The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3846 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,010 out of 3846
  2. Mixed: 542 out of 3846
  3. Negative: 294 out of 3846
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  1. RobbinB.
    Apr 14, 2006
    8
    The gameplay (graphics, combat, etc..) itself is fantastic and kudos to Bethesda on that. It did require some serious upgrading to my computer to get it to even run properly though. The leveling/skill system, on the other hand, is completely broken. What's inexcusable is that the system is pretty much exactly the same as that used for Morrowind. It was lousy then, and it's lousy The gameplay (graphics, combat, etc..) itself is fantastic and kudos to Bethesda on that. It did require some serious upgrading to my computer to get it to even run properly though. The leveling/skill system, on the other hand, is completely broken. What's inexcusable is that the system is pretty much exactly the same as that used for Morrowind. It was lousy then, and it's lousy now. Just look at all the guides out there talking about "controlled leveling" - it actually makes more sense to place the skills you want to use more often as minor skills then as major skills. True role-playing just goes out the window or the role player is severely punished. And there's only one uber-character - all stats and skills maxed out; warrior, mage, and thief all-in-one and member of every guild!… Expand
  2. MikeM.
    May 17, 2006
    8
    I agree that this is probably the best RPG to date, when i first got it i couldnt put it down, there are thousands of quests, and on high settings with a high resolution it looks better than any other game its true sometimes my framerate drops to 30 :( but this is only for a second or so, and the NPC's do suck but it still manages to draw you in, We all know it has its bugs but no I agree that this is probably the best RPG to date, when i first got it i couldnt put it down, there are thousands of quests, and on high settings with a high resolution it looks better than any other game its true sometimes my framerate drops to 30 :( but this is only for a second or so, and the NPC's do suck but it still manages to draw you in, We all know it has its bugs but no game is perfect, But also no game comes this close.… Expand
  3. ErikM.
    May 2, 2006
    8
    Would have gotten a 9 if Bethesda actually released a finished product instead of this bug-ridden beta version. Black marks for STILL not having a patch either, since they're focusing only on revenue-generating expansions. Fun game when it works, but the scaling dungeons dumb the game down way too much. Not enough variety in gear. Graphics are great, save for the annoyingly ugly faces.
  4. TomA.
    Mar 23, 2007
    8
    This game is definitely fun. The graphics are excellent. You are free to explore a large world. The game developers seemed to only use about 5 different voices for hundreds of non player characters. In a game where everything is focused on quests, the realism is goes out the door fast. I would also like to say that this game has a lot of very repetitious elements so if you can rent it This game is definitely fun. The graphics are excellent. You are free to explore a large world. The game developers seemed to only use about 5 different voices for hundreds of non player characters. In a game where everything is focused on quests, the realism is goes out the door fast. I would also like to say that this game has a lot of very repetitious elements so if you can rent it you'll enjoy it more. Oblivion was fun for about two weeks.… Expand
  5. TheWasp
    Mar 25, 2007
    8
    The only down side to to this game is (was),you can not attack while ridding on your horse.
  6. OovVictory
    Sep 26, 2007
    8
    4 for graphics, 4 for the soundtrack, 8 for the player made mods, -3 for leveling, -5 for bugs and crashes. As you can see Beth, the player made mods saved your game.
  7. AnomynousGamer
    Apr 14, 2008
    8
    Oblivion is an amazing game. Don't get me wrong it does have its flaws with some tedious quests which get repetitive but it still doesn't make the game rubbish. Reading a lot of comments what most people complain about is the leveling system. All the things about staying lvl 1 and being the strongest is stupid but the leveling system is worked out pretty well. 10 major skill Oblivion is an amazing game. Don't get me wrong it does have its flaws with some tedious quests which get repetitive but it still doesn't make the game rubbish. Reading a lot of comments what most people complain about is the leveling system. All the things about staying lvl 1 and being the strongest is stupid but the leveling system is worked out pretty well. 10 major skill levels is 1 combat level. Once you reach higher levels people are complaining that it gets "to hard" the reason for it being "to hard" for these players is the fact that they are inexperienced. The higher level you are the more "skilled" you are. This should mean that you know how to kill certain enemies certain way with weaknesses etc. People complaining about it being to hard just can't play the game properly. The graphics are very good and does make everything look very good. The AI isn't the greatest and on a few occasions I've been chased by a person with their weapon drawn for them to talk to me like a normal person. But aside from all the bugs and some flaws i give this game an 8. P.S. This is weird that I, being an avid gamer and posting on a PC review site, has only played on the Xbox 360. Even then i still wouldn't think that there would be much different with combat apart from controls. I have played Oblivion for 200+ hours and still play it.… Expand
  8. AnonymousMC
    Jul 29, 2009
    8
    Good game, great gameplay, nice quest, the expansions are cool (shirvering isles) you get your moneys worth of gameplay (around maybe 250+ hours if u do every quest) but the game isnt perfect, i played it un patached and un modded and even though it rain fairly, i felt the graphics werent as good as i could get them to be (even though i have a lower end dell, i can get insanly goodGood game, great gameplay, nice quest, the expansions are cool (shirvering isles) you get your moneys worth of gameplay (around maybe 250+ hours if u do every quest) but the game isnt perfect, i played it un patached and un modded and even though it rain fairly, i felt the graphics werent as good as i could get them to be (even though i have a lower end dell, i can get insanly good graphics in games like call of duty, and left 4 dead etc) sometimes if i opened it through steam it would close to my desktop wich would be annoying when im exploring a cave because i would need to start over. Also not enough voice actors, one time when i was in cloud ruler temple i heard to charcters with the same voice actor have a conversation. Leveling system can get annoying aswell.
    the quest in the game are good, only memerable ones are the ones such as the main quest line, the dark brotherhood questline (which i play on every charcter i make because of how fun it is) have to admit though some enimes arent real creative, and i think bethsidia gave up too quickly (only one real expansion pack, knights of nine is really more of a bunch of addons on a CD with OBLVION stamped on the cover) campared to a fully expanded Fallout 3, not as good but is still a good game i would pick it up on steam as its at a fair price there.    … Expand
  9. DaveR.
    Apr 12, 2006
    8
    How truly awe-inspiring this game would be if the AI weren't flawed and those sometimes not-so-sublte collision glitches were removed. Once the buzz of freedom ran out, I began wincing occassionally at problems both with gameplay and character creation.
  10. GlenD.
    Jul 14, 2006
    8
    Pros: Huge sprawling landscape, visually stunning at higher settings. Great storylines for guild quests. Somewhat multi-facetted. Open ended. Incredible mod support, someone with very little experience with the editor can figure out how to create new weapons, even new dungeons and caves! Cons: Requires some serious processing power, both CPU and GPU. The engine used is not very optimized. Pros: Huge sprawling landscape, visually stunning at higher settings. Great storylines for guild quests. Somewhat multi-facetted. Open ended. Incredible mod support, someone with very little experience with the editor can figure out how to create new weapons, even new dungeons and caves! Cons: Requires some serious processing power, both CPU and GPU. The engine used is not very optimized. The main quest is way too short. The fast travel feature is easy to overuse. Heck, the fast travel feature was implemented in a way that eliminates some encounters that were present in Morrowind. Seems like encounters are few and far between now, perhaps the landscape is the reason why, Morrowind was a valley/pass/mountain landscape; Oblivion is a forrest/hills/pretty landscape. Thus, in Oblivion you can easily zig zag to your final destination, in Morrowind there was 1 path. The fast travel feature, once used once, is used over and over! Because, if you take a stand and hoof it to a location, you find you might run into a bandit camp, okay, 3 enemies, or run past an ayleid ruin (a long dungeon with no real 'loot' at the end) Overall a wonderful experience, but I am now 3 weeks from starting the game, I've sent one char through the main quest, got another char to 18 and through the mage quests, another through the dark brotherhood and to level 21, and most recently a vampire to level 9 and through the thieves guild quests, and I have college right now and other responsibilities. So -- yes, with fast travel the game goes fast.… Expand
  11. AS
    Aug 25, 2006
    8
    Well, by now should be fairly clear that this game was made primarily with Xbox in mind. I must despite the hype about the graphic, I was quite disappointed. The
  12. J.K.
    Mar 25, 2007
    8
    Oblivion good, but definitely not on the level of the hype it's received. The game is great fun while it lasts, but after playing through the main quest and each of the main factions, you're just about done. Yeah, that's a lot of hours, but the so called "limitless exploration," reviews that you see all over the place really aren't accurate. Definitely worth a buy, but Oblivion good, but definitely not on the level of the hype it's received. The game is great fun while it lasts, but after playing through the main quest and each of the main factions, you're just about done. Yeah, that's a lot of hours, but the so called "limitless exploration," reviews that you see all over the place really aren't accurate. Definitely worth a buy, but this game could have been perfect if there were real roleplaying elements; the quests mostly don't have multiple ways of completion, and player-NPC conversation is limited to single word choices.… Expand
  13. ChrisK.
    Nov 12, 2007
    8
    Perfect example for a game saved soley by the contributions of fans. A year or so ago, as soon as I fully realized the grave implications of the leveling system (enemies are always adjusted to your level, making for a very pointless RPG experience), I uninstalled the game in disgust and disappointment (Come to think of it, the mod-less console versions are bound to be horrible) Now, after Perfect example for a game saved soley by the contributions of fans. A year or so ago, as soon as I fully realized the grave implications of the leveling system (enemies are always adjusted to your level, making for a very pointless RPG experience), I uninstalled the game in disgust and disappointment (Come to think of it, the mod-less console versions are bound to be horrible) Now, after randomly breezing through the Oblivion Wiki, I decided to give it another try. And boy, was it worth it. I can fully recommend the game now - with about a ton of mods you can perfectly adjust the it to your preferences as you see fit. Makes for a decent gaming experience, still, just don´t expect anything terribly new or innovative - the game leaves enough room for improvement. Here´s hoping that Bethesda improve with TES V.… Expand
  14. JudgeMental
    Sep 4, 2010
    8
    I wrote one review for this on the 360 already, but tragicly forgot to mention one of the reasons I love this game so much. The expansion Shivering Isles is the single most enjoyable DLC I have ever played. Period. It's a wonderful, twisted, gripping expansion. I could take or leave Knights of the Nine, but the Shivering Isle was epic.
  15. Xgrubbs
    Aug 26, 2010
    8
    great game, great concepts, great interactivity. However if you're more into a storyline than a i want to play this forever game then this isn't for you. For me without constant DLC it gets really old really fast especially when you have done all Daedra, main story, guild quests. Some may say there is a world of replay value here but i would disagree sorry.
  16. Tubie
    Oct 2, 2010
    8
    This game was to some degree a let down to me, but simply because I loved Morrowind so much. The game itself is very good, a great RPG that follows that traditional open ended free to do what you want formula. I did find the main story to be a bit short and a bit too linear but overall I think this is a great PC game that every RPG fan should play.
  17. DrCola
    Nov 19, 2011
    8
    So long as you dont know about the level scaling system untill youve poured your life into this thing you will be fine. Its true. The elder scrolls provide a universe that makes you forget the bugs, forget the level scaling issues, forget what small problems persist, its all an amazing expierience, but oblivion is probablly the worst elder scrolls game by far.
  18. Itsapaul
    Dec 26, 2010
    8
    Would've been way better had I not played Fallout 3 first, but this is only getting a slightly above average score since you have to get it on pc and get mods to fix the glaring gameplay problems like psychic guards, a retarded leveling system, and so on.
  19. TheMitherer
    Sep 30, 2011
    8
    I can really do without a game telling me on screen that I've reached the entrance to a cave when I'm stood 1 foot away from said entrance. A game where levelling up seems more than a bit pointless. A game where I'm thinking 'why don't they get the guards to do this quest - they're obviously more capable'. A game which threw away many of the great things that its predecessor had. But II can really do without a game telling me on screen that I've reached the entrance to a cave when I'm stood 1 foot away from said entrance. A game where levelling up seems more than a bit pointless. A game where I'm thinking 'why don't they get the guards to do this quest - they're obviously more capable'. A game which threw away many of the great things that its predecessor had. But I can't honestly give this game less than an 8. It's entertaining, engaging and has some replayability and if it grabs you, you will probably spend a lot of time with it. Personally, I found it a lot more enjoyable when I finished the game at level 8 as opposed to level 24., which says it all about the levelling system. Still, at today's prices I would consider it a great buy.… Expand
  20. xZippy
    Jan 5, 2013
    8
    Oblivion is no doubt an excellent game. My review might be a bit judgement-clouded because I've played Skyrim and waited too long to do a review on this game. On one hand, the storytelling, character development, spells and variety of weapons/skills/potions are all done with brilliance. On the other hand, some parts of the game seem insanely rushed and unpolished. The caves are copy andOblivion is no doubt an excellent game. My review might be a bit judgement-clouded because I've played Skyrim and waited too long to do a review on this game. On one hand, the storytelling, character development, spells and variety of weapons/skills/potions are all done with brilliance. On the other hand, some parts of the game seem insanely rushed and unpolished. The caves are copy and pastes. The time-freezing when talking to NPC's is very stupid and sucks away the atmosphere. The level up system is pretty bad, but tolerable... Somewhat. Some NPC's will change the pitch of their voice out of nowhere. The sneaking is done well, but can be very unpredictable and frustrating because you can still be detected no matter how quiet or far away you were. No diagonal running, ugh. The dialogue between NPC's is as bad as a Tommy Wiseau movie. Some potions found in the game have hardly any reason to exist, because potions like "Restore 1 Luck Point" is beyond trivial. Overall, the game is great, but the many glitches and laziness of the game is there too.… Expand
  21. Aodecim
    Jul 30, 2011
    8
    My first truly open-world game (decided to play it after the announcement of Skyrim) that swept me off my feet despite many controversial issues as discussed by user Phlakes. I truly believe that this game, despite its years, should be at least experienced to some extent as an introduction to the Elder Scrolls series. Despite its lack of voice actors and strong NPC interactions, I feltMy first truly open-world game (decided to play it after the announcement of Skyrim) that swept me off my feet despite many controversial issues as discussed by user Phlakes. I truly believe that this game, despite its years, should be at least experienced to some extent as an introduction to the Elder Scrolls series. Despite its lack of voice actors and strong NPC interactions, I felt immersed enough to research a whole lot about the world of Tamriel and the Elder Scrolls Prophecy.… Expand
  22. GolovA
    Aug 21, 2011
    8
    I did play Morrow Wind before. And i did enjoy Oblivion a lot. The story sucks in, RPG element is very well balanced, and it's just fun to explore the world, finding caves and looting skeletons! :) Just make sure to get some MODS - it's gonna make the game even better!
  23. Diosys
    Sep 9, 2011
    8
    Oblivion is an open world RPG that is great in immersing the player in a fantasy world. The games great elements is allowing a player to build a character the way they want, rather then the way the developers want. The environment is beautiful. There are a few drawbacks. Combat is simplistic, some of the animations (such as jumping) are horrid looking and the ragdoll effects do tend toOblivion is an open world RPG that is great in immersing the player in a fantasy world. The games great elements is allowing a player to build a character the way they want, rather then the way the developers want. The environment is beautiful. There are a few drawbacks. Combat is simplistic, some of the animations (such as jumping) are horrid looking and the ragdoll effects do tend to somewhat break the immersion sometimes.

    However, its in depth storyline and lore can only be competed with by its predecessor, Morrowind. Although possibly accurate in calling it a dumbed down version, Oblivion still carries a lot of elements that many other RPG titles miss.    … Expand
  24. Yutyut
    Sep 25, 2011
    8
    Okay, I will rate this in two portions. First will be the game in its out of the box, vanilla state. The second will be with the addition of mods. Overall I give the game a solid 7 for vanilla and a 9 for mods, so we can call it even at 8.

    1. Vanilla oblivion is great. When the game first came out it was the first next gen game of its kind. That is a huge reason it had so much hype. How    Okay, I will rate this in two portions. First will be the game in its out of the box, vanilla state. The second will be with the addition of mods. Overall I give the game a solid 7 for vanilla and a 9 for mods, so we can call it even at 8.

    1. Vanilla oblivion is great. When the game first came out it was the first next gen game of its kind. That is a huge reason it had so much hype. How mnany other games offered that detailed and that gorgeous of a gameworld? Now in comparison to Morrowind, the quests sucked. Morrowind actually took a real long time to complete even if you did only main quest and hauled ass. Oblivion's main quest is just kinda....done. I finished the game and was astonished how little time it required. Realistaqcally...you can probably beat the main quest in 1-2 days if you know what your doing. Side quests- Oblivion did have some interesting and funny side quests at times but I kinda missed the running down a road in the middle of nowhere and some guy offers me 50 bucks to deliver some shirts from morrowind. Oblivion to me was more of a showcase than an actual Elder Scrolls. Also you need to keep in mind tech limits in 2006 they wanted this onto one disc... the game is several gigs. and ppl always btich about how morrowind was so massive....Guys...Morrowind GOTY takes up 924MB on my HD, that aint alot, thats less than a damn movie. Anyways. The biggerst dissappointment in Oblvion for me was the leveled creature system. At levels 1-7/8 you fight nothing but imps, wolves and the occasional bandit. In morrowind, god help you if you went somewhere at level 1-10 or 10-20 so on that you weasnt supposed to be. Every region in Morrowind had its own creatures of varying strengths. So if you went to Molag Amur at lvl 1 you got ate.

    2. Alright. Mods... As always TES has an amazing mod community and like all the previous games you can mod anything...and I mean ANYthing. I wont go into detail but go to tesnexus or planetelderscrolls. they have thousounds upon thousands of mods.    … Expand
  25. TheRealGaffer
    Sep 8, 2011
    8
    Now to review Oblivion I feel the need to try and ignore a comparison to Morrowind, so I'll view it as such. The game is a great open world experience. I've enjoyed countless hours exploring the fantastic looking forests and caves and fighting whatever fancies a fight. The combat is fun, although some enemies are far harder to kill at certain levels than others and offer no better reward.Now to review Oblivion I feel the need to try and ignore a comparison to Morrowind, so I'll view it as such. The game is a great open world experience. I've enjoyed countless hours exploring the fantastic looking forests and caves and fighting whatever fancies a fight. The combat is fun, although some enemies are far harder to kill at certain levels than others and offer no better reward. And questing is relatively interesting, although nothing groundbreaking. The concept for the leveling system is nice, it being - if you do something enough, you get better at it - which gives a great feeling of worth over just killing monsters to level anything you want. The AI is pretty linear, you can force them to make errors and then capitalise on that, allowing you to win a one on one with a juggernaut enemy without a scratch on you. Once you reach high enough skills in speed and strength or agility, you're pretty much a demi-god. The voice acting is rather limited which takes away immersion in the world, but if you can look past that you can enjoy a lot of gameplay out of Oblivion. If you want more of an authentic feeling fantasy story RPG epic I'd prefer Dragon Age Origins. But if you like the idea of an open fantasy world to just explore and do what you want, then this is perfect.… Expand
  26. FFStudios
    Jul 25, 2012
    8
    Having now seen what Morrowind was like, I think I'm ready to finalise my score for Oblivion. Let's get the worst parts of Oblivion out of the way first. Compared to both Morrowind and Skyrim; Oblivion feels much more generic and lacking in any distinct theme. I'd say this is because those games both had distinctive cultural themes; being incredibly surreal and Viking-like respectively.Having now seen what Morrowind was like, I think I'm ready to finalise my score for Oblivion. Let's get the worst parts of Oblivion out of the way first. Compared to both Morrowind and Skyrim; Oblivion feels much more generic and lacking in any distinct theme. I'd say this is because those games both had distinctive cultural themes; being incredibly surreal and Viking-like respectively. The quests themselves still have an interesting variety to them, from simple fetch-this quests to more complex place-to-place quests which I think Bethesda should starts focusing on more rather than pad out games with grind missions. The graphics are adequate, but the environments lack any real distinction from one another and characters have a strange uncanny valley look to them during conversation. Voice acting is also uneven, but Bethesda should no longer lose points for that. The combat would indeed be accurate of real-life swordplay if the combatants both fought by slapping each other with pieces of cardboard. Anyway, enough negatively, let's talk positive. As I said, the quests have a nice variety to them and the main story is alright, if uneven. The environments are nicely designed and the scoring is typically excellent. Of course, above all else remains that sense of true, organic open-ended game-play that Bethesda is renowned for. As a whole though, Oblivion is still an excellent game that is let down by a lack of identity among other Beth games. By the way Bethesda, you don't need to pad out the game with radiant quests, you should focus more on making more of though long-winding quests like they had in Morrowind. Skyrim was a step in the right direction, but man up Bethesda! You have nothing to lose if you make another game as unique as Morrowind!… Expand
  27. keefbaker
    Nov 3, 2013
    8
    Sadly, while bethesda sorted out the control system and and voice acting for this installment of the elder scrolls, they removed the heart and character from it. It's still a good game with a lot of content but compared to other installments this is the ugly step-child.
  28. ws5ev
    Oct 18, 2012
    8
    The game is nice to play, but you don't really feel that you have progressed when you level up, because enemies level up as well. Loot and rewards are leveled as well, so you may have to wait till you're at a greater level before starting some quests in order to better equipment. The leveling system ruins this otherwise beautiful game.
  29. cdr_virus
    Nov 20, 2011
    8
    Oblivion is game like no game in its genre.. The story has complexity and yet is displayed in an understanding theatrical way. With monstrosity of number of things to do or kill, it appears almost infinite. The design of upgrading your character with so many options is thrilling. Most of glitch hiccups are completely gone, which is sigh of relief from the launch problems.. The graphicOblivion is game like no game in its genre.. The story has complexity and yet is displayed in an understanding theatrical way. With monstrosity of number of things to do or kill, it appears almost infinite. The design of upgrading your character with so many options is thrilling. Most of glitch hiccups are completely gone, which is sigh of relief from the launch problems.. The graphic engine seems to be slightly improved, than its launched texture look. Yet even with so many things to do, their are some more utterly boring quests and repetitive dungeons or caves. More creativity is needed with the cave system. Some weird instances of a tiresome traveling, "Do I continue to trot on this slow horse or is walking faster", "What do I do here, do I go there, wait no its back there". A simple system of helping you more, can sometimes be relief to some amateur gamer's. Though I find completely fine, I like a challenge, of a hide and seek sort of thing. Some gamer's do feel different, with a game this huge. There are many instances to get lost in multiple quest, that take literally days till you get back to your main one. For the criticism of a this game, it is really minor thread. Awesome presentation, improved graphics, less hiccups, mid-creativity yet very beautiful. Oblivion gets 8.75 out 10........… Expand
  30. Ztride
    Dec 21, 2011
    8
    Today (2011) this is essentially a lesser version of Skyrim, altough the story of certain questlines are much more interesting and far longer in terms of content. When it came 2006 is was a huge step from Morrowind, and while Oblivion has a lot of content, as with any bethesda game, the general gameplay (combat) is quite dull.
  31. goldenaxe
    Jan 14, 2012
    8
    This game is more open then the usual games out there, and does a great job. It's not perfect, but was worth playing casually. It's not that visually striking for the kids with disorders and can be boring at times, but the experience is unique.
  32. SlickRick
    Mar 6, 2012
    8
    Oblivion was my first TES game, so I enjoyed it greatly. But it DOES have very many flaws... But if you enjoy RPGs and haven't played Oblivion, you definitely need to give it a go.

    It's better than Skyrim (AKA Babys first RPG)
  33. wrongpassword
    May 19, 2012
    8
    This was my first Elder Scrolls game and it did not disappoint for one reason: it had a massive library of mods. I can think of no other game that compares to the scale of modding scene of Oblivion. Even other Beth games pale in the face of it. Vanilla Oblivion however has more than its fair share of bugs and flaws. Repetitive gameplay, an inventory system inferior to its predecessorThis was my first Elder Scrolls game and it did not disappoint for one reason: it had a massive library of mods. I can think of no other game that compares to the scale of modding scene of Oblivion. Even other Beth games pale in the face of it. Vanilla Oblivion however has more than its fair share of bugs and flaws. Repetitive gameplay, an inventory system inferior to its predecessor and horrible voice acting bring this game down. Despite this, the various storylines, in game lore and in game customization warrants at least an 8/10. Modded Oblivion however is a solid ten if not eleven out of ten. I have seen no other game that is better than a personalized Oblivion.… Expand
  34. Aeryx
    Mar 30, 2017
    8
    I am giving Oblivion and 8, Skyrim a 9.5 and Morrowind a 10. Personally, I still feel that although Oblivion was a great game, it was a step back for the series. The level-scaling enemies, bland dungeons and procedurally-generated loot were awful. But fortunately, the soundtrack was time-stoppingly awesome, the combat was improved and the land was a sight to see. I modded my game to theI am giving Oblivion and 8, Skyrim a 9.5 and Morrowind a 10. Personally, I still feel that although Oblivion was a great game, it was a step back for the series. The level-scaling enemies, bland dungeons and procedurally-generated loot were awful. But fortunately, the soundtrack was time-stoppingly awesome, the combat was improved and the land was a sight to see. I modded my game to the high-heavens and for me, that was what made my experience so much better as it added so many things that I felt, the game lacked. Praise the modders! I do feel that this game received too much negativity for the horse armor DLC and was bashed for it, but what most people don't take into account, is that Oblivion had the greatest expansion pack in the entire Elderscrolls series, which was Shivering isles. That expansion was a game like no other.

    I hope Bethesda will not forget its lessons moving forward to Elder Scrolls VI.    … Expand
  35. makeswell
    Oct 26, 2013
    8
    I love the setting of this game. You can be a vampire and enter people's homes and feast on their flesh. You also have to choose whether to be a vampire or not and if you do there are both advantages and disadvantages, like being stronger at night but weaker during the day. That is awesome. There is also a bunch else that's cool with the setting, like assassinating people and fiery worldsI love the setting of this game. You can be a vampire and enter people's homes and feast on their flesh. You also have to choose whether to be a vampire or not and if you do there are both advantages and disadvantages, like being stronger at night but weaker during the day. That is awesome. There is also a bunch else that's cool with the setting, like assassinating people and fiery worlds with goblins and stuff. It's really neat in that sense.

    The combat in this game is just lame. There is no combat. I would rather play a shooter, or Bioshock, or anything. Maybe I'm just a complainer, and yes I do tend to lean towards strategy anyways, but the combat is too much click too little think for me, but that's just my take on it.    … Expand
  36. BlackWidow
    Jun 2, 2013
    8
    I am a HUGE fan of the TES games. I have played them all and even modded the tar out of III and IV. TES IV: Oblivion is a fantastic game. The only reason I gave it a score of 8 is because although I love the game, there are a few things I wish Bethesda would have done better or differently.

    Let me start with the BAD: There's a lot here. The leveling system I don't care for, because    I am a HUGE fan of the TES games. I have played them all and even modded the tar out of III and IV. TES IV: Oblivion is a fantastic game. The only reason I gave it a score of 8 is because although I love the game, there are a few things I wish Bethesda would have done better or differently.

    Let me start with the BAD: There's a lot here.

    The leveling system I don't care for, because the way the creatures level with you, I never felt like my player got any stronger. I also thought the storyline was a little weak. I felt very unsatisfied when it ended. The Oblivion gates were very tedious. It seems like someone just got lazy and copy/pasted. Not much fun. Furthermore, the NPC races share voices instead of each having a unique voice as in TES III: Morrowind. This was a let down. Furthermore, it doesn't seem like Bethesda put very much effort into NPC realism with this title. For instance, if you get caught stealing or trespassing, the guards will try to arrest you, however, if you get busted in let's say the Imperial City, resist arrest, head to let's say, Bruma and then talk to a guard, they will try to arrest you for that crime you committed in the Imperial City. I guess the guards are all psychic. Weird. I mean, how could the guards know your character was a wanted criminal in another village? Same thing when you steal an Imperial Legion horse. Even though the guard is lying there dead and you take the horse, you can still get busted. Those legion horses are the same as other horses in the game. Are they tagged or branded or something? NPC reactions are pretty bad. As with Morrowind, people had many things to say to your character regarding nudity, the weather, disease, and many other things. You don't see this in Oblivion. Rather dull if you ask me and very unrealistic. Thanks to mods, many of these bad points I've noted have been fixed, but it's something Bethesda should have done. Oblivion seems to have focused mainly on graphics and eye candy rather than realism. Sad but true.

    Now for the GOOD:

    The journal/quest system is awesome. In Morrowind, you could break quests if you weren't careful. This has been very much improved in Oblivion. Great. The graphics are incredible. The combat system I found very fun and enjoyable. The alchemy is a blast to play with as you can make very powerful potions. I especially liked the powerful weather effects. Very good! The guild quests were all good and the side quests were fun as well. I really liked the ability to buy houses and ride horses. The forts and caves all seemed a little repetitive, but were still fun in ways. All in all, although I feel the game has more bad points than good, I still have to rank it as the 3rd best in the TES series. The game is awesome despite its many flaws. 8/10.    … Expand
  37. PStakhiv
    May 16, 2013
    8
    The best game of 2006 when fully patched! Huge and beautiful world of Syrodyl can give you an adventure you won't forget! Sure it has it's downside lack of memorable characters(except maybe Martin voiced by Sean Bean), and most missions are boring (go bring me...).
  38. Osmium
    Jul 29, 2013
    8
    A great RPG with a huge world to explore. Soundtrack, atmosphere, the freedom to roam freely around Tamriel, hundreds of quests to fulfill, Oblivion is full of content. On the downside, the world feels a bit lifeless and generic after some hours of playtime, which is why personally I found the addon "Shivering Isles" with its weird surroundings to be the best part of the game. Not as goodA great RPG with a huge world to explore. Soundtrack, atmosphere, the freedom to roam freely around Tamriel, hundreds of quests to fulfill, Oblivion is full of content. On the downside, the world feels a bit lifeless and generic after some hours of playtime, which is why personally I found the addon "Shivering Isles" with its weird surroundings to be the best part of the game. Not as good as Skyrim or Morrowind, but still definitely recommandable for anyone interested in RPGs.… Expand
  39. pierrem
    Sep 25, 2014
    8
    The levelling system is pure pain. Without this, I'd give 10 with no hesitation. So much freedom! Be the a$$hole who makes innovation in murder techniques and get good laughs.
  40. fateappointed
    Feb 3, 2014
    8
    Story: 7 out of 10, Graphics: 10 out of 10, Fun: 8 out of 10, Controls: 6 out of 10, Difficulty: 8 out of 10, Length: 10 out of 10, Re-play: 6 out of 10, Value: 8 out of 10
  41. smahlt
    Aug 22, 2023
    8
    As worthy a followup to Morrowind as Bethesda could probably accomplish. It's not perfect, but it's good.
  42. Tomle1202
    Jul 30, 2022
    8
    Featuring some of the series' best quests, Oblivion beautifully captures the adventurous spirit of its fantasy setting.
  43. Ecresis
    Jun 24, 2014
    8
    This is the review of someone who played Skyrim first, then read the negative critics about Skyrim telling that "Oblivion was the **** Skyrim sucks", and who decided to test Oblivion.

    I have to say it's very hard to go back in time, and I could never enjoy the game as much as I wanted to. Those ugly faces, my god. The graphics were good for the time, but are pretty bad if you play it    This is the review of someone who played Skyrim first, then read the negative critics about Skyrim telling that "Oblivion was the **** Skyrim sucks", and who decided to test Oblivion.

    I have to say it's very hard to go back in time, and I could never enjoy the game as much as I wanted to. Those ugly faces, my god. The graphics were good for the time, but are pretty bad if you play it now

    The quests are better, I have to admit it, and the whole Oblivion plan is what makes it interesting, but I have had a lot of difficulties with the inventory system, the combat and the sounds the hero makes when he/she attacks. I tried to finish it but I couldn't.

    Hours of gameplay though, a nice open world, and lots of mobs all over the place

    Conclusion : I should have played Oblivion before Skyrim came out !    … Expand
  44. 00-z3N
    Nov 25, 2017
    8
    Review/Reseña (English/Español)

    Score/Nota: 8.3/10 Oblivion is the first experience that I finish in terms of the Elder Scrolls series, which is why I have several things to emphasize, and that is a game with a fairly good magnitude, both in options when it comes to personalizing our character, as well as a good portion of explorable territory with hundreds of side missions. You    Review/Reseña (English/Español)

    Score/Nota: 8.3/10

    Oblivion is the first experience that I finish in terms of the Elder Scrolls series, which is why I have several things to emphasize, and that is a game with a fairly good magnitude, both in options when it comes to personalizing our character, as well as a good portion of explorable territory with hundreds of side missions. You might think it's a complete game in all its facets, but it's not like that. In terms of history, although the game invites you to enter your world, it does not end correctly, as this is quite cliche with too many pretentious monologues, literally a festival of nerd terminologies that eventually There is a difference between choosing one or another race, even at the sound level it ends up looking like a copy-paste of any medieval film. Technically the game is up to what was expected at the time and although it has aged quite badly, it is still quite satisfactory at its maximum power, as well as the control that is very good.

    The strength of this game is without a doubt the re-playability offered by its secondary missions, since despite being repetitive does not mean that it is not good, on the contrary, they are sufficiently addictive to keep you stuck for quite some time. 8.3/10

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Oblivion es la primera experiencia que termino en cuanto a la saga Elder Scrolls se refiere, por lo cual tengo varias cosas en las que hacer hincapié, y es que es un juego con un magnitud bastante buena, tanto en opciones a la hora de personalizar a nuestro personaje, así como un buena porción de territorio explorable con cientos de misiones secundarias. Se podría pensar que es un juego completo en todas sus facetas, mas no es así. En términos de historia, a pesar que el juego te invita a que te adentres en su mundo, no termina de cuadrar de manera correcta, ya que este es bastante cliché con demasiados monólogos pretenciosos, literalmente un festival de terminologías nerd que a la larga poca diferencia hay entre elegir una u otra raza, incluso a nivel sonoro termina pareciendo un calco de cualquier película medieval. Técnicamente el juego está a la altura de lo que se esperaba en su época y aunque ha envejecido bastante mal, todavía resulta bastante satisfactorio en su máxima potencia, así como el control que es muy bueno.

    Lo fuerte de este juego es sin duda la re-jugabilidad que ofrecen sus misiones secundarias, ya que a pesar de ser repetitivas no quiere decir que no sea buenas, al contrario, son lo suficientemente adictivas para mantenerte pegado durante bastante tiempo. 8.3/10    … Expand
  45. mcfry
    Oct 17, 2015
    8
    Due to the amount of time I've spent with the Elder Scrolls series, I feel I have to write something even if I should mostly repeat what I have written about Morrowind: The atmosphere of this game is fantastic in that it lets you explore foreign worlds in a rather purist interpretation of the modern RPG genre (although much more mainstream than Morrowind). There are a lot of surprisesDue to the amount of time I've spent with the Elder Scrolls series, I feel I have to write something even if I should mostly repeat what I have written about Morrowind: The atmosphere of this game is fantastic in that it lets you explore foreign worlds in a rather purist interpretation of the modern RPG genre (although much more mainstream than Morrowind). There are a lot of surprises waiting, a fantastic soundtrack, stellar lighting, atmosphere everywhere. Also, the game design is a little bit rough. Quirky quests, to say the least. Actually, I like that.
    My biggest contra: The levelling enemies (staying close to the player's strength) are a feature that kills immersion. The Gothic series and the "Nehrim" mod for Oblivion (both from Germany) show how serious enemies create suspense naturally, because the fear of being killed encourages precautions, and thus a much deeper involvement in the fantasy world. But, like with the quick travelling mechanism, Oblivion designers chose to play it safe - and it's not a complete game breaker.
    But there is also the big problem with the whole technology. For example, an uncomfortable interface not worthy of a title of that scale (although much improved from Morrowind). To refine the experience and make the game even more beautiful, to add new quests or entire worlds, or just to redefine the game mechanics, modding capabilities and a vivid community have resulted in tons of mods available - leaving almost no wish impossible. - But be warned: Frustration ahead. If you want to master the art of adding several mods, it's unavoidable to learn how to use multiple 3rd party tools in order to make that work. And it won't always. I cannot go into the details, but many a developer's career started modding Oblivion (or trying to). Alas, the technology behind Oblivion is not very satisfying. The whole data structure seems like a relic of an inferior choice from the past, and there are inconsistencies within the engine - a strong argument against modding such a game.
    Oblivion looks very good, but it is not a healthy game tech-wise. I can recommend it without hesitation, but I also want to urge the developers to continue the Elder Scrolls franchise from a more stable framework. (no luck in Skyrim yet)    … Expand
  46. Inheritance92
    Dec 8, 2016
    8
    Oblivion is a vast improvement over the Morrowind. The world became more colorful and dynamic, the combat became reactive and not an RNG snoozefest of its predecessor. The attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, etc.) are more meaningful, as they cannot be trivially raised to the cap. The skills are now not just for giving a % chance, they give tangible benefits and can even open theOblivion is a vast improvement over the Morrowind. The world became more colorful and dynamic, the combat became reactive and not an RNG snoozefest of its predecessor. The attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Charisma, etc.) are more meaningful, as they cannot be trivially raised to the cap. The skills are now not just for giving a % chance, they give tangible benefits and can even open the whole new strategies of gameplay. Magic specialties are now actually playable, and magic is even deeper and funnier to use. The dialog experience is better, as NPCs have their own personalities now. The quests became more dynamic, complex, and interactive. NPCs are no longer static, they have their behaviors and can interact with each other. Oblivion allows better modifications, with custom scripting and animations.
    Annoying Morrowind aspects like mod conflicts and incompatible localized versions are gone. Each mod exists in its own namespace now.
    The negative aspects of the game are badly made mob scaling making them undesirably difficult and limited face customization available by default. The voice acting budget looks significantly cut, and you can hear same actors spanning several races.    … Expand
  47. TheDiabolic
    Feb 16, 2016
    8
    Character dialogues are sub-par, the game doesn't live up to Morrowind or Skyrim, has an insane amount of bugs especially in the thieves guild quest line (some are drastic) and has a bad leveling system. Despite it's flaws I did enjoy various quests, loved the creativity, enjoyed the plot and overall enjoyed the game for the most part. Improved combat is featured in oblivion yet the worldCharacter dialogues are sub-par, the game doesn't live up to Morrowind or Skyrim, has an insane amount of bugs especially in the thieves guild quest line (some are drastic) and has a bad leveling system. Despite it's flaws I did enjoy various quests, loved the creativity, enjoyed the plot and overall enjoyed the game for the most part. Improved combat is featured in oblivion yet the world is much smaller and overall does not deserve any higher than 8 but no lower than 7.… Expand
  48. KayVen17
    Jan 4, 2017
    8
    Deutsche Review - Kritik

    Der folgende Test ist in 5 Kategorien zusammengefasst. Diese 5 Kartegorien ergeben die Gesamtpunktzahl von 0 - 100 Punkten. Um einen passenden Userscore zu geben wird auf oder abgerundet. Bei 84 Punkten ergibt das einen User Score von 8. Bei 86 einen von Userscore von 9. Falls eine 85 kommt entscheide ich ob ich es eher positiv oder negativ nehme. Regeln    Deutsche Review - Kritik

    Der folgende Test ist in 5 Kategorien zusammengefasst. Diese 5 Kartegorien ergeben die Gesamtpunktzahl von 0 - 100 Punkten. Um einen passenden Userscore zu geben wird auf oder abgerundet. Bei 84 Punkten ergibt das einen User Score von 8. Bei 86 einen von Userscore von 9. Falls eine 85 kommt entscheide ich ob ich es eher positiv oder negativ nehme. Regeln verstanden?
    Dann sind hier meine Punkte.

    Mein persönlicher Score = 77/100
    Mein User Score = 8/10    … Expand
  49. RagingPoet
    Nov 30, 2017
    8
    8.5 out of 10
    Oblivion got the best guild and side quests in all of the Elder scrolls series and Dark Brotherhood questline is probably one of the best in all RPGs period. But stupid level scaling of enemies takes a lot of fun the gameplay. Visuals looked amazing when it came out, not so much now.
  50. Daggerrim
    Aug 16, 2018
    8
    Good Game. A Big Open World To Explore With Tons of Side Quests, An Amazing Story And Even Though It's Not As Good As Elder Scrolls Skyrim It's A Great Game.
  51. NightGeisha
    Dec 9, 2018
    8
    After all this years I keep love playing this game...
    Its one of my favorite games of all times.Its an "old school" RPG that I can play and replay without even think it was released so long ago.
    The graphics are old, but its a 10 years old game. Its easy to forget the old graphics when you see so many other similar games far worst. The game focuses a lot on facial expressions, and I    After all this years I keep love playing this game...
    Its one of my favorite games of all times.Its an "old school" RPG that I can play and replay without even think it was released so long ago.

    The graphics are old, but its a 10 years old game. Its easy to forget the old graphics when you see so many other similar games far worst. The game focuses a lot on facial expressions, and I think its something fantastic because it's one of the oldest games to do it. Also virtually all non-playable characters have dialogue, and with something to say to the player. Simply superb.

    The soundtrack its fantastic and epic, impossible to forget.

    But for my the main focus its the story and universe of Tamriel. Its a large map to explore, and you can follow the story or your own path. Some side quest feels a bit repetitive, but despite that the game is perfect in so many ways! Its even possible to forget that small issues.

    Oblivion is a piece of the history of video games. A "must have" to any gamer collection, specially if you are like me, a fan of RPG games.    … Expand
  52. Zeratex
    Feb 11, 2019
    8
    Has all the good stuff about elder scrolls games.
    Suffers from
    - Bugs
    - Bad Voice acting
    - Bad story (closing gates is repetitive)
    - Bad combat

    Overall one of the great games.
    Everything else is good

    8.5/10
  53. Kramnekit
    Jun 25, 2020
    8
    Отличная игра для своего времени. конечно не без проблем, одной из которых является боевая система. Но это не особо портит впечатление.
  54. Genek13
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    One of the best RPGs after Morrowind.
    Back then visuals in this game was outstanding !! Story also good but not a masterpiece :)
  55. GraysonUA
    Mar 31, 2020
    8
    Ну з мінусів: надоїдливі ворота Облівіона та бездушно згенерована карта. Але є велиці плюси - це куча можливостей, цікаві сюжети, атмосферна музика, пристойна картинка.
  56. YTpetergamer965
    Feb 9, 2023
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It’s definitely more streamlined than Morrowind and has a decent storyline. Though I would say that you should probably focus more on the side quest as they are a lot more interesting.… Expand
  57. cezar88augusto
    Mar 11, 2022
    8
    After reading many reviews about Oblivion and its expansion, I took courage and I decided to buy the game. Many people said that the Oblivion was the best version of the Elder Scrolls.

    So here I am to analyze the game. So I'll do a simple analyze and thinking at the time it was released. In my opinion, according to the time It was released, it must have being one of the best game! In    After reading many reviews about Oblivion and its expansion, I took courage and I decided to buy the game. Many people said that the Oblivion was the best version of the Elder Scrolls.

    So here I am to analyze the game. So I'll do a simple analyze and thinking at the time it was released.

    In my opinion, according to the time It was released, it must have being one of the best game! In 2006 there was not game like that. The history is simple, the map is big and there is a great quantity of character that can be customized. Also, There's a variety of side quest. I confess that I focused in main quest and I finished it with 20 hours.

    Despite of the game have being release 16 years ago, there are two defects that prejudice the gameplay :

    I consider the map horrible: it is not possible to see the whole map, you must have to move the regions with the mouse and you can not maximize the map.

    Sometimes the game closes down suddenly. How it is an old game, you can just launch the game quickly, but it is boring. It did not happen many times.

    I can not say that game physics is a defect, but over the time I played games with wonderful graphics and physics. So, I advise who wants to play The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with opened mind.

    Comparing Oblivion and Skyrim, In my opinion, Skyrim is absurdly better in all aspects: graphics, history, gameplay, physics, character customization, immersion and so on, but considering the time Oblivion was released I guess it was more innovative game.    … Expand
  58. ErayTellezi
    Oct 9, 2021
    8
    Oyunu daha çok sevmek isterdim. Aynı şeyi Fallout New Vegas'ta da yaşamıştım. Oyunun dünyası güzel, görevler fena değil, yan görevler dahil her şeyi yapmak istiyorsunuz ama grafikler o kadar kötü, combat o kadar leş ki oyuna daha fazla devam etmek istemiyorsunuz. İşin daha da kötüsü tüm bunlara rağmen devam etmek istediğinizde ise oyun sürekli çöküyor. Ya direk oyundan atıyor ya da donupOyunu daha çok sevmek isterdim. Aynı şeyi Fallout New Vegas'ta da yaşamıştım. Oyunun dünyası güzel, görevler fena değil, yan görevler dahil her şeyi yapmak istiyorsunuz ama grafikler o kadar kötü, combat o kadar leş ki oyuna daha fazla devam etmek istemiyorsunuz. İşin daha da kötüsü tüm bunlara rağmen devam etmek istediğinizde ise oyun sürekli çöküyor. Ya direk oyundan atıyor ya da donup kalıyor. 10 dakikaya bir bunla uğraşmak da hakikaten yorucu.

    Tüm bunlara rağmen ana görevleri yaptım. Oyunu bitirdim demiyorum çünkü tam bir tecrübe için bu oyundaki hemen her şeyi görmeniz gerekir, tıpkı bütün iyi rpg oyunlarında olduğu gibi. Bense sadece ana görevleri ve bazı yan görevleri yaptım. Sheogorath'ın olduğu haritayı bitirdim. Loncaların bazısına katılıp bir kaç görev yaptım. Skyrim gibi altından girip üstünden çıkmadım maalesef. Oysa sevdiğim rpg oyunlarında her şeyi yapmak isterim, oyun zaten çeker kendisine. Maalesef üstte saydığım problemler buna engel oldu.

    Sonuçta çok tatlı bir oyun olmuş ancak gizem ve keşif hissi Skyrim kadar iyi değil. Kendisi oynadığım en yaşlı oyunlardan birisi oldu. Keşke zamanında teknik problemler göze batmıyorken oynasaymışım. Oynadığım kadarıyla sevdim.    … Expand
  59. Devastator1988
    Jul 17, 2022
    8
    A good old classic with the vast freedom of choice and the impressive soundtrack.
  60. bar0yka
    Dec 9, 2022
    8
    oblivion npc dialogue .
  61. Gorbunov2004
    Aug 7, 2021
    8
    Эта игра лучше The Elder Scrolls 3 здесь хотя бы нормальная боевая система. Сюжет тоже неплох но вот управление на геймпаде очень посредственное играть невозможно!
  62. ThaMoor88
    Jun 7, 2022
    8
    Skyrim is cool and all, but oblivion was the real **** Played this game so much, first on ps3, later on pc. even hosted a d&d campaign based on the starting area.
  63. Ave-Nar
    Nov 18, 2021
    8
    Great atmosphere and story. I like the expansion: Shivering Isles. The battle system is improved compared to Morrowind. Lot of game mechanics are simplified. However, the character artstyle is weird and the leveling system is simply worse. Some NPCs are hilarious and provided great meme material.
  64. Odal
    Jan 28, 2022
    8
    The first feeling when I set my foot into the dungeons of the imperial city, was amazing. It was like nothing I had ever seen in RPG game at that point. I remember the graphics were so good at the time (or maybe it was my bad PC, I wasn't exactly rich as a teen) that it basically burned by PC and I saved up money for months working over the summer just to get a new PC so I could playThe first feeling when I set my foot into the dungeons of the imperial city, was amazing. It was like nothing I had ever seen in RPG game at that point. I remember the graphics were so good at the time (or maybe it was my bad PC, I wasn't exactly rich as a teen) that it basically burned by PC and I saved up money for months working over the summer just to get a new PC so I could play Oblivion.

    It's an incredible game for it's time. And I probably say "for it's time" a lot in my reviews, but that is because it has to be taken into account. Today I probably wouldn't be bothered playing Oblivion - like most Elder Scrolls games, for me, they have always felt to shallow with the AI of the NPC:s being very bad.
    But at the time, everything from the graphics, to the first person view, the talent trees, the mystery, world and story was beyond amazing and I will treasure that nostalgia forever. It also had one of the best soundtracks ever, like Skyrim. The sad calm music of Jeremy Soule. Really amazing.
    Just like Dragon Age, Might And Magic 7 and Neverwinter Nights, Oblivion really contributed to my love of RPG:s.

    If you have never played it, I say give it a go. Especially if you love open world games. It's a classic in it's own right.    … Expand
  65. foxabouttown
    Mar 9, 2022
    8
    For as popular as a game series The Elder Scrolls is, Oblivion still feels incredibly underrated as a classic that deserves the same amount of respect as other games from the time period it was released (Resident Evil 4, Bully, BioShock, Portal, etc.)

    If there's one thing that Bethesda is consistently great at, it's world building and giving worlds personality. It really feels like its    For as popular as a game series The Elder Scrolls is, Oblivion still feels incredibly underrated as a classic that deserves the same amount of respect as other games from the time period it was released (Resident Evil 4, Bully, BioShock, Portal, etc.)

    If there's one thing that Bethesda is consistently great at, it's world building and giving worlds personality. It really feels like its own world, with each town having its own culture, each race having their own culture, each guild having its own culture. Skyrim also did really well with this.

    One thing that Skyrim didn't do as well were the guild quests. Oblivion's Dark Brotherhood quests all were so unique, exciting, and so memorable. The fact I still remember the quests of hiding in the walls, having to hide in plain site during the Whodunit quest, and of course, the overarching storyline of Dark Brotherhood, shows what Oblivion did really well, that Skyrim just missed the mark on.

    The game isn't perfect though (no where near it), the graphics have obviously aged pretty bad, the Oblivion gates gets boring after the third one, and the AI for NPC conversations, but those don't matter when you look back at what you've done after you finish the game.    … Expand
  66. Izoeros
    May 13, 2022
    8
    qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
  67. PenetratorGod
    Aug 20, 2023
    8
    I haven't played it for as many hours as I loved Skyrim, but it's definitely a game that I found at least as successful. Don't mind that it's old, give it a chance.
  68. Chillaoi
    Jan 14, 2023
    8
    Review só pra lembrar a nota que dei pro jogo:
    Melhor que a Skyrim, mas na minha opinião não o melhor que a série tem a oferecer, com uma grande quantidade de bugs e um sistema de level-up horrível.
  69. KaduBR
    Feb 25, 2023
    8
    Great Open World! so good. one of the best RPG a im played. History pretty cool too
  70. Naked_Snakee
    Apr 7, 2023
    8
    Just text (crutch) to save the game to the list. Such things. Maybe I'll do a review later.
  71. IntellectDevour
    Aug 18, 2023
    8
    This game is a masterpiece and has some of the best quests and stories in an rpg but the random vampirism mechanic can ruin an entire playthrough and knocks 2 points off of my rating.
  72. StevenS.
    May 6, 2006
    7
    Cool game, good graphics. Expected more variety on spells and weapons. Scaling system sucks big time making the world adapt to you and not vice-versa how it is supposed to be.
  73. DarkE.
    Apr 5, 2007
    7
    Good fun, and huge world, but hugely overrated by the gaming press. Very weak main storyline and the combat could have been better. Sneak and Magic system satisfying although slightly disappointing.
  74. iiiearsiiiears
    Sep 16, 2007
    7
    Beautiful Graphics that beg for a 7 series nvidia card. The hundreds of hours of play during many dozen missions will keep this disk installed on your machine for several weeks. Certainly worth a try. There are a couple of minor irritations one of them is the 200+ hr bug that can corrupt your inventory and the second also at around 200+ hours that will cause door and flame animations to Beautiful Graphics that beg for a 7 series nvidia card. The hundreds of hours of play during many dozen missions will keep this disk installed on your machine for several weeks. Certainly worth a try. There are a couple of minor irritations one of them is the 200+ hr bug that can corrupt your inventory and the second also at around 200+ hours that will cause door and flame animations to slow down.… Expand
  75. AmberD.
    Oct 1, 2006
    7
    Despite this plot being a mockery of the one before it (The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind), it is an amazing game. Graphics are astounding, when at their highest. I am aware that the system requirements for this game are, to be blunt about such matters, bullshit. On a 2gb Intel processor, you will not be able to run this game. At the least, I recommend a 3.7 Athlon. I am running it at Despite this plot being a mockery of the one before it (The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind), it is an amazing game. Graphics are astounding, when at their highest. I am aware that the system requirements for this game are, to be blunt about such matters, bullshit. On a 2gb Intel processor, you will not be able to run this game. At the least, I recommend a 3.7 Athlon. I am running it at GeForce 7300 LE 512 meg graphics, of course, so you can understand that I am biased to the graphics because I can have it at highest settings… Expand
  76. Jeremy
    Mar 22, 2006
    7
    The economy is still broken. A vendor selling items costing as much as 5000gp only has 1000gp cash on-hand? How does that make sense? I stopped playing Morrowind when I found loot that could not be sold anywhere in the universe. Idiotic.
  77. JoeK.
    May 21, 2006
    7
    GREAT GAME!
  78. B.W.
    May 25, 2006
    7
    There is so much wrong with this game: Crash bugs galore, awful scaling difficulty system (it's harder now at lv35 than it was when i was lv1), the leveling up system is flawed, the same spell effects STACK if cast from different spells. The game is great until all of this stuff gets under your skin.
  79. MarkW.
    May 8, 2006
    7
    The AI is not what it is cracked up to be, get used to hearing "I saw a Mud Crab the other day" and "I hear the Fighter's Guild is looking for recrutes". It's not uncommon to beat a foe because they are to stupid to get around a rock or obsticle. As mentioned the game punishes your character for leveling up and if thats not enough dreadful things happen in your sleep (so why The AI is not what it is cracked up to be, get used to hearing "I saw a Mud Crab the other day" and "I hear the Fighter's Guild is looking for recrutes". It's not uncommon to beat a foe because they are to stupid to get around a rock or obsticle. As mentioned the game punishes your character for leveling up and if thats not enough dreadful things happen in your sleep (so why level up?). The graphics are good...but the characters look like crap. It's full of little annoying bugs like characters that have different voices each time they speak. There are also annoying balance problems, like It took about 30 min. to find 10 nimroots (rarest in the game Ha !)....It took me 4 hours to find 5 simple garlic cloves. The game crashes often enough (on a rock solid computer). The story just doesn't make sense if your trying to pay attention to it. Horses are a joke as well as the game controlls. Things that improved are: battle, travel and graphics. Everything else is worse or the same. You will probably buy this and play it and wish you had your money back after the new wears off.… Expand
  80. JackF.
    Mar 6, 2007
    7
    Not a deep CRPG, more like a mindless action adventure. Not a worthy successor to TES2: Daggerfall and TES3: Morrowind, in my honest opinion. The term 'dumbing down' that the fans came up with, is not far from truth.
  81. Cameron
    Feb 29, 2008
    7
    Why do people hate Oblivion and say things like oh theres no effort into it? Dude watch the DvD for the making of it they use a whole new constrution set not rip the old morrowind the textures are great for one of the first games on 360 so don't bag games that you don't know anything about and the leveling system is about having a balanced charcter god some people are annoying Why do people hate Oblivion and say things like oh theres no effort into it? Dude watch the DvD for the making of it they use a whole new constrution set not rip the old morrowind the textures are great for one of the first games on 360 so don't bag games that you don't know anything about and the leveling system is about having a balanced charcter god some people are annoying making games is hard work!… Expand
  82. kungfucat196
    Mar 21, 2010
    7
    My real vote would be 8.4 Ok lets get it started, the gra[hics were good for 2006, its alright. What makes the force of the game is the realism, EVERY but EVERY actions in the game will have an effect on the other AI surrounding you and there is a multitudes of ways to do the scenario, the world is deep and well made, a lot of efforts were put in, but it stops there. The AI is not good at My real vote would be 8.4 Ok lets get it started, the gra[hics were good for 2006, its alright. What makes the force of the game is the realism, EVERY but EVERY actions in the game will have an effect on the other AI surrounding you and there is a multitudes of ways to do the scenario, the world is deep and well made, a lot of efforts were put in, but it stops there. The AI is not good at all, a supplementary 3 month wouldn't have been too much for the game to fix the AI problems and the Glitches. Also, RTS games are my favorite, and i like wen im immerge in the story, like i was in Dragon age: origins or Kotor. The broken AI and universe dosen't help. You can do whatever you want, there is exacly NO LIMITS, a lot pf players are just playing this game for its mods, but i do not know some1 excepted me who alredy beated this game. too much limit is not good, but not enough too. All those facts dosen't immerse you in the story, well, it didn't for me. I had to force myself to finish this game. I didn't like this game, i gave a 7.5 for all the efforts they putted in and to respect those who liked that, but its not a game for amators of games like Kotor, mass effect and dragon age.… Expand
  83. RaghaB.
    Mar 29, 2010
    7
    I love this argument in the PC community about how games are "dumbed down for consoles." Now i'm sure that this argument works for other games, i dont know im relatively new to PC gaming. What I do know is that it does not work for TES games. Remember Morrowind guys? Yeah it came out on the X-box also. On to Oblivion. Being a huge Morrowind fan i was disappointed with Oblivion. While I love this argument in the PC community about how games are "dumbed down for consoles." Now i'm sure that this argument works for other games, i dont know im relatively new to PC gaming. What I do know is that it does not work for TES games. Remember Morrowind guys? Yeah it came out on the X-box also. On to Oblivion. Being a huge Morrowind fan i was disappointed with Oblivion. While the graphics are better (even on my lower end PC) The addition of the Quick Jump makes the world seem MUCH smaller than that of Morrowind. And the main story line is very repetitive. After what felt like the twentieth Oblivion Gate I said forget it and moved on...until i caught Vampirism and gave up all together. I can still pick up morrowind and play for hours but Oblivion was barely aboe to hold my attension for more than a few hours. The combat system upgrades (spell button FTW!!) and the shinnier graphics do not make up for the fact that Oblivion is not as good as its predecessor. If only Bethesda wold release a patch moving Morrowind into Oblivion's graphics and controls. That would be the perfect game. But hey dreamers can only Dream. Overall its a good game, There are just a few things missing from it that should have been kept in the game. Hopefully Bethesda learns from their mistakes and delvers an epic TES:V.… Expand
  84. DanielCr
    Apr 12, 2006
    7
    This game is cool.. at firest what then you play it for 40 hours and realize that there is way less content than is advertized. Point one IT IS EASER TO BEAT THE GAME A LVL 1 THAN AT LVL 20 this is fucking retarded and i am not exagerating also there a very few new or strong monsters cause everything just lvls with you you can go back to a dungeons a few lvls later whoopie all the guys This game is cool.. at firest what then you play it for 40 hours and realize that there is way less content than is advertized. Point one IT IS EASER TO BEAT THE GAME A LVL 1 THAN AT LVL 20 this is fucking retarded and i am not exagerating also there a very few new or strong monsters cause everything just lvls with you you can go back to a dungeons a few lvls later whoopie all the guys you killed have come back to life and they have batter equipment. so it's an RPG with absolutly no meaning ful charater devolopment. That's bullshit Actually upon reflection thats really the only thing horrible wrong with the game. Course it means that the are no place you can't go at lvl one wich makes not sense you will never fight an enemy you cannot beat and you will never encounter an enemy who is easy to beat… Expand
  85. MattB.
    May 6, 2006
    7
    The game itself is amazing, untill it suddenly comes to an abrupt end. sure you can keep going with side quests and whatever, but the main quest should have been much longer, graphics are awesome, but why is everyone so ugly? release a pretty face patch or something.
  86. Hef
    Jun 20, 2006
    7
    A decent game, good for wasting away the hours, however it's plagued with bugs and the difficulty scaling issue doesn't help its cause much either. I stopped playing it with about half the quests finished, the repetitiveness of the game made me feel like I'd seen every new quest before.
  87. MarcO.
    Aug 6, 2006
    7
    Oblivion is the greatest game in terms of the massive amount of freedom and mods. There are countless mods/plug-ins for Oblivion and that is what i like. Even though the plug-ins cost a small sum it doesn't bother me. This game has somewhat little to no realism in terms of the jumping and weapon damage, physics etc etc. But I don't expect it to be perfect because nothing is Oblivion is the greatest game in terms of the massive amount of freedom and mods. There are countless mods/plug-ins for Oblivion and that is what i like. Even though the plug-ins cost a small sum it doesn't bother me. This game has somewhat little to no realism in terms of the jumping and weapon damage, physics etc etc. But I don't expect it to be perfect because nothing is perfect. And the most disapointing fact is that it has a tendency to crash ALOT. Other then that all is fine. Story line is okay. It's basically another life, i hope they patch up the technical problems, crashing glitches etc etc… Expand
  88. noobclass
    Oct 28, 2007
    7
    Beautiful graphics. Pretty corny 'huge production' theme music at the title screen. I really enjoyed my time playing it, so I'll give it an 8. I'll outline some criticism for it down below. 1st person is great, really like to be able to control it that way. If you want to complain about it, go back to world of warcraft and the continuous clicking of 'cast Beautiful graphics. Pretty corny 'huge production' theme music at the title screen. I really enjoyed my time playing it, so I'll give it an 8. I'll outline some criticism for it down below. 1st person is great, really like to be able to control it that way. If you want to complain about it, go back to world of warcraft and the continuous clicking of 'cast spell', or clicking on the enemy and saying 'attack'. Making your own class was fun, but it didn't really make any difference. You can pick any class and end up being the same as others in the end. Also, a lot of useless skills (alteration, mercantile, illusion, speechcraft, security, etc...) that are just not worth it. The storylines were interesting, but again it was 'go to X city and talk to this person'. go to Y location and kill Z and retrieve AA item. Go back to X. Pretty repetitive after awhile. Unless you've played the game before, the birth signs all seem like really cool, unique ideas. Most of these can be completely obsolete after a couple levels (stat bonuses, shadow, tower, etc...). I would really love to see birth signs that are completely unique and you can't find as a scroll or spell after a couple hours of playing.… Expand
  89. AlexS.
    Jan 17, 2008
    7
    "Out of the box," Oblivion is huge, beautiful, and dull. It's true -- first leaving the sewers forces a strong, appreciative reaction. At the same time, there are definite problems. For example, despite its graphical potential, many spell animations are remarkably bad -- "Flare," the starting offensive spell, is understandably under-stated. Yet, additional spells sometimes look "Out of the box," Oblivion is huge, beautiful, and dull. It's true -- first leaving the sewers forces a strong, appreciative reaction. At the same time, there are definite problems. For example, despite its graphical potential, many spell animations are remarkably bad -- "Flare," the starting offensive spell, is understandably under-stated. Yet, additional spells sometimes look practically identical to it; the "radius"/splash effect of many is simply a red or blue coloring, which sort of looks like nothing. Luckily, there are many spell mods out there, using the kind of graphic animations and spell variety Oblivion should have already come with: beautiful comets dropping from the sky, multiple conjurations, black holes, etc. -- just really creative stuff that was simply missing. Even worse, the combat system is merely above decent. You simply aim, slash, block, and so on; although there are "power moves" which are unlocked, there is usually nothing special about them. In fact, every power move is the same from weapon to weapon, with the same effects: disarming, knocking out, paralyzing, etc. There is little variety here, too. There are some mods that add a few things, such as new moves and decapitation, but it's not much. It would have been great to include pressure points, many additional moves, and so on. Directly tied to this are the "skills," which are often uninteresting or useless. There is no, for example, combat-specific abilities that are unlocked -- as you improve abilities, you simply jump higher, run faster, hit harder, and so on. True, there are "perks," but they are tiny additions compared to the size of the game itself. I'm not saying this should have been like Diablo 2; at the same time, this game was released in 2006, when such abilities, etc., were often the norm. There are also significant balance issues, which have not been addressed. Combat is the main part of the game -- "role-playing" or not, you need to survive. But, if you play as Thief, for example, you will certainly be faster and more agile than the average NPC, but you simply won't be able to win most melee fights. Hand-to-Hand, too, is very dull, and quite weak -- despite the tweaks, mods, and so on, it has not been fixed. A promising mod with katars, claws, etc., to augment hand-to-hand was never finished -- it looked like it would have been a great help, especially since katars, etc., are just pure common-sense additions. In short, the game feels large at the expense of substance. I think the developers might have cut out about 1/4 of the areas, and focused more on tightening the gameplay itself -- in this way, we would still have a huge product, and a greater experience. Oblivion -- 7.5 / 10. Oblivion with mods -- 8.5 / 10.… Expand
  90. FB
    May 6, 2008
    7
    I could write a long review explaining all the problems with this game and why it does not deserve a 99/100 but I would prefer not to... All I really have to say is that GTA IV does not bring anything truly revolutionary to the table and is mostly just a prettier rehash of the previous games. Shame of the critics.
  91. IanV
    Oct 23, 2009
    7
    The best example of setting the bar too high and stretching your resources too thin can be found within Oblivion. While everything within the world feels devoid of both life and meaning, there is an enormous amount of content to explore. Memorable quests stand out in a bitter sweet way, reminding you of the game's potential.
  92. SD
    Aug 31, 2009
    7
    Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. It may be beautiful, but that can scarcely hide the wafer thin plot or the mind-numbing repetition. Creating a great virtual world is one thing, and here this has been achieved. But a great virtual world needs to be inhabited to beings that aren't just clones of each other, and it needs to contain a game that's not just being an armed Fed Ex guy in a Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. It may be beautiful, but that can scarcely hide the wafer thin plot or the mind-numbing repetition. Creating a great virtual world is one thing, and here this has been achieved. But a great virtual world needs to be inhabited to beings that aren't just clones of each other, and it needs to contain a game that's not just being an armed Fed Ex guy in a pretty mythological world.… Expand
  93. RicM.
    Apr 11, 2006
    7
    This game is extremely big, but ultimately extremely empty and without reward. The main story will only take a few hours to beat, regardless of what other people say. Since there is level scaling, there is very little reward for leveling up and because of the scaling you can literally beat the game on level 1 if you so choose. There are a suprising low variety of places to visit (mostly This game is extremely big, but ultimately extremely empty and without reward. The main story will only take a few hours to beat, regardless of what other people say. Since there is level scaling, there is very little reward for leveling up and because of the scaling you can literally beat the game on level 1 if you so choose. There are a suprising low variety of places to visit (mostly just town, cave, ruin or planes to oblivion) and enemies to fight. I got very tired venturing into the gates of oblivion to fight only a handful of enemies each time, even if you level up a lot. The main story, as well as completing any of the guilds, leaves a great deal to be desired. In fact, you do not even get to fight the end boss yourself, you just watch this fight and that's it. Since the story is so weak, the ending is weak and feels like a waste of time. I really wanted to give this game a 10, I had a lot of fun and it was worth the $50 I suppose, but I feel that this is one of those rare games that could've been amazing, but it was only good. While better than Morrowind, it still doesn't have an engaging story. It just feels like you're playing an MMORPG that is only for one player really. Too bad you can't combine the size and beauty of this game with the focus and NPC interactivity of Fable. It's also VERY VERY VERY annoying how every guard everywhere has telepathy and if you stealthy kill one all the sudden there's a 1000 bounty on your head no matter where you go, and the guards will never ever stop pursuing you. This game should've been delayed a long while.… Expand
  94. CattyC.
    Dec 1, 2007
    7
    The game has lots of bugs that basically discontinue the story (or make it impossible to continue. Other than that its fun for about a month.
  95. JohnB
    Oct 12, 2009
    7
    The game has a lot of content and enviroments are beautiful. Unfortunately there are some serious flaws. All the npc- characters in the game are ass ugly, generic and they act like robots. There are only adults in the game, and no one has a beard. I'm glad that they didn't include dwarves in this game since they too would propably be as tall as anyone and without beard. The The game has a lot of content and enviroments are beautiful. Unfortunately there are some serious flaws. All the npc- characters in the game are ass ugly, generic and they act like robots. There are only adults in the game, and no one has a beard. I'm glad that they didn't include dwarves in this game since they too would propably be as tall as anyone and without beard. The voice acting is mostly horrendous, and there are 2 or 3 music tracks in the whole game.… Expand
  96. AnonymousMC
    Aug 11, 2009
    7
    Very expansive world to explore, and a plethora of side quests to complete make this a very good RPG. Unfortunately, the game is marred by serious design flaws and a main storyline that leaves much to be desired. There are mods to fix the worst of its problems (such as the unbalanced creature leveling), but a game should not have to rely upon its community modders to fix their product. 7/10.
  97. Higher_Standard
    Aug 17, 2010
    7
    Oblivion has to be played a certain way by people that can imagine themselves in the world that is the game. This can make the game very enjoyable in comparison to just making a god character that's the leader of every guild. Try to specialize and you'll have more fun. Sadly, they seem to have skipped the beta testing stage before releasing this game. On multiple occasions I've had entireOblivion has to be played a certain way by people that can imagine themselves in the world that is the game. This can make the game very enjoyable in comparison to just making a god character that's the leader of every guild. Try to specialize and you'll have more fun. Sadly, they seem to have skipped the beta testing stage before releasing this game. On multiple occasions I've had entire guild quest-lines become impossible to complete due to bugs. If this game had a coop it would be a ten without a doubt. There also seems to be little to no reward for playing on higher difficulties.… Expand
  98. djbarker
    Apr 16, 2014
    7
    This game stole my life. It's very good and I've lost 150 hours to it. I was totally absorbed. But when I came up to air I realised that immersion is not enough for a game to be in my list of amazing games.
    But there are many bugs (dancing dragon corpses) and a total lack of consequence for your choices.
    If I'm a dark elf, I should be spat at when I'm in Winterhold. If i murder a    This game stole my life. It's very good and I've lost 150 hours to it. I was totally absorbed. But when I came up to air I realised that immersion is not enough for a game to be in my list of amazing games.
    But there are many bugs (dancing dragon corpses) and a total lack of consequence for your choices.
    If I'm a dark elf, I should be spat at when I'm in Winterhold. If i murder a villager, I should never be able to return to that village. Plus the dragons are so easy to kill once you figure out a half decent build.
    I found as soon as I got to lvl 30, there was no point in playing anymore. The hardest difficulty was tedium, the next hardest became a walkthrough.
    One thing that really annoyed me was the illusion spell tree. the lvl of an NPC i could spook in some way was listed, but you can't tell what lvl the npcs are. After looking up some online, they don't match the power of the spell. Not a game breaker, but sloppy.
    So I give it a 7 because I loved it at first, but will never want to play it again. So for that reason it doesn't get a higher score.    … Expand
  99. syrik
    Nov 20, 2011
    7
    Picked this up on a recent Steam sale. I had Morrowind on xbox when it came out but I never got into it. It seemed extremely boring and long to get into. Well, years later Oblivion is also extremely long to get into and boring at the beginning, but it sure is worth it. This game is detail on a scale that no other game even approaches much less achieves. From random books scatteredPicked this up on a recent Steam sale. I had Morrowind on xbox when it came out but I never got into it. It seemed extremely boring and long to get into. Well, years later Oblivion is also extremely long to get into and boring at the beginning, but it sure is worth it. This game is detail on a scale that no other game even approaches much less achieves. From random books scattered around the world (that are actually written and can all be read) to thousands of things, just things, strewn all over the place. Each one realized on a scale that makes it almost impossible not to get lost in this game. Imagine taking about a 50 mile square of land in the real world with all the trees, houses, roads, people, animals, water, weather, everything and sticking all of that into a game. That's Oblivion. Houses fully detailed inside and out, random junk that is actually relevant and non-repetitive like people really have. If you want to know what this place you're standing looks like from that mountain top over yonder, hike up the mountain and take a look. You can. In fact, you can basically do anything you want any way you want. It's the most freedom in a game, ever. Period. (notwithstanding other Elder Scrolls games of course) Want to be a spell casting rogue that pick pockets and hides in the shadows? OK. Wanna be a ranger that also swings a gigantic mace? OK. Wanna be a warrior but in leather armor and summoning undead? OK. Whatever you want, there's a way to do it. The game is huge, I'm talking HUGE. Think WoW without the subscription and they probably have about the same content (except this is one release with some xpac content and WoW is constantly updated for the last 7 years). There is a good enjoyable story packed in between all the other side quests and random places to explore also. It's the whole package. This game would easily warrant a perfect 10, except it's not perfect. Unfortunately Bethesda, in all their creative genius, weren't very good at squashing bugs. This game came out in 2006 and despite multiple official patches and DLC content for sale there are literally thousands of bugs in the game they never bothered to fix. The game is so popular that its very talented and committed fan base has created their own mods that patch the game for you correcting many of these bugs, but they shouldn't have to. Bethesda made the money off the game, not the fans, they should be the ones fixing it. So, 7/10 because buggy games deserve ZEROES, but this game really is awesome.… Expand
  100. EsquireIII
    May 15, 2011
    7
    This game stole what little life I already had. It's incredibly fun. Randomly exploring caves and ruins never gets boring, though I do admit, I had to start using console commands to close down Oblivion Gates because I just couldn't take doing the same map I had already done a million times before. Another small complaint I have and that I've heard a lot of is that Oblivion doesn't captureThis game stole what little life I already had. It's incredibly fun. Randomly exploring caves and ruins never gets boring, though I do admit, I had to start using console commands to close down Oblivion Gates because I just couldn't take doing the same map I had already done a million times before. Another small complaint I have and that I've heard a lot of is that Oblivion doesn't capture Morrowind's atmosphere. I haven't played Morrowind much yet, but after playing hours upon hours of Oblivion and stepping of the boat in the very beginning to see a massive insect that, come to find out, was used for transportation made the game feel very alien. Oblivion's atmosphere is indeed more of a generic sort of feel, but there are definitely improvements over a few problems I noticed with Morrowind despite how little I played of it. First of all, combat feels much more smooth, and when you hit an enemy, you actually hit them, rather than using stats to determine your hit chance. In addition, the combat just feels smoother, with the ability to block at will rather than using the block skill to determine the chance of blocking. My biggest Morrowind annoyance is how slowly you moved at the beginning of the game. Being a rather impatient person, that gets kind of old. Oblivion definitely fixed this problem. A change from Morrowind that I think is for the worse is the horrible leveling system. Enemies level up with you, and subsequently, so does their loot. It tends to ruin the realism quite a bit (how do so many bandits find full sets of Daedric armor?) and generally makes the game get harder as you level up, unless you micromanage your skill growth to obtain the maximum boost from each level, which is incredibly annoying and just plain tiresome. On the good side of the game, the world is massive. There are hundreds of locations to discover, many of which have a quest assigned to them. There are also quite a lot of joinable factions. Not as many as Morrowind, I've heard, but still a good amount, ranging from the magic oriented Mages Guild, to the combat oriented Fighters Guild, and the stealth oriented Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood. Each offers a very different experience and all are worth joining, even if you don't really focus on that particular stat (heck, I was a thief and I still became one of the top ranking members of the Mage's Guild). Spell casting tends to be a bit on the weak side when it comes to buffs, many lasting as little as 10 seconds before needing to be recast and the spell making is more limited that many would like it to be. The spell animations tend to be a bit bland after a while, using the same effects for each spell for the most part (for example, a strong fire spell will look the exact same as a weak fire spell. At least prior to impact). I personally do not like the music in Oblivion, though the songs can easily be changed by replacing the files in your music folder. The main story quest is fairly interesting, though I find it hard to play more than once. Even if you don't enjoy the story, the lore still provides an interesting feel to the world you Overall, Oblivion is a huge game with a very nice combat system, a huge world for you to explore, many NPCs to populate it. Finally, though I'm not counting this towards the score of my review, it is definitely worth mentioning that there are a HUGE number of modifications available for Oblivion, improving upon many problems I've mentioned here (like the shoddy magic system and broken leveling) as well as a few I didn't. There are many to improve performance and stability of your game if your computer can't handle the graphics, while others add in various content (homes, weapons, armor, the things you might expect). As a last word. whether or not you use a few mods or a lot of mods or just avoid mods altogether, Oblivion is definitely a game you should pick up regardless of what console you want it for (though if you want mods, the PC is the best console to go with).… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2006
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006
2
#2 Most Shared PC Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    100
    It’s just so damned big. That’s what you’ll say after playing Oblivion for more than an hour. Or, for that matter, 50 hours.
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  2. Game Over Online
    96
    Oblivion is by far the closest I have come to playing D&D Sunday afternoons with my friends (yes, I did that, though I’m on medication now), all wrapped up in a stunning package with tens of thousands of lines of spoken dialog and good music.
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  3. Quandary
    100
    I honestly have to say that I am in favour of most of the changes and I think Oblivion is an awesome achievement from Bethesda.
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