The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

I'll start off by saying I'm normally a sports gamer, and I don't typically like RPGs (GTA is great, if you would put it in that genre.) But when I bought my PS3, I decided I'd give this game a shot since the reviews were fantastic and it won game of the year.

All I can say is, I'm glad I bought it used. I played the game for a couple of days, trying to get myself interested, but I just couldn't. The graphics are pretty average for todays standards (this game came out quite awhile ago) and you spend an awful lot of time as a character in a mostly silent world wandering around hoping that something interesting happens. In short, it's boring. Very disappointed.

This is a fantastic RPG that forces you to be sensible with battles and strategic with rations. The fighting system is good but IMO could be tweaked a bit. I personally find it annoying that I can sneak up on an enemy and shoot him in the back with an arrow only to have him and his allies immediately realize where I shot from. I wish he would remain dazed for a second or two until he actually saw me. The only other reason to knock a star off is the lack of explanation within the game. There are hundreds if not thousands of items to pick up and use. The trouble is, you have no idea what many of them will do. There are rather vague descriptions, i.e. a bottle of wine will cause you more fatigue and detract from your dexterity. Why the heck would I pick that up??

In any event, this is a huge game with a huge map. The variety of weapons, armor, shields, magic spells and enemies is excellent. Definitely an enjoyable game despite the slight combat flaws and lack of explanation.

If you're into RPG games and have a PS3, this game is a must-have! There are numerous customization opportunities for your character, and there is a rich storyline with plenty of side quests to keep the game fast-paced. It has more than 80 hrs worth of gameplay, and it kept me interested for every single minute of that time. The only negative for this version is that you miss out on many of the mods that are available on the PC version (although there is the shivering isle add-on available...for $40). That aside, this game is perfection!

Oblivion is simply as good as it gets for a single player RPG game. The graphics are unbeaten by any other game in the genre. The environments feel real... shoot an arrow into a wooden beam instead of the bad guy, no problem just pull it back out and use it again. If you knock something off a table in a store the owner will complain, etc.

In terms of depth, there's actually too much to play. You want to try to play again and again as different characters but there's so much to do in the game you'll never see it all. The main plot line is interesting but unimportant as you can write your own story instead of or in addition to it.

The ONLY thing this game doesn't have is multiplayer support like World of Warcraft, but I guess that's why we have WoW.

I like this leveling system better then traditional RPG games too. You can use whatever armor and weapons you like no matter what kind of character you create. Some things get in the way and aren't good choices, but you do have the choice, unlike other games that say, "You're a Mage so you can't possible hit that guy with a sword." The game levels up based on what you do in it and leveling isn't triggered by going out and killing tons of stuff. Your warrior can cast spells if he wants, your thief can use a heavy shield. Total freedom. Of course if you're trying to cast a spell while wielding a sword and shield it's not gonna work very well... but you CAN do it.

If you're even thinking about trying an RPG game for the first time... make this one the one. If you've played tons of D&D games, WoW, etc I think you'll find this better and different in some nice ways.

If you were a Dungeons and Dragons nerd then you will love this game. Hours of fun. The only game I play. If you don't like role playing games, you won't like this game. It's nice and involved with tons of depth to the story and characters.