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.
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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

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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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