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