The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1490 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,293 out of 1490
  2. Mixed: 113 out of 1490
  3. Negative: 84 out of 1490
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  1. Josh_47ra
    Mar 6, 2012
    8
    A great game marred by poor design decisions. I'll admit I might have rated this a 9 if I hadn't finished Skyrim before writing this review. It's incredibly fun and addicting, but it never is that immersive. It is almost insistent on yanking the player out the world constantly be it from glitches, meta gaming, or just annoying controls. Still really fun and I recommend playing ,even if theA great game marred by poor design decisions. I'll admit I might have rated this a 9 if I hadn't finished Skyrim before writing this review. It's incredibly fun and addicting, but it never is that immersive. It is almost insistent on yanking the player out the world constantly be it from glitches, meta gaming, or just annoying controls. Still really fun and I recommend playing ,even if the ending is a bit anti-climatic.… Expand
  2. sympathy4saren2
    Apr 2, 2012
    9
    A brilliant rpg with a massive amount to do. Looting is phenomenal, as is exploration and character customization. There are some flaws that people all too often point out, but overall the scale and freedom and fun of this game is absolutely amazing. I tried this game once, didn't like it, put it back. I watched some lets plays and decided to give it another try: best gaming decision IA brilliant rpg with a massive amount to do. Looting is phenomenal, as is exploration and character customization. There are some flaws that people all too often point out, but overall the scale and freedom and fun of this game is absolutely amazing. I tried this game once, didn't like it, put it back. I watched some lets plays and decided to give it another try: best gaming decision I have ever made. This game opened me up to The Elder Scrolls, and after 220 hours and a satisfying playthrough (before the expansion), I can safely say this game is soul-suckingly addicting and absorbs your existence right out of your eyes. 9 / 10… Expand
  3. IplayGAMESone23
    Apr 3, 2012
    10
    Oblivion I think is Bethesda's masterpiece so far. It only really has funny bugs and that at the current update, possibly the last. In Skyrim I have found about 30 game crashing bugs, so I end up playing Oblivion way more.

    Boasting 16 miles squared (40km) of land, it is a pretty massive game. Of course Daggerfall was 487,000 square kilometres but that was randomly generated.
  4. watithink123
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    Ok after Skyrim hiting my No.1 game of all time I had to try Oblivion. Oblivion is a amazing game that should not be given a zero for graphics for a 6 year old game(Graphes are not everything peeps). Now im a huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series. As soon as I compete this gae in getting Morrow Wind. The Elder Scrolls IV: Obivion 9.5/10
  5. Naglfar
    May 13, 2012
    9
    One of the best games on xbox 360. Hugely varied and interesting fantasy landscape with a plethora of things to do from alchemy to smithing to enchanting. The storyline is fantastic and the lead narration from Patrick Stewart sets the scene for an immersive epic from the very opening. Buying your own house to decorate and place your rare loots in never gets old, and the multitude of townsOne of the best games on xbox 360. Hugely varied and interesting fantasy landscape with a plethora of things to do from alchemy to smithing to enchanting. The storyline is fantastic and the lead narration from Patrick Stewart sets the scene for an immersive epic from the very opening. Buying your own house to decorate and place your rare loots in never gets old, and the multitude of towns with differing style makes picking a home for our characters unique and interesting on each play through. Couple this with the ability to buy a mount to explore the vast open landscapes for quests and caves and dungeons and you have an awesome freestyle play experience. The storywriting and voice acting are all top notch as is the gameplay and graphics.
    My only two complaints are as follows: the levelling system, which sees common enemies getting more powerful depending on your level (which kind of makes levelling up pointless) aka getting attacked by a common roadside bandit who has elite weapons and armor because of your level when you passed by the same road earlier in the game to be attacked by a barely dressed struggler with iron weapons; and the glitchiness inherent in the game, with slow load times and the occasional crashing. Overall a superb and ambitious title for the xbox 360.    … Expand
  6. Jackthebrit
    Dec 2, 2012
    10
    First off I would like to say this is one of my favourite games of all time, it took some getting used to (3rd time lucky) but after a few tries I really got into this game. This is the very first RPG I ever played, so it is likely that it took some getting used to because it is a HUGE game, there are a lot of quests to complete, areas to explore, etc. There is only one thing that is wrongFirst off I would like to say this is one of my favourite games of all time, it took some getting used to (3rd time lucky) but after a few tries I really got into this game. This is the very first RPG I ever played, so it is likely that it took some getting used to because it is a HUGE game, there are a lot of quests to complete, areas to explore, etc. There is only one thing that is wrong with this game, and that thing is in the title of the game: OBLIVION. So the world of oblivion is the main plot for this game, basically it is hell and the gates to oblivion have opened in Cyrodiil and you must stop it, that is the generalised plot of the game, I don't like the world of oblivion because it is very repetitive, there are some changes in how it looks in each gate but when you get to the tower, it is mostly the same and it gets very boring after the first few you enter, this wouldn't of been much of a problem but it is the main focus of the game, so it requires you to go through quite a few of them. Now moving onto the things I like and that is pretty much everything else, seriously, I love this game and thank goodness that 90% of the quests do not involve the gates of oblivion, anyway the best quests of the game are the guild quests, there are four major guilds in this game; fighters guild, thieves guild, mages guild and my favourite: The Dark Brotherhood. What is so good about these quests is that they are very fun to do, especially the dark brotherhood ones which require you to kill in anyway you want to. To summarise; if you can get past the frustration of the oblivion realm. then you will have a lot of fun in the world of Cyrodiil, with vibrant colours and massive areas, you will be hooked on Elder Scrolls 4 for hours upon hours upon hours. 9/10… Expand
  7. Tehsoupman12
    Jun 27, 2012
    9
    Easily one of my most played games ever, Oblivion introduced me to the accessible open world RPG, and after many many hours of complete immersion amongst the amazing forest landscape, I finally realized that I had completed everything. Great fun.
  8. Zonidor
    Jul 5, 2012
    10
    After spending 50h+ into this game im more than delighted by the quality of today's so often almost mindless games. Yes i am playing Bf3 and CoD and enjoying them too but neither of those titles can give me the feel as when you fight your way through the dark plains of the Oblivion realm, finding that new great enchanted glass-sword or just simply exploring the beautiful world for newAfter spending 50h+ into this game im more than delighted by the quality of today's so often almost mindless games. Yes i am playing Bf3 and CoD and enjoying them too but neither of those titles can give me the feel as when you fight your way through the dark plains of the Oblivion realm, finding that new great enchanted glass-sword or just simply exploring the beautiful world for new dungeons or even ingredients. It was released in 2006 and i would say that it looks better than the most games released just one or two years ago, and not because of the details in the textures but by the design of everything in the game. From the wooden houses of Bruma to the dark and red of towers in the Oblivion dimension. It looks great, its all created with such creative joy which is easily noticed throughout the whole game. The story is intriguing if you just put some time into actually listening to what the people have to say, and with all the side-quests it's a game that would last for days after days. Everything about this game makes you want to play it for hours upon hours. It does contain its flaws though. The Ai might be a bit jerky sometimes and the faces might look goofy but that isn't but that is never something that ruins the overall experience of the game. Oblivion offers a lot of variety, and often a lot of twists to the regular gameplay. I would recommend this game to anyone who wants a great immersive singleplayer-game that will only leave you with the urge to find that last gem for your jewellery-collection or that one missing piece of armor. I cant promise that everyone would appreciate the qualities of this game though, but give it a try even though your not a huge rpg player it still delivers a great experience.… Expand
  9. OttawaExile
    May 27, 2013
    10
    I haven't played this game in a few years but I am going back and retroactivly scoring them. While it is not as beautiful as Skyrim is today. For it's time it was an amazing game. It felt like a living breathing word which you happened upon. The fighting and magic were well done. Most of the quests were entertaining. My only complaing was that 3rd person looked atrocious, but since theI haven't played this game in a few years but I am going back and retroactivly scoring them. While it is not as beautiful as Skyrim is today. For it's time it was an amazing game. It felt like a living breathing word which you happened upon. The fighting and magic were well done. Most of the quests were entertaining. My only complaing was that 3rd person looked atrocious, but since the game is meant to be played in first person, I'll let it slide.… Expand
  10. Rox22
    Feb 7, 2013
    9
    This is the game that convinced me to buy an XBox 360. At the time, the visuals just blew me away as I had not sen anything like it before. The main quest is rather short, but the realm is huge with tons of exploration. Cyrodill is just extremely beautiful and a marvel to behold. NPCs are a bit flat and the leveling system a bit unbalanced, but other than that this game is fantastic.This is the game that convinced me to buy an XBox 360. At the time, the visuals just blew me away as I had not sen anything like it before. The main quest is rather short, but the realm is huge with tons of exploration. Cyrodill is just extremely beautiful and a marvel to behold. NPCs are a bit flat and the leveling system a bit unbalanced, but other than that this game is fantastic. Overall: A fantastic game and a wonderful introduction to the 360 for me.… Expand
  11. joeybear
    Dec 29, 2012
    9
    Oblivion can be a frustrating experience, you are presented with an intriguing setting that doesn't live up to its potential. I found myself wanting more out of the various regions in Cyrodill. The leveling system leaves much to be desired, you can quickly find yourself out-matched if you aren't careful. Despite this glaring flaw, Oblivion stands as a monumental achievement in gaming.
  12. SolidSnake696
    Sep 7, 2013
    10
    This game is great. At the time of release, there was nothing quite like it. Sure the inventory and menus were a the voice acting was terrible and every goddamn NPC was ugly. But never before has a game given someone so much freedom to do whatever you want. The game isn't for everyone, especially those with low attention spans, or little patience. Sometimes the game can be downrightThis game is great. At the time of release, there was nothing quite like it. Sure the inventory and menus were a the voice acting was terrible and every goddamn NPC was ugly. But never before has a game given someone so much freedom to do whatever you want. The game isn't for everyone, especially those with low attention spans, or little patience. Sometimes the game can be downright boring, and the bugs will make you lose up to 10 hours of gameplay, and yet its still a masterpiece.… Expand
  13. Piecefighter
    Apr 11, 2014
    9
    Fantastic world to play in, very well done, you can see that the designers appreciate what they are making. Another game that steals hours of my time:)
  14. jrobpaq
    May 26, 2013
    10
    Oblivion is by far one of the best games of all time, hands down. Great attention to detail, interesting quests and multiple storylines, a massive world to explore, and a multitude of weapons and spells to unleash on your opponents. I'm struggling to find things Bethesda did wrong with this game... Perhaps the animations could be a bit smooter, the bugs ironed out, and the levelingOblivion is by far one of the best games of all time, hands down. Great attention to detail, interesting quests and multiple storylines, a massive world to explore, and a multitude of weapons and spells to unleash on your opponents. I'm struggling to find things Bethesda did wrong with this game... Perhaps the animations could be a bit smooter, the bugs ironed out, and the leveling system fixed, but these are now expeced with every Bethesda game, and cannot be avoided with a game this large.

    Overall, if you don't already own this game, you should probably do so. Even if you haven't played Morrowind, or any other Bethesda game for that matter, you owe it to yourself to buy this game.    … Expand
  15. Bloodlustrous
    May 12, 2013
    8
    Oblivion sets you up in a world to fend for yourself. Nobody holds your hand. For someone who hasn't played many open world RPGs, this is not good news. You really have to have previous knowledge to get started in this game. I found myself, a newbie to the open-world RPGs, frustrated at every corner. I suggest it's sequel, Skyrim, to people who haven't played games like this before. It isOblivion sets you up in a world to fend for yourself. Nobody holds your hand. For someone who hasn't played many open world RPGs, this is not good news. You really have to have previous knowledge to get started in this game. I found myself, a newbie to the open-world RPGs, frustrated at every corner. I suggest it's sequel, Skyrim, to people who haven't played games like this before. It is ever-so-slightly more newbie-friendly.

    That aside, it's a great game. It's legendary. When I found out it was released in 2006 I couldn't believe it. The graphics are lovely, the gameplay is lovely, the map is lovely. However, I cannot give this game a high rating just because of how unfriendly it is to new players.    … Expand
  16. WyattTheAwesome
    May 30, 2013
    9
    One of the greatest RPG's of all time. Oblivion is a gem. A large open world, lots of literature to read, many quests and things to do and a wonderful combat system. Though it comes with its fair share of glitches, it's no excuse to not play this game. You thought Skyrim was good? Well you haven't played Oblivion. Just go! Buy this game and thank me later!
  17. GamingSoldier
    Jul 13, 2013
    8
    even though I have mixed feelings about Skyrim I loved oblivion. it is one of the best RPGs ever in my opinon and you should get it and i will tell you why
    pros: Story and characters, memorable dynamic storys you make on your own or through the quests, oblivion gates, Daedra are really cool villains, combat is good for a 2006 game, large amount of interesting content, the guilds have    even though I have mixed feelings about Skyrim I loved oblivion. it is one of the best RPGs ever in my opinon and you should get it and i will tell you why
    pros: Story and characters, memorable dynamic storys you make on your own or through the quests, oblivion gates, Daedra are really cool villains, combat is good for a 2006 game, large amount of interesting content, the guilds have interesting storys and actvities and help power up your skills in each respective class (fighter= warrior mages guild= wizards thieves guild= theives duh dark brotherhood= assasins arena= whatever you dang want) spell creating
    cons= level up system (level up wrong and lose every fight after) kind of disappointing main story climax, character models are poorly designed, in the dialogue system the camera zooms in onto the NPCs face as time stops for everything else and you basically select the subject of the conversation rather then what you say
    all in all oblivion is an amazing game worth every penny of its purchase price and with expansions like the shivering isles and knights of the nine there is plenty of content once you finish all of the original game (which i doubt would happen)    … Expand
  18. Skurry93
    Jul 26, 2013
    10
    My favorite game of all time. The amount of options and possibilities in this game makes it so unique, apart from other RPG's. Skyrim is a very good game, but I have never enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed Oblivion. Just running around in the beautiful cities and landscapes, to explore all the amazing things in this game (while gaining levels, yeah). You never have a dull moment, at least IMy favorite game of all time. The amount of options and possibilities in this game makes it so unique, apart from other RPG's. Skyrim is a very good game, but I have never enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed Oblivion. Just running around in the beautiful cities and landscapes, to explore all the amazing things in this game (while gaining levels, yeah). You never have a dull moment, at least I didn't, in Oblivion! PERIOD!… Expand
  19. NeedForsleep
    Aug 19, 2014
    9
    Oblivion is easily one of the greatest games out there on the xbox 360! you will find yourself playing this game for hours and hours on end the story is great! the combat is good the graphics look amazing even for a 8 year old game! but at times the game lags and can affect you during combat. And the soundtrack is..... Freaking amazing. So if you can buy this for either console or pc getOblivion is easily one of the greatest games out there on the xbox 360! you will find yourself playing this game for hours and hours on end the story is great! the combat is good the graphics look amazing even for a 8 year old game! but at times the game lags and can affect you during combat. And the soundtrack is..... Freaking amazing. So if you can buy this for either console or pc get it it is worth our money!… Expand
  20. mcmanusaur
    Sep 7, 2013
    9
    ---Rating---
    Design: 4 /5 (few changes to an already enjoyable system, but not all for the better)
    Polish: 4 /5 (much improved graphics, but slightly less coherent aesthetic than Morrowind) Value: 5 /5 (as always, a huge open world with virtually unmatched replay potential) ---Review--- Yes, the game world is by all standards large and looks immensely better than that of Morrowind,    ---Rating---
    Design: 4 /5 (few changes to an already enjoyable system, but not all for the better)
    Polish: 4 /5 (much improved graphics, but slightly less coherent aesthetic than Morrowind)
    Value: 5 /5 (as always, a huge open world with virtually unmatched replay potential)

    ---Review---
    Yes, the game world is by all standards large and looks immensely better than that of Morrowind, but at the same time I have found that Oblivion sorely lacks the sense of imminent danger and risk that made its predecessor such an exciting experience.

    Part of this might have to do with the loot and dungeon leveling system that I personally despised (but which might appeal to casual players and fans of more conventional dungeon crawls), but the ease of virtually unlimited fast travel and omnipresent quest markers also contribute to the suffocating odor of unnecessary streamlining.

    Even if such ease-and-efficiency-of-use oriented features seem to be somewhat at odds with TES' trademark free-roaming at-your-leisure exploration, the latter thankfully remains intact. The dungeons tend to be boring and repetitive, but the setting of Cyrodiil is rather interestingly varied if a bit lacking in overall cohesion.

    Of course the world itself isn't perfectly convincing, and neither is it entirely realistic in how it reacts to the player's actions, but for a game of Oblivion's scope that's asking quite a lot. There are many things that Oblivion does very impressively, such that most players should be able to overlook- if somewhat begrudgingly- its few but obvious flaws.    … Expand
  21. rambonc
    Feb 6, 2014
    10
    Oblivion, like its older brothers, is a timeless classic. that's all that needs to be said on behalf of this masterpiece. but for curios people who don't know oblivion is one of those few games that bring the game play, storytelling and visuals to a whole new level. Bethesda truly set the bar for the Xbox 360's launch and to this day Oblivion still holds up in every way. simply put if youOblivion, like its older brothers, is a timeless classic. that's all that needs to be said on behalf of this masterpiece. but for curios people who don't know oblivion is one of those few games that bring the game play, storytelling and visuals to a whole new level. Bethesda truly set the bar for the Xbox 360's launch and to this day Oblivion still holds up in every way. simply put if you have never had the pleasure of playing this game now is as good a time as any especially with the next gen under-way you'll be able to get this game at a bargain and believe me it'll be worth every penny… Expand
  22. FloodSlayer
    Nov 11, 2013
    9
    This is a great game. The things I hated about Morrowind is gone but the only problem I have with this game is the guide arrow & how the game feels so piecefull that if you want to get in a fight then you will have to go into a cave, ruins, ect.
  23. Lemieux85
    Dec 2, 2013
    9
    Great game, huge map to explore and countless quests to complete. Don't be fooled by the WoW nerds who are giving this game poor reviews to try to lower the score. The game is fun and you can easily spend 50+ hours on this game without even touching the main quest.
  24. icky101
    Dec 23, 2013
    10
    My Favorite Game on Xbox! The dungeons are fun, the quests are unique and interesting. The lore is fantastic! Everything about this game is amazing! My only complaint is you spend a lot of time in your menu and quest journals.
  25. Munthelion
    Dec 24, 2013
    9
    Only it's successor Skyrim boasts a better Fantasy RPG experience.

    At the time it came out, simply one of the greatest games to ever hit the shelves and while it does have some flaws, especially related to certain combat mechanics, to this day it rivals most RPGs for quality.
  26. AssBlaster666
    Jan 6, 2014
    10
    Best game ever I LOVE IT it's better than skyrim it isn't just kill this kill that there is actual strategy like that dark brotherhood quest where you have to kill the shi captai n and instead of walking in and killing him you hide in a box and pop out
  27. Wolfie1987
    Mar 24, 2014
    8
    The leveling system is broken, the graphics haven't aged well, everything looks generic, the combat system is atrocious, ... yet I love this game and its freedom & magical atmosphere. Daggerfall & Morrowind are true classics, Skyrim is better in nearly every way, but Oblivion has so much heart.
  28. babaganush
    Apr 23, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. it seems people really give up easily when playing games.

    I am rating this based off of when i played it, not when it came out, and not after playing skyrim nor am I comparing it to skyrim, since that is dumb to play skyrim 1st, then oblivion. you wouldnt watch the last star wars movie and then watch the 2nd one, thats dumb too.

    also EddieHokie complained that there were no houses to buy? there is one in every town and then the expansion lets you have a castle, a mages tower, some undergrown thief ship, so did you not look in any of the towns ever for a house to buy?(apparently he didnt) so yes there are lots of nice houses to buy and i preferred the castle.(the castle, tower and underground ship are DLC content)

    the oblivion gates were a chore but i liked the new areas and things to loot, so unless you hate these kinds of games to begin with or play skyrim 1st, then this was a fun game with things to do.

    I dont like being a vampire only cuz the sun constantly kills you otherwise vamp is fun and meeting vampires are fun cuz you can clearly tell someone is a vampire but they are hiding it and its fun to try and find evidence they are a vampire and all sorts of other stuff you will find and see if you simply play the game a normal amount of time and not whine like a child after 1-2 hours.    … Expand
  29. CactusReview
    Jul 23, 2014
    9
    This game is truly amazing. The graphics are stunning for 2006, and continue to amaze people. There are so many quests that you can find anywhere throughout the land, and exploring never gets old. The different guilds give a lot of content to enjoy, and the flow of the game is executed perfectly. While the game has many amazing points, the combat is somewhat repetitive, and the levelingThis game is truly amazing. The graphics are stunning for 2006, and continue to amaze people. There are so many quests that you can find anywhere throughout the land, and exploring never gets old. The different guilds give a lot of content to enjoy, and the flow of the game is executed perfectly. While the game has many amazing points, the combat is somewhat repetitive, and the leveling system is slightly annoying at times. I still love this game though, and if you're looking for a game that will give you nearly endless hours for your money: Try Oblivion.… Expand
  30. LongSlayer
    Aug 6, 2014
    10
    The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is an extraordinary experience and is hands down my favourite game of all time. If you like any RPG what so ever then Oblivion is right for you. The quests are amazing and exciting to play and the story itself is epic. The customization of your character and game play feels so unique because there are so many choices and paths you can take with yourThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is an extraordinary experience and is hands down my favourite game of all time. If you like any RPG what so ever then Oblivion is right for you. The quests are amazing and exciting to play and the story itself is epic. The customization of your character and game play feels so unique because there are so many choices and paths you can take with your character. The environment is very bright and colourful and the graphics are pretty decent for being released in 2006. The music of this game is absolutely breathtaking, it's the best game score that I have ever heard, and I enjoy listening to it during my adventure. The only flaw is that there are not that many voice actors, so you hear a lot of the same voices from different NPCs. Oblivion is my favourite RPG and my favourite game overall. It would be a mistake if you didn't ever play this.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2006
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2006
3
#3 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 90 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 90 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 90
  3. Negative: 0 out of 90
  1. Jolt Online Gaming UK
    94
    A refreshing, immersive, massive, satisfying and hugely impressive game.
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  2. Worth Playing
    98
    Oblivion not only raises the bar in the visual and audio modules but also in the gameplay and presentation department, making it easily one of the most recommendable titles to anyone who has ever enjoyed the thought of truly doing whatever they want in a video game, in a world where actions actually mean something.
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  3. Xbox Evolved
    97
    Oblivion is so deep it is hard to escape its grasp. Few things keep it down, such as loading times, and a few problems with visuals and sound, but the gameplay, the most important piece is dead-on.
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