Ooooohhhhh, yeeeaaaaaaahhhhh... Elder Scrolls, baby. The Frank Sinatra of the hard core western-style RPG. No one has done it better when it comes to artistry, depth and attention to detail. Each tree is hand placed and the the massive world is almost as engaging as any MMORPG in character and moreso in detail.
The Elder Scroll series has also led the pack in another area... technical prowess. The presentation, music and graphics if their games are always cutting edge, and Oblivion looks to be no different.
The game simply looks amazing.
As for gameplay, much of it remains the same. You still level up skills based on usage, not money or questing. There is one main quest with innumerable side quests and guilds and factions to join. The action has changed a bit, though, and this will make a lot of people happy:
If you are in range you will now hit your enemy with every swing of your sword, axe, mace or frying pan. Blocking is also a fast-twitch endeavour now, as you will have to time them out with your enemys' attacks. The damage done with each attack and the amount of damage avoided with each block is still based on your skill levels, but these changes help address previous complaints from those that did not expect a D20-like combat system.
The animations are simply stunning, too. When you defeat an enemy, the physics engine takes the direction of your blow into consideration and affect how your opponent falls, crumbles or disintegrates. This is especially satisfying when hacking skeletons to pieces.
I personally like the changes. It puts a little "action" into what is traditionally a pure RPG experience, but keeps the RPG elements intact. This should expand the base of the series and make Oblivion a solid launch attraction for the 360. Oblivion is true next-gen title.
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Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Video and Thoughts
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