Made by Bethesda Softworks, the Elder Scrolls series had always been regarded as some of the best RPGs the world has ever seen. Oblivion is introduced in PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 format. It is one of the many mediaeval RPGs, filled with magic, monsters, dungeons, and heroes. The setting is in the fictional province Cyrodiil, in the world of Tamriel. The player makes a character, using one of ten races. Each race has their strengths and weaknesses, however once you choose a race you are stuck with it for the rest of the game, so it is best to look at the abilities of the race first before choosing. The main quest begins as soon as the race is chosen. After a short tutorial the player will set on an adventure, and living another life.
The Good:
The gameplay is simply incredible, centred around the main quest. As the hero (you) go on a quest to save the world from demonic Deadras and prevent them from sending out their vast armies through the gates of Oblivion. There are also numerous minor quests such as protecting a farmer’s livestock from bears, killing vampires, saving villages and etc. There are also several factions a player may join, and advance through the ranks and eventually becoming the leader of the faction. Factions include: Mages Guild, Fighters Guild, Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, and many more. There are also Daedric statues that you may go on for even more quests and fun rewards.
There are also different classes for characters, each with an unique combination of magic, stealth, range, or melee. This game isn’t just about running toward enemies and killing everybody mindlessly, sometimes crucial decisions arises such as deciding if a person is guilty or not, or deciding a strategy to save a hostage
Even if you loathe quests there are still many things you can do, such as exploring the humongous map with over 250 points of interest, or levelling up some of your many abilities. With over 20 skills, and each with a maximum level of 100 you are in total control of your character’s power. You can even become a fighter in the arena, battling dangerous and powerful foes. You can even become a business man by investing in a shop that will increase your profit when you sell your loot.
The quest system is one of the most sophisticated and user-friendly of all games. the interface helps and guides the player through different quests with 2 maps, arrows, active/current quests, and player journals (objectives). On the giant world map, players may “quick travel” from current location to other discovered locations or townships.
The battle interface is terrific as well, with first person and third person views. There are also hot keys for quickly switching between weapons, items, and magics.
The layout of the game’s environment and scenery really is a masterpiece. There are wild animals in the forest, fishes in the lake, and crabs on the shore. The dungeons, caves, ruins, villages all have their unique features and are simply alluring. The PS3 graphics are a step-up from the Xbox 360 counterpart.
The PS3 version even gives the buyer a bonus feature – Knights of the Nine plugging.
The sound effects of Oblivion are very realistic, and the mood of the music changes from places to places, ranging from terror to relaxation, happiness to sadness.
The Bad:
Although there are a lot of things you can do in the game, it will bore you eventually, as some of the quests are quite repetitive.
The graphics of the citizens are bad, everyone, regardless of race, looks like an ogre. The appearance of the NPC characters look similar in all game systems, the only improvement for the PS3 is the background scenery.
For certain quests some presentations aren’t crystal clear, and may cause frustration in some players.
There are quite a few glitches, especially in the newer, unpatched versions. Sometimes when glitches occur you can reload a saved game, but other times, you might never be able to do a particular quest. Glitches might also cause the game to freeze.
The combats aren’t very mesmerizing, as there are only a few ‘moves’ you can use. It is a simple, block, counter attack, block, and counter attack. If you are actually expecting a crazy combat or fight, then this is not the game for you.
The worst aspect of this game and many other RPGs is the fact that it has no multiplayer. It the Elder Scrolls adopted World of Warcraft style and made the game multiplayer, then without a doubt, it’s the best RPG game ever made.
In conclusion, this is definitely one of the best games out there, especially for RPG fans. It is a must have for all PS3 gamers. It is packed with well over 100 hours of adventures that will keep you busy for months.
