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. SasquatchFelix
    Jan 19, 2011
    10
    Oblivion is easily one of the best games I have ever played. The attention to detail is amazing, I was speechless after I left the first dungeon and began to explore the world.
  2. Einstein
    May 28, 2011
    9
    Plot driven first person medieval rpg. I enjoyed it. was it the best game I have ever played? no. But it was still worth playing. And as for all the people who say this game is boring... Any game where you can rain flaming dogs from the sky, is not boring
  3. tylwrdem
    Aug 1, 2011
    10
    Now this is an RPG, at the up most finest. Oblivion is the greatest of all RPG. To not like Oblivion is the same as not liking air. It is clean flawless and just stunning. While having minor hicks like all games I had no problem running threw this game chopping up orc's and demons. One of the best games of all time I go as far to say and I am so excited for Skyrim. 10/10
  4. SarahCuda
    Aug 14, 2011
    10
    I think this is my all time favorite game. The map was huge and there is no end to what you can do. The freedom of this game is what makes it amazing. To me it reminds me of old school DnD. you make your charater from the ground up and mold him//her to be whatever you want them to be. The ruler of Evil or the perfect image of good. Exploring the map never gets old. The fantasy creaturesI think this is my all time favorite game. The map was huge and there is no end to what you can do. The freedom of this game is what makes it amazing. To me it reminds me of old school DnD. you make your charater from the ground up and mold him//her to be whatever you want them to be. The ruler of Evil or the perfect image of good. Exploring the map never gets old. The fantasy creatures are impressive. As you level you encounter tougher and more exotic. The gods even ask you to help them those quest are the best, they are out of this world fun, the gear you get from it makes your charater unstoppable. I didn't even play the main story till i was done exploring the map. That was the beaty of this game, you didn't have to do it if you didn't want to! Great game I can't wait for th next one!… Expand
  5. coldcalculated
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Bought this game first day, never played any game in this genre before this. Amazing controls, alot of detail in the environment, massive map with tons of freedom. The AI is slightly stupid in some situations. The game has a **** load of minor glitches. Some big glitches present that require you to load previous saves, others completely freezing the system. These would otherwise renter aBought this game first day, never played any game in this genre before this. Amazing controls, alot of detail in the environment, massive map with tons of freedom. The AI is slightly stupid in some situations. The game has a **** load of minor glitches. Some big glitches present that require you to load previous saves, others completely freezing the system. These would otherwise renter a game unplayable or discourage you from playing it but this game is addicting and will definitely keep you locked away from the real world for a couple hundred hours or so.… Expand
  6. HughM.
    Oct 7, 2009
    9
    This is the best game I have ever played.
  7. Hikaru
    Sep 13, 2010
    10
    Not often do i give a game a perfect score. Oblivion offers a seamless world of fantasy and adventure. Add to that the ability to do whatever you want anytime and the choice to continue playing after you complete the game. This is truly a remarkable game, which can be enjoyed for countless hours even after you have beaten it.
  8. Sceptic
    Jun 13, 2011
    10
    Though this has aged over the past 6 years,it's still one of the best games ever.In anticipation for Skyrim,I began again and put another hundred or so hours into it and despite some tech issues and somewhat dated graphics,I can still recommend it.Seriously,if you call yourself a gamer and have never played this,you are mistaken.
  9. RedXIII
    Sep 1, 2006
    10
    This game is perfect, there is absolutely nothing to complain about, the graphics are amazing, game play is flawless, sound is excellent, so many quests to complete, you can choose good or evil path, in depth customization, probably one of the best games I have ever played, this and final fantasy VII, if you don't have it run and buy it. If you like RPGs that is.
  10. dragonborn545
    Jan 5, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Many games now a days are shooters so not many people consider an RPG to reach out to people as much as a shooter would but Oblivion does. Oblivion is one of the best games I have ever played it combines great graphics with amazing story telling and long lasting appeal I have been playing for almost a month now and I haven't even come close to being done with the first disc this game is HUGE. The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion takes place in the imaginary province of Cyrodiil where you are a prisoner who has an extraordinary destiny and that is all I am gonna tell you. If you want to learn more about the story then go and play this game it will not waste your time I promise you What are you still doing here reading this go on GO play the game already!!!!!… Expand
  11. MTM
    Mar 5, 2011
    9
    One day in 2011 I decided that I wanted to play a new game for my Xbox 360. I wanted to get a game that was fun, but also had a great reviews. I was looking at my local BestBuy and found The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The game was only $20 and I basically said why not. I bought it and fell in love with it. The graphics are outstanding even for 2011, the customization is endless.... thereOne day in 2011 I decided that I wanted to play a new game for my Xbox 360. I wanted to get a game that was fun, but also had a great reviews. I was looking at my local BestBuy and found The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The game was only $20 and I basically said why not. I bought it and fell in love with it. The graphics are outstanding even for 2011, the customization is endless.... there are so many shops and so many things you can do. I'm about 6 hours into the game, understand that this game is over 100 hours long if you do everything that it has to offer. Don't listen to the haters, for a 2006 game it impresses gamers even from 2011 where we have Dead Space 2, Halo Reach, Killzone 3, and all the rest...… Expand
  12. MNiT
    Apr 12, 2011
    10
    Amazing game. I would say all Elder Scrolls game after Arena are amazingly good. Daggerfall was huge in size, Morrowind was amazing for immersion, and Oblivion has superior gameplay. One of the most addicting games I've played, meaning that when I got this back in 07-08 I fell in love for my whole summer. Games like this should have warnings on them "Stay away, HIGHLY ADDICTIVE". DownsidesAmazing game. I would say all Elder Scrolls game after Arena are amazingly good. Daggerfall was huge in size, Morrowind was amazing for immersion, and Oblivion has superior gameplay. One of the most addicting games I've played, meaning that when I got this back in 07-08 I fell in love for my whole summer. Games like this should have warnings on them "Stay away, HIGHLY ADDICTIVE". Downsides are minor and I do not even mind them much. Things like repetitive combat and bad AI at times. It does not ruin the game for me. Large scale area, multiple quests, and combat suited for a RPG. The graphics were amazing for 06, and the water is still beautiful to look at. The textures could use some work but that doesn't really hinder this game at all. Lets hope Bethesda makes Skyrim even better then all the other games combined. Oh and you can play after you beat the game....Fallout take notes.… Expand
  13. DerekM.
    Sep 25, 2009
    9
    Now, I've seen some pretty harsh reviews. Not to criticize anyone in particular, but some people weren't skilled enough to look at their chart to see that they had vampirism so they gave it a zero. grow up. the graphics were beautiful for the time of release. the compelling story pushes the player to do every quest and collect all the deadric items. I love the game mechanics Now, I've seen some pretty harsh reviews. Not to criticize anyone in particular, but some people weren't skilled enough to look at their chart to see that they had vampirism so they gave it a zero. grow up. the graphics were beautiful for the time of release. the compelling story pushes the player to do every quest and collect all the deadric items. I love the game mechanics more than morrowind, as the combat system doesnt make your sword slash pass through an enemy as if you weren't holding anything at all, but morrowind had an overall better main quest. The contrast from the beautiful rolling hills and meadows to the bleak, fiery hell of oblivion keeps the player from getting too tired of the scenery. all in all, this is just one of the better games to come out. Now quit whining and get into the game before you give it a 0.… Expand
  14. AbramT.
    Dec 7, 2007
    0
    This "game" is an atrocity by each and every measure, and I am shocked, shocked, shocked to my poor little soul that everyone else isn't saying likewise! Are people really * that* susceptible to hype hypnosis?! Gameplay? Abysmal! The leveling system is utterly broken, and that's a baaad thing for an RPG! Bethesda decided to make it a scaling system, which was a horrible idea in This "game" is an atrocity by each and every measure, and I am shocked, shocked, shocked to my poor little soul that everyone else isn't saying likewise! Are people really * that* susceptible to hype hypnosis?! Gameplay? Abysmal! The leveling system is utterly broken, and that's a baaad thing for an RPG! Bethesda decided to make it a scaling system, which was a horrible idea in the first place, but they made it way worse than it had to be with their sub-sub-sub-amateur implementation! End result: stupid game gets harder and harder as you get more powerful. Elaboration for your elucidation: get beefy enough, and you'll be having mortal duels with mud crabs; stay level 1, and you'll beat the game as a steroid-enraged Conan would the proverbial red-headed stepchild. AI? Hair-tearingly heinous! Can't count the times it almost *disemboweled* my psyche with its mind-blasting +2 stupidity! Enemies chase you forever, friends can't fight with either the intelligence *or* efficacy of a rabies *and* syphilis-maddened toddler (yes, I know that makes me a bad man!), vampires don't care about sunlight though it totally burns their stupid asses, and a guard attacked me when I was assaulted by a witch before I had even done anything! No, I won't even mention the patch-work conversations between townspeople! I shan't go on, for the sake of my sanity, I shan't, I shan't! Bugs, bugs, the hellish bugs! Hung up many times when I backed up while shooting arrows, corpses never disappear (nobody ever notices them, either!), items left in the cabinets of a dead man's house magically turn into vegetables, every other side quest has a bug that makes you unable to finish it if you happen to run into it (and believe me, these bugs are loud proud and in your FACE, so you actually have to make an effort to avoid them!) and there are even reports of mega-bugs that, if encountered, explode your hopes of finishing the main quest into tiny, flaming pieces that smell like charred farts. Graphics? Fugly! Major building and tree pop-up! People all look related, even non-humans; humanoid characters have puddy-ish, discolored, Robot Chicken-esque necks! Way to go with character design, boys and girls! Uninspired city and town design! Story? Overly-simple and completely lacking in atmosphere. These can't be the same writers from Morrowind! You can just tell that they never, ever read! Altogether, an eye-melting Hell-fart of a game! Discerning and intelligent people should keep away, if they value their sanity! Do not, I repeat, do not listen to the legions of brainwiped, hype-notized fanboys who laud this thing like it was Jesus himself, back on earth and granting ten wishes to anybody who lays down 60 bucks! Disgustingly bad craftsmanship, Bethesda! You should be mortally ashamed, as should anyone who praises this thing! I consign this asbestos bag of captured demon flatus to. . . OBLIVION!… Expand
  15. Johhnydepht
    Mar 22, 2006
    0
    Wow an amazing game that has absorped my life for the next twelf centuries!
  16. MrMoby
    Mar 20, 2006
    0
    For £50 this version is so inferior to the £25 version found on the PC. just not worth spending £50 on but for those of you who do have a PC its a good game and the graphics are far superior to that next generation super computer called the XBOX 360
  17. PCMAN
    Mar 23, 2006
    0
    To Exspencive fo what it is. i mean you can either spend £50 on xbox 360 sub standard version or you can spend £20 on the vastly supirior version . still cant belive people are prepared to spend that sort of money when its available cheaper and better on another format
  18. JimG.
    Jul 29, 2008
    4
    This is a well made game, but with horrible, IRREDEEMABLE game design flaws. It's a sad indicator of the pitiful state of game reviewing that it has been universally praised. The three main flaws of the game are: 1) The optimum way to play a character type [i.e. mage, rogue, warrior] is to specialize in all the skills it SHOULD NOT have, and then tediously build up the actually This is a well made game, but with horrible, IRREDEEMABLE game design flaws. It's a sad indicator of the pitiful state of game reviewing that it has been universally praised. The three main flaws of the game are: 1) The optimum way to play a character type [i.e. mage, rogue, warrior] is to specialize in all the skills it SHOULD NOT have, and then tediously build up the actually desired skills, which are now minor skills that you're behind in and you improve more slowly, all the while being careful to get the exact number of skill levels before making character level in order to best improve your ability scores when making level, which you achieve by doing things that your character type shouldn't do [i.e. casting spells if you're a warrior]. If that sounds like a confusing, ridiculous, obnoxious headache, it's because it is. 2) The game generally rewards repetitious, sometimes unrealistic behavior to improve skills. 3) When my character initially was infected with vampirism, nowhere on my character sheet did it say so, therefore I was unaware and unable to nip it in the bud. Hence, it was impossible to figure out what was going on and why. Once you get bit you're either going back to an earlier save or you're dealing with it for hours of gameplay. For me, there's nothing fun about that. The same company bought the FALLOUT license, and are making FALLOUT 3. I finally understand why the diehard Fallout fans are furious. Shame on game reviewers. There's nothing 94/100 about it. [xbox 360 version played].… Expand
  19. DaveW.
    Jan 21, 2007
    2
    For what its worth, anyone new to RPG's and has never played morrowind will come to oblivion awestruck and amazed to see such a wanderful culmination of technology and talent in one tiny disc. I know, because the same happened to me when I played Morrowind (the game which came before oblivion), for the first time. But now I can see oblivion for what it really is. Another attempt at For what its worth, anyone new to RPG's and has never played morrowind will come to oblivion awestruck and amazed to see such a wanderful culmination of technology and talent in one tiny disc. I know, because the same happened to me when I played Morrowind (the game which came before oblivion), for the first time. But now I can see oblivion for what it really is. Another attempt at raking in the dollars by appealing to a market who only want pumped up graphics and hack and slash. Hate to say it, but Diablo 2 is more playable than oblivion. Firstly, aside from graphics requiring a chunky computer to run, The combat engine is almost always repetetive and somewhat unrealistic. I mean, if I hit a wolf with a 20 KG sword, you'd expect it to die. Furthermore, it is so clumsy come along another enemy, let alone 3 or more, just forget it. Diablo 2 lets you, WITH EASE, kill dozens. The magic system is completly the same as morrowind and is the alchemy. Items have a 1:1 functionality in that if you need to recharge an item with 800 charges, it will cost you 800 dollars in the game. Leveling up seems pointless however my biggest gripe with this game is that if you build yourself up to be a massive strong arm sword fighter (no magic), or an excellent shot with the bow, prepare to be dissapointed after 20 hours of play because suddenly all the creatures at your level require strong magic ability to destroy otherwise your sword or arrow passes right through the enemy without effect. If this is your first RPG, you may enjoy it for a long time, therefore giving the game a high score of 8. However, to the regular gamer who is not so easly taken in by all the eye candy, you will find a boring repetative game with really nothing to do and most of the gameplay carried over from morrowind, landing a pitiful and most dissapointing score of 2! A so I end this review.… Expand
  20. BenG.
    Mar 28, 2007
    1
    This game is far too slow and has too many obscurities. I definitely did not enjoy it.
  21. ChristopherP.
    Jan 13, 2008
    3
    If you're really into open-world RPGs, don't be fooled by the ridiculously generous scores that Oblivion has received. Yes, it has a vast - albeit painfully generic and mostly barren - world to explore. Yes, there are plenty of things to do, see, and collect. Unfortunately, all of these things are undermined by the game's loot and enemy scaling. It's not just a little If you're really into open-world RPGs, don't be fooled by the ridiculously generous scores that Oblivion has received. Yes, it has a vast - albeit painfully generic and mostly barren - world to explore. Yes, there are plenty of things to do, see, and collect. Unfortunately, all of these things are undermined by the game's loot and enemy scaling. It's not just a little bit of scaling, mind you; it's a mind-boggling, almost painful amount of scaling. It has been done to such a degree that to describe it as anything less than Bethesda selling-out would be disingenuous. There is no incentive to crawl through dungeons or explore the countryside, as EVERY SINGLE enemy and treasure chest will be scaled. If your character is on his second level, expect to mostly be fighting rats and goblins. It doesn't matter where you go; that's what you will be running into until you level up. Every treasure chest and every bit of carried loot you come across will also be scaled. Finally leveled enough to where you can get your hands on some glass armour? Don't go feeling too accomplished, since every last dirt-licking, flea-ridden brigand will also be getting a shiny new set of glass armour along with you. When all is said and done, Oblivion is Morrowind with breast implants, a botox injection, and a lobotomy. Bethesda has removed their flagship series' soul for the sake of a wider audience, and there is nothing left but a dumbed-down husk.… Expand
  22. SilentSputnik
    Feb 8, 2013
    6
    Just like Skyrim, the leveling system of this game is abysmal. Since enemies level up with you, there's a feeling of a lack of progress. Games which are this open have problems like this.
  23. FrankM.
    May 5, 2006
    2
    This game is absolutely atrocious, i can't believe the way people r raving about it. it has nice graphix but ist incredible boring to travel around in the games world bashing wolfs and crabs, the combat system is a disaster to say the least.
  24. TiaV
    Jan 7, 2010
    3
    Every character seems to have a similar voicesimilar face. I've seen peasants that only distinguish themselves from the king by wearing crappy clothes. Face and voice variation is VERY limited. Gameplay is dull and repetitive. To top it all off, most of the characters are HIDEOUSLY UGLY. I mean, seriously, I know that the aim of the developers wasn't to be realistic, but did Every character seems to have a similar voicesimilar face. I've seen peasants that only distinguish themselves from the king by wearing crappy clothes. Face and voice variation is VERY limited. Gameplay is dull and repetitive. To top it all off, most of the characters are HIDEOUSLY UGLY. I mean, seriously, I know that the aim of the developers wasn't to be realistic, but did they really have to make everything so damn horrendous?! Some quests are somewhat unique and interesting, but that doesn't compensate for the lack of variation and the faces that make you appreciate realism more than fantasy.… Expand
  25. DonS.
    Mar 23, 2006
    2
    What a disappointment - The so called "Radiant AI' does not exist. NPCs talk the same rumors over and over again, get stuck at each other and - The graphics are awesome... in a radius of 10 meters around the character. Texture lodding creates huge, ugly blobs on the ground in the distance. - Loading hitches every few meters. - Grass growing only in a 15 ft radius around the What a disappointment - The so called "Radiant AI' does not exist. NPCs talk the same rumors over and over again, get stuck at each other and - The graphics are awesome... in a radius of 10 meters around the character. Texture lodding creates huge, ugly blobs on the ground in the distance. - Loading hitches every few meters. - Grass growing only in a 15 ft radius around the character! - Cities are empty. No more than 5 NPCs in most places, half of which are guards and have the same voice and text - The translation (german version) is horrendous. The worst I have ever experienced in a game. A scroll of healing is listed as "Schr. d. schw. H." on the GUI. WTF?. The game also tells you outright wrong numbers when you try to buy a house - The game is totally unbalanced. My level 1 character can kill everyone by just getting them follow him and constantly casting spells. - The UI sucks. - Load times are horrendous. - The horses in the game are weak and die easily. That is very convenient, since Bethesda just announced that you will be able to buy horse armor from the XBL marketplace... great idea ... NOT! All in all this is a major disappointment. The game feels half finished and I can not recommend it to anyone. Maybe waiting for the platinum edition or maybe a patch through XBL.… Expand
  26. AlexL.
    Mar 25, 2006
    3
    Nothing at all like it was hyped up to be. Graphics are decent, but not even close to the promo shots - scenery loads VERY frequently giving walking anywhere a very jumpy feel, and pop-up style terrain hides everything but your immediate vicinity. Hand-to-hand combat is lackluster and clunky, spells are not very visually interesting, my character (which remains level 1 no matter what I do Nothing at all like it was hyped up to be. Graphics are decent, but not even close to the promo shots - scenery loads VERY frequently giving walking anywhere a very jumpy feel, and pop-up style terrain hides everything but your immediate vicinity. Hand-to-hand combat is lackluster and clunky, spells are not very visually interesting, my character (which remains level 1 no matter what I do to raise my stats) has never failed to kill anything I've run across with minimal, if any, difficulty. Very little sense of achievement for doing anything, menu interface is clunky. My female character has a male voice, and I've heard other players with male characters have female voices. Overall not very challenging with a rather nondescript storyline, fails to be gripping on pretty much any level. Certainly not worth $60.… Expand
  27. TimmyB.
    Dec 9, 2006
    4
    This game is really repetative with a uninteresting storyline the most frustrating save system ever, for people who don't save it every two seconds, spells are all the same, linear and limited weapon and armour choice.
  28. TuomasKoskela
    May 6, 2007
    0
    I have to gave it zero,because how bad this Xbox360 version is compared to it's far superior big brother PS3.XO version has lots of sloppy slowdown and framerate issues.Bottom line:Get this on PS3, and get ready for best version of Oblivion.
  29. WoWPlayer
    Jun 24, 2007
    0
    If you have ever played a good RPG, you will be disappointed. Very disappointed. The game is probably worth a 2, I gave it a 0 to try and curb the obvious Overhype. 1) Leveling is a bad thing - You actually can lvl up in a corner, by yourself, just casting light (flashlight), which you will do, ALOT, because the game is constantly in the dark. When you lvl, the enemies lvl, automatically. If you have ever played a good RPG, you will be disappointed. Very disappointed. The game is probably worth a 2, I gave it a 0 to try and curb the obvious Overhype. 1) Leveling is a bad thing - You actually can lvl up in a corner, by yourself, just casting light (flashlight), which you will do, ALOT, because the game is constantly in the dark. When you lvl, the enemies lvl, automatically. You're better off staying at a lower lvl, which you get to by Powerlvling - by yourself - in the corner. 2) The graphics are gorgeous. Wait - why is that bad - because you rarely get to enjoy them. 1/2 time its dark, 1/4 it's dusk or tinted by something into a red or blue color, 1/4 you are in the corner powerlvling on a summon. 3) This should be on a PC. You have many abilities and can even create your own. But 4 little buttons (directional pad) means you are constantly pausing to change your spells and always pressing the wrong thing. My opinion, the quests, etc are buggy and uninteresting. Gonna sell mine back to EB cause I havent played for 6 mths or more.… Expand
  30. TomW.
    Mar 21, 2006
    3
    The game offended me and I got scared but I enjoyed it. thank you
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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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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