This game is phenominal.
I was blown away. This game is absolutely amazing. The attention to detail, the finely crafted and well thought-out landscape, and the unique quests all come together to form a masterful RPG experience. There are a few negatives to this title. The game stutters from time to time, the scenery suffers from being drawn in as you walk, and many of the quests are of the fetch and return variety. But none of these gripes are enough to keep this game from being what it is: one of the best RPGs I've ever played.
From the embers flowing from the torches you brandish, to the beautiful sense of atmosphere created as you dive into ancient ruins and forgotten caverns, this game is a graphical powerhouse. The skyline is rich, as are the landscapes you will wander through. The character models are solid, and manage to add depth to the world of Oblivion.
Sound effects: top notch. The clang of steel on steel as you duke it out with longswords, or the rattle of of a mace as it finds your shield waiting to parry the blow, the combat sounds just as wonderful as it is to engage in. All in all, this game is a great deal of fun. An added bonus is the voice acting in this game. Though many of the actors' voices were applied to multiple characters, they each do a top-notch job of conveying the NPC they were assigned to. I am at the one hundred and twenty hour mark on this title, and that's after having saved over my original character by accident. Normally, I would have gotten frustrated at the fact that I deleted a save file with a hundred hours invested into it, but I enjoy this game enough that I decided to just keep playing as my new character.
The level up system is a little odd, and it takes some getting used to. Gone are the skill trees and level specific attribute points. In order to make a strong character, you must focus your attention on your minor skills in order to gain points for your attributes. The major skills are how you level up, with ten skill advancements required in order to make the next level. Again, it takes some getting used to, but its fun to play around with, and opens up a freedom of choice and focus that enables players to create a unique character every time you play.
Whether you're a fan of RPGs or not, I highly recommend this deep and satisfying title. Kudos to Bethesda on this wonderful game.