It has fiery portals, hellish landscapes, and evil corruption. What's not to love?

User Rating: 9.6 | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion PC
Fiery portals to hell, evil demons, and dark princes, oh my Now it’s time for Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Bethesda hit a home run in 2002 with Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It offered a huge adventure, giving you total freedom in a gorgeous fantasy land. Fans were eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series, but after three years people were getting impatient. Finally in 2006 Oblivion has arrived, and it was well worth the wait. By taking everything that made the series a hit, improving upon all of it, and including a few additional tweaks, the game jacks up a grand slam.

Prison - the lovely place where everyone wears uniforms and special friends are waiting to greet newcomers. Okay, this may not be the case in Oblivion, but this is where it all starts. For some unknown reasons, you find yourself in jail. All of a sudden your cell is bombarded by guards and the king of Tamriel, Uriel Septim. He senses something about you, as if fate destined this moment. His previous dreams led him to this conclusion, so he quickly entrusts you with the task of finding his unknown heir. The story moves along as you complete the main quests, but first you must sculpt your character. You have a host of different races to choose from, each with their own benefits. Those strong and massive Orcs boast higher attack bonuses, while those wily Wood Elves provide additions to sneaking attributes. In addition to a staggeringly deep system, you can customize your character’s appearance extensively. It goes all the way from a simple hairstyle to the size and structure of their nose. The game really puts everything in your hands, making you feel like there are no boundaries. You'll eventually get to pick your class, birthsign, and so on as you tread through the prison. Once you see the light of day, you're on your way to saving the world of Tamriel from the evil behind Oblivion.

Character development is unique in Oblivion. Rather than the average ‘fight, level up, fight, level up’ formula, you level up through using your major skills. For instance, if blades are one of your primary skills, then the more you use swords and daggers, the more you skilled you become in that area. To make the most out of the leveling system, you must focus on these abilities to the point where you progress in levels slowly but steadily. A few swift strikes of the sword doesn’t result in leveling up your blades skill immediately. This is a bit tedious because it does take time to develop certain aspects of your character, but the reward is more than worth it. You’ll soon forget such small issues when you’re pounding your foes to the ground one by one with ease.

Do you ever feel that a game falls into the category of one-dimensional? It may be fun for a while, until you realize that you’ve been repeating the same thing over and over again. Luckily, Oblivion steers clear of this by offering some of the most varied gameplay you’re going to find in an RPG, including picking locks, undertaking side-quests, joining the ranks of guilds, conversing with the townspeople...oh, and I forgot to mention heroically closing the Oblivion Gates, hellish, fiery portals leading to depictions similar to the underworld. Although all of this provides various ways to approach the game, combat will be a primary factor in your adventure.

What’s so great about battles in Oblivion is the simplicity. One mouse button triggers your attack, and the other blocks. There is some challenge though, as you’ll find the AI is more than capable of slaughtering you. Enemies attempt to flee when wounded and group up on you when you’re in trouble. This forces you to mix up weapons and spells for the best results. But if visceral melee combat isn’t to your liking, you sly thieves out there have nothing to worry about.

A stealthy method of playing is more fun than one might imagine. Pickpocketing an unsuspecting citizen, or executing a quick sneak attack is just as rewarding as bashing an enemy’s head in. You might be thinking “Okay, that’s all great, but what about the magic?” You’ll be pleased to know that the incredibly deep variations of spells have returned. There are different categories for magic, ranging from restoration, focusing on healing, to conjuration, centering on the evil summoning side of things. One of these approaches is sure to suit you, and each is just as fun as the next.

Forget Snickers, Milky Way, or any other rich chocolate goody, there’s a new candy in town...”eye candy” that is. Its name is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. If you’re one of many who had your mouth drop to the floor in awe with the screenshots and videos of the game, then you already know Oblivion is quite a sight to behold. It’s full of everything that makes a game look visually aesthetic; great weather effects, fully detailed characters and environments, and there’s variety in the visuals. You don’t feel like you’ve met the same person or gone to this place once before often, and with so much content, this is monumental. That being said, the game does come with its fair share of technical issues. There will be the occasional frame-rate hiccup, and looking off into the distance sometimes results in lackluster scenery. This does keep the graphics from being all they could be, but nevertheless, you’re in store for some stunning sights. Some may find themselves sitting upon a hilltop, gazing at the beautiful stars rather than engaging in hectic melee combat. Something like that shows you the developers went the extra mile to make sure that any problems would be painted over by the positives.

Oblivion’s audio is certainly not a weak point. The musical score fits perfectly with the fantasy setting, ranging from cheery town music to soft, eerie arrangements for dungeons, backing the ambient sound effects. From the clang of steel to the screech of rats, everything sounds just like you would imagine. What’s most impressive though, are the voice-overs. Each individual has diverse dialect, but what’s so astounding is the amount of dialogue. Just about every person in town is up for conversing to the extent that they’ll talk to each other. That’s right, you can even eavesdrop on conversations. The attention to detail here is much deserved of praise. Best of the all voice-actors is Patrick Stewart. Yes, Star Trek fans rejoice, because Stewart lends his talents for the role of Emperor Uriel Septim. Although it’s just a small role, that voice never gets old.

Make sure you have a comfortable seat ready, because once you start Oblivion, you won’t be able to get away. Who cares about friends and family when you have Oblivion? If you want to be stealthy, go ahead. If combat is your main preference, no problem. And all you magic lovers out there have nothing to worry about. There’s plenty of scorcery to please the Merlin in all of us. No matter what your fancy is, you have the choice of doing whatever you want. Completing the main quest isn’t required, and you don’t have to be a savior. If the thought of being a murderer on the loose peaks your interest, this is the game for you. The list goes on and on to the point where it’s mind-boggling. If you’re ready to kiss your social life goodbye, then Oblivion will surely help in those efforts.

Morrowind may have been an excellent game, but it’s not even close to the amazing achievement that is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. With so ways to play, and so much content, the game will make sure there is a nice imprint in your seat. Sure, it has superlative graphics and sound, and that’s great. But when a game goes above and beyond what is expected, that’s what should really be appreciated. You smell that, don’t you? That’s the scent of game of the year. It’ll be hard for any other game to top Oblivion in 2006, and no other RPG has provided such a unique and fulfilling experience in recent years.