Welcome to the world of Tamriel
So now you’re ready to step out into the world of Tamriel and this is where this PS3 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion starts to shine. Now I know I’m going to cause a bit of a row here but I have to say that, to me, the PS3 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion looks the best out of all three versions I’ve played. Sure, you can run The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on a PC with a couple of decent GFX cards inside and it’ll look better but, at the time of release, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was criticized for how graphics intensive it was with plenty of players finding framerates to be somewhat choppy.Not so on the PS3 version. Ok, so there’s a big advantage on running the game on my 42” panel as I get to enjoy some quality HD graphics with a great big ‘in yer face’ size compared to a computer monitor, but even switching back and forth between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, though the Xbox 360 looks crisper, the softer edges and general look of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on the PS3 looks better. The game feels smoother on the PS3 as well and so far I’ve yet to encounter those little hitches and starts that occasionally popped on the Xbox 360.
Click for larger imageNow usually in your standard RPG you’ll be playing from a third person or even overhead view. But The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is played from a first person viewpoint and as such gives you much more scope than your average RPG. For once, you can combine your skills as gamer with those of your character, so in a melee situation it’s not just about how good you are with a sword but also about how good you at first person combat. So with some deft dodging and crafty use of the terrain you can take on far superior enemies and stand a fair chance of winning... of course, if you just go wading in swinging your sword like a loon you’ll soon find your character, ‘Nigel the Destroyer’ is now ‘bloody chunks and elbows’.
But the beauty of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is that first person melee combat, ranged combat and magical attacks are all so damn easy to do. And this isn’t ‘dumbing down’ for consoles either, they were just as easy in the PC version. Of course, as is the way with many RPGs, playing as some form of mage is frustrating to start with as a beginner mage is about as much use as a wet paper bag. However, later on, mages skills can ramp up considerably, making them one of the most formidable classes to play.
Click for larger imageThe world in which you find yourself has to be one of the most immersive yet seen as developers Bethesda have done everything they can to make Tamriel look and feel like a living, breathing world. NPCs wander about going about their business, they react to stuff going on around them and are all capable of holding a conversation (if fairly limited at times). NPCs that are essential to the story act a little differently in that they don’t sleep or wander too far from where you’re supposed to meet them, but everyone else carries on as if they were real people... eating, sleeping, buying stuff, gossiping... sounds a bit like my missus really.
But these NPCs aren’t just window dressing, they’re your main source of side-missions and mini-quests and to be honest, there’s so damn many of them that you really do run the risk of losing sight of the main storyline. This is a criticism that the predecessor to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Morrowind, had levelled at it a few times and Bethesda have done their best to keep at least one thread of the storyline always within the players reach.
Click for larger imageWhat used to happen would be that you’d complete a quest and then be told where to go to get a new one... but on the way you’d get sidetracked and before you knew it you’d lost the plot and were left wondering who you were supposed to have met where. With The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion you’ll always be on a mission that has something to do with the main plot-line, even if you’re not actively pursuing those objectives. For example, you deliver a package to the Sergeant At Arms, you’re next mission is to take a message to the Captain, then he gives you a parcel to take to the local mage who then gives you a mission to reclaim a lost stone and so on. The point being that if you want to come back to the story missions you always have a clear idea of what you have to do, rather than the vague ‘meet this guy and speak to him’ stuff from previous games.
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