package. But the new PSN is now up and running, and there's great chance that the DLCs will be available on PSN as many DLCs are for other games. I strongly recommend you to purchase the retail version of PS3 'Shivering Isles' if you own the previous version of PS3 'Oblivion' for it already contains 'Knights of the Nine'. If you decide to go with GOTY edition, then make sure you uninstall the entire older version before you reinstall with the newer version. And yes, you can use the older save game files, but they could potentially cause some stability issues for the console version as opposed to the PC version. If you never played 'Oblivion', GOTY edition is a terrific purchase with infinite value. The graphic is simply breathtaking, and loading time is almost as fast as most of PC. There's no shame in owning this excellent game on PS3 console. One downside of console version is the lack of access to thousands of user-created mods created by 'TES Construction Set'. They are only compatible for PC.

This game literally never ends. You'll spends hundreds of hours and one day, you'll simply quit at your own device. 'Oblivion' is the one game truly non-linear, free-form, open-ended to the bitter end, indeed.

This game would have been fun if it offerred 3rd person view instead of just 1st person view.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 35
Date: November 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I cannot stand 1st person RPG's. The controls are terrible, you have trouble finding your way around without having to constantly deal with the camera. This game would have been excellent if it offerred 3rd person perspective.

Impressive game all around

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This really is an exceptional game. The world rendering is magnificent and the character and weapons graphics models are very good. The physics engine in the game is really impressive. Shoot an arrow into a dead rat and it recoils, drop your sword on a rocky slope and watch it slide into the water below. You're ability to interact with the environment is nicely done. Most items that you can take into your inventory can also be manually manipulated, moved from place to place, or tossed across the room. They land with a satisfying clatter. That sort of touch really enhances the immersive experience.

Combat is basically shoot or chop at the bad guy until he's down. You don't know much damage you've done or how much more you have to do before that happens. Its fast and furious with a lot of movement at times. Battles can last a long time, however, especially outdoors where you can run away for a bit, regenerate, and then go back at it. Ranged battles can also last awhile since the game mechanics allows you to dodge missiles of both conventional and magical variety and use cover effectively.

Gameplay can be pleasantly non-linear. There is the save-the-world main quest line which I have yet to complete. The game, however, doesn't lock you into it once it starts. Instead, you may deviate your activities to other shorter quest lines or dive into the many, many "dungeon-environments" that dot the landscape. The latter are a good way to get money and experience. Since there is noone else in the world, the dungeons will remain clear for a much longer period of time, but they will repopulate over time.

The quests themselves were generally more compelling than in other games in this genre. Many of them involved recovering a lost or stolen item, finding a missing person, researching an unusual occurence, exploring a new area, etc. Almost none of them were of the kill or gather X of Y variety. Occasionally, they even present the player with a moral choice, for example, return to the lost item to its rightful owner or return it to your employer. Each choice has a different consequence.

The dialogue from the NPCs was generally very much better than average. The voice acting talent also had quite high production values. There could have been more of them, however, as it seemed that most of the people you met had a voice chosen from one of eight. I preferred the actors with the English accents as an American accent in a game of this sort is a bit like a a Coke machine in Westminster Abbey. That's just my own personal prejudice, however.

I have a few minor quibbles however. There are far too few hot key slots. You will end up with a huge number of spells and items but only eight hot key slots in which to put them. This leads to the somewhat goofy practice of stopping in the midst of a pitched battle to down a potion, switch a spell, or change out some armor. This definitely takes away from the realism of the situation. Secondly, the manual is a bit thin for a game as rich as this one. More details of the game mechanics would be helpful. For example, we are told that wearing thicker varieties of armor dimishes spell effects, but we are not told by how much. Also there are many different potenial classes in the game, but the manual does not describe anything about them. This information appears at character-create, you make a choice, and that point it disappears again. Finally, it would nice if the game saved your state when you quit. A number of times I have returned to the game to find that I'm moved backwards in time a bit, and the quest I thought was finished, isn't

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