Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the newest edition of Bethesda's top selling RPG franchise. Highly anticipated, the game hit PC and Xbox 360 platforms a week or two ago. I've been playing through it, and I'm far enough now that I can offer some impressions.

I'm not a big RPG player and they often seem daunting. I played Baldur's Gate way back in the day and it seemed mammoth. I never got far before moving onto quicker, easier to play games. The impatience of youth i guess. With Oblivion, Bethesda have struck an excellent balance between old school RPG play and a system that makes it easy for anybody to pick up and play.

Cyrodil, the land in which Oblivion is set, is absolutely huge, but you can fast-travel anywhere, making the often held RPG problem of arduous (and often boring) travel a thing of the past.

The story is classic RPG. To my untrained eyes and ears it seems very Lord of the Ringsy, and is fast paced or slow as a snail depending on how you want to play. If you stick to the main quest, it follows along very fast, moving from mission to mission as you defeat the armies of Oblivion. I've taken a slower approach, completing side quests and whatnot. In this way you can spend many, many hours playing the game, which is nice if you don't have anything else to move onto quickly.



I've only played the 360 version, and the graphics are fantastic. Bright, vivid, brilliantly detailed. Everything you expect a next-gen console game to look like. And this is on a standard television. On a high-definition set I expect it looks even more impressive.

I'm not an RPG player and i'm really enjoying the game. For proper role playing junkies, this game is a no-brainer, you'd be daft not to get it. If you're not a role player, get it anyway, give it a play. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If not, you can part exchange it for most of what you paid for it.


(Edited by Maffrew 24/04/2006 20:45)