by Daniel Owens

Created on: July 12, 2009

The Elder Scrolls series has always been at the top of the best non-linear games list. The games changed the RPG genre dramatically, allowing players to make their own choices and follow their own paths. Oblivion is no different, as the latest installment in the series it is definitely the best so far. The usual start, your a prisoner who is released to freedom in a huge world just waiting for you. The decisions begin right away, what type of character will you play? Will you follow the main storyline or freelance doing side quests and joining guilds? Perhaps you don't want to do any of those.

The Gameplay 9/10

Oblivion has taken things up a notch, the first notable feature of the game is the new AI system. Enemies in Oblivion actually provide a challenge to the player, like to swing from the left all the time? The enemy your attacking will adapt to this and counter you. The fighting system is similar to morrowind, moving left to right while attacking with a sword will make you slash while attacking while moving forward will thrust the sword. If you have previously played a TES game you will pick up on Oblivion instantly, if not there is a great tutorial level at the beginning to teach you.

The game provides hundreds of hours worth of quests and mini storylines to follow, along with the main quest chain. You will have to be an extremely hardcore gamer to finish it all! This game can seem daunting at first, but the best part is that roaming around and exploring will open up the story to you in ways other games can't. Don't be afraid to explore!

The Story 7/10

The story begins with the assassination of the king of Tamriel, before his untimely death he tells you about his last living son. You are sent of on a quest to find him, as with no ruler the gates to Oblivion (The games version of hell I guess) will open up and let all sorts of evil creatures into your world. While this storyline will keep you relatively busy, it is still a little short. Not to worry though, the huge amount of other quest chains you can follow will keep you more than busy.

The Graphics 8/10

Boasting the best graphics from a title in the series yet, and a huge step since the last title, Oblivion will have you in awe. The moment you step out from the tutorial level on the game to see the vast landscape that seems to roll on forever you will understand why it is easy to just run around aimlessly for hours. A next-gen title needs next-gen graphics, and Oblivion doesn't fail to deliver this.

Replay Value: TONS!

This game will not let you stop with just one character, you will find yourself making several. You also don't have to worry about repeating quests, this game has enough to do that you can play 5 characters without doing too many of the same quests. Definitely a title worth buying.

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