Customisable characters
Welcome to the wonderful World of The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion, my friends. Forget any previous hang-ups you may have had about RPGs, Oblivion goes that extra bit further to ensure you'll never want to leave its magical Kingdom.
Oblivion is a free-roaming role playing game. The destiny of the Kingdom is in your hands and you'll have the option to partake in numerous quests, fight goblins, join guilds, barter with the locals and travel across one of the largest and most detailed Worlds ever seen....and that's just for starters.
The first page of this review is taken from my earlier hands-on preview. If you've already read it, skip onto page two.
Like any good RPG, the game begins by choosing your character. With 10 characters to choose from, including an Orc, Wood Elf, Breton and Redguard, the decision is not to be taken lightly.
Each character brings different attributes and skills to the table, and these determine the way your character evolves, interacts with other characters and fights throughout your journey. The normal character choices are offered, including sex, hair style, head shape, and other options which I didn’t go into, thus was my eagerness to play the game.
After choosing your customisable character, the game’s tutorial level begins. As far as tutorial levels go – this isn’t the most gripping introduction to a game. It begins well enough, though. You’re imprisoned in the Emperor’s dungeons and yells from a fellow inmate immediately introduce you to the darker aspect of the Oblivion World.
“Pretty soon you’ll go mad, you’re going to die, they’re coming for you!” a prisoner yells, as you hear footsteps approaching the cell doors. Emperor Uriel Septim and a couple of Blades, the Elite Knights of the Empire, enter your cell. The Emperor tells you that assassins have attacked his sons and he is next on the hit-list.
Click for larger imageThe Emperor reveals a secret entrance in the cell wall that leads into the underbelly of the castle. Septim and his guards disappear down the gloomy tunnel in an attempt to find an escape route out of the castle. It would be rude not to follow them, so the first action you’ll experience is navigating the dark, gloomy tunnels of the castle’s bowels, picking up handy objects and disposing of rats and goblins. You’ll bump into the Emperor later on.
Unarmed combat is simple, press the left and right mouse buttons, or triggers on the 360 version, to unleash your fists into the oncoming creatures. The damp chambers are full of rats that are relentless in their pursuit, but easy to dispose of, three or four well aimed shots should do the trick. They’re more of a nuisance than a challenge, but this is the tutorial after all. You’ll find numerous chests and objects scattered around, containing armoury, weapons, potions and a wide variety of objects to aid your adventure. You’ll initially fill your boots with the range of goodies on offer, but your inventory will fill up very quickly. You’ll soon find you’ll need to be more picky about what items are necessary to your goals.
