Bethesda has worked long and hard. They have come bring an immersive, majestic masterpiece of a game.
When I first played Morrowind on a cold winter day in December, I was amazed at the amount of detail there was within this environment. Though the gameplay was mediocre, I still had a great time. Now. Imagine a game 100 times better than Morrowind. Can't find one? Well I have. The elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is the answer. You won't find a better PC, Xbox 360, or any game for that matter better than this one. One year ago, I first heard that Bethsoft was apparently working on the 4th installment of this great series. Now its the release day, and I could not be happier. Bethesda delivers with a benevolent masterpiece called Oblivion. The intriguing gameplay, the addictive story, the sheer depth of the game; all make this the greatest game of this generation. In the world of Oblivion, there is an endless amount of things to do. You could explore the 16 square miles of Cyrodiil, you could join the dark and secretive guild of the Dark brotherhood, you could be a mage, a warrior, thief, anything your heart desires.
There are a number of Guilds to join as well. These include the Fighters Guild, Mages guild, thieves guild, and the dangerous assassins of the Dark Brotherhood. Each Guild comes with its own set of quests, each epic in form. Even though the number of guilds is small, each guild is twice as big as the guilds of Morrowind. You could also visit the Arena , and become the grand champion of Cyrodiil. Also, there is a plethora of quests you can preform for the Daedra, or the evil demons that have waged war against Cyrodiil.
The story of Oblivion is this: The emperor of Cyrodiil, (played by Patrick Stuart by the way) has been killed. The gates of Oblivion have been opened because of his death. It only opens when there isn't a rightful emperor on the throne. Before he dies, you are given the burden of the world. As the emperor spurts his last breath, he gives you the amulet of kings-a majestic artifact handed down the generations of kings. You are tasked with getting the amulet to the heir to the throne, (Played by Sean Bean). The plot takes many twists and turns as it arcs into the climatic ending. For the first time in an Elder Scrolls game, the story is superbly easy to follow and mesmerizes you.
Once you have completed the main quest, the game is not even close to over. With over 200 hours of gameplay, the replay value is unreal. There are tons of different quests, each with their own storyline. The quests are often very innovative, not just get the package to the other guy quests. There are over 200 dungeons to explore, each with its own loot. Tons and tons of loot.
Also, a very handy fast travel has been added. To get across the huge landscape of Oblivion, this is a must have. Also horses have been added. There are at least 5 kinds of horses, each with their own stats. And who knows, maybe you will find the elusive unicorn?
To close this review, I must say that I really enjoyed this game. I do not think there is anything really wrong with it. Yet I was getting kind of annoyed at the load times. It wasn't that they were long, its the fact that there are so many. the framerate sometimes wavers, but its pretty steady. All in all, this game is perfect. Its a must buy for ES fans and then some.
-liberifataliff8