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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 10 Years On
- Thread starter Bartholomuse
- Start date
Annoucement walkthrough was magical. It looks way beyond anything at the time in RPG market and it actually looked better than final gamefor example objects had dynamic shadows indoors.
Here's that part of the reveal demo, the prison chains having real time physics and dynamic soft shadows: https://youtu.be/de1M4Q_g2eg?t=1m25s
I remember being so taken aback by the super low res LoD that I ultimately just decided to turn it off and the game looked and felt better that way, haha. This was not the first time I had seen a distant LoD so the sheer novelty of it did not impress me as much. I'm pretty sure Far Cry from 2004 had a better executed LoD which didn't stick out as much as a sore thumb.
Overall, I would say that Oblivion was an early adopter of many new exciting technologies but it used them in very crude ways with poor execution which was often not for the better. Like Facegen and Radiant AI.
Probably what bothers me most about it today is the really floaty movement and moon gravity affecting all the jumps and physics, which is very difficult to fix even with mods.
Overall, I would say that Oblivion was an early adopter of many new exciting technologies but it used them in very crude ways with poor execution which was often not for the better. Like Facegen and Radiant AI.
Probably what bothers me most about it today is the really floaty movement and moon gravity affecting all the jumps and physics, which is very difficult to fix even with mods.
BigBeauford
Member
Loved this game, just really wished the enemies didn't scale.
disappeared
Banned
But man Radiant AI was a letdown. I get that the NPCs still had schedules but that shit Todd talked about leading up to release was just flat out false.
Little Old Man
Member
I remember downloading and watching the daily teaser clips Bethesda released in the 30 days or so on Windows Media Player. YouTube wasn't really a major medium in video game footage then.
I feel so old.
I feel so old.
SolarMystic
Member
Yep, same here. Great OP for one of my top 10 fondest gaming memories. I remember the first time I played it was at a gaming console arcade. Played for two hours on a big rear projection flat screen. When I got my own 360 and a copy of the game in July 2006, I was still blown away walking out of the sewers on my pitiful 20inch tube.
Gaming moments like that have been few and far between since.
FrontalMonk
Banned
Every time an Oblivion thread pops up, I always feel like a weirdo.
I loved Oblivion. I bought a 360 for it, and when I finally replaced my aging desktop Oblivion was one of the first games I loaded on it. For me, it was a fantastic game. It was the first game I ever got a thousand gamerscore in on the 360 version, and then I kept on going.
The reason I say I feel like a weirdo though is because everything I said is reminiscent of someone who started the series with Oblivion, instead of the true king of TES, Morrowind. But the fact is, I played the hell out of Morrowind. Hell, my first TES game was Daggerfall. You know what? Yeah, Morrowind was more alien, more this, more that, and yeah Oblivion was more plain, more streamlined, more user friendly...but you know what?
I loved it for that.
I really enjoyed Oblivion much more than Morrowind, because it was much more playable than Morrowind ever was. Morrowind had atmosphere and random cool alien shit in it like silt striders and really unique cities and sandstorms and shit, but guess what? Oblivion had Ayleid ruins, which were fuckin' cool, and combat wasn't 100% shit. Morrowind had cool broken spell shit in it, but Oblivion I could actually play without consistent repeatable crashes to desktop that didn't go away for years. Oblivion may have had level locking and streamlined skills, but guess what? I could explore how I wanted (within reason) without thinking the next zone was ready to murder the shit out of me just because I wanted to see what was on the other side of that hill.
Oh, and there were no Cliff Racers.
I guess what I'm saying is, coming from an old school elder scrolls fan, I was able to appreciate and love Oblivion for what it was, rather than despise it for what it isn't.
I loved Oblivion. I bought a 360 for it, and when I finally replaced my aging desktop Oblivion was one of the first games I loaded on it. For me, it was a fantastic game. It was the first game I ever got a thousand gamerscore in on the 360 version, and then I kept on going.
The reason I say I feel like a weirdo though is because everything I said is reminiscent of someone who started the series with Oblivion, instead of the true king of TES, Morrowind. But the fact is, I played the hell out of Morrowind. Hell, my first TES game was Daggerfall. You know what? Yeah, Morrowind was more alien, more this, more that, and yeah Oblivion was more plain, more streamlined, more user friendly...but you know what?
I loved it for that.
I really enjoyed Oblivion much more than Morrowind, because it was much more playable than Morrowind ever was. Morrowind had atmosphere and random cool alien shit in it like silt striders and really unique cities and sandstorms and shit, but guess what? Oblivion had Ayleid ruins, which were fuckin' cool, and combat wasn't 100% shit. Morrowind had cool broken spell shit in it, but Oblivion I could actually play without consistent repeatable crashes to desktop that didn't go away for years. Oblivion may have had level locking and streamlined skills, but guess what? I could explore how I wanted (within reason) without thinking the next zone was ready to murder the shit out of me just because I wanted to see what was on the other side of that hill.
Oh, and there were no Cliff Racers.
I guess what I'm saying is, coming from an old school elder scrolls fan, I was able to appreciate and love Oblivion for what it was, rather than despise it for what it isn't.
I enjoyed Oblivion a lot and in many cases it feels like Morrowind lite unlike Skyrim which is Oblivion in very lite. I wish I had the same opportunity to play the game on 360 back then, but I only had a shitty PC.
To the poster above: I think what distinguishes Morrowind from its successors the most is not only its unique atmosphere but for me personally the wide scale of content. Soooo many questlines: the traditional guilds, the great Houses, vampire clans, cults etc. Oblivion had its own share of wonderful quests (that Dark Brotherhood) but Morrowind's range just hasn't been reached yet, and Bethesda's recent design choices don't give the impression that TES VI will be any different from Skyrim...
To the poster above: I think what distinguishes Morrowind from its successors the most is not only its unique atmosphere but for me personally the wide scale of content. Soooo many questlines: the traditional guilds, the great Houses, vampire clans, cults etc. Oblivion had its own share of wonderful quests (that Dark Brotherhood) but Morrowind's range just hasn't been reached yet, and Bethesda's recent design choices don't give the impression that TES VI will be any different from Skyrim...
AlimNassor
Banned
I wasn't a fan. I was severely put off by the world's generic feel. I was just a kid when playing Morrowind but, I remember hearing that Cyrodill was like this weird Jungle like place with towns that combined Roman and China architecture, and the Imperial City being like the Aztec capital city in the lake. Instead we got a generic middle age european city, and a half assed roman city with none of the charm.
Don't even get me started on the shitty faces. I spent hours trying to make a cool looking character but, ultimately gave up as the game does not allow it.
Don't even get me started on the shitty faces. I spent hours trying to make a cool looking character but, ultimately gave up as the game does not allow it.
SparksterMeta0
Member
Oh wow. This was one of my first Xbox 360 games while I was in college, as well as my first Elder Scrolls game. And because of that, I absolutely enjoyed it.
It was almost difficult to put down. Tons of quests, creating my own spells and enchanted weapons, arena battles, and great DLC.
And it really got me hyped up for Skyrim when it was announced years later.
It was almost difficult to put down. Tons of quests, creating my own spells and enchanted weapons, arena battles, and great DLC.
And it really got me hyped up for Skyrim when it was announced years later.
It's still one of my favourite games and I think one of my most played as well. My favourite part was the Dark Brotherhood quest line, especially when the entire mole story begins and you have kill all the members in the sanctuary, it was quite intense towards the end. I also abused the duplication glitch every time, I'm a cheater.
By Azura, by Azura, by Azura!
Yup I remember watching this, the fire alarm went off I think.
By Azura, by Azura, by Azura!
Yup I remember watching this, the fire alarm went off I think.
balladofwindfishes
Member
I have such fond memories of Oblivion
Cyridiil is my favorite ES region and it's such a nicer region than Skyrim. Colorful, bright. The atmosphere and graphics really make everything feel mystical. The music is better than Skyrim imo as well. Oblivion's guilds put Skyrim's to shame as well.
But Skyrim has caused the actual gameplay to feel aged. Archery especially, but also Sneaking and just gameplay in general.
Cyridiil is my favorite ES region and it's such a nicer region than Skyrim. Colorful, bright. The atmosphere and graphics really make everything feel mystical. The music is better than Skyrim imo as well. Oblivion's guilds put Skyrim's to shame as well.
But Skyrim has caused the actual gameplay to feel aged. Archery especially, but also Sneaking and just gameplay in general.
King Gilga
Member
Great game, far better quests than skyrim.
Burgess_101
Member
It has the best lock picking minigame.
I bought into the hype back then. A few friends in high school were excited for it too.
It's one of the very very few collectors editions I've bought, actually the first.
The game itself I don't think I would really want to go back to but at the time the scale of everything it accomplished was crazy, warts and all.
It's one of the very very few collectors editions I've bought, actually the first.
The game itself I don't think I would really want to go back to but at the time the scale of everything it accomplished was crazy, warts and all.
So true
Inkvoterad
Member
I loved and still love Oblivion. It was the first "holy shit this is huge" game for me, and i'll always remember it fondly. Also best Brotherhood questline.
AuthenticM
Member
Despite agreeing with everything you say about the game, I still liked it at the time, only because there were no (are still aren't) games like it. My first Elder Scrolls games was the first one, Arena. Then I played Morrowind for the Xbox when it was released, and that game completely blew my mind. It gave me the most intense feeling of playing a game after Super Mario 64, I'm not kidding. The immersion of Morrowind, and that feeling of "you can do anything you want", were unparalleled.
Now that Skyrim is out, and is better in every possible way, there is no reason to go replay Oblivion. Even with mods, the game just doesn't grab me. Bethesda themselves would need to completely remake it from the ground up on a new engine for me to be interested again.
Oh man, the shit they were saying was unreal. It hyped me up to crazy levels back then, but were I not so young, I would have seen through the bullshit. I remember them saying how you could run into a pack of goblins hanging out in front of their cave's entrance, and if you decided to not kill them, they would reproduce and grow in number enough to have a force to attack a neighboring village. Something like that. It was insane.
Yeah, seriously. I am convinced Bethesda went with a generic medieval theme in order to maximize the game's sales, thinking that if it looks too foreign, consumers might be put off by it. Ridiculous. I love Morrowind so much in part because of how alien it looks.
Skyrim falls really flat on the quests which is a significant part of the game. Oblivion at least did those better.
This story was one of my favorite things to come out of Oblivion:
(The images in the original link are dead, so I'm posting an archive link)
I played Oblivion blacked-out drunk and here's what happened
(The images in the original link are dead, so I'm posting an archive link)
I played Oblivion blacked-out drunk and here's what happened
Yes, it is a great game. But now I always remember this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fxVeAVl2I8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fxVeAVl2I8
SolidChamp
Banned
Glarthir, the paranoid schizophrenic wood elf with wild conspiracy theories that everyone in the town was out to get him remains, to this day, one of the most nuanced, detailed and wonderfully realized quests in any RPG I've ever played.
Nobody is going to argue that Morrowind didn't have its flaws. You also aren't alone if those flaws got in the way of your fun. Oblivion did do some good things for the series and there is nothing wrong with liking it for what it was - even more so than the critical darling of the series.
Morrowind is arguably the best game in the history of the medium that plays like shit.... if that makes any sense.
Despite its flaws, i always found Oblivion to be really fun game.
In many ways, i liked Oblivion far better than Skyrim. The skill/class system is more important (despite the leveling issue), spell system works far better (ignoring awkward spell switching) than what Skyrim has.
Also loved the environments, despite...nay, because they're cliche medieval Europe.
A knight in shining armor fighting against invading demons in idyllic countryside, whats not to love?
In many ways, i liked Oblivion far better than Skyrim. The skill/class system is more important (despite the leveling issue), spell system works far better (ignoring awkward spell switching) than what Skyrim has.
Also loved the environments, despite...nay, because they're cliche medieval Europe.
A knight in shining armor fighting against invading demons in idyllic countryside, whats not to love?
Roufianos
Member
Oblivion is honesty one of my favourite games of all time.
I remember getting GRAW and hearing a lot about Oblivion in the weeks after so I bought it without really knowing what it was.
Fucking hell, I'd never played a WRPG before so I had my mind blown twice on the way to Kvatch. Once when I realised that I could stop at an inn and sleep and then I when people reacted to me killing with "someone's been murdered".
The quest design was outstanding too, especially the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild. I'll never forget the quest where you were in a house with a few people and you had to kill them all without them realising you were the murderer.
I loved Fallout 3 too, Fallout 4 and Skyrim just felt stale though.
I remember getting GRAW and hearing a lot about Oblivion in the weeks after so I bought it without really knowing what it was.
Fucking hell, I'd never played a WRPG before so I had my mind blown twice on the way to Kvatch. Once when I realised that I could stop at an inn and sleep and then I when people reacted to me killing with "someone's been murdered".
The quest design was outstanding too, especially the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild. I'll never forget the quest where you were in a house with a few people and you had to kill them all without them realising you were the murderer.
I loved Fallout 3 too, Fallout 4 and Skyrim just felt stale though.
This, unless you followed a careful and pre-worked out leveling route the whole process was entirely pointless.
I remember finishing the main quest, covered in top tier armour fused with the best sigil stones a hero molded from fighting my way through the depths of a hell dimension... and got immediately kerb stomped by a bandit.
Nice write up OP, I can't believe it's been 10 years!
I played Morrowind before this but found it a bit too difficult for me at that time. This game though came along at the perfect time and I agree, it felt like the 7th gen truly started with this game. I have the fondest memories with this game:
-Stepping out of the sewers for the first time to be told I could go anywhere. I'd never played an open world game like it at that point.
-The dupe glitch. Making 300 watermelons appear from dive rock and then jumping down it with my horse, a waterfall of watermelons flowing around me
-Jumping and jumping to level up the agility or whatever it was called, letting me jump on houses and getting out of towns to the unloaded world map
-Questing in general and bringing loot back to my house
This is my favorite game in the Elder Scrolls series because it struck a good balance between hilarious glitches and fun gameplay. Morrowind I couldn't fully grasp and although Skyrim I felt had much better gameplay I missed the old crappy glitches and goofyness of Oblivion. Also, Skyrim was a bit grittier which was neat but I enjoy the more bright world of Oblivion.
I played Morrowind before this but found it a bit too difficult for me at that time. This game though came along at the perfect time and I agree, it felt like the 7th gen truly started with this game. I have the fondest memories with this game:
-Stepping out of the sewers for the first time to be told I could go anywhere. I'd never played an open world game like it at that point.
-The dupe glitch. Making 300 watermelons appear from dive rock and then jumping down it with my horse, a waterfall of watermelons flowing around me
-Jumping and jumping to level up the agility or whatever it was called, letting me jump on houses and getting out of towns to the unloaded world map
-Questing in general and bringing loot back to my house
This is my favorite game in the Elder Scrolls series because it struck a good balance between hilarious glitches and fun gameplay. Morrowind I couldn't fully grasp and although Skyrim I felt had much better gameplay I missed the old crappy glitches and goofyness of Oblivion. Also, Skyrim was a bit grittier which was neat but I enjoy the more bright world of Oblivion.
You're hitting on some key points as to why I loved Oblivion more. Even though much of it was just a forest. Something about it felt real. It didn't feel like a contrived sandbox.
MikeE21286
Member
I remember seeing the screenshots and not believing them before the 360 came out.
Also I think Shivering Isles was the best part of the game for me
I'll remember the game for a couple things:
- technical marvel
- horse armor and microtransactions
- Shivering Isles expansion (expansion packs on a console!?)
- absolutely hating the Oblivion world/portals
Also I think Shivering Isles was the best part of the game for me
I'll remember the game for a couple things:
- technical marvel
- horse armor and microtransactions
- Shivering Isles expansion (expansion packs on a console!?)
- absolutely hating the Oblivion world/portals
People tend to dismiss and underestimate what is familiar and "cliche". That familiarity is what gives those things power, power people don't realize until they play/watch/read it.
I think this familiarity is what makes it feel more real.
Some examples of clicheness and familiarity making things popular or most certainly affecting their success:
I recall seeing an article about Diablo 1/2 that explained how their use of Christian symbol and symbols associate with Christianity and things like Satanism made those games more powerful visually, whether or not the player was a Christian or atheist or whatever. Those symbols are so known in the West they have power there.
Mass Effect is intentionally cliche scifi setting, very reminiscent of Star Wars, Star Trek and other old-fashioned scifi. Yet that very thing is what drew people in, you'd get to experience Star Wars again.
The new Star Wars film did very well, thanks to its familiarity.
"Medieval Europe" fantasy settings seem to be ever popular even if the thing's been redone since Tolkien. I know i like to return to such setting every now and then.
Ivory Samoan
Gold Member
My first TES game, I sunk over 250 hours in on my first playthrough.....so epic.
I accumulated so much gear in my adopted huts, it was ridiculous.
I accumulated so much gear in my adopted huts, it was ridiculous.
Mengy
wishes it were bannable to say mean things about Marvel
I loved Oblivion but honestly it's still my least favorite of the Elder Scrolls games, Morrowind still being the best but Skyrim being right behind it. Oblivion just felt like it was so much of the same, there wasn't enough terrain variety IMHO and those blasted hell gates got tiring after awhile. I felt the side quests were far more interesting than the main quest, but Skyrim is better than Oblivion in every way IMHO.
Still, being the worst ES game for me, it's still a great game, and I loved playing it while I did, but I have very little desire to ever play it again, while in contrast I still play both Skyrim and Morrowind.
Still, being the worst ES game for me, it's still a great game, and I loved playing it while I did, but I have very little desire to ever play it again, while in contrast I still play both Skyrim and Morrowind.
I absolutely adore it despite its flaws. It's the best TES and balances the reoccurring issues with the series just right to be fun yet broken. Morrowind was too stiff, obtuse, and janky. Skyrim was too simple, dumbed down, and sterile.
edit: One memory that stuck with me was shooting a super power lighting bolt spell out of my hand at a wolf and watching him just explode at a million miles an hour into the stratosphere. Best moments
edit: One memory that stuck with me was shooting a super power lighting bolt spell out of my hand at a wolf and watching him just explode at a million miles an hour into the stratosphere. Best moments
SirMossyBloke
Member
Greatest Bethesda game. Especially coming off Morrowind, which was way too big in scale for its own good, and boring.
I think I'm gonna download it on PC and mod the shit out of it.
I think I'm gonna download it on PC and mod the shit out of it.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
I had it on launch and I was also another person who turned in for GameSpot's live feed back in the day. It helped get me excited for the game. I got the guide from EB Games too. It was one of 360's better games. It was when you really saw the upgrade in graphics for last gen. Graphics got better, but during 2005/2006 you didn't have a whole lot outside of Condemned or Kameo. It came out at a great time.
I even remember playing the DLC on PS3 when it released on the console. I did go back a year ago and you can see how graphics got way better. Skyrim is such an upgrade in some ways and you realize how far graphic artists and animators got with those consoles.
This was also at the time when they were talking about how hard it was for game designers to make games for the PS3. This was even before Final Fantasy was announced it was going to be on 360 with XIII.
I even remember playing the DLC on PS3 when it released on the console. I did go back a year ago and you can see how graphics got way better. Skyrim is such an upgrade in some ways and you realize how far graphic artists and animators got with those consoles.
This was also at the time when they were talking about how hard it was for game designers to make games for the PS3. This was even before Final Fantasy was announced it was going to be on 360 with XIII.
bonesmccoy
Banned
It was the 3rd TES game I played, but the 1st that really drew me in.
It was also the last TES game that really drew me in.
Between closing the Oblivion gate with an 'army' of 9 footmen, and then leading an Imperial seige of the Stormcloaks' last fortress with a force of 7, I realised that I can't stomach the limitations of Bethesda's tech, outside of the Fallout series.
It was also the last TES game that really drew me in.
Between closing the Oblivion gate with an 'army' of 9 footmen, and then leading an Imperial seige of the Stormcloaks' last fortress with a force of 7, I realised that I can't stomach the limitations of Bethesda's tech, outside of the Fallout series.
elcuervo75
Banned
Wow 10 years! This was the game that made me get an Xbox 360. I loved Morriwind and I was so hyped for this game and I loved it too.
I wish they would remaster this for current gen consoles.
I wish they would remaster this for current gen consoles.
SoundPulse
Banned
I remember being blown away by the graphics when I got it close-ish to its launch on 360, even on the old CRT I was still using. The luster wore off the more I played it, but I still liked it well enough. I eventually got the PC version many years later, which was fun to mess around with, but eh.
Looking back on it, it's not really something I care to go back to despite some good times with it. Cyrodiil is like 85% the same meadow copy+pasted over and over (with varying amounts of wolves) and is absolutely nothing like it's described in Morrowind. The NPCs all look like potatos with human bodies and the leveling system is hot garbage. The Shivering Isles were pretty darn cool, though.
And hey, Patrick Stewart's in the game for like three minutes, and I love me some Patrick Stewart.
Looking back on it, it's not really something I care to go back to despite some good times with it. Cyrodiil is like 85% the same meadow copy+pasted over and over (with varying amounts of wolves) and is absolutely nothing like it's described in Morrowind. The NPCs all look like potatos with human bodies and the leveling system is hot garbage. The Shivering Isles were pretty darn cool, though.
And hey, Patrick Stewart's in the game for like three minutes, and I love me some Patrick Stewart.
why yes i did buy the horse armor, i am part of the problem
PensivePen
Member
In regards to setting I think it's probably the worst TES game (though I've barely touched Arena). But I still have a real fondness for this game, I played a whole lot of it during a really happy period of my life, so it's hard not to associate those good feelings with the game automatically.
That said there are a few things I think it does really well. Some of the questlines in Oblivion are really good, and I actually think it does a better job of making the quest's feel more involved than other games in the series. The Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild are great all around.
That said there are a few things I think it does really well. Some of the questlines in Oblivion are really good, and I actually think it does a better job of making the quest's feel more involved than other games in the series. The Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild are great all around.
The playable space in Morrowind is smaller than that of Oblivion.
despite being a huge ES fan it's the only game i never really played much of (besides Arena and Daggerfall) so i'm revisiting the game right now all modded out
i really regret not playing the game around the time it came out. i'm sure it would've blown my head off.
definitely aged the worse of the three modern elder scrolls but still pretty great. had a lot of fun on my short time with it on 360, warts and all
i really regret not playing the game around the time it came out. i'm sure it would've blown my head off.
definitely aged the worse of the three modern elder scrolls but still pretty great. had a lot of fun on my short time with it on 360, warts and all