Review The best RPG ever made

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

<a href=http://www.gameplanet.co.nz>GamePlanet</a>, a New Zealand gaming site, has decided to join the civilized society by <a href=http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/mag.dyn/Reviews/3207.html>acknowledging the awesomeness</a> of the best RPG ever made.
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<blockquote>The Elder Scrolls series is the most popular set of solo role playing games ever developed. ... The release of the PS3 now means that RPG fans on the PlayStation can now experience the undisputed king of role playing games.</blockquote>A promising beginning.
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<blockquote>The world of Oblivion is a living, breathing world. ... The AI hidden within the game is one of the best ever developed for a RPG game. Kill someone in the street, and you will be chased down; stealing will result in a time in prison (unless you bribe the sentry). Importantly, though, you need to realise it's not all about you. These AI driven people interact with each other as well. There are stories of players witnessing a computer controlled thief being pursued through the town by the sentries in a random AI event. It's stunning how alive the towns and cities feel because of this.</blockquote>Bethesda PR department strikes again!
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<blockquote>As you explore you will soon find factions and guilds abound. Choosing a guild will lead you to new and guild specific quests while at the same time placing you at odds* with some of the other guilds.</blockquote>* vivid imagination required
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[MetalCraze]

Why should we care about console-fanboys?
They will like this shit anyway, and those who won't... well they certainly deserve it =) But still I can't imagine how can a console user dislike a shit like Oblivion?
They think that Halo is a best action game ever made.

The AI hidden within the game

Oh yes, it's hidden so deeply I can't find it.

Kill someone in the street, and you will be chased down; stealing will result in a time in prison (unless you bribe the sentry)

Sure, but we had the same game consequences 10 years ago. Try again.

There are stories of players witnessing a computer controlled thief being pursued through the town by the sentries in a random AI event

Aha, a fairy tales told by the fire one of those evenings

Choosing a guild will lead you to new and guild specific quests while at the same time placing you at odds* with some of the other guilds.

I tried to use some sarcasm-school spells here, but only thing that worked is WHAT THE FUCK?

 

[flabbyjack]

The late PS3 port of Oblivion is a stroke of genius. Bethsoft PR is still riding the sweet sweet Oblivion gravy-train and that notoriety will carry over into FO3 pr0f1T5!!

 

[Lingwe]

This game is not linear. Yes, there is a main underlying quest that has a specific end point, however the game does not artificially fence you in. Once you exit the opening dungeon you are on your own. You can go anywhere you like, do what you like, and kill what you like. Be aware, though - everything has consequences.

Hilarious. It is amusing to see that some people still cannot comprehend the difference between linear (in which you must play through the quests in only one way) and sandbox (in which you can take the quests in any order).

Everything has consequences. Rofl.

 

[Sisay]

Some day all these journos are gonna play The Sims and their heads will explode of all the incredible AI goodness.

 

[psycojester]

The AI hidden within the game is one of the best ever developed for a RPG game.

Unfortunately the AI was so well hidden that nobody ever managed to fucking find it.

 

[Rei]

At this point, I prefer the illusion of AI having better things to do, honestly. It would probably help conserve resources too.

 

[Section8]

On the author:

Bought up in the days of tin soldiers and board games, he is now our resident armchair general. Works in a Telecommunication development lab. A bit of a history buff and a collector of rare books on the New Zealand Army in World War 2. Is of an age that can remember when a ZX81 was the coolest bit of kit you could buy.

I'll just have to assume he hasn't touched a game since the Sinclair, hence Oblivion is a stunning step up.

 

[Texas Red]

Rare books on the subject of New Zealnd Army in WW 2, eh? How many are there? 2, 3?

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Aren't they tired of giving blowjobs?

 

[DarkUnderlord]

There are stories of players witnessing a computer controlled thief being pursued through the town by the sentries in a random AI event. It's stunning how alive the towns and cities feel because of this.

No, no. That was one of the guards hunting a deer who missed and hit another person who was busy raking their floor.

 

[Ander Vinz]

Aren't they tired of giving blowjobs?

Hey, it's just a man's opinion based on his own experience. Why are you insulting him?

 

[psycojester]

Rare books on the subject of New Zealnd Army in WW 2, eh? How many are there? 2, 3?

Well the ANZAC forces in both world wars did a very good job of killing above their weight.

 

[fastpunk]

The world of Oblivion is a living, breathing world. ... The AI hidden within the game is one of the best ever developed for a RPG game. Kill someone in the street, and you will be chased down; stealing will result in a time in prison (unless you bribe the sentry). Importantly, though, you need to realise it's not all about you. These AI driven people interact with each other as well. There are stories of players witnessing a computer controlled thief being pursued through the town by the sentries in a random AI event. It's stunning how alive the towns and cities feel because of this.

Good old Bertrand Russell had a saying: "Many people would sooner die than think..."

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Aren't they tired of giving blowjobs?

Hey, it's just a man's opinion based on his own experience. Why are you insulting him?

He's

Brought up in the days of tin soldiers and board games

Do you think such man could sincerely love Oblivion? But you're right I'm too rude.

 

[Ander Vinz]

He's

Isn't.

Brought up in the days of tin soldiers and board games

Do you think such man could sincerely love Oblivion? But you're right I'm too rude.

Men playing tin soldiers are freaks. They aren't mature enough even to be pederasts.

 

[Xerxos]

Aren't they tired of giving blowjobs?

Hey, it's just a man's opinion based on his own experience. Why are you insulting him?

Because he is, you know... lying?

He doesn't only sounds like he rephrased Bethesdas PR crap, he doesn't even get his facts straight.

Makes you wonder if he played the game or simply read the PR announcements.

 

[bezimek]

The AI hidden within the game is one of the best ever developed for a RPG game.

Unfortunately the AI was so well hidden that nobody ever managed to fucking find it.

True

 

[cutterjohn]

The AI hidden within the game

Well, at least they got that part right. And, well hidden it is!

EDIT: Damnit! Someone already paraphrased my line! Oh well, I leave this here for posterity, sort of my kilroy was here...

 

[Inziladun]

There are stories of players witnessing a computer controlled thief being pursued through the town by the sentries in a random AI event

I hate this part of the game. You may have a 1 and 10 chance of seeing one of the designated thieves in the game get hunted down and eventually killed for stealing something worthless like a piece of fucking bread.

I think one of the developers watched Alladdin one too many times.

 

[thesheeep]

I think one of the developers watched Alladdin one too many times.

But they surely watched Braindead a thousand times... absorbing title and content.

 

[Relayer71]

Why should we care about console-fanboys?
They will like this shit anyway, and those who won't... well they certainly deserve it =) But still I can't imagine how can a console user dislike a shit like Oblivion?
They think that Halo is a best action game ever made.

Oblivion does feel more like a console-type adventure/action game so it would appeal to some console gamers more than fans of PC RPGs, possibly fans of JRPGs as well.

As a PC RPG it sucks big time and it best represents what's wrong with PC RPGs these days. But lumping all console "fanboys" together and saying they all like shit is narrow-minded. I've played console games as long as I've played PC games and there is "shit" on both sides and in all genres.

And because one is a fan of consoles does not mean one likes every genre it has to offer, same goes with PC games, wouldn't you agree? I like RTS and RPGs on my PC but don't like 1st person shooters or Myst-type adventure games. So it's safe to say not ALL console gamers are eating up Oblivion.

But that rant aside, I have no idea what game "journalists" are smoking these days.

Pointing out the flaws in a game but then saying you like it anyway and listing why is one thing... praising the heck out of features that downright and obviously SUCK (or don't exist) is another. I especially like, "everything has consequence", haha.

 

[jsaving]

acknowledging the awesomeness of the best RPG ever made.

If the article's about Planescape, why are we discussing Oblivion?

 

[Bloodeyes]

This isn't news, it's just another god damned Oblivion review. Enough already!

 

[Keldryn]

And because one is a fan of consoles does not mean one likes every genre it has to offer, same goes with PC games, wouldn't you agree? I like RTS and RPGs on my PC but don't like 1st person shooters or Myst-type adventure games. So it's safe to say not ALL console gamers are eating up Oblivion.

Nor are "PC gamers" and "console gamers" mutually exclusive. I've always just been a fan of good games, regardless of the platform they are on.

Except the PSP. The PSP sucks.



If you go by what you see on mainstream gaming sites and trade shows, PC gamers all like first person shooters, MMORPGs, and a bit of real-time strategy. The big-budget PC game industry has gotten extremely conservative and even more risk-averse than the console game industry.

Oh, and Oblivion is definitely not a casual game. It may be more streamlined than its predecessors, and it may not be what you want it to be, but a game of that size and scope and the amount of play time to get through it all is the antithesis of casual gaming.