Once modded, this is the best RPG you will have ever played
Once modded, this game becomes brilliant.
I wanted to give Oblivion a great score right out of the box, I really did, but I just cannot accept that Bethesda feels they did an adequate job on the character/NPC models and voice acting. As a result, this game does not fully become the be-all-to-end-all RPG that it should be until you've modded the heck out of it. I pity the poor gamers who only have access to the console version and therefore cannot mod the game.
Gameplay Positives: 1. Bethesda's usual amazing storyline. I find that only Bioware can top Bethesda for intricate and adult-oriented interactive plots and storylines.
2. Amazing and varied quests, including Bethesda's usual myriad sub-quests. They took the quest structures from Morrowind and did themselves one further by including quests that involved more than just "go there, kill that, bring back Item X". There's even a murder mystery you can participate in that is extremely well done!
3. Challenging combat that is an excellent blend of learning curve and reaction time. Not too easy, not overly difficult, and includes enemies that scale to either match your level or better it by a couple levels in order to provide a challenge. The archery in this game is by far the most enjoyable version of bow weapons I have personally every encountered.
4. Fantastic new innovations and gameplay elements such as personal strongholds, trophies and statues. The geography of the game-world even evolves as you progress through various main storylines and sub-plots.
Gameplay Negatives: I'm not a fan of 1st-person games at all, especially in RPG's, however Bethesda pulls it off admirably. You can go 3rd person in Oblivion, but it's very poor executed - you completely lose control of your targetting reticle and the camera becomes off-centered and difficult to control in a real-time environment. The quest structure of the main quest becomes far too repetitive once you get to a certain point. Still fun mind you, just very repetitive.
Graphics Positives: Oblivion sets a new benchmark for all other RPG's that follow when it comes to buildings, cities, landscapes, water effects, use of lighting and shadow, even skyscapes. Simply put, this is the most gorgeous RPG you will have ever experienced provided you have a mid-to-high range system.
Thank (insert personal deity(s) here) for mods!!!! Without the ability to mod this game, it would be far less than it becomes once modded. With mods, your character and the NPC's actually become attractive both physically and facially. Even voices can be modded/replaced. Hundreds, if not thousands, of mods can be found to add new armour, quests, hairstyles, houses, cities, landscapes, dungeons, even tattoos!
The official downloadable content/expansions are great, but are blown out of the water by user/fan-made mods and content.
Graphics Negatives: This is where the game normally loses most of its points in my review. As with Morrowind, Bethesda seems to have blown all of its budget on making gorgeous environments and had nothing left over when it came to character and NPC models. An argument can be made that the graphic rendition of their races and faces is stylistic and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, blah blah blah, but it's all BS. Their character and NPC models are just plain fugly. And that pretty much ruins the experience for me. Thankfully, with mods, this negative can be completely removed.
Sound Positives: Excellent music and sound effects. Nice to see notable voice acting from top name actors such as Patrick Stewart and Sean Bean.
Sound Negatives: As with the graphics, Bethesda seems to be trying to go with stylistic decisions for each race. Unfortunately, this translates to most female dark elves sounding like really old ladies that smoke too much, even if they're supposed to be young and beautiful. Each other race has similar drawbacks in their vocal styles, and this combines with the ugly faces and bland models to seriously detract from the gaming experience. Oddly, the male voices don't seem to suffer as much, but are still noticeably off-putting from time to time. Again, with mods, this negative can be improved if not eliminated.
Reviewer's Bottom Line: Once modded, this game becomes incredibly difficult to stop playing. I've even taught myself how to mod, just so that I can add in stories, armours, and other content that I've always wanted to see in an RPG. With Oblivion's construction set you can do it! This is the future of computer roleplaying.
Doesn't get a full 10/10 from me because it's 1st-person