Game Review: Oblivion

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Oblivion is the latest RPG game in the Elder Scrolls series. The previous game, Marrowind was highly acclaimed, so the expectations for Oblivion were HUGE and it definitely delivered the goods.

When I first started up the game the thing that struck me the most was the vast choices in character building. Not only do you have 10 races to choose from, but you also can alter the face of your character using sliders for areas such as chin, cheek bones, nose length, eye depth, etc. You can even choose the age of your character! You can pretty much make your character look however you want with the only limitation being your imagination. If customizing looks isn't your thing, they also offer a handy dandy randomize feature and I noted that those options were good too.

You start out the game in prison, and you first encounter is with the Emperor who is trying to escape the city without being assassinated...so you guessed it, he recruits you to help. Once you complete the tutorial you get to choose your star sign (gives you an extra bonus skill or boost to your powers) and class. There are about 20 pre-made classes plus you have the option to customize and create your own class. Then once you've made your choices you’re free from prison and you can either continue with the main quest line or wander the world and choose your own adventures.

The open ended aspect of the game is what made Marrowind such a huge hit, and you definitely have the same feeling with Oblivion. If all you want to do is kill creatures and level your are absolutely free to do that. However, I found the main story line to be extremely entertaining and found myself questing long into the wee hours of the morn on several occasions. (I'm usually in bed by 11pm so that's a big deal for me!)

The graphics are completely amazing, better than any game I've played. And they aren't just good, but they're extremely researched and realistic looking. In most games the only identifiable plants are the ones that you can interact with as a player, but I've seen fields of lavender and hydrangea bushes that are simply part of the scenery! I stood on a mountain top in this game, and said, "WOW!" at the view! It's truly amazing! Plus the detail on the armor and weaponry is incredible. I think anyone (even non-gamers) would appreciate the beauty of this game.

Overall I give this game 5 stars. The vastness of the game will keep me entertained for a LONG time.