Ok, unlike some I have PLAYED the game...

User Rating: 9.6 | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion PC
It is Monday night, March 20, and I have played TES:O (Collectors Edition) for about 5 hours now, and I am loving it. The graphics everyone has seen are top notch, but what about the game ITSELF? After taking over 45 min JUST TO CREATE my avatar, with a choice of 10 races! The top that off with an insane amount of customizability to change hair style and color, facial features, and just trying some random faces will make you laugh. Don’t get me started on the classes and advanced classes that you start with. Not to mention going good or evil... 500+ hours is no exaggeration when it comes to replaying this game.

Game play is very simple to pick up and play. I did not play Morrowind, but I was able to swing into this game with no issue. The story keeps you enthralled, and I was never lost (yet). The world is huge and you can warp to any area instantly, and this will save you LOTS of time, but you lose out on the wild living world full of collectible flowers, weeds, and other things to create potions or poisons for weapons. Then add the NPCs in the countryside and the occasional Inn, and this game is INSANE.

I find fighting easier as magic is too cumbersome at the moment. You have to hit C to cast, and it leaves you open to retaliation attacks if you’re not fast enough. You can hit left CTRL to enter sneak mode and get a damage bonus with Bows (which is the way I went, I became an assassin). I just got done going into the Oblivion plane and closing a gate near Kavash, now I am about to assault the castle to retake the town… man I can’t wait until tomorrow.

I see this as one great game. If you play it and love it, then BUY IT, don’t copy, support the wonderful job these people did, to create a living breathing world.

Oh.. and before you actually review a game.. PLAY IT. I saw nothing but reviews based on pictures and videos. What good does that do?