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Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The

EMAIL PRINT ps3

8.2 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 45 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 158 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Bethesda Softworks

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: March 20, 2007

Summary

Oblivion is a single-player game that takes place in Tamriel's capital province, Cyrodiil. You are given the task of finding the hidden heir to a throne that sits empty, the previous emperor having been killed by an unknown assassin. With no true Emperor, the gates to Oblivion (the equivalent of hell in the world of Tamriel) open, and demons begin to invade Cyrodiil and attack its people and towns. It's up to you to find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel. In keeping with the Elder Scrolls tradition, players have the option to experience the main quest at their own pace, and there are plenty of opportunities to explore the vast world and make your own way. Numerous factions can be joined, such as the thieves or mages guilds, and each contains its own complete storyline and the chance to rise to the head of the faction and reap further rewards. Oblivion features a groundbreaking new AI system, called Radiant AI, which gives non-player characters (NPCs) the ability to make their own choices based on the world around them. They decide where to eat or who to talk to and what they say. They sleep, go to church, and even steal items, all based on their individual characteristics. Full facial animations and lip-synching, combined with full speech for all dialog, allows NPCs to come to life like never before. [Bethesda]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameSpot Guide

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Playstation Official Magazine UK

I've never encountered a game that so completely captivated my attention for this long. I've clocked 180 hours in total and I'm still playing. [May 2007, p.78]

100

AceGamez

Even if you dislike RPGs, I know you'll appreciate the expansive, ever-changing gaming world of Cyrodiil - and you're bound to find a guild and a class that suits your playing style too, whatever that may be.

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100

GameShark

It is an almost flawless role-playing game experience with hundreds of hours' worth of content.

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GamingExcellence

As great as "Morrowind" was (and it was difficult at the time to imagine better), Oblivion is a game that does everything ten times better. It also makes playing any other game out there seem trivial. Oblivion is not just a game, it's an experience.

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PGNx Media

Oblivion does a lot of things extremely well, and everything else very well. It’s hard to find anything to complain about here.

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Gaming Target

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion pulls off a miracle – it's deep enough for the hardcore ES fan, but designed in a way that even the average player can get into it without too much intimidation, though it can be overwhelming at first until the basics are grasped.

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Digital Entertainment News

It’s still a life-sucking, hour-robbing masterpiece that can convert people who don’t normally play RPGs into die-hard game addicts.

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Cheat Code Central

Finally and for the first time in gaming history, an Elder Scrolls title is making its way to a Sony console and the prognosis is in: The Elder Scrolls is as great an experience on the PlayStation 3 as it has ever been.

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GamePro

Most importantly and most powerfully, however: The completely open-ended nature of this experience creates a very real sense of infinite possibilities.

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Extreme Gamer

The PS3 version is just as grand and impressive as the previous versions, if not slightly better in the graphics department.

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Kombo

An incredible game and a heavyweight in the RPG genre.

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ZTGameDomain

Visually this is one of the best looking games on the system to date. Even more so than the already gorgeous Xbox 360 version released last year, the PS3 iteration features some much appreciated improvements that really show off the engine and the environments.

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1UP

The fundamental game is just so epic, the world so vast, the options so varied, that you'll find more quality gameplay shoehorned into this disc than just about any other game I can think of. But the version sitting on store shelves right now is inferior to its brethren on other platforms. So I can really only recommend it if you don't own a 360 or a PC capable of running the game well.

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Game Informer

Oblivion on PS3 is one of the biggest and most impressive role-playing games in history, and you owe it to yourself to play it if you haven’t already experienced it elsewhere.

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AtomicGamer

What this game lacks for in screen resolution, it makes up for in its excellent open world, beautiful art design, and grand architecture.

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GameSpot

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is an amazing role-playing game that should not be missed.

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GameTrailers

There’s just so much to see and do, that your average player will undoubtedly find something to amuse themselves with, and your average role-playing fanatic will probably have a heart attack when they take in the size of the world.

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Pure Magazine UK

A vast game with so much to do, it'll keep you going for months before you even get to the heart of it. [May 2007, p.62]

Worth Playing

Every time you think you've seen everything this game has to offer, you'll come across something new.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

A refreshing, immersive, massive, satisfying and hugely impressive game.

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Console Gameworld

The newest installment in the Elder Scroll series is as polished and addictive RPG you'll find on any platform. With so much exploration and adventure at your fingertips, this is just what the doctor ordered for the struggling PS3.

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PSX Extreme

One of those RPGs games that you'll likely play for months and months, without end. The sheer scope is so immense, that it feels as if the game has no end. Furthermore, the sense of freedom is arguably the best an RPG game has ever seen. But most importantly, Oblivion's learning curve is what you make of it.

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Games Master UK

Eclipses 360 and all but the most pimped PC rigs. The definitive Oblivion? Probably. [May 2007, p.66]

PSM3 Magazine UK

An incredible open-ended experience, but you're going to need patience to truly savour it. [May 2007, p.54]

IC-Games

Game of the year for the PS3? Oh yes!

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GameZone

Not only is this one of the best RPGs of the past several years – on any platform – but Oblivion has set the bar very high for any PS3 RPGs that hope to follow. A truly magnificent game.

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IGN

There's no doubt that it stands alongside "Resistance" as the system's crème de la crème even if it does have its own share of bugs and a lack of downloadable content found elsewhere. A must buy for fans of fun games -- no RPG bias required.

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GamerNode

The PS3 version may look and run slightly better, and it may include Knights of the Nine from the get-go, but the status of the expansion is something you have to consider, and the fact that there's really nothing new should convince you to stick with what you have.

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Pelit (Finland)

Great fun on PS3, too. The loading times are short, thanks to the hard drive, and the game is as playable as on a fast PC. [June 2007]

Game Revolution

This is easily the best game out for the PS3. With 100 or 200 hours of quality entertainment on one (Blu-Ray) DVD and so many different ways to play, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Oblivion can be nearly paralyzing just figuring out what it is you want to do next.

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Play UK

There's just so much to explore and discover here. Never has such a rich and fully-realised game world been committed to disc. [Issue #152, p.64]

WHAM! Gaming

While the story and gameplay are identical, the PS3 iteration of Oblivion is slightly better than its Xbox 360 cousin from a visual and technical standpoint. Standing on the top of a tall hill and gazing at the landscape below is even more breathtaking than before, thanks to a greater level of distant detail in the environments. Loading times have also been shortened a bit, making transitions between areas a little smoother.

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PSM Magazine

Play Oblivion. It's amazing. [June 2007, p.70]

Computer and Video Games

Oblivion on PS3 is every bit as incredible as other versions. If you own a PS3 and haven't played it, do yourself a favour.

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VideoGamer

Oblivion will consume you. It'll consume your life, your performance at work will suffer and you might not see friends in weeks. With hundreds of hours of gameplay, and an unprecedented amount of quests to be completed, I couldn't possibly recommend Oblivion enough. Great job Bethesda. Sorry social life.

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TotalPlayStation

This is the closest thing we've got right now to an offline MMORPG. That means a stupid huge amount of gameplay for the money, and with a huge story and hundreds of hours of exploration to be had, good luck finding a better value.

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Da Gameboyz

A game that seems to never end as the amount of things to do is immeasurable.

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GameDaily

Oblivion for PS3 still contains a few annoying visual glitches and the occasional slowdown, but these problems seem negligible compared to the game's grand scale and mesmerizing storyline.

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games(TM)

The sense of awe that you feel when freed from the opening act’s claustrophobic tunnels is as tangible as it ever was, and the century of hours that follow are about as compelling as an action role-playing game can possibly get. [Apr 2007, p.128]

Games Radar (in-house)

The only downside - and it's huge - is that as of this late March 2007 writing, the PS3 Oblivion does not support additional content the way the 360 and PC versions do.

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Yahoo! Games

Arguably the best game you can play on this system. It's a grand open-ended fantasy role-playing game that combines the best of single player RPGs with the best of massively multiplayer online games.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

This is simply one of the finest, most beautiful, PC-style RPGs you can get. [May 2007, p.82]

Armchair Empire

While it’s not perfect, this game is pretty close and I dare you to find better value for your money.

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PALGN

A class act, but those solo PlayStation 3 owners might be better served by the upcoming Game of the Year edition.

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GameSpy

Although virtually every other genre has incorporated RPG elements, no other RPG has so thoroughly taken in the ideals of the sandbox genre as Oblivion. It gives you a massive playspace, a finely tuned (if sadly flawed) RPG engine to play in it with, and lots of other AI-driven people to play with.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 158 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ostaf gave it an8:
This is probably my favorite game ever made. The graphics kind of suck (people suck environment awesome) There is soooooo much to do. I have put in well over 100 hours and I haven't even scratched the surface. This is what I like in a game....get my moneys worth. If you don't like medieval fantasy type games then don't get this. the only people that I know that don't like this game are people that don't like this type of game.

george b. gave it a10:
Awesome. For those who have played RPGs before, this will be the best of the best. But for those who haven't played a RPG then you might be lost. Pecchioni: I don't know why a RPG shouldn't be on a consil, Oblivion works fine on my ps3. John: this game is near 3 years old, the game play is a fast as you want it to be ( RPGs take time, their not fps's) and you can attack 99% of every body in the game Pete: why did you rate the game a 1 based on the system, you yourself said it was great Ryencoke: The ps3 loads are faster (even if its a fraction you load alot in the game).

Marc gave it an8:
As much as I love this game it still has some annoying faults that bring the overall rating down. For instance the game has a vast array of characters but the majority of them all have the same voice and look the same. Sometimes you will find that a quest is ruined due to glitches in the game play (this seems very common in certain quests such as 'Spring Heeled Jack') and that line of quests becomes unplayable unless you're willing to start over. However, it is engrossing and will provide countless hours of game play and many late nights.

Chris S gave it an8:
I enjoy playing Oblivion, it has great mechanics. The story is a little boring (main story line) and things in the environment are too distracting when trying to complete the main quest line. Character aging engine is terrible, simply terrible. The character models are just plain ugly. This can be annoying when you have ugly females in the game hitting on you because you have charmed them. This has been a gripe of mine since Elderscrolls 1 Arena. Also, stealing in the game has too few consequences and is too easy to accomplish.

Rob W gave it a9:
I never understand why people bang on about how a game plays on different platforms - how many people out there own both an X-box and PS3? All I ever want to know about a game is "is this worth buying?" - so if you like RPGs and own a PS3, then you should definately pick this up. Oblivion is a great game, with some stunning graphics and one of the best soundtracks around. There's a few glitches here and there and the load times can be a bit annoying, but who cares - when a game offers you this much it's easy to overlook a few small complaints.

Matthew J gave it a7:
Solid graphics. Some reasonable quests. Still major problems and this genre has a way to go before you really feel immersed in a world. The most annoying feature is that after an action the whole populace is aware. If you wish to infiltrate a guild and destroy from the inside foget it. Programming still too basic to accomodate this. After a while like morrowind you can easily take care of most creatures. I expected better but the game is not a total disaster.

Satyr gave it a10:
Easily the best game on both the pc and next gen consoles that I have ever had the grace to play. Oblivion is a game that does not play by the rules- so when I hear individuals commenting on how "it isn't a real rpg based on the fact that it is not turn based" or anything to that regard, you have to understand the the term "RPG" is something I do not feel Oblivion qualifies as. It is something far closer to a 2nd world extending simulator. Sure, it's not "technically there yet" and there will always be bugs galore- but in the end, Bethesda's gift ot us is nothing more than revolutionary. It is the 1st, and best of it's kind; and if you give it the time- it WILL amaze you. (the average learning slope is usually a steep 3-6 hours)but in a game where you can do virtually anything, that time is barely anything.

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Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The

Game Info

Summary

Also On Metacritic

What The Critics Said

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Recent Releases