| This is a rare and remarkable achievement--a | | | | protectors. The emperor, voiced unmistakably by |
| huge, open-ended, complex, detailed role-playing | | | | Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, |
| game that's fun to play and a pleasure to behold. | | | | X-Men), recognizes you from a portentous dream |
| Oblivion not only delivers everything that earned | | | | and entrusts you with the search for his |
| the Elder Scrolls series the devoted loyalty of a | | | | illegitimate heir. But first, you'll need to escape |
| huge following of fans, but also significantly | | | | from the Imperial City's sewers. As you make |
| improves on the weaknesses of its 2002 | | | | your way through this basic dungeon crawl, you |
| predecessor, Morrowind. Morrowind earned | | | | happen upon ill-fated adventurers, their stuff, and |
| recognition for being one of the best role-playing | | | | some ornery goblins, so you immediately get to |
| games in years, but the immersive and | | | | play around with close combat, ranged attacks, |
| long-lasting experience it provided wasn't for | | | | magic, sneaking, lock picking, equipment repairing, |
| everyone. Oblivion is hands-down better, so much | | | | and more. How you survive is up to you--it's just |
| so that even those who'd normally have no | | | | as viable to kill your enemies with destructive |
| interest in a role-playing game should find it hard | | | | magic, weapons, or bare hands as it is to sneak |
| to resist getting swept up in this big, beautiful, | | | | or run right past them. And even though the |
| meticulously crafted world. | | | | sewer setting might sound unimaginative, the |
| The Elder Scrolls series is known for its sheer size | | | | quality of the game's visuals, the exceptionally |
| and depth. These are games that you could lose | | | | good atmospheric sound effects, and the realistic |
| yourself in, spending hours exploring a fantasy | | | | physics all serve to quickly draw you in. |
| world, traveling for miles, or just looking for | | | | Not only is there a huge amount of great content |
| minutiae, such as rare plants or hidden treasure. | | | | in the game, but you can also experience it in all |
| Oblivion lives up to this pedigree, putting you into | | | | kinds of different ways depending on the type of |
| a massive, cohesive, highly immersive world. You | | | | character you create. |
| get to create your own character--the possibilities | | | | Toward the end of this sequence, the game does |
| for customization seem limitless--and then explore | | | | a clever job of recommending a character class |
| the world as you will. There's a compelling main | | | | to you based on how you've been playing. For |
| quest for you to follow, which takes about 40 | | | | example, if you've gone toe to toe with every |
| hours to finish the first time through, but the | | | | goblin you've seen, hacking them up with an axe, |
| majority of the game's content is peripheral to | | | | you might make a good barbarian. But the game's |
| that main quest. You can root out evil in hidden | | | | numerous premade character classes aren't nearly |
| dungeons, join and climb the ranks in a number of | | | | as interesting as the ability to create your own |
| different guilds, visit all the different towns and | | | | custom class. The choices are numerous but |
| try to solve everybody's problems, compete in a | | | | clearly presented, and while you could go out of |
| long series of gladiatorial battles to the death, | | | | your way to create a fairly useless character, |
| break into someone's home and rob them in their | | | | your intuition will easily guide you through what's a |
| sleep, get caught and face the consequences, | | | | complex process. You choose an underlying |
| contract a disease that leads to vampirism and | | | | specialization--combat, magic, or stealth--then you |
| then try to find a cure, buy a house, steal a | | | | choose a couple of primary attributes, seven |
| horse, invest in your favorite shop, and, if you | | | | major skills, and even a birth sign. Basically, you're |
| can believe it, there's much more. | | | | choosing your character's talents. Every character |
| So the breadth of content is as remarkable as | | | | can use every skill; it's just a question of how well. |
| ever, but the most important thing is this: The | | | | Ultimately, this character-creation process is much |
| many types of gameplay in Oblivion are | | | | like Morrowind's, and it shares the same ingenious |
| well-designed and deeply satisfying, even when | | | | design: You get stronger in this game by |
| taken on their own. That's the main difference | | | | practicing and improving your primary skills, not by |
| between this game and Morrowind. This may be a | | | | killing stuff and earning generic experience points. |
| role-playing game, but you could play it like a pure | | | | What's overwhelming about Oblivion is how good |
| action game, or like a stealth game, or like an | | | | it is and how much there is to it. Literally almost |
| adventure game, and it'd still be at least as good | | | | everything that's ever been done well before in |
| as, if not better than, games that are specialized | | | | past role-playing games is in here--done at least |
| in these regards. | | | | as well, if not better. From the quality of the |
| Oblivion does a great job of quickly introducing | | | | story and character interaction to the pure thrill of |
| you to all these different aspects of play, | | | | the combat to all the pleasure to be found in the |
| successfully engaging you rather than | | | | game's little details--the lock-picking minigame, the |
| overwhelming you. You see the world through | | | | alchemy system, the way arrows stay stuck in |
| your character's eyes, but a behind-the-back | | | | their victims, the ability to eventually create your |
| perspective is also available. Initially you just pick a | | | | own spells, the informative full-color manual, all the |
| name, race, and gender for your character, and | | | | different books you can stop to read in the |
| the game opens with you stuck in a dungeon cell, | | | | game--these things combine to make Oblivion one |
| being taunted by a fellow inmate. Somehow, | | | | of the single best, longest-lasting gaming |
| though, you get swept up in a desperate escape | | | | experiences to be had in a long time. It's just too |
| attempt by the emperor and his loyal retinue of | | | | bad there's no multiplayer. |