The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

"The Elder Scrolls IV: Review"

Overview
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion or Tes is a free form rpg. You can do whatever you want and how you want. You start making an character and you get used to the game then you get to picking what you want for skills. The beginning is to die for thanks to a certain prisoner across from you. Some things could be better such as more hairstyles, more lines from the npc, different voices, and a few more.

Gameplay
The reason anybody plays games is because of this. This game is one of the best rpgs ever. You get to choose from 7 races and make your own face from about 9 sliders and subsliders for each one. You choose major skills, minor skills, and a birthsign and your on your way. Of course each race is good at certain things. Most races have sterotypes such as Bosmers or wood elves only are good at ranged combat. Nords fight with heavy armor and big weapons. The buttons is mapped out for the joystick very well. It starts to feel natural in a matter of 5 minutes. A new thing the developers created is Radiant AI. This makes the world more realistic by giving NPC's scripts and talk to each other while you travel. Most of the time they talk about things you done, daedra worship, or trainers. After a while It starts to get repititve. Also the game is leveled so you don't have to worry about reaching level 30 so you can fight the final boss. You could beat the game at level 1 but you won't get some of the rarest items in the game or get the most out of the game. Combat is another thing they did differently since Morrowind. The combat is more straghtforward then Morrowind. In Morrowind if you were right in fromt of somebody if your Blade ability isn't high enough you would constanly miss now you will always hit somebody if there in range. Also enemies bodys respond to the damage that is taken. If you shoot an arrow in somebodys head they will go flying which is always a sight to see. All in all gameplay is more intuitive and fluid than prodecessars mainly due to the power of the PS3/
9/10

Graphics
The graphics are breathtaking. People faces show emotions very realistically. Old people have wrinkles and there skin is pale. Weapons look very good espically when the light hits them. And amulets look very expensive if you can afford them. The city also comes to life very well thanks to the graphics. Every city looks beautiful even Brazil which is basically a hooverville. The graphics will shock you see as how the game is so humongous.
8/10

Sound
Sounds are very realistics. When you take a hike on a good day you will hear birds chirping your armor clanking together as you walk. It could be better if the citizens had more that 5 voices in different tones. But for a next gen title you would expect the main character to at least have one line. And the game sound are affected by your position. If somebody is talking and you walk away there voices will fade away. While being overlooked by its bigger brother graphics it still brings the game together.
9/10

Pros
+high replay value
+long gameplay
+great graphics
Cons
-NPC's get repititive
-avergage voice acting

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/17/07