Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

My original foray into the world of Oblivion, well both worlds actually, was on the PS3. I was quickly lost in the world, trying to figure out how to get out of these dungeons, intimidated by the skeletons and rats throughout. After the first play, these things were much less intimidating, by the third or fourth time through the game, I enjoyed the slight challenge they presented as I plowed through them on my way to fresher, more challenging prey.

Oblivion marked my first foray into the truest form of gaming. I had finally found the craving to complete the story, the need to not only conquer the world, but also to explore it and find every nook and cranny, discover the different speeches made by the characters as I made my way through the world. I discovered that I enjoy pleasant scenery and a good social dialogue throughout the game to keep me interested in playing.

Gameplay:

The fighting is straight forward and pretty accurate, although you will most likely do some bit of damage as long as you are facing the general direction of your foe and within range of the weapon. The only choppy parts I found were when riding horseback, especially on the black horses, you will have moments of pause while the game loads the scenery. The environment is the best part of Oblivion and indeed the sweet beauty of the rolling hills, forests, rivers, and ocean make the world of Oblivion that much more daunting to enter. As you progress through the storyline, the reddening of the sky as you near an Oblivion Gate raises the level of stress and feeling, promoting the sense of loss to that world you had previously so enjoyed.

Girly Aspects:

While Oblivion is wonderful in its intrigues (I especially love the quest in the Skingrad Mansion in the Dark Brotherhood quest line), I would have liked to see more actual relational development between the characters and the quester. Aside from a couple of comments from the Shopkeeper's daughter about being her hero, or the random side comments about assistance on various quests, not much is stated relationally.

On the up side, the articles and gossip regarding the claim to fame on different quest lines was very pleasing. Hearing the newest name of the victor in the arena was great. It would have been nice if some of the more ignorant attitudes would have been discarded then, once they realized how intimidating my character was. Still, the effort was much appreciated in seeing the notes in the newspaper and hearing the gossips talk, even if most of the time my character was not recognized.