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Like many people last night, I spent my evening playing Oblivion, and loving every minute of it! I'll get tot he details in a moment, but first of all, I have to say that this game has impressed me so far.
When I first launched the game it detected my video hardware and set me to the "low quality" setting. This worried me a little, making me think that I was going to miss out on the wonderful graphics because I'm playing on a solid mid-line rig. Boy was I wrong! Even at "low quality" the game is breathtaking! The architecture is stunning, the landscape lush, the character models nearly photorealistic; and the best part is that it runs smoothly.
Loading times was a concern I had before I played the game. I thought that, like Half-Life 2 I was going to be sitting through insanely long load times. Again, I was way wrong: the longest load time I have sat through so far was approx. 22 seconds. That's it!
Character creation was a joy! I love how Bethesda streamlined the skill system into what we see in Oblivion. It's a lot better than the forty-odd skills from Morrowind. The amount of control you have over creating your character's unique face is staggering. If you tried hard enough you could create a digital doppelganger of yourself in Morrowind.
I created a Dark Elf (Dunmer) custom-class character. He's basically a thief, but I rearranged some of the skills to take advantage of the Dunmer's bonus to Destruction (replacing Speachcraft) but other than that, he's a thief through and through.
Sneaking is so much better than in Morrowind because of the simple fact that you can run/sprint while sneaking and you can also jump while in stealth mode, two things that were completely impossible in Morrowind. Also combat is awesome! Having control of the block skill makes timing and skill a must, and the simplified casting system round out the whole package perfectly. Instead of having to switch between "combat" mode and "casting" mode, like you did in Morrowind, you just have one mode wherein you can do both.
Ranged combat is improved as well, and it's great to whip out a bow while you're sneaking around just to get the bonus sneak attack damage. Just remember to compensate for distance by aiming a little above your target, for long shots anyway.
Lock picking is a lot more challenging in this game. Before you just told your PC to pick the lock and let the background dice-rolls take control. Now you actually have to pick the lock by hand, with your security skill providing a little help along the way. It's frustrating and difficult, but extremely rewarding when you start getting good at it because you feel as if you accomplished something when you hear that satisfying click.
However, there is one problem I have encountered that completely frustrates me: stolen goods. When you steal an item it is forever marked with a red hand icon, saying that it has been stolen. This means that you cannot sell them to normal merchants. I would be fine with this if, after a couple of in-game days, the red icon disappeared, but it doesn't. The only way you can sell stolen goods is by finding a fence (for those who don't know, a fence is someone criminals sell stolen goods to) The only problem is that after four hours of game play I still have not found a fence to sell to. If anyone knows where I can find one, please, let me know!
I was excited when I found out that horses were added to the game: rideable horses! They are controlled like real horses (for those riders out there, you know what I mean). The only problem I have is that mounted combat is not possible. If you want to deliver sharp, pointy justice to anyone you have to dismount your horse in order to do it. Small flaw, but still, it's there.
As a side note, Patrick Stewart, playing Emperor Uriel Septim; He does an amazing job and I was pleasantly surprised to hear his voice at the opening cutscene.
Enough of the good stuff: here are the problems I've encountered so far.
When a new area loads occasionally Oblivion just needs a couple of seconds to sort itself out, making gameplay staggeringly choppy for a couple of seconds. Sorts itself out quick, though.
::Spoiler Warning::
I cannot find the Fighter's Guild in the Imperial City, which is very frustrating. Anyone know what district it's in?
I cannot find the "garden" area where I'm supposed to meet the Grey Fox. Where the crap is it?
In the stealth mission for the "society of concerned merchants," or whatever they call themselves, the Fargoth-type mission, where you case the Altmer and his shop: I know where he goes, I know who he talks to, but I don't know how to progress the quest to the next stage. Any ideas?
Can't find anyone to buy lockpicks from! Grrrr!!!
Other than that, I have no major complaints against this game.
I will be posting Part 2 within a couple of days, further exploring the world of Oblivion and sharing my thoughts. For those who are on the fence about purchasing the game: just go get it. You won't be disappointed.
When I first launched the game it detected my video hardware and set me to the "low quality" setting. This worried me a little, making me think that I was going to miss out on the wonderful graphics because I'm playing on a solid mid-line rig. Boy was I wrong! Even at "low quality" the game is breathtaking! The architecture is stunning, the landscape lush, the character models nearly photorealistic; and the best part is that it runs smoothly.
Loading times was a concern I had before I played the game. I thought that, like Half-Life 2 I was going to be sitting through insanely long load times. Again, I was way wrong: the longest load time I have sat through so far was approx. 22 seconds. That's it!
Character creation was a joy! I love how Bethesda streamlined the skill system into what we see in Oblivion. It's a lot better than the forty-odd skills from Morrowind. The amount of control you have over creating your character's unique face is staggering. If you tried hard enough you could create a digital doppelganger of yourself in Morrowind.
I created a Dark Elf (Dunmer) custom-class character. He's basically a thief, but I rearranged some of the skills to take advantage of the Dunmer's bonus to Destruction (replacing Speachcraft) but other than that, he's a thief through and through.
Sneaking is so much better than in Morrowind because of the simple fact that you can run/sprint while sneaking and you can also jump while in stealth mode, two things that were completely impossible in Morrowind. Also combat is awesome! Having control of the block skill makes timing and skill a must, and the simplified casting system round out the whole package perfectly. Instead of having to switch between "combat" mode and "casting" mode, like you did in Morrowind, you just have one mode wherein you can do both.
Ranged combat is improved as well, and it's great to whip out a bow while you're sneaking around just to get the bonus sneak attack damage. Just remember to compensate for distance by aiming a little above your target, for long shots anyway.
Lock picking is a lot more challenging in this game. Before you just told your PC to pick the lock and let the background dice-rolls take control. Now you actually have to pick the lock by hand, with your security skill providing a little help along the way. It's frustrating and difficult, but extremely rewarding when you start getting good at it because you feel as if you accomplished something when you hear that satisfying click.
However, there is one problem I have encountered that completely frustrates me: stolen goods. When you steal an item it is forever marked with a red hand icon, saying that it has been stolen. This means that you cannot sell them to normal merchants. I would be fine with this if, after a couple of in-game days, the red icon disappeared, but it doesn't. The only way you can sell stolen goods is by finding a fence (for those who don't know, a fence is someone criminals sell stolen goods to) The only problem is that after four hours of game play I still have not found a fence to sell to. If anyone knows where I can find one, please, let me know!
I was excited when I found out that horses were added to the game: rideable horses! They are controlled like real horses (for those riders out there, you know what I mean). The only problem I have is that mounted combat is not possible. If you want to deliver sharp, pointy justice to anyone you have to dismount your horse in order to do it. Small flaw, but still, it's there.
As a side note, Patrick Stewart, playing Emperor Uriel Septim; He does an amazing job and I was pleasantly surprised to hear his voice at the opening cutscene.
Enough of the good stuff: here are the problems I've encountered so far.
When a new area loads occasionally Oblivion just needs a couple of seconds to sort itself out, making gameplay staggeringly choppy for a couple of seconds. Sorts itself out quick, though.
::Spoiler Warning::
I cannot find the Fighter's Guild in the Imperial City, which is very frustrating. Anyone know what district it's in?
I cannot find the "garden" area where I'm supposed to meet the Grey Fox. Where the crap is it?
In the stealth mission for the "society of concerned merchants," or whatever they call themselves, the Fargoth-type mission, where you case the Altmer and his shop: I know where he goes, I know who he talks to, but I don't know how to progress the quest to the next stage. Any ideas?
Can't find anyone to buy lockpicks from! Grrrr!!!
Other than that, I have no major complaints against this game.
I will be posting Part 2 within a couple of days, further exploring the world of Oblivion and sharing my thoughts. For those who are on the fence about purchasing the game: just go get it. You won't be disappointed.
