The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is possibly the most immersive RPG to date.

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"The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" is an open-world RPG set in the province of Cyrodiil, where Emperor Uriel Septim VII has been assassinated. The player must find his illegitimate son, the only heir to the throne, while preventing dark forces from taking over Tamriel. The game is known for its immersive storyline, expansive world, and freedom of choice, providing a unique experience for each player.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 24,540 reviews

story2,161 positive mentions

stability417 negative mentions

story
5,301 mentions
41 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" is widely praised for its depth and engagement, with many players highlighting the compelling main quest that revolves around closing the gates of Oblivion and preventing a Daedric invasion. While some critiques point to the repetitiveness of certain quests, particularly the Oblivion gates, the game is lauded for its rich side quests and faction storylines, especially those of the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild, which are considered some of the best in the series. Overall, Oblivion's narrative and quest design are seen as superior to those in "Skyrim," making it a standout title in the RPG genre.
- “The story in Oblivion is unmatched; not even Morrowind can tell a better story, and I love Morrowind.”
- “Oblivion has some of the best and most memorable quests and characters in the franchise.”
- “The quests in Oblivion are honestly some of the best in the Elder Scrolls franchise, especially when it comes to the guild questlines.”
- “The main quest is kind of a chore and I never bothered finishing it.”
- “The main story focuses too heavily on fetch quests & having you do all the work, and ends with you watching someone else fight the final boss.”
- “The only thing boring in this game is closing the gates of oblivion, when you're going through the main quest chain you'll find literally every leader of every city wants you to close an oblivion gate before you can progress, and while this was fun and visually pleasing the first time it just gets very boring and repetitive after a few gates.”
graphics
2,318 mentions
30 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Oblivion" are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 2006 release, with many players noting that character models often appear awkward or "potato-faced." While some find the visuals charming and nostalgic, others feel they detract from the experience, especially when compared to the more modern graphics of "Skyrim." However, the game's strong storytelling and immersive world often overshadow these graphical shortcomings, and numerous mods are available to enhance the visual experience.
- “The graphics, while somewhat dated by modern standards, were impressive for their time and still hold up reasonably well today.”
- “Its such a wonderful game to just wander through despite the old graphics; the settings are still beautiful, and the soundtrack only amplifies the experience.”
- “The graphics are stellar.”
- “Much better than Skyrim, but the graphics are from 2006.”
- “The graphics are dated and the NPC design is awful, but there are mods for that.”
- “The graphics are old and bad.”
gameplay
1,510 mentions
34 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" is often praised for its vast open world, engaging quests, and deep RPG mechanics, allowing for extensive character customization and exploration. While some players find the combat and leveling systems dated and frustrating, many appreciate the game's immersive storytelling and the ability to mod for enhanced experiences. Overall, despite its age, Oblivion remains a beloved title for its rich gameplay and replayability, often considered a classic in the RPG genre.
- “Each quest feels unique and offers a new challenge, keeping the gameplay fresh and exciting.”
- “With its immersive world, deep gameplay mechanics, and engaging quests, it's no wonder that it remains a fan favorite to this day.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and immersive, and there's just so much to do and explore.”
- “The extremely repetitive gameplay that some missions offer; there's also the bigger picture problem involving the bugs, the endless bugs that came with the Gamebryo engine.”
- “The overall combat mechanics (magic and sword fighting), skills system, and inventory system are outdated and clunky.”
- “The level scaling can be bad, but all you have to do is decrease gameplay difficulty.”
music
683 mentions
55 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" is widely praised for its exceptional quality and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting Jeremy Soule's masterful compositions as a standout feature. The soundtrack effectively enhances the game's atmosphere, adapting to various scenarios and locations, and is often described as beautiful, nostalgic, and unforgettable. While some players noted occasional repetitiveness in the tracks, the overall consensus is that the music significantly enriches the gaming experience, making it one of the best soundtracks in video game history.
- “The game's soundtrack is also excellent, with a mix of ambient and orchestral music that helps to set the tone for the game's various locations and encounters.”
- “The soundtrack alone could justify playing this game.”
- “The music is the cherry on the top of an amazing scene.”
- “The music just cutting out.”
- “Game came with a very weird bug that would cause the game to freeze every time music changed, which was upsetting because I planned on actually having music in the game, but the easiest fix is to unfortunately disable the music.”
- “The music is soothing, but during a 100+ hour playthrough, eventually it becomes repetitive.”
humor
511 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in "Oblivion" is largely characterized by its unintentional comedic elements, stemming from awkward NPC interactions, bizarre glitches, and hilariously bad voice acting. Players often find themselves laughing at the game's outdated graphics and the absurdity of character designs, which contribute to its charm. Overall, the game is celebrated for its quirky humor, making it a memorable experience despite its flaws.
- “The glitches, random NPC interactions, and other funny occurrences are what makes Oblivion, Oblivion.”
- “The dialogue is hilariously bad, which makes it funny, and it doesn't detract too much from the experience.”
- “The NPCs are hilarious half the time; I feel the sneak is a bit broken but with very little time (yes 10 hours is a short time compared to my days on PS3) I have enough knowledge to tell the game is very well worth all your time playing this game.”
- “Was that supposed to be funny?”
- “This game took me by the [redacted] and turned me into a god (at being unfunny) ps zombies.”
- “Not funny.”
stability
439 mentions
5 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including crashes and broken quests. However, some players find these issues endearing and part of the game's charm, often recommending the use of mods to enhance stability and fix problems. Overall, while the game is considered buggy, it remains enjoyable for many, especially those familiar with Bethesda's titles.
- “It is relatively bug free, which is a nice standout from the normally buggy games that are released.”
- “Absolutely no glitches or exploits!”
- “What an amazing bug-free experience!”
- “This game is 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.”
- “The game is so buggy you need unofficial patches for your unofficial patches on top of separate modifications to stop the game from crashing every 10-15 minutes (this is not an exaggeration).”
- “It's a buggy mess that's ugly as sin.”
atmosphere
207 mentions
54 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant landscapes, immersive sound design, and memorable music, creating a captivating experience that draws players into its world. Many reviewers highlight the unique charm and diversity of environments, from picturesque forests to unsettling dungeons, which contribute to a rich and engaging atmosphere. Despite some criticisms regarding dated graphics and occasional technical issues, the overall ambiance and emotional resonance of the game remain standout features that resonate with players long after their initial playthrough.
- “The atmosphere, music, NPCs, etc. were unlike anything I've ever seen when I was a kid and I was hooked instantly.”
- “The atmosphere created by the music is very well fitting, from the grandeur of the wilds to the tension within vampire-ridden ancient tombs.”
- “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.”
- “Repetitive gameplay, little sense of freedom, awful character models, and a generally uninspired atmosphere.”
- “On the other hand, Oblivion's atmosphere was very bad.”
- “The horrid voice acting, broken game engine, horrible animations and general jank paired with Cyrodiil's idyllic atmosphere and the mesmerizing soundtrack make for one of the comfiest RPG experiences in existence.”
replayability
197 mentions
39 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The replayability of Oblivion is widely praised, with many players highlighting its vast content, diverse character customization options, and engaging quests that encourage multiple playthroughs. The extensive modding community further enhances the game's longevity, allowing for fresh experiences and endless gameplay possibilities. While some reviewers note that it may not be as replayable as Morrowind or Skyrim, the overall consensus is that Oblivion offers significant replay value, making it a timeless classic in the RPG genre.
- “The replay value is also very high with the mix of races/classes/birthsigns giving you very different play-through each time.”
- “The variety of different quests, easter eggs, and secrets make for a highly replayable game.”
- “Oblivion is a highly replayable and customizable open-world RPG with a ton of open-endedness.”
- “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 3, coming back to it is the hardest though, though 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
141 mentions
2 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
87 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and monotonous, with many players expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of combat, quests, and leveling systems. Reviewers note that the game's design often leads to a sense of exhaustion, particularly due to the scaling of enemies and the lack of engaging content in dungeons and open-world exploration. While some players appreciate the immersive story and character interactions, the overall sentiment is that the grinding elements detract significantly from the enjoyment of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Tedious, monotonous combat, boring open-world with nothing to do but fetch quests.”
- “The leveling system is a bit tedious and a bit too hard to understand for a beginner.”
- “The dungeon design gets so old so quickly, and the combat is fairly lacking too - especially when the game becomes more and more tedious and unbalanced in a bad way with the combat the more you level up.”
optimization
90 mentions
26 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant bugs, performance issues, and frequent crashes, particularly on modern hardware. While some users have found success in improving performance through various community mods and tweaks, the overall experience remains inconsistent, often requiring extensive modding knowledge to achieve a playable state. Despite these challenges, a few players noted that with the right adjustments, the game can run smoothly, but it still falls short compared to newer titles in terms of optimization.
- “Just make sure you use optimization mods and ideally the character overhaul mod so people don't look as if they're covered in layers of cobwebs.”
- “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.”
- “This game is terribly optimized; it does not run well on a modern computer even though it was released in 2006.”
- “Even with these mods, I had frequent crashes and stuttering, as well as some bugs due to Oblivion just not being made for modern hardware.”
- “Great game, one of my favorites from back in the day, but on modern multi-core processor-based systems, it is poorly optimized.”
emotional
74 mentions
95 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by players' deep connections to its characters and storylines, often leading to cathartic experiences and moments of genuine sadness. Many reviews mention the impactful quests, particularly the Dark Brotherhood storyline, which evoke strong feelings and memorable moments, while the humor and absurdity present in the game provide a balance that enhances the overall emotional experience. Overall, players find the game to be a rich tapestry of heartfelt narratives and comedic relief, making it a memorable journey.
- “It has the most emotional, beautiful, meaningful, and proud quests in all TES games.”
- “Good story with a cathartic ending and really deep NPCs with lots of emotional depth.”
- “The ending always leaves me emotionally ruined... I won't be leaving my room until next year... 10/10 GOTY.”
- “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
46 mentions
20 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and variety, offering players numerous skills and quests to explore, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. However, many reviewers criticize the character design and leveling system, noting issues such as poor balancing and the frustrating level-scaling that diminishes the RPG experience. Despite these flaws, the engaging story and expansive world contribute to a rich character development experience that many players find rewarding.
- “Love the diverse gameplay and the character development variety.”
- “Great depth of character development and a wealth of skills to build.”
- “The atmosphere, the music, the character development, and the story are all world-class.”
- “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.”
- “In fact, I dare say it's a broken piece of shit with samey environments, little to no actual choice in quests or character development, and horribly boring combat.”
monetization
17 mentions
18 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
53 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users expressing frustration over the prevalence of microtransactions and mini-DLCs that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the game's nostalgic value, they view its monetization strategies as cash grabs that undermine its quality and integrity. Overall, players recommend avoiding purchases or waiting for sales due to perceived overpricing and the negative impact of modern monetization practices.
- “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 with 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.”