Oblivion is not just a game, it is an experience. You will become part of a new world that makes the one you currently live in, well ... bland. Experience many quests and adventures. Build your character with smarts & street savvy. This is not a game you win, because when it is over, the experence is over. This is a game you are only winning when you are experiencing its many facets.

RPG's used to be top down "god-view" games, which I could never get into. This one gives you the option of First-Person, really putting you in the middle of the action.

If you like pc gaming, you will not be disappointed.

Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is the greatest role-playing game to date. It combines an enormous world, a plethora of quests, dynamic monsters, and intelligent skill leveling into an addictive game you won't be able to stop playing.

The size of the world is staggering, as are the number of quests offered. You can find most quests simply by overhearing conversations, or talking to people. You can also join any (or all) of the 4 guilds: the Fighters Guild, the Mages Guild, the Thieves Guild, or the Dark Brotherhood (the assassins' guild). All guilds come with a number of their own quests, as well as advancement and rewards. Or you can always just wander around stumbling into fights, castles, caves, breaking into houses, and going on random quests. Hours of entertainment are guaranteed, you can spend all your time doing what you want and ignoring the parts of the game you find boring.

One of the improvements over other RPGs is the dynamic strength of the monsters and NPCs. As you gain in levels, they gain in strength. So there will never be situations like in Diablo where fighting skeletons becomes ridiculous after you gain a few levels. This keeps the game interesting, and allows you to go on any quest you want at any time without worrying about your level.

I also love the way skill increases are handled. Each character has 21 skills (7 fighting, 7 thieving, and 7 magic) which gain in strength as you use them. Which means if you never use a bow, your marksmanship skill will never increase. This is an excellent way of character growth because the skills you use the most are the ones which improve the most. When creating your character you specify 7 "major" skills which will increase faster and lead to level increases. These skills can be whatever you want, making most characters into a hybrid of fighter/thief/mage.

The combination of quests, skills, and an enormous world allow an unprecedented amount of flexibility in molding your character any way you like, making this an amazing game for any fan of RPGs.

I spent much of my teen years dreaming of this game. A game that created a world so immense, diverse, and open ended that you could literally be sucked in as if it were reality. Plenty of games in the past came close, Ocarina of Time, and Outcast come to mind. But, I think this game hits it dead on.

I highly discourage anyone from using a guide for this game (online, or otherwise) ... it really ruins the experience. The game is well designed to the point that you feel like you can do anything. Some people may be put off by the lack of direction. Overall, a great experience.

Matthew Overstreet
http://www.swordwares.com

get it. its a good time waster. i got it just for the amazing detail, variety and all the stuff you can steal from peasants.

If you like RPG's.. then this is a must have game.

The only draw back i see is that it is NOT playable online.

The graphics are top notch, game play is good. There are a great many add ons to edit this game as well.. so if looking for an open ended game with well over 300 hours of RPG fun, then look no further.