The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Posted April 4, 2006
Following up on the rampant success of Morrowind, Bethesda Softworks developed and released The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion for the Xbox 360. While the game didn't make the Xbox 360 launch date in North America, the four month delay gave Bethesda the time needed to polish the title and tweak technical issues. The end result is an epic adventure through a gorgeous, lifelike world filled with enough content to keep any RPG fanatic playing for countless hours.
There are elements of the game that are oddly reminiscent to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, but there are enough differences in the storyline to warrant a fairly unique experience. The story opens with the current Emperor, voiced by Patrick Stewart, fleeing the Imperial City due to a threat of assassination by unseen evil forces. Coincidentally, his pathway to freedom takes a route through a secret passageway in your character's prison cell. As the journey progresses, the Emperor will eventually come to realize his eminent demise and request that you find the only heir to the throne, an illegitimate child of days past. The resulting journey is a grandiose exodus through the blissful land of Tamriel and ultimately into the fiery, hellish pit that is Oblivion.
Gameplay:
In many ways the opening sequence provides a basic experience into exploration and combat which can determine your preferred style of play. Before the end of the prison escape into Tamriel, you will be required to choose a character class and a sign under which your character was born. The game will offer up a suggestion per your actions over the prison escape, but it's ultimately up to you. There is such an enormous array of choices that it can be confusing at first glance. But after weighing all the options, the decision should be fairly obvious. The character class will decide what major skills your character will have to work on to level up. In addition, it's a good idea to choose a sign that compliments your class. For instance, I took the Knight as a character class and the Warrior sign to boost my strength and endurance stats. Also, it's an excellent idea to keep a game save before you make class choices in case your current class choice seems disappointing later in the game.
In order to level up that character you created, a basic understanding of the skill system is required. Simply put, every ten points that your major skills are raised will increase your level by one. Leveling up will provide a selectable bonus to your stats. Also, increasing one particular major skill more than another will attach a multiplier to the stat which that skill relies on. For instance, leveling up 5 points a major skill that relies on endurance will give you a +5 multiplier for endurance on your next level up. Minor skills will also play into the multiplier setup, but they are not used to determine when you can level up. It's a very simple system to get used to after the first few levels and can be adapted for maximum advantage. Another way to boost the stats is to wear enchanted armor. Most quests will contain some sort of enchanted armor hidden in the level. Also, items such as armor and weaponry will only spawn based on your current level. Basically, the game limits what kind of armor that can be worn or damage from a weapon early on to keep everything balanced.
Quests are the easiest way to raise your level, loot, fame, etc. Quests are found nearly everywhere in a populated area. While they always result from speaking to someone, many times topics will be overheard while walking down a street. Inquiring further will usually bring up a quest. While the majority of quests deal with clearing dungeons and such, there are many unique jobs that come into play. One of my favorites has to be a quest to find a missing artist that trapped himself inside his painting. The reward wasn't great for rescuing that poor lad, but the experience was entirely unique and memorable. Quests are much easier to keep up with in Oblivion opposed to Morrowind. The quest menu is easy to navigate and logs of the quests are brought up to peruse through if forgotten. Also, activating a quest will assign much needed travel markers on your map.
Beyond random quests, there are guilds to join up with for provide a series of quests, usually leading up to a fantastic conclusion and an excellent reward. The five guilds/organizations available are the Arena, Dark Brotherhood, Fighters, Mages, and the Thieves guild. The Arena is a gladiator style organization that details your rise to Champion with continuous battles. The Dark Brotherhood is a secret group of assassins who take unique jobs for maximum reward. The Fighters & Mage guilds are fairly straightforward guilds dealing with bloody battles and dark magicians. Finally, the Thieves guild is an excellent way to boost your monetary situation though less than reputable tactics.
Navigating around to these different guilds and quests can be done three different ways. Don't bother looking for those giant, wormy taxi creatures seen in Morrowind as they thankfully didn't return. Instead, you can hoof it to a location, ride your noble steed, or use the fast travel system. The first two are actually preferable to use for unlocking many of the landmarks on the map, but fast travel is my crutch of choice. Essentially, fast travel allows your character to travel to major towns and any location you have visited already. It's also handy for transporting to a nearby location if you need to travel to a place you haven't been before.
If you do decide to travel on foot, be prepared for numerous attacking forces. The artificial intelligence of the enemy is quite exceptional. Human warriors will attempt to flank as well as block attacks via a shield or sword. Magicians or archers will pelt you with accurate ranged attacks and flee when you get too close. On the harder levels of difficulty, you have to rely on timing to destroy enemies rather than waiting for them to attack. Also, using sneak attacks will increase damage exponentially. Unfortunately, the AI of the occasional fighting companion isn't as wonderful as they will often get in the way of shots or sword swings. While it does produce a chaotic feel to battle, it's annoying to have to keep reloading after I've murdered yet another poor soul with my fiery elfin sword.
The achievements, worth 1000 gamerscore points, are broken up over 50 tasks and challenges. While about 35% of the points are awarded for completion of the main storyline, the majority of the points are acquired from advancing in rank over the five guilds. Making your way through all of the guilds to attain all the points will take approximately 25 to 30 hours. Add another 20 hours for the main storyline points and you have some phenomenally worthwhile achievements. Bethesda did an absolutely perfect job of creating an achievement structure that's challenging to complete, yet unquestionably gratifying.
There is no multiplayer or online leaderboards to speak of within the game. There is Xbox Live connectivity when it comes to downloadable content. At the time of this review, a horse armor pack is available for 200 marketplace points. This add-on gives decoration and protection for your favorite horse (Shadowbane anyone?) for a cost of 200 marketplace points. The developers have said they will continue to release new content for Oblivion throughout its life on the Xbox 360.
Graphics:
Many times, I found myself wandering through a new section of Tamriel staring in awe at the beautiful environment. The draw distance seems incredible for huge fixtures such as the tower in the center of Imperial City. The environmental textures are incredibly detailed and incorporate light/shadow effects effortlessly. In fact, the light bloom effects are vastly more believable than seen in any other Xbox 360 game to date. There also seems to be a dynamic shadow effect incorporated which comes in handy for those seeking solace in the dark when looting a wealthy establishment. In addition, the character models are fantastically defined, especially the facial structure. While the facial animation and lip syncing is a bit suspect, the faces have a more lifelike feel which is probably attributed to the light effects. Also, the motion animations for all creatures are accurate and appear true to life. Overall, viewing all of these graphical delights is only enhanced by the Xbox 360's high definition output.
Sadly, all of this beauty comes at a price. There is a very noticeable stuttering problem when traveling along the countryside especially on horseback. The framerate fluctuates rapidly and the game experience suffers because of it. Also, the game will occasionally lock-up during loading screens. My guess is that there are too many textures in cache memory and the console can't take it. The only remedy for this problem is to frequently save and occasionally clear the cache by holding down the green A button during the loading screen. There will be a vast number of loading times throughout the game and their length is dependent on the size of the area which needs to be loaded.
Audio:
The voice work for the principal actors within the game is nothing short of exceptional. While Patrick Stewart's performance is certainly fitting, Sean Bean's (Lord of the Rings, Ronin, Goldeneye) recorded work as the illegitimate heir truly gives credence to the high caliber of the auditory quality. Both of the actors elevate the game experience exponentially with their voiceovers. Beyond that, there is a gargantuan amount of voice work for the rest of the game characters. Every shop owner, city guard, street bum, countess, bandit, or psychotic evildoer has something to say. While many of the voices seem similar to each other, the sheer amount of recorded voiceovers is incredible for a RPG.
Beyond the voiceovers, the directional sound effects are equally impressive. The scraping clank of steel against steel, the scorching wind of a fireball spell, or the welcome click of a successful lock picking attempt are all integral sounds in the gameplay. Quite often, an attacker, such as a growling mountain lion, is easier to pinpoint by listening to their approach. The same applies for whizzing arrows that narrowly miss their target. Finally, the musical score is not expansive, but it does fit well with the nature of the game. Audio cues in the musical score play a large role in warning of an oncoming attack. It's nice to know that I'm being chased down when the attack music cranks up.
Conclusion:
After spending sixty hours in Tamriel, I'm continually surprised to find new areas to explore and new quests to complete. The vast enormity of the game is Oblivion's greatest strength and a bit of a weakness. If it wasn't for the graphical stuttering and the load lock-ups, this would truly be the perfect game. In many ways, Oblivion seemed less like an RPG and more like an action game or a stealth title. I could easily recommend this title to people who dislike RPG games and I'd wager they would fall in love with Oblivion. Even at full price, Oblivion is a definite purchase for every Xbox 360 owner. Heck, they could have charged $100 for a game with this kind of replay-ability.
There are elements of the game that are oddly reminiscent to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, but there are enough differences in the storyline to warrant a fairly unique experience. The story opens with the current Emperor, voiced by Patrick Stewart, fleeing the Imperial City due to a threat of assassination by unseen evil forces. Coincidentally, his pathway to freedom takes a route through a secret passageway in your character's prison cell. As the journey progresses, the Emperor will eventually come to realize his eminent demise and request that you find the only heir to the throne, an illegitimate child of days past. The resulting journey is a grandiose exodus through the blissful land of Tamriel and ultimately into the fiery, hellish pit that is Oblivion.
Gameplay:
In many ways the opening sequence provides a basic experience into exploration and combat which can determine your preferred style of play. Before the end of the prison escape into Tamriel, you will be required to choose a character class and a sign under which your character was born. The game will offer up a suggestion per your actions over the prison escape, but it's ultimately up to you. There is such an enormous array of choices that it can be confusing at first glance. But after weighing all the options, the decision should be fairly obvious. The character class will decide what major skills your character will have to work on to level up. In addition, it's a good idea to choose a sign that compliments your class. For instance, I took the Knight as a character class and the Warrior sign to boost my strength and endurance stats. Also, it's an excellent idea to keep a game save before you make class choices in case your current class choice seems disappointing later in the game.
In order to level up that character you created, a basic understanding of the skill system is required. Simply put, every ten points that your major skills are raised will increase your level by one. Leveling up will provide a selectable bonus to your stats. Also, increasing one particular major skill more than another will attach a multiplier to the stat which that skill relies on. For instance, leveling up 5 points a major skill that relies on endurance will give you a +5 multiplier for endurance on your next level up. Minor skills will also play into the multiplier setup, but they are not used to determine when you can level up. It's a very simple system to get used to after the first few levels and can be adapted for maximum advantage. Another way to boost the stats is to wear enchanted armor. Most quests will contain some sort of enchanted armor hidden in the level. Also, items such as armor and weaponry will only spawn based on your current level. Basically, the game limits what kind of armor that can be worn or damage from a weapon early on to keep everything balanced.
Quests are the easiest way to raise your level, loot, fame, etc. Quests are found nearly everywhere in a populated area. While they always result from speaking to someone, many times topics will be overheard while walking down a street. Inquiring further will usually bring up a quest. While the majority of quests deal with clearing dungeons and such, there are many unique jobs that come into play. One of my favorites has to be a quest to find a missing artist that trapped himself inside his painting. The reward wasn't great for rescuing that poor lad, but the experience was entirely unique and memorable. Quests are much easier to keep up with in Oblivion opposed to Morrowind. The quest menu is easy to navigate and logs of the quests are brought up to peruse through if forgotten. Also, activating a quest will assign much needed travel markers on your map.
Beyond random quests, there are guilds to join up with for provide a series of quests, usually leading up to a fantastic conclusion and an excellent reward. The five guilds/organizations available are the Arena, Dark Brotherhood, Fighters, Mages, and the Thieves guild. The Arena is a gladiator style organization that details your rise to Champion with continuous battles. The Dark Brotherhood is a secret group of assassins who take unique jobs for maximum reward. The Fighters & Mage guilds are fairly straightforward guilds dealing with bloody battles and dark magicians. Finally, the Thieves guild is an excellent way to boost your monetary situation though less than reputable tactics.
Navigating around to these different guilds and quests can be done three different ways. Don't bother looking for those giant, wormy taxi creatures seen in Morrowind as they thankfully didn't return. Instead, you can hoof it to a location, ride your noble steed, or use the fast travel system. The first two are actually preferable to use for unlocking many of the landmarks on the map, but fast travel is my crutch of choice. Essentially, fast travel allows your character to travel to major towns and any location you have visited already. It's also handy for transporting to a nearby location if you need to travel to a place you haven't been before.
If you do decide to travel on foot, be prepared for numerous attacking forces. The artificial intelligence of the enemy is quite exceptional. Human warriors will attempt to flank as well as block attacks via a shield or sword. Magicians or archers will pelt you with accurate ranged attacks and flee when you get too close. On the harder levels of difficulty, you have to rely on timing to destroy enemies rather than waiting for them to attack. Also, using sneak attacks will increase damage exponentially. Unfortunately, the AI of the occasional fighting companion isn't as wonderful as they will often get in the way of shots or sword swings. While it does produce a chaotic feel to battle, it's annoying to have to keep reloading after I've murdered yet another poor soul with my fiery elfin sword.
The achievements, worth 1000 gamerscore points, are broken up over 50 tasks and challenges. While about 35% of the points are awarded for completion of the main storyline, the majority of the points are acquired from advancing in rank over the five guilds. Making your way through all of the guilds to attain all the points will take approximately 25 to 30 hours. Add another 20 hours for the main storyline points and you have some phenomenally worthwhile achievements. Bethesda did an absolutely perfect job of creating an achievement structure that's challenging to complete, yet unquestionably gratifying.
There is no multiplayer or online leaderboards to speak of within the game. There is Xbox Live connectivity when it comes to downloadable content. At the time of this review, a horse armor pack is available for 200 marketplace points. This add-on gives decoration and protection for your favorite horse (Shadowbane anyone?) for a cost of 200 marketplace points. The developers have said they will continue to release new content for Oblivion throughout its life on the Xbox 360.
Graphics:
Many times, I found myself wandering through a new section of Tamriel staring in awe at the beautiful environment. The draw distance seems incredible for huge fixtures such as the tower in the center of Imperial City. The environmental textures are incredibly detailed and incorporate light/shadow effects effortlessly. In fact, the light bloom effects are vastly more believable than seen in any other Xbox 360 game to date. There also seems to be a dynamic shadow effect incorporated which comes in handy for those seeking solace in the dark when looting a wealthy establishment. In addition, the character models are fantastically defined, especially the facial structure. While the facial animation and lip syncing is a bit suspect, the faces have a more lifelike feel which is probably attributed to the light effects. Also, the motion animations for all creatures are accurate and appear true to life. Overall, viewing all of these graphical delights is only enhanced by the Xbox 360's high definition output.
Sadly, all of this beauty comes at a price. There is a very noticeable stuttering problem when traveling along the countryside especially on horseback. The framerate fluctuates rapidly and the game experience suffers because of it. Also, the game will occasionally lock-up during loading screens. My guess is that there are too many textures in cache memory and the console can't take it. The only remedy for this problem is to frequently save and occasionally clear the cache by holding down the green A button during the loading screen. There will be a vast number of loading times throughout the game and their length is dependent on the size of the area which needs to be loaded.
Audio:
The voice work for the principal actors within the game is nothing short of exceptional. While Patrick Stewart's performance is certainly fitting, Sean Bean's (Lord of the Rings, Ronin, Goldeneye) recorded work as the illegitimate heir truly gives credence to the high caliber of the auditory quality. Both of the actors elevate the game experience exponentially with their voiceovers. Beyond that, there is a gargantuan amount of voice work for the rest of the game characters. Every shop owner, city guard, street bum, countess, bandit, or psychotic evildoer has something to say. While many of the voices seem similar to each other, the sheer amount of recorded voiceovers is incredible for a RPG.
Beyond the voiceovers, the directional sound effects are equally impressive. The scraping clank of steel against steel, the scorching wind of a fireball spell, or the welcome click of a successful lock picking attempt are all integral sounds in the gameplay. Quite often, an attacker, such as a growling mountain lion, is easier to pinpoint by listening to their approach. The same applies for whizzing arrows that narrowly miss their target. Finally, the musical score is not expansive, but it does fit well with the nature of the game. Audio cues in the musical score play a large role in warning of an oncoming attack. It's nice to know that I'm being chased down when the attack music cranks up.
Conclusion:
After spending sixty hours in Tamriel, I'm continually surprised to find new areas to explore and new quests to complete. The vast enormity of the game is Oblivion's greatest strength and a bit of a weakness. If it wasn't for the graphical stuttering and the load lock-ups, this would truly be the perfect game. In many ways, Oblivion seemed less like an RPG and more like an action game or a stealth title. I could easily recommend this title to people who dislike RPG games and I'd wager they would fall in love with Oblivion. Even at full price, Oblivion is a definite purchase for every Xbox 360 owner. Heck, they could have charged $100 for a game with this kind of replay-ability.