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. RoGuE
    Feb 3, 2010
    10
    I have been playing this game now for over 3 years. I absolutely love it. It never gets boring, what, with all the different abilities, characters and secrets out there!! What the hell is with those poor, lifeless, cynical souls who give Oblivion a 0/10? Well, I have a message for you braindead people: This game is one of the best ever made, simply because, it's simple to play, I have been playing this game now for over 3 years. I absolutely love it. It never gets boring, what, with all the different abilities, characters and secrets out there!! What the hell is with those poor, lifeless, cynical souls who give Oblivion a 0/10? Well, I have a message for you braindead people: This game is one of the best ever made, simply because, it's simple to play, understand, and enjoy. The plot is excellent and well tied-in with the other TES titles, the combat is very diverse and can be done in many different ways, most quests are interesting and fun with great rewards, and it always has a very challenging aspect. If you have not got this game, (you poor, poor people) then I suggest succumbering to the hype and getting it as soon as possible!!… Expand
  2. RyanB
    Aug 7, 2010
    10
    Best game I've ever played. Graphics are amazing, almost no lag for the amount of detail is put into everything. Vast amount of weapons, armors, AI, and quests. The weapons have outstanding amount of detail, along with the armors and such. The only real disappointment I had about this game was the short main story. But the 200+ side quests more than make up for it. If I had played Best game I've ever played. Graphics are amazing, almost no lag for the amount of detail is put into everything. Vast amount of weapons, armors, AI, and quests. The weapons have outstanding amount of detail, along with the armors and such. The only real disappointment I had about this game was the short main story. But the 200+ side quests more than make up for it. If I had played through the main quest without stopping to do side quests it maybe would have taken 4-5 hours. But, with the Shivering Isles expansion and the other expansions available for all three consoles, I've played the game for over 50 hours in total. Overall, This game is spectacular. I'd give it a 9.8 out of 10.… Expand
  3. BrandonM.
    Mar 26, 2006
    9
    First off " Doom3 and HL2 were both superior games technically speaking. " Aelius I have both D3 and HL2 and the only thing and I mean the only thing I can think of that made one of these titles superior to oblivion was HL2 lip sync, it was much more advanced and the background textures looked more polished but with an engine trying to do as much as it can for the outside environments and First off " Doom3 and HL2 were both superior games technically speaking. " Aelius I have both D3 and HL2 and the only thing and I mean the only thing I can think of that made one of these titles superior to oblivion was HL2 lip sync, it was much more advanced and the background textures looked more polished but with an engine trying to do as much as it can for the outside environments and all ready some long load times on the xbox 360 (yes I did by the pc and have no problems there) there not going to include high res textures for everything but nothing else I could see was superior. Is the game buged? Yes, some problems with quests and the stealing system definatly needs to be changed because how are they going to know that a spoon I stole is in fact stolen when no one saw me do it? Have I heard of other problems, of course but at least most of them are not as severe as Morrowind when it was first released. The only major complaints I have is the removale of the minor skills (you only have major skills to level up on now) and many other skills are now gone, I don't feel that there is any less customization involved for the players as far as items go but it does feel less flexable for players to actually progress them the way that they want. The new way to use the speechcraft skill is indeed ludacrist, I also have a high end pc and the draw distance for the outdoor buildings needs to be looked into because all I see with building in my direct line of view is see popups when walking towards them but coming over hills or through the forest its fine because something is obscuring your view anyways. Those are my only rants about so what do I like? Literally everything else, so much so I can't describe them all in this vote! This maybe a spoiler but if you find something that can cast electrical damage, find the nearest body of water than cast it into the water and you will see an awesome effect. Why did I give this a 9 then when I like it so much? Simple even though the bugs are few and far between and there are some petty annoyances with some of the systems it does take away from the imerssion factor which is what any rpg tries to do with annoying but you can't like everything there is but don't let these problems distract from what is done really really well, besides what good is a pc game with out a patch? oh and mods too!… Expand
  4. GabrielM.
    Apr 30, 2006
    8
    The scaling sistem here is a complete nonsence. Advancing from lev1 to lev8 is o shock :(. Also the story is vast but a bit absurd in some parts. The good part is that you have incredible graphics and sound and a extremely detailed world (that is IF you have a super rig!)
  5. JohnD.
    Apr 3, 2006
    9
    This game is like a drug you cant stop playing. the graphic are imerse the AI could be better. Inever thought any game could be this good.
  6. FrankC.
    Apr 3, 2006
    9
    As everyone says, it's simply fantastic. The quests are engaging, and the voice acting is good. The engine is a marvel. Here's what I'd say though - unless you can download 3DMark and break 4000, with a CPU score of over 900, I wouldn't attempt it. If you don't know how to overclock your rig, it might be a good time to learn. It's simply not the same game As everyone says, it's simply fantastic. The quests are engaging, and the voice acting is good. The engine is a marvel. Here's what I'd say though - unless you can download 3DMark and break 4000, with a CPU score of over 900, I wouldn't attempt it. If you don't know how to overclock your rig, it might be a good time to learn. It's simply not the same game without the eye candy, the shadows and water and mist and reflecting surfaces, etc. THe world is big, and it's rich and you can't help but find things to do. Unlike Morrowwind, you won't get bored.… Expand
  7. UNI
    Apr 5, 2006
    8
    So stupid AI, technical problems etc. The game is good but not perfect.
  8. HerbertH.
    May 18, 2006
    10
    I give this a ten because it's worth more than 9 and a half. Now notched up 100 hours (Level 26 "Nightblade") If you are into RPG's then onlt Balders Gate II beats it. Don't want to bore people with what I've done or where i've been - but suffice to say I've played for well over 100 hours - and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thats brilliant value for money (25 quid I give this a ten because it's worth more than 9 and a half. Now notched up 100 hours (Level 26 "Nightblade") If you are into RPG's then onlt Balders Gate II beats it. Don't want to bore people with what I've done or where i've been - but suffice to say I've played for well over 100 hours - and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thats brilliant value for money (25 quid from play.com) Oooh one bit of advice, don't get the"Collectors edition" , save the moeny and get the players guide - it's written by the game designers themselves and is brilliant.… Expand
  9. StevenS.
    May 6, 2006
    7
    Cool game, good graphics. Expected more variety on spells and weapons. Scaling system sucks big time making the world adapt to you and not vice-versa how it is supposed to be.
  10. MartinK.
    Jun 11, 2006
    5
    It really falls short of expectations. The whole game feels flat, not to mention the repetitive Oblivion planes. Level scaling TOTALLY ruins any kind of challenging gameplay, lucky that mods can fix that. There are,like, ten different armors in the game. C'mon. The graphics and the optimisitation is great. If you know how to handle an options menu, trust me, you won't have It really falls short of expectations. The whole game feels flat, not to mention the repetitive Oblivion planes. Level scaling TOTALLY ruins any kind of challenging gameplay, lucky that mods can fix that. There are,like, ten different armors in the game. C'mon. The graphics and the optimisitation is great. If you know how to handle an options menu, trust me, you won't have problems with a system barely above minimum specs. But any game that is unplayable without mods does not deserve more than 5 points.… Expand
  11. Predator
    Jun 4, 2006
    8
    The biggest game ever.So many thing to do.10 means that the game is perfect,but no game is perfect.It has little problems like crashing,glitches and bugs but almost all of that is fixed in the new patch.
  12. KonradN.
    Jun 5, 2006
    10
    Just brilliant, crashes alot but doesnt take long to load so I dont mind. There are so many paths you can take that this game is HUGE. Also you cant do everything because for example you may kill someone who later would give you a quest so there is a huge amount of replay value in there. Also you can go anywhere at any level, this does make the leveling up a bit pointless but its great anyway.
  13. Humb1estWalker
    Aug 4, 2006
    10
    This game is simply sweet. You know the types of games where it's like touching your car after driving for 4 days straight and than when you touch it, it burns of your fingers. Well Oblivion is like touching a car after driving it for 4 years straight and instead of burning of your fingers off you burn your self into ashes. Buy this game now playa!
  14. PhilP.
    Jan 2, 2007
    10
    Hands down one of the best games I have ever played. And I have been playing games since the 2D side scrolling Duke Nukem games. Not only does it offer an easy 100+ hours of gameplay, it is fun and engaging all the way through. Not only does it have the main storyline, it has like 3 guilds, the dark brotherhood, and the arena to go through that could almost be a game in themselves. Throw Hands down one of the best games I have ever played. And I have been playing games since the 2D side scrolling Duke Nukem games. Not only does it offer an easy 100+ hours of gameplay, it is fun and engaging all the way through. Not only does it have the main storyline, it has like 3 guilds, the dark brotherhood, and the arena to go through that could almost be a game in themselves. Throw in physics oriented combat, and just the sheer coolness of the world and everything you can do with it (water walking shoes rock), and this game is light years ahead of other games of this genre. Not only that, but it pulls it all together with incredible polish. I can't recommend this game enough. The only downside is that it might be too long! Some players may lose interest and have to take a break from it. But do come back, you won't be disappointed.… Expand
  15. AnonymousMC
    Feb 10, 2007
    6
    WAY too much hype. The main storyline is terrible, very linear and also short, the main quests are too repetitive. There is hardly any nice stuff to get and not nearly enough armor to choose from. The autoadjustment of levels does more bad than good. The graphics need a lot of hardware power, the setting is too common for my tastes and everything looks too similar. What remains isWAY too much hype. The main storyline is terrible, very linear and also short, the main quests are too repetitive. There is hardly any nice stuff to get and not nearly enough armor to choose from. The autoadjustment of levels does more bad than good. The graphics need a lot of hardware power, the setting is too common for my tastes and everything looks too similar. What remains is exploring the world, many nice sidequests and good combat. But if both story and setting are simply boring as hell, what's the point?… Expand
  16. DarkE.
    Apr 5, 2007
    7
    Good fun, and huge world, but hugely overrated by the gaming press. Very weak main storyline and the combat could have been better. Sneak and Magic system satisfying although slightly disappointing.
  17. AsbjørnS.
    May 22, 2007
    5
    TES IV: Oblivion is a mainstreamed version of TES III: Morrowind. Most of what made Morrowind such a great game has been simplified in Oblivion and the "role" in this RPG is hardly visible. The beauty, the complexity, the political intrigue, the dialogues, the history/lore, the geographical regions and their unique history have all been removed and left is only a repetitive console TES IV: Oblivion is a mainstreamed version of TES III: Morrowind. Most of what made Morrowind such a great game has been simplified in Oblivion and the "role" in this RPG is hardly visible. The beauty, the complexity, the political intrigue, the dialogues, the history/lore, the geographical regions and their unique history have all been removed and left is only a repetitive console version of a PC RPG.… Expand
  18. AnonymousMC
    Jun 25, 2007
    10
    This Game is incredible the best and most addictive RPG or game i've ever played.I've played over 630 hours of it. The choices are endless, thousands of items, weapons, armor, and spells and the good physics engine make the possiblilties endless. no two characters will be the same. . the only problems are the glitches but thats fixed eaily with the free patches atThis Game is incredible the best and most addictive RPG or game i've ever played.I've played over 630 hours of it. The choices are endless, thousands of items, weapons, armor, and spells and the good physics engine make the possiblilties endless. no two characters will be the same. . the only problems are the glitches but thats fixed eaily with the free patches at elderscrolls.com. and all the plugins and expansions left me playing this game for months. It's pure gaming freedom. 11 out of 10 in my opinion.… Expand
  19. iiiearsiiiears
    Sep 16, 2007
    7
    Beautiful Graphics that beg for a 7 series nvidia card. The hundreds of hours of play during many dozen missions will keep this disk installed on your machine for several weeks. Certainly worth a try. There are a couple of minor irritations one of them is the 200+ hr bug that can corrupt your inventory and the second also at around 200+ hours that will cause door and flame animations to Beautiful Graphics that beg for a 7 series nvidia card. The hundreds of hours of play during many dozen missions will keep this disk installed on your machine for several weeks. Certainly worth a try. There are a couple of minor irritations one of them is the 200+ hr bug that can corrupt your inventory and the second also at around 200+ hours that will cause door and flame animations to slow down.… Expand
  20. ErraticCommunist
    Sep 3, 2007
    6
    Oblivion is a game that tries to hide all of its faults under the surface. It actually gained such fame only because of success of its predecessor. The leveling system, the Radiant AI, the copy/pasted locations, unoptimized engine, STILL lots of bugs, frequent crashes, mediocre PC port, unplayable classes (esp. those that have, for example, Speechcraft as their primary attribute), plus Oblivion is a game that tries to hide all of its faults under the surface. It actually gained such fame only because of success of its predecessor. The leveling system, the Radiant AI, the copy/pasted locations, unoptimized engine, STILL lots of bugs, frequent crashes, mediocre PC port, unplayable classes (esp. those that have, for example, Speechcraft as their primary attribute), plus this game demands old video card sacrifices to run properly. And it tries to hide all these flaws under pretty graphics. If TES V goes the same way, it'll be deathbashed the moment it's released. The next game after the failure gets the punches. And yet though flaws are horrible, Oblivion is still a fun game to play. There is pretty neat gameplay, but it would've been much better if not for the tons of flaws hindering it.… Expand
  21. 5-HT
    Feb 2, 2008
    9
    This is a fine combination of action, RPG and FPS. The sounds are great, as are the graphics. My only complaint is the fact that the PC version is prone to crashing. The expansion packs are also great. If it ran consistently, I'd give it a solid 10. Save yourself some money in the long-run, and buy the game of the year edition.
  22. OskarS.
    Feb 6, 2008
    10
    This is a wonderful game with loads of options. 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. Any RPG fans who doesn't require a multiplayer part would love this game!
  23. KC
    May 11, 2008
    10
    I wasn't an Elder Scrolls fan even for morrowind, but this is quite simply the best game I've had regardless of genre or platform I've played in a long while. the worlds and visuals are beautiful yet moderately taxing on any average system. My one and only bad, is the lack of super enemies towards the later part of the game that will allow the player to work his muscles on I wasn't an Elder Scrolls fan even for morrowind, but this is quite simply the best game I've had regardless of genre or platform I've played in a long while. the worlds and visuals are beautiful yet moderately taxing on any average system. My one and only bad, is the lack of super enemies towards the later part of the game that will allow the player to work his muscles on it. The gameplay is broad and open - the options available for the player at any point in the game makes this one strong contender for the RPG throne.… Expand
  24. MalkeL.
    Jul 3, 2008
    10
    I have been playing games for 10 years now, and Oblivion is the only one I have ever played twice and did it for 8 months and loved every minute of it.
  25. AnonymousMC
    Jan 30, 2009
    10
    I rofled when I read the comment and it said whats the point of buying horse. Well the point of buying horse is that u can fastly travel in wilderness where u cant fast travel...but I do admit that there could be more voice actors. But really someone really play game because it has cool voice actors?
  26. ET
    Jun 9, 2009
    5
    I don't know why people love this game so much. The only good thing about it seems to be nice scenery. That's it. If you like green meadows, hellish landscape, and dungeons, buy this game. Mabye a few fun quests here and there too. They're rare. The copy-paste scenery, along with the copy paste weapons effects, along with the scaling level system and fast travel effectively I don't know why people love this game so much. The only good thing about it seems to be nice scenery. That's it. If you like green meadows, hellish landscape, and dungeons, buy this game. Mabye a few fun quests here and there too. They're rare. The copy-paste scenery, along with the copy paste weapons effects, along with the scaling level system and fast travel effectively means you're just playing the same 5 minutes of the game over and over again. All the spells of the same class look exactly the same. The realisim is completely borked too. What, throw a physics engine in and you get to call it realistic these days? You can fire 20 arrows into a guy's head and he'll lose 1/2 his health. Hrm, mabye make the arrows bounce off instead based on armor class? Or decrease their accuracy/power based on skill? No, let's just make them do less damage. Kudos, Bethesda.… Expand
  27. DaveO.
    Oct 1, 2006
    5
    I'm wasting little time here with more commentary on the game itself. It's already been done to death, dug up, and flogged repeatedly from every possible angle and point of game design philosphy that could be imagined. Clearly, under the light of any form of truly objective scrutiny, Oblivion (for the PC at least) is at best an average RPG. What has truly amazed and disappointed I'm wasting little time here with more commentary on the game itself. It's already been done to death, dug up, and flogged repeatedly from every possible angle and point of game design philosphy that could be imagined. Clearly, under the light of any form of truly objective scrutiny, Oblivion (for the PC at least) is at best an average RPG. What has truly amazed and disappointed me is the rabid fanboi-ism displayed by some of professional gaming press prior to, upon, and shortly after its release. I bought it, based on my experience with Morrowind, and partly because of the hype, and was bitterly dissapointed. I also happen to work in a large tech call centre (+150 people) mostly populated by insane gaming nutcases, (love 'em) and they have also largely panned this game. (and yes, I do have a VERY high-end PC, I am one of those gaming nutcases) Jebus guys, there is even one review in this list that spends most of it's time crying over the faults, and still comes up with a....90%! Get real, and respect your gaming public.… Expand
  28. AmberD.
    Oct 1, 2006
    7
    Despite this plot being a mockery of the one before it (The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind), it is an amazing game. Graphics are astounding, when at their highest. I am aware that the system requirements for this game are, to be blunt about such matters, bullshit. On a 2gb Intel processor, you will not be able to run this game. At the least, I recommend a 3.7 Athlon. I am running it at Despite this plot being a mockery of the one before it (The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind), it is an amazing game. Graphics are astounding, when at their highest. I am aware that the system requirements for this game are, to be blunt about such matters, bullshit. On a 2gb Intel processor, you will not be able to run this game. At the least, I recommend a 3.7 Athlon. I am running it at GeForce 7300 LE 512 meg graphics, of course, so you can understand that I am biased to the graphics because I can have it at highest settings… Expand
  29. RobC.
    Mar 21, 2006
    10
    The trees in this game look realer than the trees in my backyard.
  30. Brian
    Mar 22, 2006
    10
    The only complaint I've had with Oblivion is the texturing at a small distance is very low-quality, which makes you wince. Once you overlook that, however, the game is incredibly gorgeous, the combat is incredibly fun, it's incredibly deep, the music and sound effects (especially the arrow sounds changing depending on what type of surface it hits) are spectacular... incredible The only complaint I've had with Oblivion is the texturing at a small distance is very low-quality, which makes you wince. Once you overlook that, however, the game is incredibly gorgeous, the combat is incredibly fun, it's incredibly deep, the music and sound effects (especially the arrow sounds changing depending on what type of surface it hits) are spectacular... incredible game. Buy it.… Expand
  31. Cactus
    Mar 22, 2006
    9
    Aelius makes a good point about the production values with some of the voices, but most of this game is grat and the gameplay is excellent, with massive regions, on-the-fly loading acrosss large maps, and amazingly fun and detailed combat. Even better, it's running fine on my 9800pro with some pretty nice graphics, though certainly not as pretty as say the XBOX 360 version. Aelius makes a good point about the production values with some of the voices, but most of this game is grat and the gameplay is excellent, with massive regions, on-the-fly loading acrosss large maps, and amazingly fun and detailed combat. Even better, it's running fine on my 9800pro with some pretty nice graphics, though certainly not as pretty as say the XBOX 360 version. Definately work a pick up.… Expand
  32. TimN.
    Mar 22, 2006
    10
    This looks like one of those games that make a change in game history. Best aspects are the radient AI, physics engine, horse mounts and a cool thief system, other then that the content will let you play for hours, if you do manage to run out you can use the conrstuction set or download other people's mods. If you love RPGs then this is for you.
  33. HarryR.
    Mar 22, 2006
    10
    Excellent rpg. Does everything it promises, looks good, and redefines the rpg genre. Be warned though, you'll lose a lot of time while playing.
  34. Darkside
    Mar 22, 2006
    10
    its so cool it is way cooler then morrowind and that stole alot of my life i can see that this one will steal even more of my liife and i have only played it for a day. Aelius S. has no clue on what he is talking about. this game is exelent in every way and should not be compared to doom 3 which cant be compared to it becuse oblivion is better then that game.
  35. JamieS.
    Mar 23, 2006
    8
    Oblivion is a great game. If you like RPG's, you HAVE to buy this game. But there are some bad points too. First the good: The world is huge and interesting. The trees, grass, water and geometry are interesting. The menu systems/inventory management works well. I'm looking forward to playing it for a long time. It's a quantum leap graphically over any RPG around currently. Oblivion is a great game. If you like RPG's, you HAVE to buy this game. But there are some bad points too. First the good: The world is huge and interesting. The trees, grass, water and geometry are interesting. The menu systems/inventory management works well. I'm looking forward to playing it for a long time. It's a quantum leap graphically over any RPG around currently. Now the bad: They cheated us. The game-review screenshots you saw are NOT WHAT THE GAME LOOKS LIKE. I have an XFX 7800 GS card. I pumped all the settings up to max, all the view distances up to max. And it still doesn't look like the review screenshots. In the reviews, the world view scales beautifully, textured as far as the eye can see, and grassed and planted too. But in the real game, the only thing you can see in the distance are trees and general geometry. Grass and even ground textures disappear and are replaced by what looks like blurry green muck. ANd you know how they boasted in the video preview about the markers that appear on the map to show you places of interest? Well ,the truth is, they HAD to put them in - because buildings disappear at such a short distance that, looking across river to a hillside where a building is supposed to be (no more than 100 meters away!) --- it's invisible! Completely missing! THAT'S the real reason for the map "markers". Basically, it looks like what they tried to do - and what they showed us in the video previews - just isn't possible on todays hardware (And I've got a fairly modern system; I bought the video crd 3 weeks ago for oblivion). The problem is, they seem to be guilty of what a lot of game makers do these days - showing impossibly beautiful screeen shots to capture our interest, only to present us with a downgraded actual game experience later on (Oh yeah - whatever happenedto the shadows??? Check the first dungeon to see what I mean!!) Don;t let my review put you off. It's stilla GREAT game any ROG lover must have. But for god's sake guys, stop cheating us in the previews with graphcis that don;t match the final product. (SOny did this with PS2, AOE 3 did this, and so did many others. WOnder what gothic 3 will REALLY look like compared to it's beautyiful screenshots?)… Expand
  36. [Anonymous]
    Mar 25, 2006
    10
    Brilliant! The landscapes are stunning. It does for gaming what Lord of the Rings ddid for films.
  37. EricW.
    Mar 26, 2006
    10
    More than a video game, it is an alternate world to lose yourself in. Worth the price of the game just for the books and lore in the game, and that is just one small part of the whole.
  38. JamesD.
    Mar 27, 2006
    9
    Morrowind was one of my favorite games... Oblivion improves on it in every single way exept one! The awsome leveling system from Morrowind returns. Alchemy is a joy to perform. I have a top of the line gaming PC, and I would say it is absolutely the best looking game ever, the Oblivion Gates are the best effect I've seen in a game. The fighting system is more fun than oblivion, and Morrowind was one of my favorite games... Oblivion improves on it in every single way exept one! The awsome leveling system from Morrowind returns. Alchemy is a joy to perform. I have a top of the line gaming PC, and I would say it is absolutely the best looking game ever, the Oblivion Gates are the best effect I've seen in a game. The fighting system is more fun than oblivion, and magic is lots of fun. The new journaling system makes figuring out what to do on a quest after a long break easy. No complaints except: 9 instead of 10 because the menu system is perhaps the worst menu system ever on a Windows XP game. At level 20 you have 50 spells to cast, but you have to scroll through them 7 at a time with only 8 hot keys. Swapping dagger for a bow is tedious (my hot keys are used up for magic already). Basically, the menu interface of Oblivion is terrible, but at least the game pauses while you suffer thru the 1980's console reject screens. The interface is so bad I would have given the game a 5 my first couple days playing... but I've gotten used to it.… Expand
  39. AaronF.
    Mar 28, 2006
    10
    It brings even the most expensive machines to their knees, requires a bit of tweaking to look its best, and isn't without a few balancing issues. But the beauty and immersion that it provides is unequaled in video games. Hands down the best looking game I have ever experienced. And with a healthy mod community busy balancing and improving the game, it will only get better in time. It brings even the most expensive machines to their knees, requires a bit of tweaking to look its best, and isn't without a few balancing issues. But the beauty and immersion that it provides is unequaled in video games. Hands down the best looking game I have ever experienced. And with a healthy mod community busy balancing and improving the game, it will only get better in time. Definitely worth it.… Expand
  40. Keith
    Mar 30, 2006
    10
    This game was awesome - so realistic - best RPG in years.
  41. CHRC.
    Apr 10, 2006
    10
    Intelligent, epic and just down right fun. Looks great, sounds great. Oblivion gives you a sandbox world to do basically whatever you like.
  42. MatthieuR.
    Apr 14, 2006
    10
    Do you remember what the biggest complaint was about Morrowind? Yep, that's right, everyone whined about how the game was "broken" because once you reached a certain level, you could kill anything in one hit. Well, they fixed that in Oblivion, and now everyone is whining about the fact that characters challenge you no matter what your level is... This is a great game, and if you Do you remember what the biggest complaint was about Morrowind? Yep, that's right, everyone whined about how the game was "broken" because once you reached a certain level, you could kill anything in one hit. Well, they fixed that in Oblivion, and now everyone is whining about the fact that characters challenge you no matter what your level is... This is a great game, and if you don't like the leveling of difficulty, you can always use cheats :)… Expand
  43. MichaelL.
    Apr 20, 2006
    8
    Oblivion Elder Scrolls is the best RPG to date. It is brilliant but it is not the next-gen RPG we were expecting. Graphics are superb but once again I think that screenshots were slightly misleading and the graphics were not as good as expected. Don't get me wrong I love this game and have not been able to stop playing it. You never get bored as the game provides so much freedom, so Oblivion Elder Scrolls is the best RPG to date. It is brilliant but it is not the next-gen RPG we were expecting. Graphics are superb but once again I think that screenshots were slightly misleading and the graphics were not as good as expected. Don't get me wrong I love this game and have not been able to stop playing it. You never get bored as the game provides so much freedom, so much so that it's actually overwhelming. There are irritating bugs and glitches in the game e.g. finding the mouse arrow to "close" lock picking, but they aren't enough of a problem to put the game down. Oblivion: Elder Scrolls has set a higher standard for RPG's and games of the future and I think that Bethesda has done a great job!… Expand
  44. NickK.
    Apr 21, 2006
    10
    I have been playing this game for "only" 30 hours so far and have only seen a small part of the game, but it is one of the best games I've ever played. I would have completed 3 games in this time and I'm still on the first part of the main quest so Oblivion is fantastic value for money. I have a relatively low end graphics card (Radeon X1300) but the frame rate is fine even with I have been playing this game for "only" 30 hours so far and have only seen a small part of the game, but it is one of the best games I've ever played. I would have completed 3 games in this time and I'm still on the first part of the main quest so Oblivion is fantastic value for money. I have a relatively low end graphics card (Radeon X1300) but the frame rate is fine even with HDR and other effects turned on. There are hundreds of user created add-ons already available on gamespot.com and other game sites which expand the game and improve the graphics even further and add extra items to find. The only bad thing about the game is the very occasional crashes after playing for a long time, but the game autosaves every time you go to a new location so I've only ever had to repeat a few minutes worth of gameplay. Hopefully a patch to fix this will be available soon. Otherwise I would highly recommend this game, even for people like me that have never played an RPG before.… Expand
  45. DeathKnight
    Apr 2, 2006
    9
    I hated morrowind but this game is AWESOME. I would have given it a 10 but the graphics engine sucks(at least for me. I have 6600GT). I can run farcry with all settings high and game runs extremely smooth but even with all settings set to minimum oblivion still stutters. Other than that the game is perfact a must have rpg fans.
  46. JoeK.
    May 21, 2006
    7
    GREAT GAME!
  47. B.W.
    May 25, 2006
    7
    There is so much wrong with this game: Crash bugs galore, awful scaling difficulty system (it's harder now at lv35 than it was when i was lv1), the leveling up system is flawed, the same spell effects STACK if cast from different spells. The game is great until all of this stuff gets under your skin.
  48. JordanM.
    May 26, 2006
    8
    This game is top-notch in its immersion and inter-personal depth. Unfortunately, it suffers from mayn quality-of-life issues and combat which starts as thrilling but quickly becomes stale as you become accustomed to it. What should have been official patches have instead been provided by the mod community, which is thankfully well-supported by Bethesda's development tools. One can This game is top-notch in its immersion and inter-personal depth. Unfortunately, it suffers from mayn quality-of-life issues and combat which starts as thrilling but quickly becomes stale as you become accustomed to it. What should have been official patches have instead been provided by the mod community, which is thankfully well-supported by Bethesda's development tools. One can tell, on a low-end machine, that the visuals weren't designed to be scaled down from the ideal. Roughly speaking, the graphics settings are Very High, High, and Off (not Low... Off), and this could put off people who are low on processor speed, RAM, or video card power. In the end, this game will captivate you utterly with its charms for a week or so, bringing joys you have never before experienced or perhaps even thought possible. Then, you'll likely peter out and rarely play it ever again. But that first week is ever-so-sweet, and I still recommend it.… Expand
  49. SeanK.
    May 7, 2006
    10
    Even ignoring all of the stunning production and stultifyingly overwhelimg creativity involved in crafting a true fantasy, which Oblivion is, the game still impressess by having the things that make RPGs fun for me: Building your character is a joy, playing with different classes is totally unigue, but equaly enticing, and the brilliant levelled world means that EVERY mission is a Even ignoring all of the stunning production and stultifyingly overwhelimg creativity involved in crafting a true fantasy, which Oblivion is, the game still impressess by having the things that make RPGs fun for me: Building your character is a joy, playing with different classes is totally unigue, but equaly enticing, and the brilliant levelled world means that EVERY mission is a challenge. The strange criticism about everything being too easy is bizzarre because there is a difficulty slide in the menu that gives you control over how hard the levelled enemies are. Frankly, I had fun in every mission of the game that I could find. It deserves the ten I'm giving it.… Expand
  50. MarkW.
    May 8, 2006
    7
    The AI is not what it is cracked up to be, get used to hearing "I saw a Mud Crab the other day" and "I hear the Fighter's Guild is looking for recrutes". It's not uncommon to beat a foe because they are to stupid to get around a rock or obsticle. As mentioned the game punishes your character for leveling up and if thats not enough dreadful things happen in your sleep (so why The AI is not what it is cracked up to be, get used to hearing "I saw a Mud Crab the other day" and "I hear the Fighter's Guild is looking for recrutes". It's not uncommon to beat a foe because they are to stupid to get around a rock or obsticle. As mentioned the game punishes your character for leveling up and if thats not enough dreadful things happen in your sleep (so why level up?). The graphics are good...but the characters look like crap. It's full of little annoying bugs like characters that have different voices each time they speak. There are also annoying balance problems, like It took about 30 min. to find 10 nimroots (rarest in the game Ha !)....It took me 4 hours to find 5 simple garlic cloves. The game crashes often enough (on a rock solid computer). The story just doesn't make sense if your trying to pay attention to it. Horses are a joke as well as the game controlls. Things that improved are: battle, travel and graphics. Everything else is worse or the same. You will probably buy this and play it and wish you had your money back after the new wears off.… Expand
  51. GregE.
    Jun 6, 2006
    9
    One of the best RPGs in years. Stunning landscapes, detailed indoor scenes, decent AI, and a great story make this a great game. While not perfect, it is a close as a RPG has yet come.
  52. LeeT.
    Jul 10, 2006
    9
    A free-form non-linear game that offers so many choices of adventuring and so many options to do the quests. I was impressed with the challenge it provided and the graphics were superb. My only complaint is with the levelling system, being too slow and it takes a long time to level up. Plus some of the monsters in the game level up with you or 3-4 levels above you making this one of the A free-form non-linear game that offers so many choices of adventuring and so many options to do the quests. I was impressed with the challenge it provided and the graphics were superb. My only complaint is with the levelling system, being too slow and it takes a long time to level up. Plus some of the monsters in the game level up with you or 3-4 levels above you making this one of the hardest games to play for non-experienced users. The storyline, the content, the extras, all account for a very remarkable game.… Expand
  53. DarkBrotherhood
    Jul 6, 2006
    9
    Most immersive gaming experience ever. How many other games can boast 80 - 100+ hours of playability?
  54. JakeL.
    Sep 4, 2006
    9
    fantastic. i could play it for hours.. one of the best games I have ever played.
  55. misteritisa
    Jan 13, 2007
    10
    When Morrowind came out no one would've care.But when this one came out,every eyes envied this game.Seriously who would've thought a game will be this BIG,BEAUTIFUL,and still it was not complete(user can add mod they like to the game).This one for sure is one masterpiece.People who compare this game to Dark Messiah is an absolute retard.
  56. JackF.
    Mar 6, 2007
    7
    Not a deep CRPG, more like a mindless action adventure. Not a worthy successor to TES2: Daggerfall and TES3: Morrowind, in my honest opinion. The term 'dumbing down' that the fans came up with, is not far from truth.
  57. ChuckB.
    May 3, 2007
    10
    The deepest and most rewarding game I have ever played.
  58. RenanK.
    Jun 4, 2007
    10
    The best gamming experience i ever had !! Looks like you are in another world of freedom and fantasy without all the bureaucracy of normal life. Unfornately there are some people lower rating it because of morrowind, folks, please, dont compare this game to morrowind, rate this as a SINGLE game, or at least, if you compare and give it a low rating, i expect that you wont give a higher The best gamming experience i ever had !! Looks like you are in another world of freedom and fantasy without all the bureaucracy of normal life. Unfornately there are some people lower rating it because of morrowind, folks, please, dont compare this game to morrowind, rate this as a SINGLE game, or at least, if you compare and give it a low rating, i expect that you wont give a higher than 2 rating to any another game in world.… Expand
  59. DanielM.
    Jun 6, 2007
    10
    A fine follow to morrowind. Those who expected the same experience from oblivion that they got from morrowind were expecting the wrong thing. Both games have their strong points. And both games deliver.
  60. AnonymousMC
    Jun 8, 2007
    10
    After the truly outstanding Morrowind, I thought that nothing could possibly top it, but nevertheless anticipated Oblivion so much that the it was first thing I bought after an Xbox 360. After a mere 20 hours, I was hooked, and upon returning to Morrowind it just wasn't the same anymore - it couldn't compare. This is a complete and utter masterpeice, not to be missed - and forAfter the truly outstanding Morrowind, I thought that nothing could possibly top it, but nevertheless anticipated Oblivion so much that the it was first thing I bought after an Xbox 360. After a mere 20 hours, I was hooked, and upon returning to Morrowind it just wasn't the same anymore - it couldn't compare. This is a complete and utter masterpeice, not to be missed - and for some perspective, this is the first videogame I've ever rated a 10 in my life - and I'm a hardcore gamer!… Expand
  61. StrikingJ.
    Jun 9, 2007
    10
    You people are fools complaining about difficulty. Try turning it down if you are a noob. It has a freakin' scroll bar for it under gameplay options. This game deserves a 10, none less. I would love to see this game in DirectX 10.
  62. chrisrhodes
    Jul 10, 2007
    10
    i lvoe the way thestory line is set up in this gam... it bring u into the game and makes u want to keep playing... and with the exspanchion packs being sold it keep growing....there always soemthing to do.... but if u are looking for a good RPG game this is a must....

    ~Ðalis~
  63. GeorgeG.
    Jul 2, 2007
    10
    Oblivion is the most amazing game I have ever played. The reply value is infinite, especially thanks to its ability to be easily modified, and its astonishing modding community. I have played for about 200 hours or so, And will be playing it for a long time more. There is so much to do, so many ways to do them, so many items to collect, and well, so much to do. I only wish for a game Oblivion is the most amazing game I have ever played. The reply value is infinite, especially thanks to its ability to be easily modified, and its astonishing modding community. I have played for about 200 hours or so, And will be playing it for a long time more. There is so much to do, so many ways to do them, so many items to collect, and well, so much to do. I only wish for a game exactly like this, but multiplayer, because adventuring in Tamriel with pals would be overwhelmingly fun… Expand
  64. SavvasV.
    Aug 13, 2007
    8
    I got bored after I finished the mail quest (which was too easy and too short). No more armor, weapons and skill challenges. The expancion bored me also. It hasn't reached the Morrorwind magic. They should have a look at Gothic for some good elements.
  65. MatthewS.
    Sep 6, 2007
    8
    This game is very fun with tons of missions and things to do. But every once and a while you run into a bug or problem. but is still is a lot of fun and recommend it to all gamers.
  66. AnonymousMC
    Nov 2, 2008
    10
    One of the best RPGs ever made if not the best. Hands down the best RPG for the 360 and i have no idea why this is not the number 1 game for it. It has countless hours of gameplay, though you can beat it in a very short time if you just do the main quest. This is the game that sold the 360 for me, if it wasnt for this I probably wouldnt have a 360 right now.
  67. ArneB.
    Jan 8, 2008
    9
    With mods this is one of the best games out there. Out of the box the game lacks because of some stupid features (like the leveling system which is completely retarded), however, the thousands of mods make this a fantastic game. Somewhat steep hardware requirements to enjoy all the graphical eyecandy. Recommended
  68. Cameron
    Feb 29, 2008
    7
    Why do people hate Oblivion and say things like oh theres no effort into it? Dude watch the DvD for the making of it they use a whole new constrution set not rip the old morrowind the textures are great for one of the first games on 360 so don't bag games that you don't know anything about and the leveling system is about having a balanced charcter god some people are annoying Why do people hate Oblivion and say things like oh theres no effort into it? Dude watch the DvD for the making of it they use a whole new constrution set not rip the old morrowind the textures are great for one of the first games on 360 so don't bag games that you don't know anything about and the leveling system is about having a balanced charcter god some people are annoying making games is hard work!… Expand
  69. AnonymousMC
    Apr 10, 2008
    10
    Dispite all the criticisms of people who doesn't understand the TRUE idea of this game, people, this game is one of the best(and more creaitive) game ever made so far in the history of gaming. Deep and immersive RPG/FPS style just makes you want to come back for more and more... Beats the crap out of Halo series with dumb mindless shooting gameplay. No doubt, Trust me, Buy this game,Dispite all the criticisms of people who doesn't understand the TRUE idea of this game, people, this game is one of the best(and more creaitive) game ever made so far in the history of gaming. Deep and immersive RPG/FPS style just makes you want to come back for more and more... Beats the crap out of Halo series with dumb mindless shooting gameplay. No doubt, Trust me, Buy this game, it worth every penny of the cost. And your pretty much set as a gamer.… Expand
  70. MichaelS.
    May 29, 2008
    10
    Brilliant game the sheer size and detail of it is overwhelming,errors are minor and are over shadowed by the joy of the overall experience a must have!!
  71. CommandoDude
    Jul 4, 2008
    9
    This is one of those games, where you hate to get to the end. Because you spent all that time immersing yourself in the story, only for you to run out of things to do.
  72. DeonM.
    Jul 7, 2008
    10
    This is the best RPG on offer on any console.You become immersed in this little world and once you've played for a few hours your social life is on hold- I even got my friend who hated RPGs to play this and he cant stop calling me to tell me about this and that that happened on his epic little quest(like I haven't done it myself). Officially the best RPG since Final Fantasy 10, This is the best RPG on offer on any console.You become immersed in this little world and once you've played for a few hours your social life is on hold- I even got my friend who hated RPGs to play this and he cant stop calling me to tell me about this and that that happened on his epic little quest(like I haven't done it myself). Officially the best RPG since Final Fantasy 10, fullstop.… Expand
  73. AnonymousMC
    Oct 1, 2009
    10
    This game is by far the best RPG to offer to those who love Magick and Enchanting storys alltho the game has somewhat of a short campain the Mods made for this game keep more coming and coming with 100's of quest's in game and countless mods being made by fans Oblivion will never get boring to those who wait and give it a chance I myself have been playing this game for 2 yearsThis game is by far the best RPG to offer to those who love Magick and Enchanting storys alltho the game has somewhat of a short campain the Mods made for this game keep more coming and coming with 100's of quest's in game and countless mods being made by fans Oblivion will never get boring to those who wait and give it a chance I myself have been playing this game for 2 years and am not bored yet instead I love that Bethesda lets modders alter the game as they want in some feeling I think Bethesda gets a chuckle outa seeing how far we can make oblivion go therefor Im giving this game a 10… Expand
  74. AnonymousMC
    Sep 5, 2009
    10
    1. To compare it to Fallout 3, unless you really would rather just go over a repeating landscape for a few hours and kill some enlarged animals along the way, this game has more content then any of you can make up. The DLC are broken, buggy and empty, quests arent really anything worth speaking of, and there's only about 7 of them (side quests) so that should explain itself. The main1. To compare it to Fallout 3, unless you really would rather just go over a repeating landscape for a few hours and kill some enlarged animals along the way, this game has more content then any of you can make up. The DLC are broken, buggy and empty, quests arent really anything worth speaking of, and there's only about 7 of them (side quests) so that should explain itself. The main quest had it's points, that's all that game has going for it unless you play it for the guts. 2. To Morrowind fans - Oblivion is VERY sorry for being user friendly. You guys are some of the most dogmatic idiots I've ever read of. 3. Leveling system - Propose a better one, don't just complain. There are plenty of other options for it if you play on PC and are willing to use mods. 4. Combat - Same as above. It's not great, but there ARE many ways you can make it fitting to you. 5. Quests - Wow. Show me an RPG that isn't just "go get this item, kill this group/person, investigate this/that, clear out this cave". There isn't one. Rating 10 to balance out some of the ridiculous, unexplained 0's. Will it make a difference, I doubt it. At least no one with any internet-savvy will take you seriously, and just know you're the regular drama loving fool.… Expand
  75. [anonymous]
    Jan 23, 2010
    10
    Truly one of the greatest RPG's ever made. You can be whoever you want, do whatever you want, have whatever you want and be either good or evil. This game is truly encapsulating. An master piece which even when you have completed the game, is impossible to put down.
  76. TImmah
    Nov 19, 2006
    10
    Perfect, but only because that's how I made it. The game Oblivion that comes in the box that you buy is nothing similar to the game you can end up with after browsing through all the mods available. I have customized almost every aspect of the game to suit my tastes and pacticular configuration. Not to mention correct and compensate for some really bogus deisgn ideas in the standard Perfect, but only because that's how I made it. The game Oblivion that comes in the box that you buy is nothing similar to the game you can end up with after browsing through all the mods available. I have customized almost every aspect of the game to suit my tastes and pacticular configuration. Not to mention correct and compensate for some really bogus deisgn ideas in the standard game, such as how everything levels up with you. Horrid, that. 1) Most textures have been replaced with higher quality (many 4Kx4K!) ones. Landscaping, buildings, equipment and character skins. 2) Most overly complex models (such as the 80-polygon grass) have been replaced with just as pretty, but much more frame rate friendly replacements. 3) Franseco's Level Up Mod turns Oblivion into the RPG style game it isn't. By gradually introducing new monsters and making certain battles minor, or epic. Also adjsuts the rate at which skills increase. a must have for traditional D&D fans. 4) Complete econmic overhaul, including a bank and supply and demand, there are several options available. I prefer powerful items to be expensive, and common items to be cheap. 5) Special Effects such as Parallax, Darker HDR nights, improved Sky boxes and complete weather overhauls! These make Oblivion look more like the work of art is truly is. 6) Added vegetaion and bugs and cats and dogs and mice and butterflies. You can instal a whole zoo of creatures to the cities or outdoors. 7) Quests for houses, weapons, armor, I have a house in every city! Filled with mad loot, mostly junk, but some funky items such as black lights and glowing orbs! 8) The days passed by too fast, I use a time-dilation mod. 9) An incredible dimensional pocket, so you can store anything and everything in either a lush beach, or a hellgate, or a fully equipped mages tower, with every reagent growing in flower beds! 10) A mod-manager that when installed, checks your mods against each other to see if there are any problems. I currently use 45 mods, some very comprehensive, such as a complete UI reskinning and a combat behavior mod that runs every few seconds. So far, no conflicts that hinder play! Best of all, I know there are going to be more fascinating mods of things I can't imagine yet, but I will probably say, "why didn't I think of that" in the future. Oblivion is the first game that I have had more fun with the more I play it, since I can constantly adapt it to how I want to expereince that world. I'm hooked!… Expand
  77. KevinB
    Oct 16, 2006
    9
    ok...i got a bone to pick with some of you..."OMG IT GOT TO HARD!" First of all there is a skill setting in the options menu...if it gets to hard, put it down a tad...and if its all the way down and you're still getting your butt kicked, well then you just suck, because the very first fight i got in i owned some poor sap in red robes with my fists alone...so complaining about it beingok...i got a bone to pick with some of you..."OMG IT GOT TO HARD!" First of all there is a skill setting in the options menu...if it gets to hard, put it down a tad...and if its all the way down and you're still getting your butt kicked, well then you just suck, because the very first fight i got in i owned some poor sap in red robes with my fists alone...so complaining about it being too hard is not allowed...and other people who say its not revolutionary...it's THE biggest game world created to date...not to mention the graphics...have you seen the graphics in alot of games today? they suck...perfect example: the new Scarface game...ive seen better graphics on the playstation 1...instead of enjoying the game for WHAT IT IS, most of you people immediately look for all the flaws...no game is perfect, quit complaining and enjoy the damn game...thats what its for!!!… Expand
  78. Shawn
    Mar 22, 2006
    10
    A very great open world RPG. The best so far =)
  79. DonS.
    Mar 23, 2006
    10
    Excellent game! Beautiful graphics that haven't, so far, caused game performance to suffer, engaging story line, fun combat system and a pretty seamless transition between outdoor areas. I played for nine straight hours after gettijng the game late in the afternoon. Half of the time I was so busy just soaking up the ambience that I'd have to back-track and actually explore and Excellent game! Beautiful graphics that haven't, so far, caused game performance to suffer, engaging story line, fun combat system and a pretty seamless transition between outdoor areas. I played for nine straight hours after gettijng the game late in the afternoon. Half of the time I was so busy just soaking up the ambience that I'd have to back-track and actually explore and interact. If it continues to live up to this early promise, it will sit atop my list of very best games!… Expand
  80. HenryT.
    Mar 23, 2006
    10
    I've both PC & XBox360 version and I can tell you the PC version has the better graphics and resolution by far. Other than that a similar gaming experience. I'm just hooked, 1 more day to the weekend...
  81. ShoNuff
    Mar 24, 2006
    10
    Even with the minor sound issue I initially had with the game, this has got to be the foremost role-playing game on the market. I was cautiously optimistic after hearing the Bethesda folks made the main story easier to follow, but after 6 hours of game play, I can tell you it is still as open-ended as ever. I haven
  82. LukasK.
    Mar 24, 2006
    8
    It's look lovely. It's run on slow machine. Oblivion could be the next level of RPG games but the AI is terrible. Sometime enemies don't know about me. Sometime fall into water and can't came back. Sometimes simply kill each other with friendly fire. Another thing. How the soldier in this side of island know that I stole 1 silver plate from the opposite side? Yes there It's look lovely. It's run on slow machine. Oblivion could be the next level of RPG games but the AI is terrible. Sometime enemies don't know about me. Sometime fall into water and can't came back. Sometimes simply kill each other with friendly fire. Another thing. How the soldier in this side of island know that I stole 1 silver plate from the opposite side? Yes there are some bugs but most of these bugs will be removed witch patch. As I hope.… Expand
  83. Betawatcher
    Mar 24, 2006
    10
    Excellent game, 12 hours in & haven't even touched the main quest.
  84. CarlosB.
    Mar 26, 2006
    10
    Impressive game... it is really unexpective. La polla!!! este juego es la polla!!! ya os lo podeis comprar... los graficos estan de puta madre... Vale la pena... Un gran trabajo hay en este videojuego...
  85. Splinky
    Mar 26, 2006
    9
    This game is flat out amazing. I have never played a game of this depth and scope. The plot in incredibley involving. The quests are challenging, the detail is incredible. Ther is just such an amzing amount to do. The only thing stopping me giving it a 10 is the fact that to truly experience this game ( on the pc version) you will need a fairly hefty machine.
  86. SiE
    Mar 28, 2006
    9
    I don't usually like RPG's but after reading a few reviews I thought i would try this game. I'm pleased i did as this is an excellent game, one of the best i have played. The plot line so far has been very involving and the graphics stunning. As others have said I think the interface ciuld be better but other than that there are no gripes from me. The sheer amount of I don't usually like RPG's but after reading a few reviews I thought i would try this game. I'm pleased i did as this is an excellent game, one of the best i have played. The plot line so far has been very involving and the graphics stunning. As others have said I think the interface ciuld be better but other than that there are no gripes from me. The sheer amount of content must embaress other developers who seem to feel its fine to put oout a game which can be completed in 10 hours. After 20 hours playing i seem to have barely scratched the surface of the main story.… Expand
  87. FrankieP.
    Mar 28, 2006
    10
    It's true; PC specifications will dictate the choppy factor / framerate performance of this game. THAT is the ONLY determining factor in whether you get the most out of this game or not because if you do have a top-of-the-range machine, the design, gameplay, graphics and overall immersive quality of this game will put you in gaming heaven and have you shaking your head in the sheer It's true; PC specifications will dictate the choppy factor / framerate performance of this game. THAT is the ONLY determining factor in whether you get the most out of this game or not because if you do have a top-of-the-range machine, the design, gameplay, graphics and overall immersive quality of this game will put you in gaming heaven and have you shaking your head in the sheer wonder of it all. Yes; if this were a work of art, it would be the Mona Lisa of the gaming world - no question. If you only have a 2.4ghz processor with 768MB RAM and a low-end Radeon 9600XT graphics card (as I have) then the game will have you shaking your head in sheer frustration at not having the high end machine you wish you had. Don't get me wrong, there is still lots of fun to be had playing this game on a mid-range system - it's just that I feel I am missing out on the full quality of the game. (There is a noticeable framerate situation in parts of cities and towns and choppy chop chop shenanigens when a-galloping and a-roaming around on horse.) And the actual gameplay? Top notch!! It's not the type of game where you just jump in and hack and slash at all monsters around you (like Diablo and, to a lesser extent, World of Warcraft or Neverwinter Nights or Dungeon Siege) it is a game to be slowly savoured and enjoyed at a leisurely pace. Not sure whether to play a warrior orientated, magic orientated or marksman/thief orientated character? Then play 3 separate characters with each separate trait and have them join separate guilds and see how they pan out. (Personally, I have a warrior who I have sent out roaming various dungeons, a spellcaster who is following the main quest and a marksman / thief who is currently going out to kill someone for the Dark Brotherhood.) It is definitely the type of game where patience, and possibly a good session looking at the manual, will be rewarded. Think of it as a sumptuous gourmet meal to be taken slowly and to be enjoyed with fine wine. And the gripes? Ok, here are the nitpickings: 1) I am not good with hotkeys and would personally have preferred icons to press (a la WoW) when casting spells or changing weapons. Faffing about with menus just to figure out which spell to equip or to quaff a potion is a huge pain in my buttock framed arse. 2) When I pick a dainty flower I would like for it to disappear (and for it to perhaps respawn later) cos I often get confused as to whether I have picked a flower or not. Going up to a flower and finding out that I have already picked it is an inconvenience I could do without. 3) Why no mini-map? In fact, why make the maps so tightly packed and hard to navigate overall? I dunno, I just feel that I need a wider view and fuller maps to get to know my way around. Also, it is slightly annoying to have to press a keyboard key and then move the mouse to the map button to get a map up. Well, that's it. One thing I will add before i go is for those with the not so beefy rig to run this game: try window mode! Go to options, slide all those sliders up to max, then maybe run it at around the 800X600 resolution mark and then play the game in a window - at least then you'll get a mini impression at how those lucky baskets with big ones can run the game.… Expand
  88. Czar
    Mar 29, 2006
    10
    Wow! I am not a big RPG fan but I am really enjoying this game. I tried to like Morrowind but couldn't get into it. Oblivion has sucked me in. I Upgraded my ATI 9700 Pro to a 7800 GS and it is like a different game. Very very cool. Must buy.
  89. GiancarloB.
    Mar 29, 2006
    10
    ROFL i loved Aelius comparison to doom 3 and halo 2..... aelius ur an idiot how can u ever compare an Rpg to a first person shooter. i found that u saying Doom 3 is a good game is funny because if u play it again it lacks alot... such things as AI interation and a story sirious theres no story... as for halo 2.... it was the same as halo 1 not a very good game to much of a hype . unlike ROFL i loved Aelius comparison to doom 3 and halo 2..... aelius ur an idiot how can u ever compare an Rpg to a first person shooter. i found that u saying Doom 3 is a good game is funny because if u play it again it lacks alot... such things as AI interation and a story sirious theres no story... as for halo 2.... it was the same as halo 1 not a very good game to much of a hype . unlike thos 2 games this game delivered wut they said it would. for people with a bad computer or playing it on a x box 360 u guys shouldnt complain because on a computer with a bad computer u cant really run this game at all very well. also if ur running it on x box 360 graphics r not as good as they can be and controls stink sorry to say =S.… Expand
  90. JamesH.
    Mar 29, 2006
    9
    This game is like crack, extremely well done, the pinnacle of game design. I won't dote on more than the others have, but rest assured, if you are an RPG fasn and more specifically a fan of the seldom seen first person type of RPG, then this game is for you. The game is so massive that one hardly knows where to begin. This game will keep you occupied for a VERY long time.
  91. BryanP.
    Mar 29, 2006
    8
    A 10 for content/story, but the PC version is crippled by the XBox 360 console user interface. Simple things like true WASD movement and re-assignable keymappings are not present. Hopefully Bethesda or the modding community will bring the User Interface out of the early '90s and streamline an otherwise wonderful game.
  92. ParkerB.
    Mar 29, 2006
    10
    Visceral, gripping, and fun. Astoundingly good. Amazingly entertaining.
  93. Roee
    Mar 31, 2006
    9
    Excellent game. The world is extremely immersive, the graphics gorgeous, and plenty of quirks from Morrowind are streamlined now (hurrah to fast travel!). Not perfect, but amazing nonetheless.
  94. RobX.
    Mar 31, 2006
    10
    Easily the most alive single player RPG ever. Just the fact that most NPC wander around doing their thing makes you feel more part of a "real" world. I'm running the game on a machine that barely meets "recommended" spec and I have to turn the graphics' detail level way down to get a somewhat decent framerate, but who cares when the gameplay itself is this excellent. Thumbs up!
  95. PieterD.
    Mar 3, 2006
    10
    this game is going to rock. the graphics are awsome the gameplay is one of the best in years. this is going to be one of the best RPG's in years.
  96. JonathanS.
    Mar 31, 2006
    9
    No doubt... This game is the best single player RPG ever! You have so many choices. The graphics are amazing the AI is good (But not to good) and the gameplay is really great! I just wish the game world was bigger! Hail Bethesda!
  97. JasonLong
    Apr 11, 2006
    10
    Despite various issues, this game is awesome. From a 30+ jaded gamer, this has me pretty hooked.
  98. LawrenceL.
    Apr 11, 2006
    10
    Best game I have ever played, and I've been playing them since "Pong" was new.
  99. SeanB.
    Apr 12, 2006
    10
    A fantastic game. A high point of my CRPG life. It surpasses expectations by creating an immersive, fun, gorgeous, realistic, and hugefantasy world. This game is the pinacle of RPGs. Quests are clever and intuitive going far beyond gofor missions and kill this missions. My favorites are the Clue-like murder house and the Shadow of Hackdirt (Lovecraft) quests. Morrowind has a deeper world, A fantastic game. A high point of my CRPG life. It surpasses expectations by creating an immersive, fun, gorgeous, realistic, and hugefantasy world. This game is the pinacle of RPGs. Quests are clever and intuitive going far beyond gofor missions and kill this missions. My favorites are the Clue-like murder house and the Shadow of Hackdirt (Lovecraft) quests. Morrowind has a deeper world, but frankly lacked polish. This is a diamond of a game with hundreds of hours of game time.… Expand
  100. 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
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 54 Critic Reviews

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