"Oblivion is a magnificent experience in nearly every possible way."
The torch light flickers on the wet cave walls as you creep up on the Goblin Shaman. You unsheathe your Daedric dagger and raise it to strike. Your dagger plunges into the back of the Goblin’s neck. As its limp body slinks down to the damp cavernous floor the protective enchantment the Goblin had cast fades. Little good it did him.
But, maybe the silent assassin isn’t your type of character; maybe you prefer the heavy armor and bloodied axe of an impatient Orc; or the fiery wrath of a necromancer. In Elder Scrolls IV you have a great deal of freedom in terms of gameplay and character selection. Combine that with some astounding next-generation visuals and audio and you’ll find a magnificent experience in nearly every possible way.
The gist of the main storyline is simple, and in Elder Scrolls fashion, taking part in it is completely optional. You can play this game for well over a hundred hours and not even touch the main quest, considering the sheer joy you’ll find in simply exploring the world. Also in Elder Scrolls fashion, your character starts out a prisoner, only this time in the cell that just so happens to have the secret passage the Emperor of Tamriel needs to escape through. Coincidence or destiny!? You decide. The Emperor spares your life for unclear reasons. Then making your way through the depths of the Imperial prison’ hidden corridors you learn that the Emperor (voiced by Patrick Stewart from Star Trek) has seen you in his dreams and knows that you will accomplish great things in the future. The heirs to the throne have been assassinated, and the Emperor seems to accept that he won’t survive much longer. Yet, he is full of hope. He believes you have the power to save Tamriel.
When creating your character the selection of races is large and varied. Choose from the several elves, High, Wood, and Dark. There are numerous humanoid races as well, from the Breton who specializes in magic to the Imperial who is the run-of-the-mill human. The Nord is a tough, grungy, and hardened race who can stand the bitter cold of the north. Whereas, the lizard-like Argonian’s have the ability to breathe under water and have full resistance to poison. Lastly, both the Orc and Redguard races are geared toward the “kill first, ask questions later” playing style. The character-building system is robust and detailed, but unfortunately your character will almost always be ugly. The people of this particular fantasy world just aren’t that good-looking--no matter what race you pick.
Once you’ve begun your quest, you’ll quickly become familiar with the easy-to-use menus. As you pick up a variety of items, weapons, and armor. You can view them in your inventory, which is separated by type of item. You can find your armor, clothing, and defense-boosting trinkets in one slot, whereas you’ll find ingredients and potions in another slot. Flipping through the pages of the menu, you’ll find a map that allows you to teleport to any found location. The inventory system is straightforward, as any good menu should be. The level-up system in Oblivion is difficult to fully understand. Near the beginning of your journey you’ll choose seven Major Skills, causing the remaining to be Minor Skills. This system, if you mean to level-up properly, can become especially complicated and tedious. The seven Major Skills have a profound effect on how your character will level-up. Using Major Skills, not Minor, will cause you to level up. The game has you think about how you’re playing instead of just hacking away at enemies for experience points.
When you gain a level, your enemies (and NPCs) will increase in difficulty; treasures will appreciate in quality and worth; and increasing certain skills will become harder. If you level-up as fast as you possibly can, without paying heed to the nuances of the system, you’ll quickly find yourself outmatched by your adversaries. The system is complex and intricate, but in practice, you’ll be surprised how quickly you pick up all the little details and put them together, even if the game fails to properly explain these details. Luckily, every other part of the game is compelling enough that you will look past the annoyances of this system.
The world of Tamriel is beautifully realized, rich in quests to complete, enemies to defeat, and people to meet. Walking through the woods as the sun shines through the trees and casts shadows on the moist forest floor can keep you occupied for hours—especially when fending off bandits, harvesting ingredients, and discovering ancient ruins. You’ll want to explore to the ends of the world. The forests are greener, the water is bluer, and the sky will leave you in awe. And once you step into your first Oblivion Gate you’ll witness the hellish world beyond and fear it. The simple act of exploring has been perfected, with a vast, detailed, and breathing world.
You’ll find plenty else to gawk at, including, but not limited to, the character models, weapons, spell-effects, physics system, and wide variety of animations. The character models for many NPCs are recycled, but in such a huge world with literally hundreds of people to meet, this is a minor imperfection. There’s nothing like killing a Daedric Lord, picking up his scorching Claymore, and then using it against his kin. The spell-effects are, for lack of a better word, glorious. And the amount of items is equally impressive, as each item has full physical maneuverability. So yes, you can pick up books and throw them at people.
You need to be careful though, since your actions usually have consequences. If you’re in the local weapons shop and you pick up an item that isn’t yours while someone is watching he’ll call the guards on you. The people of Tamriel aren’t so big on the “try before you buy” philosophy. Once the guards arrive, with unnatural speed, you’ll be presented with three choices. You can pay for what you stole, and lose all other stolen items. The can go to jail, and attempt to escape and recover your belongings. Or, you can resist. Obviously, the last option is the most entertaining—but early on in the game you’ll simply get obliterated by the guards and barely have a chance to scratch their heavy armor. The problem is how cautious you have to be. Even if you move an item that isn’t yours, you’ll get in trouble. In other words, everyone in Tamriel needs to take a chill-pill.
Luckily, the people of Tamriel also have plenty of things for you to do. You’ll be spying, murdering, acquiring lost items, finding lost friends, helping to lift curses, stealing from authorities, defeating evil (or good), and generally—killing things and getting gold. The majority of quests are enjoyable, especially those you’ll acquire from Guilds, which include sweeping storylines similar, although not as dramatic, to the main quest. Many of the quests you will get in the wilderness aren’t as diverse or interesting as the Guild quests, but will still keep you occupied and give a good change of pace. You may have to save some villagers stuck in a cave full of trolls, or you may have to discover the whereabouts of a lost family treasure. You’ll always have quests available to you.
Once you get to that cave and find those nasty trolls, there are numerous ways you can dispose of the vile creatures. The fighting system proves to be straightforward, and easy-to-master. Plus, the artificial intelligence will always keep you on your toes. Pull out your dagger, sword, mace, or axe, and you can whack that nasty troll to kingdom-come. Clicking once will swing your weapon, and holding the button as you move up, down, right or left, will give you special attacks, provided you’ve leveled-up your skills enough. The fighting is always intense, and the hit detection is usually spot-on. The combat, especially with multiple opponents at once, can prove challenging and you’ll need to use all of your abilities in order to succeed. Carefully plan your strategy, because each special attack you use will take a chunk out of your stamina bar, and it takes time for it to refill. If you’re dead tired and backed into a corner, you’ll find yourself in trouble very fast.
Long range combat is likewise enjoyable. Pulling out your long bow, equipped with poison-tipped arrows, and landing one right in between a nasty Ogres eyes is extremely satisfying. There are literally too many types of arrows to count, and many have magical effects. Or, equip a spell to one of the eight hot-keys, and watch your enemies’ burn, freeze, or fry, accordingly. The most satisfying type of magic is Conjuration. There’s simply no substitute for the pleasure of watching your own animated zombie go at it with another zombie. However, the most significant kind of magic, and something nearly every sort of character will need, is Restoration. Having a healing spell handy at all times is imperative.
The sound effects, sweeping original score, and bountiful voice-acting make Oblivion a fine sounding experience that you won’t forget. Walking through creepy, zombie-occupied crypts has never been so immersive. You’ll hear water dripping behind you, moaning victims around the next corner, and the clinking of your chain-mail. All the while, foreboding music plays in the background. As soon as you start the game you will be treated to an enchanting and memorable theme, and the rest of the music is of equal quality. The voice-acting is also excellent, and also has a couple, big-name actors playing main characters. As mentioned, Patrick Stewart plays the Emperor. And Sean Bean plays Martin, the lost heir to the throne, and gives a compelling performance. As Martin makes each decision, you feel his fear and uncertainty. Unfortunately the rest of the voice-cast in Oblivion, although competent, is composed of about ten people. You’ll hear the same voices for many different characters. It’s a minor gripe in the end, considering just how well written the dialog is.
The world of Tamriel quickly enchants you and you won’t want to leave. It will take at least 100 hours for you to complete the bulk of quests. Then you can access the dozens of player-created moderations for the game and extend its life even further. The world isn’t just huge for the sake of being huge—each city offers something new, as you meet different people, witness their way of life, help them with their problems, and even buy your own property, you will feel connected. You’ll feel like you’re a part of a living world, with a crisis that only you, the hero of untold powers can help avert. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has its own set of flaws, but largely the game consists of amazing presentation, fun gameplay, wonderful audio, and a level of immersion that you’ll probably not find in any other game. Oblivion may not be the perfect game, but it’s hard to complain.