The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 5th Anniversary Edition

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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is an open-world RPG set in the fantasy world of Tamriel. As the prophesized hero, you must save the realm from the malevolent forces of Oblivion and its daedric prince, Mehrunes Dagon. The game offers a vast world to explore, hundreds of quests, and a deep character customization system.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 26,780 reviews

story2,292 positive mentions

stability434 negative mentions

story
5,662 mentions
40 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" is often praised for its engaging main quest and rich side quests, particularly those associated with the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild, which many players find to be some of the best in the series. While the main storyline involves the player helping to close the gates of Oblivion and save Tamriel from a demonic invasion, it is the numerous side quests and guild narratives that truly shine, offering depth and variety that enhance the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding the game's graphics and combat mechanics, the storytelling and quest design remain compelling, making it a beloved title among RPG fans.
- “The story is absolutely fantastic, and the characters are amazing.”
- “The quests are unique and engrossing, and the world is fun to explore.”
- “The dark brotherhood quest line is easily the best in the series with a long and convoluted story I can't really talk about without spoiling major plot points.”
- “The main quest is bland and repetitive, with too many fetch quests that make it feel like a chore.”
- “The story is pretty standard and not very exciting, lacking depth compared to other titles in the series.”
- “The main storyline is uninspiring and can be completed at level 1, making it feel less engaging than the side quests.”
graphics
2,493 mentions
29 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The graphics of "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 2006 release, with many players noting the awkward character models and textures that have not aged well. However, the game's vibrant art style and immersive environments still manage to captivate, especially when enhanced with mods that improve visuals and fix bugs. While some players find the graphics a barrier to entry, others appreciate the nostalgic charm and depth of gameplay that overshadow these visual shortcomings.
- “I absolutely love the graphics of the game; the bright and colorful painter style of the game is pleasing to some degree.”
- “Even without mods, the game holds up rather well due to its art style and overall aesthetic.”
- “The graphics may be dated, but they have charm.”
- “As many may know, this game is a bit dated at this point, so graphics and sounds are a bit older and don't have the quality of modern games that people expect.”
- “The game is janky and the graphics are severely dated.”
- “The graphics may be a little dated, but this game 100% holds up with the gameplay.”
gameplay
1,660 mentions
33 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" is widely praised for its depth and variety, offering players hundreds of hours of exploration, quests, and character customization. While some mechanics, such as the leveling system and combat, are considered dated and occasionally clunky, the game's expansive world and engaging storylines compensate for these shortcomings. Many players recommend utilizing mods to enhance the experience, making it a timeless classic in the RPG genre despite its age.
- “With the inclusion of two expansion packs, Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine, the Game of the Year edition offers over 30 additional hours of gameplay, ensuring long-lasting enjoyment.”
- “Over a decade since its release, Oblivion stands as a testament to the timeless appeal of its expansive world, immersive storytelling, and groundbreaking gameplay mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is solid, the story is engaging, and the graphics and sound hold up well despite the game's age.”
- “The persuasion mechanic would be laughed at today as you basically just recycle a bunch of options like compliment, intimidate, etc. until the relationship meter with that NPC is as full as it can get.”
- “The gameplay and combat is, in a word, awful.”
- “The gameplay feels stiff and janky, the character models look like walking potatoes, the main story is overshadowed by literally every other questline in the game, and the AI is dumber than a sack of hammers.”
music
738 mentions
55 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" is widely praised for its exceptional quality and emotional depth, with many reviewers highlighting Jeremy Soule's masterful compositions as a standout feature that enhances the game's atmosphere. While the soundtrack is often described as beautiful and immersive, some players noted that certain battle themes can become repetitive over extended playtime. Overall, the music is considered a significant aspect of the game, contributing to its nostalgic appeal and enriching the player's experience in the expansive world of Cyrodiil.
- “The music is absolutely amazing and it's something I listen to almost every day since it always makes me feel relaxed and calm.”
- “Jeremy Soule's evocative musical score is a standout feature, enhancing every moment of the player's journey.”
- “The soundtrack is perfection and will make even the most mundane of tasks feel like the fantasy epic that it should be, this is what a powerful soundtrack can do and it hits hard in this game.”
- “The battle music can get a little repetitive, especially when you sink as many hours as I have into this game.”
- “Sadly the music was sampled at a somewhat low bit rate by modern standards - it's still amazing though, there's probably a mod to insert full quality versions but I didn't look into it.”
- “The music is soothing, but during a 100+ hour playthrough eventually it becomes repetitive.”
humor
560 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in "Oblivion" is often described as unintentional yet charming, stemming from its quirky NPC interactions, awkward dialogue, and numerous glitches that create hilarious moments. Players appreciate the game's ability to blend genuine humor with serious storytelling, making it a memorable experience filled with both funny and endearing elements. Overall, the game's comedic aspects, including its bizarre character designs and absurd AI behavior, contribute significantly to its nostalgic appeal and enjoyment.
- “The NPC interactions are hilarious.”
- “It doesn't take itself too seriously, and many of the dialogue sequences and NPC interactions will have you laughing.”
- “The dialogue is really funny, and the delivery is fantastic.”
- “Was that supposed to be funny?”
- “This game took me by the [redacted] and turned me into a god (at being unfunny).”
- “Not funny.”
stability
458 mentions
5 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The stability of "Oblivion" is widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and frequent crashes that can disrupt gameplay. While many find the glitches amusing and part of the game's charm, they can also lead to frustrating experiences, especially for those playing without mods or patches. Overall, the game's instability is a notable aspect, often requiring players to save frequently and consider unofficial patches to enhance their experience.
- “Runs great on 8 year old laptop.”
- “It is relatively bug free, which is a nice standout from the normally buggy games that are released.”
- “What an amazing bug free experience!”
- “It's a buggy mess, and visually not great in the year 2020, but the environments are bright and enthusiastic, and the questing is fun and rewarding.”
- “I'm enjoying myself with this one, for the most part, but I simply cannot recommend the game without the caveats that it is unstable, buggy, and very much a product of its time.”
- “The game is so buggy that you would think it was part of the game's features.”
atmosphere
234 mentions
56 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, vibrant landscapes, and exceptional music, creating a unique and enchanting experience that draws players into its world. Many reviewers highlight the engaging NPC interactions, diverse environments, and the emotional resonance of the soundtrack, which collectively enhance the overall ambiance. While some critiques mention dated graphics and occasional lack of immersion, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature, often considered superior to its contemporaries in the RPG genre.
- “The atmosphere, NPCs, surroundings, unique quests, the details, all of them are extraordinary.”
- “The haunting melodies and ambient sounds seamlessly blend with the game's atmosphere, creating an emotional resonance that lingers long after the game is turned off.”
- “The atmosphere is incredible, the different quests are way more fun than Skyrim's, the music is astounding, the voice acting is hilarious, and the NPCs are goofy.”
- “I felt no atmosphere when trying to get into this one.”
- “Repetitive gameplay, little sense of freedom, awful character models, and a generally uninspired atmosphere.”
- “On the other hand, Oblivion's atmosphere was very bad.”
replayability
208 mentions
38 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players highlighting its vast content, diverse character customization options, and extensive modding community that enhances the experience. Many reviewers note that the variety of quests, races, and classes allows for unique playthroughs, making it possible to enjoy hundreds of hours of gameplay. While some mention limitations in faction quests, the overall consensus is that the game remains engaging and fresh, even years after its release.
- “Oblivion has a lot of replay value due to the sheer amount of content it offers.”
- “The variety of different quests, easter eggs, and secrets make for a highly replayable game.”
- “With ~30,000 mods and plenty of official DLCs, this game has massive replay value, and can be a brand new experience every time you play.”
- “What I do not like is once you complete a faction, there is no replayability like no extra sub quests for that said faction.”
- “Personally, it's not as replayable as Morrowind due to how linear its quests are, and Skyrim is just a lot more polished and nice to look at.”
- “Bare that in mind, but it is definitely worth the $15 regardless. Playing this game for the first time was the most fun I had out of those three, coming back to it is the hardest though. To this day, I can still go back to Skyrim and Morrowind, but I just can't with this game; the replay value just isn't up to snuff.”
grinding
145 mentions
2 % positive mentions
12 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
Grinding in "Oblivion" is a mixed experience for players, often described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the game's level scaling and combat mechanics. While some players find satisfaction in building powerful characters through grinding, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of quests, dungeons, and combat, which can lead to a sense of monotony. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a necessary but often unenjoyable part of the gameplay loop.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The leveling system is a bit tedious and a bit too hard to understand for a beginner.”
- “The combat is poor, the leveling system feels broken, the quests feel shallow, the NPCs are ugly and boring, bartering is pointless, rewards from quests are never worth it, seldom does anything in the game feel completed or polished, dungeons are a chore, the GUI is tedious to use, you can't scroll using the scroll wheel, you can never tell what the meters on the top-right mean, you can't organize your inventory chronologically, looting forces you to keep swapping back and forth between your inventory and the containers even though there can be plenty of screen space for 2 inventories.”
- “The most grievous one in my opinion is the level scaling system, which scales basically everything in the game from dungeon loot and quest rewards to enemy equipment, gradually making the game more tedious as you level up.”
optimization
100 mentions
23 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting frequent crashes, stuttering, and bugs, particularly on modern systems. While some users found success with various mods to improve performance, the overall consensus is that the game requires significant tinkering to run smoothly, and it does not age well in terms of optimization compared to newer titles. Despite these issues, some players still enjoy the experience, especially when using community patches and mods to enhance stability and graphics.
- “The base game runs smoothly even on older PCs and laptops, although you will run into an occasional gameplay bug no matter your specs.”
- “With just a tiny bit of tinkering to get the performance adequate, the experience is great.”
- “Even if you don't plan to use mods, you will want to get the unofficial Oblivion patches, which are actually mods that fix all the minor bugs in the game for a seamless performance.”
- “So Bethesda created another wonderful world, but filled it with all sorts of bugs, lazy design, bad optimization, and every blasphemy known to gamers.”
- “This game is terribly optimized; it does not run well on a modern computer even though it was released in 2006.”
- “The strongest argument against the game currently is that it's horribly optimized for modern PCs, and you will struggle with it a lot.”
emotional
82 mentions
95 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a mix of heartfelt storytelling, memorable characters, and a haunting musical score that resonates with players long after they finish. Many reviews express a deep emotional connection to the narrative and quests, particularly the Dark Brotherhood storyline, which evokes strong feelings ranging from joy to heartbreak. While some players note the game's limitations in graphics and NPC depth, the overall experience is described as both amusing and profoundly moving, making it a memorable journey for many.
- “The stories told in this game are funny, endearing, frustrating, heartbreaking, along with every other human emotion out there.”
- “The haunting melodies and ambient sounds seamlessly blend with the game's atmosphere, creating an emotional resonance that lingers long after the game is turned off.”
- “The dark brotherhood questline made me cry.”
- “Boring, long-winded quests and, in my opinion, a boring story.”
- “Pretty boring story; it's easy to stumble into a too high-level area, too sandboxy.”
- “Other than the music, I think this game is horrible: boring story, boring gameplay, boring everything.”
character development
54 mentions
19 % positive mentions
76 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
Character development in "Oblivion" is praised for its depth and variety, allowing players to customize their characters through a rich skill system and engaging quests. However, many reviews highlight issues with character design aesthetics and a level-scaling system that can detract from the experience. Overall, while the game offers a vast world and immersive storytelling, the technical aspects of character development and design receive mixed feedback.
- “The intricate character development system, dynamic world, and interconnected plot points created a truly immersive experience.”
- “Once you start playing this game you are immediately hooked on the story and the character development, whether you are playing on a high difficulty or just taking in the story it has endless playability and so many hidden secrets.”
- “The options for character development, the great writing, the sheer size of the map and quantity of locations, and the amount of quests, they just don't make enough RPGs like this.”
- “Oblivion gives you such a big world, but fails to deliver a character development system and diversity to keep you going.”
- “The biggest gripes with the game are technical, as the level-scaling and character development in the game is somewhat broken.”
- “It makes the story and character development feel like it's all just been boiled down to fetch quests.”
monetization
21 mentions
14 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
48 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the absence of ads and microtransactions at launch, while also criticizing the later introduction of DLC and microtransaction schemes that have become prevalent in the industry. Some users feel that the game's monetization practices have contributed to a cash grab mentality, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, there is a sense of nostalgia for a time when games were less focused on monetization, contrasting sharply with modern trends.
- “Best part, no microtransactions.”
- “It's funny how far microtransactions have come since Oblivion was released.”
- “Great older game I've loved for years; one word of advice: buy it in-app, not in browser; it works better for in-app purchases.”
- “This game is also the origin of many of the annoying monetization schemes Bethesda has now, and most of the DLC (I own it all) conflicts with each other and creates a very lackluster feeling.”
- “15 € is way too much... wait for a super mega sale or just don't buy this cash grab.”
- “I cannot recommend this or any other Bethesda products as it moves to a microtransactions-based format for its games.”