Truly amazing
The Priory gave me the first chance to test out my persuasion technique. Upon speaking to any character in Oblivion you can use persuasion to influence the way they feel about you. Upon selecting the persuasion icon you can see how this person feels about you on a scale from 0 to 100. By bribing, making a joke, boasting to, admiring or coercing with your subject you can boost their feelings towards you either negatively or positively. A circle consisting of four quadrants appears in the top left of the screen. The size of the wedge in each of the quadrants tells you the potential effect of the action. As you move the cursor over the various actions, the character's face changes to reflect their mood. You can only choose each option once per round and the results will affect your Speechcraft skills. It's a fun side-show to the main quests and very entertaining.
You'll find your intended target, Jauffre in the Priory House where, upon giving him the amulet, he'll set your next mission and allow you to equip yourself with some of the weapons in his armoury.
Click for larger imageAside from the excellent storyline there are many side-quests to get your teeth stuck into, someof which possess a great deal of humour. Upon stumbling across the village of Aleswell and entering a house, you'll realise that the inhabitants are actually invisible. A man named Ancota has cast an invisibility spell on the whole village and you'll need to track him down and learn the reverse spell in order to save the village. Upon reaching the castle where Ancota resides you'll be attacked by invisible entities. These types of side quests, which are littered around the World of Oblivion, are both entertaining and engaging.
Of course you'll also be able to trade and haggle with visitors over goods, join guilds and pretty much do all the things that Morrowind fans are accustomed to. You'll constantly experience the charm and the immersiveness of the many villages and castles hidden throughout the land. The land is huge and four hours seemed like minutes, I'm almost aching to play the play the game again.
Click for larger imageGraphically there are some minor flaws, ground scenery such as rocks and bushes often build in front of you, even at short distances of the equivalent of 10 metres or so. This isn't really a major issue due to the fact that the scenery and animations are so realistic and often breath-taking. Whilst walking across the countryside, third person perspective is not particularly effective, you'll often not be able to see in front of you due grasses and bushes obscuring your vision - first person mode is far more effective. But how can I complain about the graphics in a game that is full of vibrant colours, stunning character animations and lip synchronisation, and beautifully crafted buildings and scenery?
In summary Oblivion is a game full of wonder and awe. It grabs you by the throat and creates a World that you won't want to leave behind. Four hours isn't enough to explore all the options available, I explored the wilderness on horseback, completed three quests, attempted some potion making, haggled with the villagers, slayed numerous creatures but didn't even have time to join a guild! At times I felt a warm tingly feeling running up and down my back, thus was the warmth that Oblivion radiates.
Despite the rather familiar dungeon tutorial, there is no doubt in my mind that, Oblivion is set to be the best RPG of 2006. Pre-order your copy now!
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Oblivion Collector's EditionOblivion First Look
