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. EdS,
    Jun 29, 2007
    2
    This game is boring and clunky. The movement is slow and bouncy/floaty. You can't sell things without a stupid mercantile skill. Everything is tedious. I can't believe an online mmorpg loads and runs faster than this bloated boring game. Oblivion is terrible.
  2. JG
    Apr 2, 2008
    2
    This game is very boring and very repetitive. Reasons below. Side Quests: Type 1) Fetch an item from dungeons. Type 2) Follow someone and watch what they're doing. Again, and again, and again. Main Quest: Must enter "Oblivion World" and fetch 'sigil stone'. Again and again and again... Levelling: Unintuitive and tedious. Bad combo. Combat: Like a first-person shooter, using This game is very boring and very repetitive. Reasons below. Side Quests: Type 1) Fetch an item from dungeons. Type 2) Follow someone and watch what they're doing. Again, and again, and again. Main Quest: Must enter "Oblivion World" and fetch 'sigil stone'. Again and again and again... Levelling: Unintuitive and tedious. Bad combo. Combat: Like a first-person shooter, using sword or spells instead of a gun. I wanted an RPG, not a shooter.… Expand
  3. KelL.
    Jun 22, 2006
    2
    falls short on expectation extremley repetetive and nothin new. Good graphics doesnt mean good gameplay. very disappointed when it comes to the other series.
  4. GLCarpinter
    Apr 7, 2007
    2
    I can't believe all the fellatio for this game. I played this game for some time, and yes, I had fun. There were a few good points such as: some inspired side-quests, graphics, combat and horses. However, the lack of gameplay started to set in and I'm not going to touch this game again, ever. The things that ruined it for me were: the voice acting (Patrick Stewart being theI can't believe all the fellatio for this game. I played this game for some time, and yes, I had fun. There were a few good points such as: some inspired side-quests, graphics, combat and horses. However, the lack of gameplay started to set in and I'm not going to touch this game again, ever. The things that ruined it for me were: the voice acting (Patrick Stewart being the exception here), a crappy main plot, levelled loot, levelled enemies and a lack of books. It doesn't matter how pants-creamingly awesome your graphics are if the actual game sucks moose dick. If you want to play an awesome RPG, play Baldur's Gate 2 or Planescape: Torment.… Expand
  5. KeithB
    Mar 3, 2009
    2
    Am I crazy? Or is this game 10 years behind a game like Ultima 7? Horrible, broken character leveling system with all monsters and loot leveling up with you? Lame, discount-fantasy-novel story and unmemorable characters and dialogue? This game is even a huge step down from Morrowind and even farther step down from Daggerfall! What is going on here?
  6. BobC
    Jul 24, 2009
    2
    Just thinking of the sheer artistic talent and work that went into designing this game makes me very sad to see how lackluster the story, combat, and well, the entire game are. I have reinstalled Oblivion about 6 times now and tried to force myself to play it. Each time I do the Dark Brotherhood and Thieve's Guild quests and then quickly lose interest. I have never been able to stay Just thinking of the sheer artistic talent and work that went into designing this game makes me very sad to see how lackluster the story, combat, and well, the entire game are. I have reinstalled Oblivion about 6 times now and tried to force myself to play it. Each time I do the Dark Brotherhood and Thieve's Guild quests and then quickly lose interest. I have never been able to stay interested long enough to even finish the main story line but I hear it's about as long as some side quests in the game are. And when you're done you're left with a vast world of copy-pasted tunnels and villages and the same fields of grass over and over again occasionally interrupted by some ruins which rapidly become repetitive as well. Overall, I am giving this game a 2 merely out of how pretty it is. The combat is atrocious (mouse button 1 swing, mouse button 2 block - AMAZING FUN!), the voice acting is mediocre at best, and the UI is utter garbage and it is cumbersome to do anything with it. Oh, yeah - the NPCs are supposed to be extremely interesting with daily needs and things like that. They're still dry and boring, just like Morrowind! Only in this game, they have random impossible-to-believe conversations witih eachother such as follows: NPC 1: Did you hear about that Gray Fox thief? NPC 2: Yes NPC 3: Bye now Wow! Cool!… Expand
  7. AnonymousMC
    Aug 21, 2008
    2
    The ridiculous level system means that things will always be an even match with you... so whats the point of even leveling up? The voices are horrible! The beggars have about 4 different voices which keep changing every sentence. Theres probably about 5 voice actors in the whole game. ALL male nords and orcs sound the same! I cant believe this game has a higher score than proper RPG'sThe ridiculous level system means that things will always be an even match with you... so whats the point of even leveling up? The voices are horrible! The beggars have about 4 different voices which keep changing every sentence. Theres probably about 5 voice actors in the whole game. ALL male nords and orcs sound the same! I cant believe this game has a higher score than proper RPG's like KOTOR. The only thing good about this game is the graphics of the countryside when you travel from town to town... oh wait! theres no point! you can just 'fast travel' which instantly takes you from one part of the world to the other. wtf is the point of buying a horse then? In conclusion, bad AI, no immersion, bad combat, bad physics and bland quests.… Expand
  8. aisu
    Apr 5, 2011
    2
    One of most overrated games in history. It had nice graphics when it lasted (i bought and played it on release) but honestly... nothing else. Terrible gameplay, fighting, same 2 or 3 voice actors for every character. linearity, terrible character development and world leveling systems, very mediocre plot. Playing as melee classes is boring clicking of one button, well mages do not differOne of most overrated games in history. It had nice graphics when it lasted (i bought and played it on release) but honestly... nothing else. Terrible gameplay, fighting, same 2 or 3 voice actors for every character. linearity, terrible character development and world leveling systems, very mediocre plot. Playing as melee classes is boring clicking of one button, well mages do not differ much from this. I cant understand that unfounded cult surrounding this title. I do not recommend this game to anyone, its boring, anticlimactic and rly overrated..… Expand
  9. JohnnyG500
    Jul 3, 2018
    2
    oh how i wanted to like this game ! now i'll go into detail as to why one of the "Best" games according to metacritic is a flaming pile of **** ,

    -now as my first experience in the elder scrolls series (and i can assure you it will be the last) it was a bit "epic" for a start, you are introduced to a character creation system that is severely lacking in interesting stuff, and i dare you    oh how i wanted to like this game ! now i'll go into detail as to why one of the "Best" games according to metacritic is a flaming pile of **** ,

    -now as my first experience in the elder scrolls series (and i can assure you it will be the last) it was a bit "epic" for a start, you are introduced to a character creation system that is severely lacking in interesting stuff, and i dare you to try to make the character look like a normal human being and not just a blob pretending to be a human, the character is ugly no matter how long a time you spend creating it so if you hate yourself and decide to buy this game just make yourself into a troll or a lion or something.

    -now for the "epic" part, which to be honest could've been a start for a great story immediately goes to **** you are a prisoner but then suddenly you are the chosen one that the king saw in a prophecy/dream (which is already painfully cliche'd) and then the king is killed because reasons, then you escape through a dull dungeon that would make superman 64 jealous.

    now the moment you step out into the world you feel like this will be a great game, which is an illusion that immediately fades away.

    -The world at first feels expansive and huge as in "encouraging exploration" but then once you are about to explore a menu pops up telling you that you can just teleport wherever you want from the map... which boils the game down to a basic collection of locations each one more dull than the other.

    -did i mention that everything in the world F*cking hates you ? Wolfs , Rats , trolls , random npcs you name it they all just want you dead for some adequately unexplored reason.

    -now to describe the story would be a waste of time so i'll just liken it to something, imagine a ten year old watched every cliche'd movie/TV series about medieval times with fantasy elements and then decided to write his best impression of all of them combined making an incoherent, done to death, by the numbers story that will leave you counting the seconds of your life being wasted, yes its that bad!

    -now for the big one, now all of the terrible things i've mentioned could be forgiven or even compromised for enjoyment sake, but one thing, yes, one thing breaks this game even more than the astronomical number of bugs and glitches, even more than the unorganized interface and inconsistent budget, and that is the graphics. what can i say about this that wouldnt be noticed at first sight ? the npcs look (and i'm not even exaggerating here) absolutely terrifying, just trying seeing a nice looking lady with great clothes and well done hair then look at her face and die, just die forever, i cant tell if the graphic designers were underpaid or on drugs, apart from the horrifying visage just try to admire the awfulness of how npcs attempt to convey emotions, they're either the face of a guy that won the lottery i.e grinning till their jaws are ripped apart or the face of one that is burying their relative as in frowning like its their job and then there is the neutral face which as previously mentioned is as comforting to look at as a man that is eating his own liver.

    now for the positives because even **** is used as a fertilizer sometimes, hence why i gave it 210 and not just a blatant shallow 0 because that would simply be unfair.

    +first of all : i would give props to bethesda for trying really hard to make this work, it doesnt feel like a dead seed by any means, its just a plethora of squandered potential or an impression of a way way better game that could've been but sadly was not.

    +second, this game has a very impressive class system which again could've been done better but it served as an influence to better future games.

    +versatility of items, as in : potions , weapons , armor , materials , random bollocks. which you would argue that all these things exist in other RPG games as well, to which i respond ; Well at least it has those!

    all in all i cant stress more just how you shouldnt waste a Cent on this game, dont take it, not even if for free, it doesnt deserve your time not even just for curiosity's sake, this game is so very bad i cant say enough about how cheated i felt by spending a mere 10 dollars on this absolute piece of garbage.

    Have a Great Day!    … Expand
  10. SteephenD.
    Jul 6, 2006
    1
    Developers need to remember gameplay is the most important thing in a game. The graphics are only cool if they improve an already fun game. They don't make a game fun by themselves. No one will care about the graphics if they are too bored to ever star the game. Get it?
  11. GordonP
    Jun 18, 2009
    1
    Worst RPG I ever played. Nice scenery, but....: 1) Huge motivation killer: All enemies are leveling up with you. So you dont have a motivation to level up and improve your character, in order to be able to travel to more diffiult regions, to fight more difficult enemies. => Even the opposite happens: In reality you you are relatively leveling DOWN with each level-"up" you gain, because Worst RPG I ever played. Nice scenery, but....: 1) Huge motivation killer: All enemies are leveling up with you. So you dont have a motivation to level up and improve your character, in order to be able to travel to more diffiult regions, to fight more difficult enemies. => Even the opposite happens: In reality you you are relatively leveling DOWN with each level-"up" you gain, because the monsters are better leveling-up than you (unless you are very very carefull, that you are leveling up only very very slowly). This is the most stupid motivation killing concept you could ever image. To be successfull in this game, you have to think extensive about the leveling-system and rouls. And thats definitely not what I want. If I like such stuff, then I go buying a strategy game. Because of this game mechanic I can not give more than two stars. 2) Small motivation killer for me:: A allways accessible difficulty slider in the game. Instead that improving your character is the only possibility to have a chance against very strong enemies, with that slider you can kill from the first second on the strongest enemies. Of course, I dont have to use this slider - but anyway, I dont like its presence. I like the old games, which were hard and with only one difficult-setting. So you know exactly what you have to do, if you want to succeed. No pain, no gain :-) For this difficulty-slider 1 point discount. Thats why I give a 1 .… Expand
  12. GregB.
    Jul 20, 2006
    1
    Boring, feeble control of the character. All you have to do is h the make the character jump into the air to watch him float upwards although he still appears to be standing up in the same exact position, but his body is now above the ground, and then "slowly descend back to the earth". Oh, uh oh, did you fall a bit too far without investing enough "spell points" into your JUmp attribute? Boring, feeble control of the character. All you have to do is h the make the character jump into the air to watch him float upwards although he still appears to be standing up in the same exact position, but his body is now above the ground, and then "slowly descend back to the earth". Oh, uh oh, did you fall a bit too far without investing enough "spell points" into your JUmp attribute? Oh no, did yu take damage? This has to be the most feeble game I have ever played. Completely unrealistic. Perform the same stupid looking sword swing. Lame physics. The same stupid looking enemies to defeat, few and far between. Is this thing in slow motion? Everything is so S...L....O...W. Laughable storyline about, uh-oh, don't say it.. CULTS. A completely dorky game from obviously completely dorky writers. Thank you Jim Henson for the lesson in making every NPC look like a a movie as they tell you the next boring, predictable part of the stoyline. I would have been fine reading it w/o a close up. Am I gay now? where I need to see every person up close, and why does everyone look like an old geezer? Dear lord, learn how to make a game that is not irritating. This game is nothing more than irritating.… Expand
  13. WTF
    Jul 11, 2008
    1
    Maybe I kill slef. I didn't really give this game that much of a chance, I admit this, but I just could not get into it. I tried so hard to enjoy it, mainly because a friend of mine said it was good, but this was to no avail. The only moment I enjoyed was creating my character, but even that seemed lacking. I apologize to the people who like this type of game, but I think I'dMaybe I kill slef. I didn't really give this game that much of a chance, I admit this, but I just could not get into it. I tried so hard to enjoy it, mainly because a friend of mine said it was good, but this was to no avail. The only moment I enjoyed was creating my character, but even that seemed lacking. I apologize to the people who like this type of game, but I think I'd rather go play in traffic.… Expand
  14. MarcD
    Sep 17, 2009
    1
    The only department this game is a winner is the make up department. This game is really poor compared to previous TES titles. The terrain althought claimed wider than Morrowind give a shrinked feeling. You can cross it in 20 real time minutes jog on its wider part, talk about a country, 6KM long 4 Km wide if much If you take ingame time just multiply by 10 at a 12km jog, patetic. In this The only department this game is a winner is the make up department. This game is really poor compared to previous TES titles. The terrain althought claimed wider than Morrowind give a shrinked feeling. You can cross it in 20 real time minutes jog on its wider part, talk about a country, 6KM long 4 Km wide if much If you take ingame time just multiply by 10 at a 12km jog, patetic. In this game the player (you) is treated like a complete moron, or the developer where too lazy to write directions. A compass lead you straight to all missions. Talking about missions the main mission could be good is many bad game design weren t choosen. Like the auto leveling system that let your ennemies exactly the same lvl you are. Like the ability to not lvl. Like the possibility to finish the game at LVL 2. Like many immortal NPC, rendering your personnal choices irrelevant. Like combat not being tied to your stats anymore, its 100% finger related without the need of any skill: Forward, slash, backward or sidestep, slash rince and repeat. No matter who is your ennemy this will work every time, always 100% guaranteed or your money back. Combat lead to quest 90% of the quests are combat related, so any class non, or having poor vocation to combat related is a no go, So in the end your personal choices are irrelevant. In Oblivion the less relevant parts are the player choice. Did i speak about how irrelevent the side missions are, very few fun but absolutely none interesting to the main plot. And why would they be since the ennemies LVL with you what is be the relevance of getting stronger faster richer and even lvl up ? You should be in a the capital state of an empire, But there s absolutely nothing that give you this feeling, you could very well be in alska summer or whatever. Oblivion is at least 50% of all the TESS Lore. No wonder the previous game design team where fired or quited in middle project. You really feel it. The game sweat shallowness, misconcepts, and faulty to lazy design. I could go on pages. But to go to the point this game is an insult to the RPG gaming and its player. Thinkin bettter this game doesnt deserve a 2.… Expand
  15. SlobodanO
    Mar 24, 2010
    1
    This game is just an empty shell. Even the lauded graphics fail when it comes to the look of characters. Writing is abysmal. Horrible minigames instead of stat influenced outcomes. Horrible hack and slash combat. Bad engine. This game is not a RPG and what's worse, it's utterly boring.
  16. Sotamarsu
    Dec 1, 2006
    1
    This game doesn't differ from Morrowind very much. Ok, graphics are nice and it's long and large game, but if you want to make "the best" or even great character you have to for example start as magical hero to be strong fighter or thief or vice versa. And if you level yourself fast by wandering around you can hardly beat the game later if you made bad training decision. What I This game doesn't differ from Morrowind very much. Ok, graphics are nice and it's long and large game, but if you want to make "the best" or even great character you have to for example start as magical hero to be strong fighter or thief or vice versa. And if you level yourself fast by wandering around you can hardly beat the game later if you made bad training decision. What I mean is that the leveling and skill system aren't what I want from a RPG. So I give +2 for graphics, +2 for large gamearea +1 for idea, -1 for mimicing Morrowind, -3 for horrible leveling and skill system… Expand
  17. Dakimaz
    Sep 10, 2010
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. How Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion got 94 score, I simply do not understand. When I read the reviews and saw the score, I thought "hey this might be kinda like Dragon age: Origins, just much cheaper", but no.
    As stated by other reviews, I too really wanted to like this game, but unfortunately those little super frustrating events like "lock picking" and various other annoying factors just ruined the feeling of a good game entirely.
    To elaborate: In the Lock picking sequences you have to continuously move your mouse upwards and then click with the left mouse button in order to make the pin "stay in it's slot", however, you have to click the pin when it is at the top, and stays there for half a second - otherwise your lock pick will break. This happens completely random and there's no way what so ever to predict whether it stays in the top or not, there's no pattern, no little noise that goes off, nothing. That in it self is not an issue (annoying, but you can just walk away... or?) the thing is, you can't cancel the sequence, so if you have 100 lock picks, you'll just have to stay there, breaking them all, before the game let's you go. Oh sure fine, there are options in the bottom that says "auto try" and "close".. but you go ahead a try click those buttons with a none existent mouse (and you can't use the arrow keys... not anything to hit them). So last in total frustration i hit escape on the keyboard, causing the game to freeze. *sigh*
    Now that we're talking about the key bindings. In comparison to most other games, where you for example have a key for you map, menu, inventory, quests, reputation, spells, abilities etc. - in oblivion you have 1 - yup, EVERYTHING is wrapped up in one damn tap, that in it self wouldn't be a problem if it had tool tips when you moused over the different items - but it doesn't, you'll have to figure it out yourself.
    Weight is apparently symbolized with a feather, money with the head of a random guy - and after 8 hours of playtime, i still do not know, where to see the quests. And the map is too small (in comparison to the actual size of the game world), and you can't zoom out to locate where you have to go. The worst part is, the feeling of "a big game" disappears with the "fast travel" system - and you already have all the locations from the beginning.
    But the worst part of the entire game is the story telling, it's done so poorly, that you really have to drink 8 cans of redbull to stay awake while the NPC's talk, because the story just isn't compelling at all. You start out in a cell (in jail presumably - though you're never told why), some guy rushes into you cell claiming he's the emperor, (if it's legoland or china - you're never told either) - about 5 mins later he's dead. The voice acting is terrible and the animation is so stiff (sure they have, mad or happy faces, but this is split up in either EXTREME ANGER or SUPER HAPPY, that you can't help but thinking either the guy is a psychopath or a rapist), you can't connect with any characters in the game, 95% of the time I was playing I just went "hmm I wonder what happens if I kill this guy", and finally got bored with it and stopped playing the game.
    The AI is also somewhat ridiculous, they all seemed to have this "Leeroy Jenkins" syndrome in them, charging forward to slay enemies even though they are greatly outnumbered and go down after 2 blows.
    Was hilarious at first, but when the peeps you have to protect from getting killed does the same thing, it just gets annoying.

    So to put it short
    The game play is repetitive, The story telling is **** The AI is suicidal (this only tends to work for the enemy, not so much your allies.)
    Here's a tip, if you liked Dragon Age: Origins, or just good storytelling - go play that instead, there's nothing to be seen here.
    However, if you like Fallout 3, this is probably the game for you, this game pretty much has the same issues. Just replace laser rifle with a bow, aliens with demons, and nuclear bomb with magic.    … Expand
  18. jakefabo
    Nov 27, 2011
    1
    Like another reviewer said, I really tried to like this game. I came to it late however, and was never a fan of the Elder Scrolls series. My RPG experience comes from Baldur's Gate 1/2 and Neverwinter Nights 1/2. I love having free reign to do what I want, but I also need to care about the environment in order to immerse myself in it. In Oblivion I had no idea what to do, so I wandered...Like another reviewer said, I really tried to like this game. I came to it late however, and was never a fan of the Elder Scrolls series. My RPG experience comes from Baldur's Gate 1/2 and Neverwinter Nights 1/2. I love having free reign to do what I want, but I also need to care about the environment in order to immerse myself in it. In Oblivion I had no idea what to do, so I wandered... and nothing was intriguing about the land AT ALL. I was only able to play this game for about 30mins at a time because it just didn't hold my interest. Neverwinter Nights 2 probably has about 5% of the content but I have played it through about 20 times. Others have spent many hours on Oblivion though so I would suggest RPG fans at least try it... the game is quite cheap on steam now.… Expand
  19. slick_trick
    Dec 29, 2012
    1
    The absolute worst and most overhyped game I can remember. This game is like a punishment that was secretly made by the religious fanatics who were trying to ban Dungeons and Dragons in the 80's. And everyone giving it a 10 is like one of those people who are now playing online roleplaying games. Massive, massive expanses that are COMPLETELY empty.. void of any life whatsoever.The absolute worst and most overhyped game I can remember. This game is like a punishment that was secretly made by the religious fanatics who were trying to ban Dungeons and Dragons in the 80's. And everyone giving it a 10 is like one of those people who are now playing online roleplaying games. Massive, massive expanses that are COMPLETELY empty.. void of any life whatsoever. Apparently this is considered 'exploration'. I have never seen such a barren and lifeless game environment in my entire life. The 'facial expressions' made me cringe... the 'story' was so cliche.. it also made me cringe. I think this game is more like an instructional video for making facial expressions for people who live in caves.… Expand
  20. Kovasz
    Aug 7, 2016
    1
    I'm sure it's a GREAT game, but unfortunatelly, I'll never experience it, as it always crashes. I've tried running the game on different configs, different OSes, still, I can't really play it as it's crashes. I can't think of any other game having this serious quit-to-desktop issue.
  21. EptaEpt
    Sep 13, 2022
    1
    Sorry, but positive feedback is not available in your region. At least until your leadership changes the two-faced policy in their actions and statements.
  22. toeknee
    Jul 6, 2006
    0
    Not fun, simpley a terrible game. Repetitive, leveling system is terrible, the weapons repair thing is terrible, everything looks the same, compass is terrible. Couldn't even play after like 10 minutes because the game is so bad. Do not buy this game. Do not play this game.
  23. Marko
    Jun 20, 2006
    0
    The greatest dissapointment of all times and Iam not overreacting. I played all Elder Scroll games and as a great fan I could not wait for this game to come out. Great graphic is great but the whole world is repetitive, Oblivion is 50% bigger than Morrowind but all u have is forrests and hills in Morrowind u had swamps, deserts, islands and many more, dungeons and caves are every 100m and The greatest dissapointment of all times and Iam not overreacting. I played all Elder Scroll games and as a great fan I could not wait for this game to come out. Great graphic is great but the whole world is repetitive, Oblivion is 50% bigger than Morrowind but all u have is forrests and hills in Morrowind u had swamps, deserts, islands and many more, dungeons and caves are every 100m and they all look the same, physics are just for decoration, and level scaling is worst part of the game, why level when the enemy is always same strenght as you and its easier to finish game as level 1 than 30, a game that needs to have 2GB of mods installed to be playable does not deserve anyones attention. Dont play this better wait for Gothic 3 until than play Gothic 2, Arx Fatalis, Morrowind or anything.… Expand
  24. Bruno
    Jul 14, 2007
    0
    No matter how good is everything in Oblivion. The leveling system makes this game unplayable for me. I uninstalled it 2 days after i bought it, because this is the first RPG I ever played that actually wants to stay level 1 to be strongest (setting up major skills those you never use and improve abilities only that can't level your character up -- so you basically stay lvl 1 with No matter how good is everything in Oblivion. The leveling system makes this game unplayable for me. I uninstalled it 2 days after i bought it, because this is the first RPG I ever played that actually wants to stay level 1 to be strongest (setting up major skills those you never use and improve abilities only that can't level your character up -- so you basically stay lvl 1 with maxed out abilities you use) This is extremly broken and it's a reason why there are so many 0% and 100% user scores.… Expand
  25. Mareus
    Jul 10, 2008
    0
    I would never give any game 0/10, unless it was really completely unplayable, but Oblivion deserves it just because it is overhyped and those 10/10 scores are also very unrealistic. The game has so many flaws it cannot possibly be 10/10. Even with 16 gb of mods it is still just an average game and the success of this average game due to it's shiny graphic and hype from Bethseda can I would never give any game 0/10, unless it was really completely unplayable, but Oblivion deserves it just because it is overhyped and those 10/10 scores are also very unrealistic. The game has so many flaws it cannot possibly be 10/10. Even with 16 gb of mods it is still just an average game and the success of this average game due to it's shiny graphic and hype from Bethseda can only mean RIP for Fallout 3.… Expand
  26. JohnyB.Good
    Jul 10, 2008
    0
    This 10/10 crap must be corrected for the sake of future gaming. Fallout 3.. rest in peace. *cries*
  27. Hrco
    Jul 10, 2008
    0
    It really is incredible how games have degraded in the last 10 years.
  28. Vjeran
    Jul 10, 2008
    0
    How can people give this game 10/10. It would mean the game is perfect. Oblivion is far from perfect. From all the bugs, problems with AI where your companions kill eachother, generic world that cannot possibly be compared to the diversity of Morrowind, etc it still gets 10/10 by some people?? And those sites that gave it 100/100?? Just shows what little money can do and how people can How can people give this game 10/10. It would mean the game is perfect. Oblivion is far from perfect. From all the bugs, problems with AI where your companions kill eachother, generic world that cannot possibly be compared to the diversity of Morrowind, etc it still gets 10/10 by some people?? And those sites that gave it 100/100?? Just shows what little money can do and how people can easily be swayed. 0/0 to rectify injustice.… Expand
  29. Josieboy
    Jul 10, 2008
    0
    I hope people have learned a lesson from Oblivion. Fallout 3 will pay the price. RIP.
  30. AnonymousMC
    Jun 17, 2009
    0
    Boring, unintuitive. This game was hailed as a masterpiece, I'm glad I tested it before buying - it's like a really poorly done version of a King's Field console game, and I LOVE first-person sword/magic fighting games. Why this received such rave reviews, I will never understand. You would have to pay ME to play this game, and again, I love RPGs, I love first personBoring, unintuitive. This game was hailed as a masterpiece, I'm glad I tested it before buying - it's like a really poorly done version of a King's Field console game, and I LOVE first-person sword/magic fighting games. Why this received such rave reviews, I will never understand. You would have to pay ME to play this game, and again, I love RPGs, I love first person swords/bows/magic type games. This game suffers horribly from repetition, lack of meat to the story beyond the initial jailbreak, and awful AI. How every guard on earth knows I stole a dinner plate from a house at 3 AM is beyond me. Travel is tedious aside from admiring the pretty countryside, which is suffering from a lack of variance in types of vegetation as well. Leveling is pointless. It actually gets harder to kill things as you gain levels.… Expand
  31. UweP.
    Mar 22, 2006
    0
    Tomorrow was pretty cool, but this is way more cool because you get to ride a horse and kidnap young maidens in the woods!
  32. SteveH.
    May 13, 2006
    0
    Way to boring to play for an extended time.
  33. AamirM.
    Jul 29, 2006
    0
    theres 2 bad things about one is that its boring, complicated and very depressimg and the second is nobody will stop saying its the best game ever and the hype makes me want it even if its crap.
  34. MarioKucan
    Oct 27, 2007
    0
    I am giving the game a 0 just because Bethseda bought great scores from the review sites!! I mean who would ever give a game that is far worse than Morrowind in every regard except graphic and combat a score 100????? The game has lots of bugs so it cannot be 100, and the fact so many sites gave it 100 proves they been bought!!
  35. EffjayO.
    May 12, 2008
    0
    I don't honestly believe any game can be a 0 or a 10. Yet I still would rate this game a 0, out of disgust for how it has affected the gaming industry as a whole and to cancel out the many 10 scores it receives. One last point before I begin: To those who rate it 10, I respect your opinion, but this is an role playing game. If it had been classified as an Action game, I surely I don't honestly believe any game can be a 0 or a 10. Yet I still would rate this game a 0, out of disgust for how it has affected the gaming industry as a whole and to cancel out the many 10 scores it receives. One last point before I begin: To those who rate it 10, I respect your opinion, but this is an role playing game. If it had been classified as an Action game, I surely wouldn't have wasted 50$ on it (*groan*), but might have had fun renting it on a console. To quote one 10 rating "If you get the expansions and download a few nice mods, the possibilities are almost endless! When you have learned to use the "TES 4 Mod Maker", you can modify the game in any way you like"; You can't modify bad design, no matter how hard you try. I tried the mods, and while they made the game more RPG-like, no combination was comprehensive enough to make this game interesting. I played this game at least 20 hours, with 2 different characters. I admit I totally bought into the hype after playing Morrowind once and finding it somewhat interesting (I never played 1 or 2, just didn't encounter them; they look like some old school fun). The more I played it, the more I was surprised by the way the game changed...yet stayed the same. This game is just repeated quest after repeated dungeon. It's all a blur of sameness, and everything can be done without any consequences whatsoever. You can be a criminal leader of every group, and it's always kill or hide as your only 2 options for encounters. Talking is dominated by a boring minigame. The dialogue trees are the same as they were in RPGs of the 1980s. The humor value of this game's badness is immense, which almost leads me to give it 1...but no. The amount of money Bethesda spends on hype and pr is insane, but it is not abnormal for the gaming industry. I learned my mistake, and have no plans on giving them *more* of my money to buy hype and shiny graphics: i.e. Fallout 3. As an action game, I would rate Oblivion as a 5: the combat is boring but not awful, and the graphics are beautiful. The only enjoyment I got out of this game was exploring the well rendered world, and I could just surf deviantart to see that.… Expand
  36. James
    Sep 5, 2009
    0
    Dull, repetitive, unfinished, not original and MASSIVELY over-hyped! Oblivion is a prime example of the deterioration of quality in the PC gaming industry. Everything about this game is flawed and dislikable. Sure, you have a huge world to roam around and explore but why bother, the landscape design has just been repeated over and over again. Its utterly uninteresting. The dialogue is Dull, repetitive, unfinished, not original and MASSIVELY over-hyped! Oblivion is a prime example of the deterioration of quality in the PC gaming industry. Everything about this game is flawed and dislikable. Sure, you have a huge world to roam around and explore but why bother, the landscape design has just been repeated over and over again. Its utterly uninteresting. The dialogue is laughable. Whos brilliant idea was it to have the same actors (about 5) doing the the voice for the entire game population. And they are rubbish at it. They sound so flat and borring. None of the NPC characters feel like they have any depth. None what so ever! But its not just the voice quality which is poor, its the script as a whole. Its not gripping in the slightest, it feels lifeless. The game art and design is horrible. The characters for instance are for the ugliest Ive ever witnessed in a game. And their movements are all static and robotic, just another element that breaks your immersion from the game. Gameplay is awfull. Combat is a matter of frantic mouse clicking. Attack, block attack block, or as it becomes soon enough, attack, attack, attack, attack... win or run away. There is nothing about it to make you want more. And the leveling system... I mean come on. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! As you advance level so do your enemies??? So you have no real character development. Its pointless. Theres no reward for gaining skill and no motivation to continue. When you get to the highest skill level you want to be kicking ass. Not to be equal with your opponment like you were when you first started the game. The menus, this is appalling. It forces you into flicking back and forth between each section. No shortcuts. Irriatating in the least. The games story... yawn... nothing compelling in the slightest. Infact I never did complete Oblivion as I lost all interest. Now, I've rated this game a ZERO. It deserves it. I cannot understand why people are rating this game 10/10. My guess is they are kids who still have the fortunate ability to use their imaginations to over come all the short commings this game has. I have however no guess as to why the major industry critics have awarded Oblivion so much. Whatever happened to great game design with new innovative concepts??? Oblivion is a huge dissapointment that was a complete waste of my hard earn money. My advice is dont buy it, and dont be duped by all the 10/10 ratings!… Expand
  37. bosochargedhercegovan
    Nov 4, 2006
    0
    the graphics are drab, unbearable shit. i just want to tear the screen apart when I see them. its almost as if the developers mixed up their own spit and vomit and used that as inspiration. second, the artists are hired from some shitty mental insitution where they have daily art lessons. there is absolutely NOTHING inspiring or captivating about them at all. Decade old games like Mariothe graphics are drab, unbearable shit. i just want to tear the screen apart when I see them. its almost as if the developers mixed up their own spit and vomit and used that as inspiration. second, the artists are hired from some shitty mental insitution where they have daily art lessons. there is absolutely NOTHING inspiring or captivating about them at all. Decade old games like Mario or Zelda have more interesting and for the most part better graphics than oblivion. oblivion makes use of innovations like antialiasing and ASF and thats it.

    second the engine used is shit. gamebryo?? lol are you kidding. the programmers are shit. ever1 that worked on this game were the bottom scrapers of the industry. That is because Bethesda is a cheap-arse company that spends all its money on promotion and making crappy movie tie-ins.

    NWN2 is out now!! its not as good as i thought but kicks Obliviooons arse anyday.    … Expand
  38. CH
    Nov 10, 2007
    0
    I keep it short. This game is a piece of bugridden filth. Do not expect to even be able to finish the main quest because of game/plot braking bugs. Stay away from this game.
  39. JuliusB.
    Jul 26, 2007
    0
    An affront to the Elder Scrolls lore. I absolutely loved Morrowind, but Oblivion was a nightmare. Never have I seen a more sterile and apathic world with no personality in a game. The worst part was that it sold so well... I would bet too many people got disappointed.
  40. excessivekitty
    Jan 7, 2011
    0
    A pretty ragdoll. This game is one of the biggest waste of good potential I have seen in a long while. The lush graphics are wasted on an empty shell, on a dull, stiff, rigid, lifeless world where there is little to no compulsion to explore or do anything.

    The same can be said about the settings: the background and settings, very promising and incredibly rich, are completely wasted in    A pretty ragdoll. This game is one of the biggest waste of good potential I have seen in a long while. The lush graphics are wasted on an empty shell, on a dull, stiff, rigid, lifeless world where there is little to no compulsion to explore or do anything.

    The same can be said about the settings: the background and settings, very promising and incredibly rich, are completely wasted in this carapace devoided of any kind of a soul.

    On top of this, the hefty system requirements.

    Stay clear of this.    … Expand
  41. TiesTorN
    Nov 11, 2011
    0
    This game's level-scaling system is ruining everything... There no point in doing anything to raise your level because as you level up, creatures also level up with you simultaneously with all the benefits it brings (even the rats). And the funny part is you can finish the game easier at level 1. There is also an item problem where you fight your way and clean all the badass dungeons toThis game's level-scaling system is ruining everything... There no point in doing anything to raise your level because as you level up, creatures also level up with you simultaneously with all the benefits it brings (even the rats). And the funny part is you can finish the game easier at level 1. There is also an item problem where you fight your way and clean all the badass dungeons to the last level only to find a rusty sword... The game doesn't reward you for anything. Total ****… Expand
  42. Qis
    Oct 2, 2012
    0
    This game is broken
    1. leveling system is broken - you level up, you become weaker, not stronger while enemies become stronger and stronger. The game give you major skills that give you experience to level up but less attributes when used, minor skill give attributes but no experience to level up, so figure out how bad that is. It means to level up is by using major skills but the more    This game is broken
    1. leveling system is broken - you level up, you become weaker, not stronger while enemies become stronger and stronger. The game give you major skills that give you experience to level up but less attributes when used, minor skill give attributes but no experience to level up, so figure out how bad that is. It means to level up is by using major skills but the more you use minor skills the more attributes you get at level ups.
    2. AI is bad - NPC have no AI actually, they are programmed like robots, they just do what they are programmed to do and it is repetitive. Your ally NPC will attack enemies without AI, meaning they will chase the enemy into lava, river and they will likely be in front of you when you attack, in front of each other making friendly fire. And worse they will kill each other if there are too many friendly fire among them and turn on you in the middle of combat
    3. Anti-climax lame story - because of bad AI, big event in the game is like nothing happen to NPCs, right after the big event happen, they continue their program as usual. the story is also not worth to mention, no story to tell actually, just missions to do and these missions is not important as the whole. You can play without doing it anyway, so why bother?
    4. boring maps- The maps of caves, ruins and oblivion plane are repetitive, after few times playing you will see the very same thing over and over
    5. game breaking items and skill- Although the leveling system is broken you may carefully create a character that is in "god-mode" as soon as you have certain items and make your own spells. 120% invisibility, go figure out what is that?
    6. boring quests- all quests are boring and lost, A told you to go to B, b told to go to C, doing D or get E then return. Almost all quests are like this. These quests are lame and stupid. You become an errant boy/girl for someone. The background story of quests are also lame and not important.
    7. user interface is bad - everything are in tabs, tabs within tabs
    8. you can eat anything as long as you don't know the second effect could kill you, that is chemistry.
    9. you will end up using spells in the end even you planned to play as warrior or stealth
    10. too many to comment, just saying this game is BROKEN    … Expand
  43. Sirik_Matak
    Feb 6, 2015
    0
    The prime example why the next-gen was the biggest mistake in human entertainment history by lowering video games to lower and lower masses.
    Technically it was and especially still is a catastrophe (good luck running it on 64 bit), it really looked bad when it came out in 2006. It was mostly the lie, promising features that were not implemented (the bump mapping was only in the starting    The prime example why the next-gen was the biggest mistake in human entertainment history by lowering video games to lower and lower masses.
    Technically it was and especially still is a catastrophe (good luck running it on 64 bit), it really looked bad when it came out in 2006. It was mostly the lie, promising features that were not implemented (the bump mapping was only in the starting cell, now run the hype machine!).
    Level scalling basically ruined this game gameplay wise.
    The writing and world design was non existant. It's was just some **** put randomely in the world without any thought of reason. It was designed as a marketing product to promote Xbox and sell to masses expecting an easy, dumbed down ride in a disney land they can "enjoy".    … Expand
  44. koval321
    Dec 6, 2014
    0
    Enemies progression is broken, this is not right for RPG game because you may get feeling that you are punished for leveling rather feel like have benefits from it. And worst is that you can level pretty fast, am explored nearby locations around starting point and after make one circle I was already boss with super armor and weapon. After that all enemies around become pretty nasty and amEnemies progression is broken, this is not right for RPG game because you may get feeling that you are punished for leveling rather feel like have benefits from it. And worst is that you can level pretty fast, am explored nearby locations around starting point and after make one circle I was already boss with super armor and weapon. After that all enemies around become pretty nasty and am feel like nobody again, some weak looking monster kills me LOL Am made epic battle with some rat !!! And treasures probably don't match to your level so it look epic and ridiculous at one time. Also my problem was with locations where at beginning I though they are stunning beautiful after while they become repetitive, in this parts Skyrim is much better game. Play Gothic 3 its much better game in many parts in long distance. At very beginning am love Oblivion but now am at point where don't even want to complete it and am realized that Gothic 3 have all what is missing in it. So in fact am would rather complete G3 than continue this game. Its basically good game and may be enjoyable for few days but for long play its very bad it going downhill all the time to point where become unplayable. Its pretty ridiculous that I want to play it again and try to avoid leveling to have better chances complete it on level 1 LOL as RPG its terrible how they test it? Was its tested anyway? And on what are based scores on first hour play? In my opinion this game is broken to point of unplayable because you will never get advance, you never change anything for better all you do work against you LOL Am already have epic equipment and don't see any whatsoever advance from it. Only one good point is sneak + bow but after monster see you it may be pretty frustrating battle because boss are everywhere even some stupid road thief with full glass armor etc it look crazy! More you play then more you see that stuff. My initial score was really 10/10 but it drop to zero and that is final score. Its just bad game for long play.… Expand
  45. ViperITB
    Jul 23, 2020
    0
    Unbelievable disappointment after brilliant Morrowind. Plot written by guys who created last two seasons of GoT, animations and graphics ugly and unrealistic, gameplay boring as hell. You know where is the escape route from your prison? Under your bed, in the cell you had spent months in. And this is just the beginning of the game, it gets worse over time. If you never played Oblivion -Unbelievable disappointment after brilliant Morrowind. Plot written by guys who created last two seasons of GoT, animations and graphics ugly and unrealistic, gameplay boring as hell. You know where is the escape route from your prison? Under your bed, in the cell you had spent months in. And this is just the beginning of the game, it gets worse over time. If you never played Oblivion - skip it and go straight to Skyrim, you'll save yourself lot of time and frustration.… Expand
  46. canceRnya
    Oct 30, 2018
    0
    Тупа ноль. Наверное худшее творение худшей студий. Плохо все: от генератора персонажа в начале, до пещерки, в которой я это недоразумение бросил.
  47. GameExpert777
    May 30, 2018
    0
    The game is a complete disaster, not intuitive, non-friendly.
    It's obvious that the game was made only for hardcore fans and not for regular people/ gamers.
  48. EevieRoseAmalee
    Jun 24, 2023
    0
    The elder scrolls games spits in the face of most good elder scrolls games by destroying so much established lore and also it's open world is just a blank canvas with not much to do inbetween which says a lot as elder scrolls games have so much to do in their games.
  49. Carlton156
    Apr 11, 2022
    0
    THis game sucks ass... The only reason people like it must be nostalgia because the levelling system, a major part of any RPG. is utter garbage and makes you become weaker relatively speaking. The combat sucks and the only saving grace is some funny dialogues between NPCs.

    Aged horribly..
  50. CasualReviewer
    Oct 8, 2021
    0
    This game is so damn awful. The combat is terrible, enemies are overpowered even if playing on super easy, the quests are so blank or straight up impossible. When you get past the tutorial, THE WHOLE map is open to you meaning you can fast travel anywhere with no exploration at all. The buildings are massive compared to the actual entrance. i spent 15 minutes figuring out how to get intoThis game is so damn awful. The combat is terrible, enemies are overpowered even if playing on super easy, the quests are so blank or straight up impossible. When you get past the tutorial, THE WHOLE map is open to you meaning you can fast travel anywhere with no exploration at all. The buildings are massive compared to the actual entrance. i spent 15 minutes figuring out how to get into the arena.
    Best for last, THE LOCKPICKING. Its so **** tedious, causing you to loose everytime because theres no indication wherever you are doing it right or not. We have got to a point where lockpicking virtually is harder than in real life and im NOT kidding here.    … Expand
  51. Simonyan4ik
    Mar 7, 2022
    0
    Old and disgusting game. the pinnacle of absurdity. and terrible game design. main quest for children with down syndrome
  52. Antohadance
    Jun 22, 2022
    0
    Скучный душный кал, кому нибудь может и понравится, но для меня это неиграбельно
  53. sezzce
    Jul 3, 2023
    0
    The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a timeless masterpiece that has captivated the hearts of gamers since its release. Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, this epic open-world role-playing game takes players on a breathtaking journey through the fantastical realm of Cyrodiil. As a passionate fan, I cannot help but pen this review to celebrate the boundless wonders and immersive experiencesThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a timeless masterpiece that has captivated the hearts of gamers since its release. Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, this epic open-world role-playing game takes players on a breathtaking journey through the fantastical realm of Cyrodiil. As a passionate fan, I cannot help but pen this review to celebrate the boundless wonders and immersive experiences that Oblivion offers.

    From the moment you step foot in the lush and meticulously crafted world, you are greeted by a level of depth and attention to detail that is truly awe-inspiring. The expansive landscapes, brimming with vibrant flora and fauna, breathe life into the game's environment. Whether you're wandering through dense forests, exploring ancient ruins, or traversing serene countryside, the visual splendor is simply breathtaking.

    The heart and soul of Oblivion, however, lies in its engaging gameplay and enthralling storyline. The game offers players unprecedented freedom to shape their own destiny. You have the ability to create a unique character, choosing from a wide array of races, classes, and skills, each with its own distinct advantages and abilities. This customization adds a personal touch, ensuring that every playthrough is a truly individual experience.

    The quest system in Oblivion is nothing short of a triumph. The main storyline, centered around the Emperor's assassination and the rise of the Oblivion Gates, is gripping and full of surprises at every turn. The intricate web of side quests, guild quests, and miscellaneous tasks provides countless hours of gameplay. Each quest feels purposeful and rewards players with compelling narratives, memorable characters, and valuable loot.

    Combat in Oblivion strikes a perfect balance between strategy and action. Whether you prefer wielding a sword, casting powerful spells, or relying on stealth, the game accommodates various playstyles. The leveling system is intricate yet accessible, allowing you to develop your character's skills and attributes as you see fit. The sense of progression and growth is immensely satisfying, as you become a force to be reckoned with in the realm of Cyrodiil.

    Furthermore, the enchanting musical score composed by Jeremy Soule elevates the game to new heights. The sweeping orchestral melodies effortlessly transport you into the game's world, enhancing the emotional impact of every moment. Combined with the superb voice acting and ambient sound effects, Oblivion's audio design is truly a work of art.

    It's worth mentioning that the modding community for Oblivion is vibrant and active. Countless fan-made modifications enhance and expand the game, offering players even more content, quests, and visual enhancements. This dedication from the community further solidifies Oblivion's enduring appeal and longevity.

    In conclusion, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a testament to the power of immersive storytelling and meticulous world-building. With its captivating gameplay, stunning visuals, unforgettable characters, and an unparalleled sense of exploration, it has rightly earned its place as a classic in the RPG genre. Whether you're a seasoned adventurer or new to the world of Tamriel, Oblivion promises an unforgettable journey that will leave you yearning for more. Step through the gates and lose yourself in this gaming masterpiece.    … 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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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