The Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion

Quick Thoughts

1. I've played this game for more hours than any game on the 360.  Maybe 500 over about four years.  I've always played in bursts, very obsessively.  My typical single-game time is about 100 to 150 hours over about two to three months.  And I know most of the game very well.  It's very good today.  When it came out, in 2006, it was the best.  Of its type, of the era, and probably in the history of single-player RPGs.  Arguably, it was the highest quality game of all time (when it first came out).
2. So why was it so good?  It has the benefit of being the first in the new (Now old) generation of HD games.  The graphics at the time were unbelievable.  And detailed.  On even the hugest TV.  That's become normal, but it wasn't in 2006.
3. More than that, the gameplay and missions were well crafted.  The game pace moved along well.  Combat was exciting.  Plus the world was a huge sandbox waiting to be explored.  Character advancement was really well thought-out and balanced.  The number of different environments made it so the game was always throwing you another challenge.  The interaction with the NPCs was entertaining.  But the graphics on a big screen TV are what set it apart.  Superior graphics and overall high quality made it so the game could be fully immersive if you wanted it to be.
4. I recently decide to play the game through again after playing Dragon Age: Origins; partly to see how the game stood up over time.  It had been more than two years since I had played Oblivion.  But it took me no time to remember where the good stuff was and how to slowly make a truly dominating character.  The missions were familiar, the gameplay felt a littled aged compared to the newer games.  The storyline didn't feel very original anymore.  I played anyway.  Building a character, watching them build skills and get more and more powerful as they slowly progress level after level, is the heart of any RPG.  It didn't take long before I was hooked again, routinely up at 1AM.  I just wanted to do ONE more thing, finish ONE more quest, get ONE more powerful magic item, get up ONE more level, etc, etc, etc... before going to bed.
5. Yeah, it can be addicting.  I played for over 120 hours in this last stretch.  Once again, over a two to three month period.  I put it down about three weeks ago.  I don't think I'll ever pick it up again.  But who knows.  I've said that before.
6. So how does it compare to Dragon Age: Origins?  Graphics are similar.  Gameplay is similar.  Superior story and characters are what really moves Dragon Age above Oblivion.  But, Oblivion holds it's ground.  Not bad for a first generation HD game.

Metacritic Score: 94