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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. DarkEnergon
    Jan 19, 2012
    10
    The sheer scope of Oblivion is nearly incomprehensible, both in the size of the world itself (Cyrodil or Tamriel? Never quite found out) and in the number of side quests and detailed characters on offer everywhere you go, it's the type of game where you can just march off into the sunset and simply stumble upon adventure, of course your successful free-lance adventuring depends upon you'reThe sheer scope of Oblivion is nearly incomprehensible, both in the size of the world itself (Cyrodil or Tamriel? Never quite found out) and in the number of side quests and detailed characters on offer everywhere you go, it's the type of game where you can just march off into the sunset and simply stumble upon adventure, of course your successful free-lance adventuring depends upon you're character being strong enough to deal with the foes you encounter, but that's the same with every RPG, only, they have the sense to fence off areas you aren't ready for, nonetheless I appreciate the unencumbered freedom Oblivion provides. Two flaws to address: 1) The ratio of becoming stronger : main story progression is nowhere near 1:1, and once I reached the point of going around and closing every oblivion gate in the game, I found I had to save before every armoured enemy because I was obliterated at almost every encounter without fail, and this is even including the vast amount of side quests i'd achieved, you'd think that much grinding would give me at least some advantage over my average foe. I'm not saying challenge is a bad thing, you just need to look at games like Pokemon where you can raise six pokemon through the entire game keeping them at equal levels the entire time and still not loose a single match, but coming from that to dying every time I so much as make eye contact with a fireman was too much of a jump. 2) The six different voice actors Bethesda hired to distribute amongst hundreds of npcs really destroy any sense of immersion, oh, and the speech-craft mini-game? I'd rather eat my own dick.
    Regardless, this is an incredible, one-of-a-kind game, and were it not for the fact that I'm a busy guy with a lot of **** to do, i'm sure that I would've reached the end of the main quest, but considering the point where I quit was 68 hours in, this game has to be doing something...in fact, several things right    … Expand
  2. gonorrheahd
    Jan 11, 2012
    10
    This game is a revolution to the RPG community, yeah it had some glitches an bugs but most of those were funny and didnt stop you from playing. This game took 500+ hours away from my life because I love this game, it immerses you and makes you feel like your in your characters shoes, yes oblivion was dumbed down a bit from morrowind but morrowind doesnt grasp you the same way, the uniqeThis game is a revolution to the RPG community, yeah it had some glitches an bugs but most of those were funny and didnt stop you from playing. This game took 500+ hours away from my life because I love this game, it immerses you and makes you feel like your in your characters shoes, yes oblivion was dumbed down a bit from morrowind but morrowind doesnt grasp you the same way, the uniqe land design and just the way the world has such history it is great. I thought I was done playing this game after 500+ hours, but I found myself going back to it today, I bought it again for PC and I started a new account and I still haven't lost the lore that this game provided me the day I discovered it, and yes I still remember my first time playing it was AMAZING. This game is an oldy but a goody if you haven't tried it I would recommend you give it a shot its worth throwing 25 bucks out on steam for all the expansions because this game will keep you sated for months to come, now back to Cyrodiil!… Expand
  3. 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.
  4. Loffruin
    Feb 10, 2012
    10
    This game is one of the best RPG games I have ever played. Although it's age may seem a bit of a put down, don't let it turn you away from one of the best games on steam. At a average price of $25 you can get your hands on the original game plus all of the DLC including, The Shivering Isles. With hundreds of hours of entertaining gameplay you can go anywhere, do almost anything, and evenThis game is one of the best RPG games I have ever played. Although it's age may seem a bit of a put down, don't let it turn you away from one of the best games on steam. At a average price of $25 you can get your hands on the original game plus all of the DLC including, The Shivering Isles. With hundreds of hours of entertaining gameplay you can go anywhere, do almost anything, and even get the advantage of using the console to use some hacks. I don't recommend this unless you are just doing it for fun, as it takes away from the rich story line. Even if you don't do the main story line, you can still level up fairly often and have fun doing fun side quests. You could join the Dark Brotherhood, join a fighter's or mage's guild or just explore this vast land that Bethesda has made for us to enjoy. Every game has a downside though although this one doesn't have many. There aren't many glitches, but sometimes the NPCs will have a strange reaction to something you do, and say something that isn't even relevant or the music might awkwardly change to a fight song. These are very excusable and don't take too much from the game. Another pet peve of mine is the zoom on the face. When you engage in a conversation, the camera zooms in just so you can see the person's face, none of the surronding items which I don't like. Overall, this game should get a 99/100. That one point is from the face zoom. Other than that, this game could easily compete with Skyrim or any other popular RPG game. Buy this game today and enjoy it. NOTE: The only reason this game is rated M for mature is because of some user-made mods. This game should be rated T for teen in my opinion. : )… Expand
  5. spartan-117
    Sep 28, 2010
    10
    Unique.It opened a new rpg era.Precursor of Fallout 3 and The Precursors.Huge.Masive game play options.Free world.You can do whatever you like.Huge array of items.Many NPC's.To short main story.But Brilliant.There's much..much more to say but i have to write down about 70 pages to finish it.Wonderfull.10+
  6. Dethstar
    May 17, 2011
    9
    This was the game that made me finally drop my xbox and buy a decent pc some years ago. I have been modding and enjoying Oblivion ever since and still manage to add fresh new content. This was the ultimate world builder and gaming experience. Since then its costs me thousands in constantly buying and upgrading my PC but if I consider the entertainment I have had out of it and theThis was the game that made me finally drop my xbox and buy a decent pc some years ago. I have been modding and enjoying Oblivion ever since and still manage to add fresh new content. This was the ultimate world builder and gaming experience. Since then its costs me thousands in constantly buying and upgrading my PC but if I consider the entertainment I have had out of it and the hours of fun I have had in Cyrodil. Its been money well spent.… Expand
  7. marc5477
    Dec 28, 2014
    6
    Objectively, I score this game a solid 6 due to its many unavoidable annoyances. It would score at 7 if the annoyances were eliminated but it is nothing like its predecessor and not as good as its successor. Oblivion had a lot of hype during development. We were promised all star voice acting, real intelligent AI behavior, and a larger landmass... well, it turns out that they were all halfObjectively, I score this game a solid 6 due to its many unavoidable annoyances. It would score at 7 if the annoyances were eliminated but it is nothing like its predecessor and not as good as its successor. Oblivion had a lot of hype during development. We were promised all star voice acting, real intelligent AI behavior, and a larger landmass... well, it turns out that they were all half truths and half lies.

    There was all star voice acting but it was very limited to a hand full of characters. Everyone else was annoying as hell with repetitive comments and inappropriate tones that drove me mad 10 hours into the game. How many times did we run into a young girl with the voice of a raspy women on her death bed? Or an old man with a high pitch youngster voice? Voices were reused and assigned to characters randomly resulting in very strange combination which actually distracted from the game and immersion.

    Intelligent AI behavior? Jobs and economy? Yea right. This was a pure lie. AI behavior was all scripted and none of it was intelligent by any stretch of the word. AI did not have real jobs, they just followed a scripted schedule to open at x hour and close at y hour. At z hour they ate and w hour they slept. It was lame. It was not intelligent. It was no different than any other game made as far back as the NES. How unintelligent was the AI? Well, you could kill a guard next to another guard while sneaking, and the living guard will not care. He will make a comment about a dead person and even if you uncover yourself he will just stand there. You could even drag the dead guard in front of him and he will not care. Same with any other AI controlled character in the game (not just guards). At the same time, god help you if someone in a city sees you stealing because all hell will break loose and every guard in the entire city will instantly know you are a criminal and they will all come after you at once. Lame lame lame lame. This became a major problem sometimes because unless you use the PC console commands, it could break your game permanently. AI my backside.

    Larger landmass they tell us... well, the landmass was "larger" but it was mostly just the same damn environment copy and pasted over and over. The entire place looked the same. Morrowind had character and even Skyrim has some character but Oblivion was just plain and boring. It was the same no matter where you went and even ruins were just copy/pasted over and over (albeit Morrowind suffered from the same issue when it came to ruins). Bottom line, they may not have lied, but it was not as impressive as they wanted us to believe.

    Aside from the annoyances above, there were a few more problems.

    Level scaling... although this happens in a lot of games, in Oblivion is was not done well at all. The same enemy you faced at level will have 10x as many hit points when you are level 10 and they will look exactly the same and spawn in the same places. It killed immersion greatly because combat became mundane and unnecessarily long due to how many hip points each goblin, demon, or animal had as you leveled. The problem is that damage did not increase at the same pace as hit points so it made the player feel weaker. In Oblivion, you are much more powerful at level 5 than you are at level 20 and it killed any feeling of progression normally associated with RPG's. It clearly was not tested enough. They use similar systems in Morrowind and Skyrim but it was much better balanced. On top of that, unique weapons gained from god quests also level scaled... yes you read that right. If you do a quest at low level, you get a weak version of the rewarded weapon! And the weapon does not gain power as you level so it becomes obsolete almost instantly since they are all worse than enchanted weapons anyway. How lame is that.

    Next, enchanting, spell making and itemization were all "streamlined" which we all know means dumbed down for consoles and low IQ players. Everything was strictly controlled gone was a lot of the fun we had in Morrowind like levitating around the world to explore. You can still enchant powerful stuff but it was also made much easier almost to the point that it felt unearned whereas in Morriwind it felt awesome when you were able to trap a soul and enchant even the most basic of things. In Oblivion it was very easy and felt like cheating from the get go.

    Bottom line, a good game but it is no Morrowind. Too many annoyances keep it from being great but still it is better than most games you find on the shelf. It still is a fun open world game with plenty to do albeit without the sense of satisfaction associated with many RPG's.    … Expand
  8. J.S.
    Mar 30, 2006
    10
    If I could give it an 11 then I would. I would then subtract a point for Bethesda not fronting these guys some more testers. Awesome job can't wait for the patch!
  9. JonG.
    May 28, 2009
    10
    As I write this, Oblivion has an average user rating of 7.5. That in and of itself is an absolute travisty. This is a great game. What more do you low raters want? You want the game designers to come to your house and stand on their heads for you? An enormous amount of great content was packed into this game. Also, it has an excellent modding community that is constantly changing every As I write this, Oblivion has an average user rating of 7.5. That in and of itself is an absolute travisty. This is a great game. What more do you low raters want? You want the game designers to come to your house and stand on their heads for you? An enormous amount of great content was packed into this game. Also, it has an excellent modding community that is constantly changing every aspect of the game - keeping it fresh (for free!). You can get this game for $20 now and have $2000 worth of content after a few hours online.… Expand
  10. GabrieleAccurso
    Dec 23, 2008
    10
    AH Oblivion! The best rpg of all time (i havn't played with morrowind) come out in year 2006 i have played it all year 2007 (all 1 year) the best graphics before crysis. Simply immense, freedom and fantasy style incredible, kinds and kinds of everything... the next generation of RPG!
  11. SuperMan
    Dec 24, 2009
    10
    Severely underrated game. Graphics and physics and still fast and responsive.
  12. 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
  13. DanMan3395
    Jul 4, 2011
    10
    revolutionary game that sets the bar so high for open world RPG's that it probably wont be beat by any game except its own sequel. A HUGE open world that has a life of its own. You can take almost any action you can think of. Combat is VASTLY improved compared to morrowind and is much more fun. This is as close to the perfect game as it gets.
  14. Zoronii
    Jul 13, 2011
    9
    Oblivion is a great game, but has some sizable setbacks. Gameplay is solid and something you can get easily hooked on. The quests, while moderately unoriginal, are presented in a unique way. Unfortunately, combat is smooth but almost too hard, and the leveling system is flawed and may level you faster than you can keep up. In addition to the flawed leveling system, most new players willOblivion is a great game, but has some sizable setbacks. Gameplay is solid and something you can get easily hooked on. The quests, while moderately unoriginal, are presented in a unique way. Unfortunately, combat is smooth but almost too hard, and the leveling system is flawed and may level you faster than you can keep up. In addition to the flawed leveling system, most new players will have no idea what they're doing, as it doesn't tell you what specializing in a skill will do. Overall, the minor flaws can be overlooked by great overall gameplay, and this is a worthwhile game.… Expand
  15. Schlafanzug
    Oct 13, 2011
    10
    First, I felt Bethesda improved greatly on the flow of the game. In Morrowind the combat was boring and for a long time (until you leveled your weapon skills) you would miss about 75% of attacks. Oblivion has the Dual combat system to where you can cast spells and melee with out pressing a button to switch between modes. Dialog is this game isn't the best but if you get past the similarFirst, I felt Bethesda improved greatly on the flow of the game. In Morrowind the combat was boring and for a long time (until you leveled your weapon skills) you would miss about 75% of attacks. Oblivion has the Dual combat system to where you can cast spells and melee with out pressing a button to switch between modes. Dialog is this game isn't the best but if you get past the similar voice acting, bethesda gives characters interresting and unique phrases and comments. With a 16 sq Mile map, Hundreds upon Hundreds of side quests, a Fun and intence storyline, Great DLC, Huge cities, Beautiful Environments, Diverse and Rewarding Areas ( Dungeons, caves, Keeps, Ruins, and Oblivion gates), and Tons of fun activities to do (arena, Make spells, enchant, and make potions). This game has everything a RPG play wants. Oblivion dishes out hundreds of hours of gameplay and Is one of those games you play when you're bored of everything else. THIS GAME IS Probably if not the best RPG out there. And yes i have played Morrowind ( lots of time on it ) and dozen of other RPGs and MMOs This the best your going to find out there. btw Looking forward to Skyrim ( hope its not a disappointment like Fallout New Vegas was(Fallout 3 is sooooooo much better)).… Expand
  16. Luke
    Mar 10, 2006
    10
    Are you kidding me if anyone gave this game a lower score then at 10 out of 10 they r nuts its just like morowind with a major graphicall over-hall. This game actualy has a physics engine and its over 100 hrs of gameplay which means ill never finish this one just like i never finished morrowind but at least ill have the time of my life plain it
  17. 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
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. Seamus25
    Dec 15, 2010
    9
    Fantastic Game. The freedom we have to mount classes , magics and our own alternative paths and quests in the game are really unique. Plus , instead of other famous RPG like games, it brings us the experience of good first person combat.
  21. Eddyward
    Mar 11, 2011
    6
    Well, it's nothing compared to Morrowind. The world felt very small in comparison. The quests were very short, with the exception of the mains toryline, which couldn't have been more tedious. Oblivion feels rushed and they really could've brought a lot more things from Morrowind forwards. I was also disappointed to find the Imperial City was actually quite small, and was miniscule comparedWell, it's nothing compared to Morrowind. The world felt very small in comparison. The quests were very short, with the exception of the mains toryline, which couldn't have been more tedious. Oblivion feels rushed and they really could've brought a lot more things from Morrowind forwards. I was also disappointed to find the Imperial City was actually quite small, and was miniscule compared to some of the cities in Morrowind.… Expand
  22. Tarkin
    Dec 16, 2011
    9
    A bit overhyped, but actually quite good in my opinion. Yes it has its flaws - level scaling, UI, animations are silly, main story is quite cheap, atmosphere still not as good as Morrowind etc. Yet still the world is unbelievably huge and very well made. It requires a special approach to this game to fully enjoy it, but it is worth it.
  23. Athandel
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    The world of Oblivion is a seemingly live one. Mountains, caves, and a copious amount of missions would keep anyone busy for hours on end. The sheer beauty of this game is sometimes overshadowed by repetitive voice acting and boring level design; there is no denying the brilliance that comes from looking at the night sky while Jeremy Soule's soundtrack plays in your headphones.
  24. TexasGamer
    Nov 30, 2011
    9
    Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is what an RPG should be - compelling story plot, tons of side quest and a large open world to explore. The automatic leveling system leaves something to be desired. But then again, the more you use certain skills, the better you should get at those skills. The graphics leave something to be desired, but eye candy does not make a game great.
  25. Biokiipper
    Sep 9, 2012
    10
    Amazing game. The plot is nice, nothing we didn't see before, but the freedom of gameplay is something inredible. Your actions really matter and the consequences of yours actions cannot go away. A failed quest iss a failed quest and got its repercussions. Somethings you just can't do, because of class limits. Graphics are outdated, but still very beautiful, and they can be upgraded withAmazing game. The plot is nice, nothing we didn't see before, but the freedom of gameplay is something inredible. Your actions really matter and the consequences of yours actions cannot go away. A failed quest iss a failed quest and got its repercussions. Somethings you just can't do, because of class limits. Graphics are outdated, but still very beautiful, and they can be upgraded with mods. Talking about mods, find some you like from the tons available and that will make you play it for an entire year without repetition. Good deal indeed.… Expand
  26. Sunfire
    May 24, 2014
    10
    Really awesome,unique RPG game with interesting stories and quests.
    It has great story,graphics,this game can kep you entertained for many many hours.
    And of course,the Expansions,and the moddability launches the game in the sky!
  27. Smilingcookie
    Mar 26, 2015
    5
    Although I really enjoy Morrowind and Skyrim, I can't seem to get into this one. Art design is bland. Everything seems like a mediocre fairy tale. Interface and controls (or character reaction) are less clean and direct than previously mentioned games. It's big and for the time it had impressive visuals. Story and quests however cannot keep my attention. I always get bored and never feelAlthough I really enjoy Morrowind and Skyrim, I can't seem to get into this one. Art design is bland. Everything seems like a mediocre fairy tale. Interface and controls (or character reaction) are less clean and direct than previously mentioned games. It's big and for the time it had impressive visuals. Story and quests however cannot keep my attention. I always get bored and never feel like I want to keep playing this one.… Expand
  28. Heroixx
    Jul 16, 2015
    10
    Don't compare this game to Skyrim. It's unique, especially for the time it was released. Magnificent world, great storyline, absolutely fantastic soundtrack: this game has it all.
  29. Antimateria
    May 12, 2011
    6
    Pretty good. Not so great at first but when modded with own taste. Then the game is awesome. The world is so big.. dungeons get a bit repetitive. And better put some own music choices in folders. Buth with games original merits.. It's good, clearly above average, though leveling system is too fast and kinda sucks. But when you ride with a horse trough the fields at early morning none ofPretty good. Not so great at first but when modded with own taste. Then the game is awesome. The world is so big.. dungeons get a bit repetitive. And better put some own music choices in folders. Buth with games original merits.. It's good, clearly above average, though leveling system is too fast and kinda sucks. But when you ride with a horse trough the fields at early morning none of that really matters. It's heavenly. And then bear attacks your horse, you must dismount the horse and you throw a fireball at it and slash it with sword ten times and run and go back continue your attack finally defeating it. Then you start to think where is my horse and why do I use it. I can run faster but if I do, my furry armors will perish in the wind, cos that's how fast everything wears out. Then you search inventory for repair hammers and you'll find two of them. they both break when you are just repairing your shoes. then a deer comes to your attention, drawing your trusty long bow you aim carefully and release the arrow.. and watch it fly like a old wooden bucket. never hitting the deer. then the game crashes.
    Truly it's not perfect.    … Expand
  30. 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
Page:

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
See all critic reviews »