Spellbinding graphics
Perhaps my expectations were too high but, despite the superb shadow and lighting effects and great character animations, it’s a slightly disappointing tutorial that adds nothing new to the genre. It would have been a nice touch to be able to destroy any objects such as barrels or tables that are littered around the dungeons. As it happens, you can swing your sword a dozen times at a barrel without causing any visible damage, however shoot an arrow at a barrel and it will wedge firmly into the wood, this feels slightly inconsistent but I suppose it is an RPG. The tutorial certainly doesn't prepare you for the wonders that await you outside of the castle. The game begins from this point.
Click for larger imageMy first impression, as I stepped outside into the eye-dazzling world of Tamriel was one of awe. The scenery stretches as far as the eye cans see, the lake glistens in the morning sun, bushes and trees sway in the gentle wind, butterflies flutter past, and the distinct colours of flowers blended with the greenery of the forests and the blue of the sky, make for a spectacular view. Any thoughts of the quest in hand slipped my mind as I headed for the peak of a hill far away in the distance to gain a better vantage point to view the whole city. It was a long walk, you'll frequently be covering huge areas in order to reach your destination, but it was one that was filled with wonder. Wolves and bear cubs lie hidden in the undergrowth and will pounce on you without hesitation, once again it's the simple matter of conducting a spell or slaughtering the animals with one or two hits from a sword, or a three or four arrow hits. There's no escaping once you've been spotted; you'll be pursued until you dispatch any of these creatures. The strange thing about my journey towards the hill is that you can often climb or descend normally impossible slopes and cliff faces. On some occasions you will fall to your death but more often then not, you can take a short-cut straight down a sheer drop with ease or ascend a steep hill; there's no need to follow the set paths. It's unrealistic but kinda useful for getting somewhere fast.
Click for larger imageUpon reaching the hill, picking up plenty of useful objects scattered along the way, the sun had started to set, the sky turned a magnificent red, shadows of the river reflected the change from day to night and the view was truly stunning. A view not to be missed. After realising that I'd spent the best part of an hour on Oblivion and not even began the main quest I headed for the Priory to deliver the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre.
The navigation system is extremely user friendly, a compass at the bottom of your screen shows a red arrow which leads you to your main missions, other markers lead you to side quests and villages buried deep in the countryside. Upon arriving at the Priory I was delighted to find the stables. Now I thought that Activision's Wild West shooter, GUN had done a superb job of creating life-like horses with a realistic riding experience. In comparison to the horses in Oblivion, GUN's horses are like cardboard cut-outs of the real thing. The horses not only look stunning but they handle, turn and gallop exactly how you would expect - not to mention they provide an extremely quick route from A to B.
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Oblivion Collector's EditionOblivion First Look