Vast and all encompassing are understatements!
Saying Oblivion is vast and addicting would be an under-statement. I’ve played many rpgs but none quite so in depth as Bethesda’s dream child. That in mind Oblivion is not for everyone. If you prefer quick games or very simple mechanics stepping into the world of elder scrolls is intimidating and a bit daunting. Yet for those that have the patience to stay the course it is an extremely rewarding undertaking.

The first thing you should know is Oblivion is 2 years old. Personally I still think the environments and character models are breath taking however watching your character jump immediately shows you the physics engine is not the best especially when it comes to the movements of your created avatar.

However if you can forgive that short coming and a few other small glitches and frame skips here and there this is still one of the best games for the 360 to date.

Character customization is very detailed. Whether you want your character to look “hawt” or are tired of the beautiful people cliches opting to make your hero rough around the edges you’ll be able to go in any direction you desire.

Furthermore there are many races to choose from. Being new to elder scrolls my terminology is still a bit flawed but I went ahead to create a cute Nord girl. “Nords” grew up in the north lands and are highly resistant to cold. You will find each race has an interesting history and set of racial bonuses. Perhaps the most commendable attribute is whether you are a human, nord, cat-folk, lizard-folk, or high elf you are not penalized by the usual imbalanced character creation flaw in other rpgs in which some races are all powerful while others are loaded with flaws. I ciphered through each species reading their attributes and traits trying to find an unfair advantage but in the end there was no bone to pick.

Much like fall out you have the choice of going first person or 3rd person. Admittedly things are much easier in first person but it is still a nice added feature to be able to zoom out and look at your avatar whenever you choose to. The controls are simple. One trigger attacks, the other trigger blocks, and right shoulder button casts assigned spells. You can hot-key spells to be selected by your d- pad and y makes you jump while x and b handle menus as well as picking up loot.

In the tutorial you are a prisoner that is set free. The Emperor Uriel Septim has come under attack and lucky enough the hidden escape route happens to be through your cell. As you go through the sewers helping the emperor’s elite guards slay assassins the way you do tasks makes those you have conversations with hint at what class you would be best at. You can go with what they suggest or choose something else. Amazingly enough you can even design your own class if you are patient enough to do so. Uriel asks you under what astrological sign you were born which determines additional merits and penalties.

In the end the good emperor dies. He leaves you with a dragon amulet and charges you with finding his illegitimate son to take up the responsibility of a ruler. Apparently you are tied to a prophecy to save the land by closing the foreboding gates of Oblivion. Cliche? Perhaps so, but it is unfolded to you in such awesome flare you will not care. Did I mention Patrick Stewart has the best kingly voice ever?

Epic cheese aside Oblivion still is an open ended world. You can pursue parts of the main story line whenever you want to but the main enjoyment comes from discovering those out of the way little places off the beaten path. You are not given a time limit and days can turn into an eternity as you strive to join different guilds, become a gladiator, collect herbs to make potions through alchemy, quest for your first home, collect oddities, perfect your bartering and speech craft, and learn the nuances of archery and horse back riding. Once again there are so many crafts and social skills to pursue it might seem over whelming but each skill is easy enough to get the hang of right off the bat.

Unlike fall out 3 enemy placement is more reasonable. You will not find the most powerful demons, vampires, or werewolves lurking around just anywhere. These more powerful foes tend to lurk in specialized places unlike Death Claws that rove about anywhere they feel like it. Of course you can still accidentally stumble into one of these dangerous obscure ruins but that is part of the thrill! (Speaking of vampires and werewolves you can be infected with both vampirism and lycanthropy so tread with caution when dealing with those denizens of the damned.)

The locations and npcs all have their flavorful charm and eccentric quirks which makes socializing interesting. Honestly I did not think Bethesda nailed the subtle humor of the Fall Out universe but they handle Elder scrolls flawlessly.

The quests are diverse with their own tongue in cheek ribaldry. One quest centers around stopping sultry feminist bandits that prey on drunk unsuspecting married men while another quest has you running off to meet an enigmatic fellow at exactly midnight.

Along the way occasional thieves try to rob you and everyone from assassins to town’s guard beseech you for aid.

While you can go about being good or evil Oblivion seems less like an experiment in morality and more of a foray into choice and consequence. I actually applaud of this approach as it seems better thought out and more realistic.

The shivering Isles and Knights of 9 expansions add more to do so be sure to download the extra content by inserting the second disk.

In conclusion suffice it to say Oblivion is a solid rpg. If you love exploration and perfecting a myriad number of crafts, spells, and socializing attributes you will feel right at home. For gamers that lean more on the casual side or prefer colorful overly flamboyant J-rpgs however they may want to rent it to test the waters first. Oblivion is “great” but it is built on a formula we have seen many times before.

Pros

+Open ended beautifully detailed interactive world.

+ Main story line though a bit generic is carried out very well. It’s kind of like reading a fantasy novel of high caliber.

+ Good music and voice acting

+ Myriad ways of doing quests

+ Impressive pendulum swung between choice and consequence

+ Many ways to customize during character creation. Shortly after the tutorial you are even given a chance to change things again if you are not happy with previous decisions.

+ Town Guards out on the road will actually go after bandits. The way people carry on their lives even when not in your immediate Presence makes everything more realistic.

+ You have mounts to make traveling quicker and less of a hassle

+Gorgeous visuals.

Cons

-Occasional frame skips

-Generic enemy types found in many fantasy settings

-A few awkward movement animations.

- Oblivion has so many secrets to find and offers so much to do it may come off as overly complex to more casual players. It’s not an experience you can easily jump into and just as effortlessly jump out of like Fable 2 is.