From a non-Oblivion-fan...

[fdbluth]

Like the title says, I'm not a fan of Oblivion. I value immersion in a game, which is why my list of favorite games include Half-life and Bioshock. I found Oblivion to completely lack this type of immersion, mostly due to the fact the NPCs look like Eldritch abominations and sound jarringly different in the same conversation (talking to a certain begger woman for gossip has led to the Cockney-accented old woman to speak in a haughty South English accent, for one).

I also found Oblivion to be immensely lacking in providing motivation. I value open-world mechanics, but I just don't see any point for anything. Why should I care about this kingdom? For what reason do I have to join these guilds? Another game that I've come to love is the (new) Fallout series: it's as open as Oblivion is, but we are given proper motivations to pursue the main questline (looking for a father that we've grown accustomed to over some quick scenes and the soothing voice of Liam Neeson or looking for that fucker who shot me for New Vegas).

So my question is, should I give Oblivion another try? Is it worth it just for the stories, because I'm nothing if not a sucker for good stories. Despite the games I've mentioned above, RPGs are my lifeblood (which was why I was especially dissapointed with Oblivion in the first place). Would Daggerfall or Morrowind be much more suited for me, because I feel like I'm missing out by not playing the Elder Scrolls series?

 

[xnem3s1sx]

So... Patric Stewart's voice wasn't enough motivation? Oblivion is one of the greatest games ever made, there's always something to do, and fun to be had, but you have to find your own reason to play it. The main story line is interesting, but play though the Dark Brotherhood, it has the single best quest ever added to a game. If that doesn't get you interested, play though the Shivering Isles, which, is in fact better than the original game, and vast enough to be considered a sequel.

 

[xnem3s1sx]

Escapist form auto double-post ftw!

 

[JasonBurnout16]

There's always something amusing to do, I suggest trying the Dark Brotherhood storyline as it's a really interesting one. The games good, I say give it another try!

 

[Skoldpadda]

I've been trying to like it since it came out. I give it another spin every year or so. It never works out.

And to the guy who brings up Patrick Stewart's voice as one of its main attraction points (srsly?): that's one of Bethesda most annoying habits. Getting a high profile actor, giving him about five minutes of screen time, then filling the rest of the game with five bland nobodies, one of whom is ear-piercingly annoying.

And judging from your post, OP, and call me a Negative Nancy, I predict that you're never going to like it. Ever.

 

[DustyDrB]

Oblivion is more a "go and do whatever" kind of game. I kind of hate the story (and have actually not even gone to talk to Jauffre my last two playthroughs. I don't want to be bothered by Oblivion gates all over the place).

You really have to motivate yourself, because the characters and stories aren't good enough to make it interesting for you.

 

[Dragunai]

I feel the same way as you man.
I got really far in the story, became a vampire, did the quest to cure it, only the quest is bugged, ***** wont take the stuff I gave her to fix it and now I am stuck as a vampire and I don't wanna be!

Re-rolled as a custom class (a sort of spell breaker thing) and completed the Shivering Isles quest line. Now the main story is boring because I am a God in an alternate realm.

 

[Javarock]

I've been trying to like it since it came out. I give it another spin every year or so. It never works out.

And to the guy who brings up Patrick Stewart's voice as one of its main attraction points (srsly?): that's one of Bethesda most annoying habits. Getting a high profile actor, giving him about five minutes of screen time, then filling the rest of the game with five bland nobodies, one of whom is ear-piercingly annoying.

And judging from your post, OP, and call me a Negative Nancy, I predict that you're never going to like it. Ever.

Some people can't get into it. Just as the same with minecraft, To play the game you really need your own motivation to drag yourself foreward, Wether it to be exploreing the world or murdering every beggar beacuse they fake being a begger (Seriously, Why else would they swich voices when talking to other people)

 

[lacktheknack]

Many people adore Morrowind, so maybe you should give that a try. My personal favorite is Daggerfall, but many complain that it utterly fails at immersion due to graphics and engine quirks (it's from 1996).

 

[Cowabungaa]

Yeah, Oblivion gave me that feeling as well. I love it when NPC's are not around, stroll around the wilderness (modded to be so much more beautiful), listen to those peaceful tunes, or just marvel at the beauty of towns.

And then I have to speak to someone or fight someone and it all falls apart. And it's not like the "go do whatever" thing holds up well either, there simply isn't much to do.

 

[Grady]

Honestly, Oblivion (and Fallout) require imagination. The whole idea of the games are that you are supposed to decide what you do. If you want a game with a huge, barely changeable cinematic story laid out before you, go play one. If you want a game where you can have an adventure, but at the cost of not having your experience painfully pre-rendered with the best graphics and voice acting because there are far too many paths and dialogue options to do so, play Oblivion/Fallout.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

Oblivion is a bit older than fallout, so fallout is a slightly better in overall presentation, but they're extremely similar. I don't see how you would find Oblivion not to be immersive without finding similar problems with fallout. I didn't care about any of the guilds or main story at first either. I joined the dark brotherhood because I wanted gold and new items to improve my character, not really because I genuinely gave a shit. I enjoyed the quests and by the time the story arc started coming into play I was genuinely interested in it. I would recommend just wandering around and letting whatever's around you just happen. You'll probably find a quest that interests you sooner than later. There's a lot to fucking do in that game.

I will say that you really have to get into it to enjoy it. If you don't even care about your character and the world doesn't interest you to the point where you're able to forgive the problems that come with the game's age, then you might not be able to do that.

 

[skim172]

I played the whole game. Beginning to end. And all the sidequests. And all the dungeons. And a good bunch of the mods. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Anyone at all.

The Zero Punctuation review sums up my views quite well. Oblivion seems to try to create immersion through sheer volume - there's a lot of stuff to do, see, interact with... But, ironically, it still feels kinda shallow. Every environment looks the same, all the people resemble one another, the voices are all the same.

It's like putting lettuce on a sandwich. Lettuce and bread alone doesn't make for a good meal. Bethseda solves that problem by piling that bread with lettuce - layer after layer after layer. But at the end of it all, it still just tastes like lettuce.

I played Oblivion for hours and days, because I, like you, also enjoy RPGs and the lettuce seemed like such a good start. Good, crisp lettuce makes for a great sandwich. And the graphics, setting, mechanics - all the basic elements of Oblivion had promise for a great game. But there was nothing else in the sandwich. I searched fruitlessly through that dense jungle of lettuce greenery, looking for hints of other flavors - a tomato, a cold cut, even an olive on a toothpick. But then I reached the other slice of bread and I knew it was over. (And that I'd wasted way too much time)

You know what's the biggest sin of Oblivion? The feeling of inconsequence. It's a common crime in big open-gameplay sandbox-type games, but no one has done more harm than Oblivion. You're killing people, robbing people blind, participating in organized crime, carrying out the orders of the powerful nobility of the land, banishing ghosts and goblins and undead horrors, fighting wars for the soul of the planet, destroying the forces of evil pouring out into the world ... and the only recognizable effect is that the NPCs give you some slightly altered stilted dialogue. What you do doesn't affect the plot, the characters, the setting and your actions seem to be entirely pointless. I helped a series heretical cult believing in some twisted pantheon of elder gods commit some unholy acts and massacres - and once the quest is over, it might as well have never happened. I commit goblin genocide against an entire region of the continent - they'll still be there when I come back later.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that there should be a different outcome for every breath you take. A story doesn't need to have multiple endings to allow you feel like you're part of it.

But a good game will be able to take you along for the plot, even if it is linear, and still make you feel like you're truly a character within the story. A bad game will tell its story and not let you do anything but watch.

But Oblivion doesn't do either. Instead, it lets you do whatever you want and makes you feel like the story is happening elsewhere and only occasionally interacts with your own life, which is limited to fighting, stealing and tinkering with the goddamn conversation pie.


If you want to play Oblivion, I'd recommend Dragon Age - and I don't like Dragon Age. I thought the first dragged on unnecessarily and the second lacked a real point to its story. But both did the immersion thing much better and had better stories anyhow.

(edit)
Amending my statement - I would recommend the game for horny people into medieval sex. There's a huge number of Oblivion nudie and sex mods and they're pretty complex. It's ... a little disturbing.

 

[Signa]

If you can handle the combat system run on dice rolls, it sounds like Morrowind is the right game for you OP. It has that level of immersion that you described. Oblivion just never was close to that, despite some rather cool additions that were made.

Spoiler: snip

I played the whole game. Beginning to end. And all the sidequests. And all the dungeons. And a good bunch of the mods. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Anyone at all.

The Zero Punctuation review sums up my views quite well. Oblivion seems to try to create immersion through sheer volume - there's a lot of stuff to do, see, interact with... But, ironically, it still feels kinda shallow. Every environment looks the same, all the people resemble one another, the voices are all the same.

It's like putting lettuce on a sandwich. Lettuce and bread alone doesn't make for a good meal. Bethseda solves that problem by piling that bread with lettuce - layer after layer after layer. But at the end of it all, it still just tastes like lettuce.

I played Oblivion for hours and days, because I, like you, also enjoy RPGs and the lettuce seemed like such a good start. Good, crisp lettuce makes for a great sandwich. And the graphics, setting, mechanics - all the basic elements of Oblivion had promise for a great game. But there was nothing else in the sandwich. I searched fruitlessly through that dense jungle of lettuce greenery, looking for hints of other flavors - a tomato, a cold cut, even an olive on a toothpick. But then I reached the other slice of bread and I knew it was over. (And that I'd wasted way too much time)

You know what's the biggest sin of Oblivion? The feeling of inconsequence. It's a common crime in big open-gameplay sandbox-type games, but no one has done more harm than Oblivion. You're killing people, robbing people blind, participating in organized crime, carrying out the orders of the powerful nobility of the land, banishing ghosts and goblins and undead horrors, fighting wars for the soul of the planet, destroying the forces of evil pouring out into the world ... and the only recognizable effect is that the NPCs give you some slightly altered stilted dialogue. What you do doesn't affect the plot, the characters, the setting and your actions seem to be entirely pointless. I helped a series heretical cult believing in some twisted pantheon of elder gods commit some unholy acts and massacres - and once the quest is over, it might as well have never happened. I commit goblin genocide against an entire region of the continent - they'll still be there when I come back later.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that there should be a different outcome for every breath you take. A story doesn't need to have multiple endings to allow you feel like you're part of it.

But a good game will be able to take you along for the plot, even if it is linear, and still make you feel like you're truly a character within the story. A bad game will tell its story and not let you do anything but watch.

But Oblivion doesn't do either. Instead, it lets you do whatever you want and makes you feel like the story is happening elsewhere and only occasionally interacts with your own life, which is limited to fighting, stealing and tinkering with the goddamn conversation pie.


If you want to play Oblivion, I'd recommend Dragon Age - and I don't like Dragon Age. I thought the first dragged on unnecessarily and the second lacked a real point to its story. But both did the immersion thing much better and had better stories anyhow.

(edit)
Amending my statement - I would recommend the game for horny people into medieval sex. There's a huge number of Oblivion nudie and sex mods and they're pretty complex. It's ... a little disturbing.

oh man, nice post. REALLY nice post.

 

[DesertMummy]

I didn't care for Oblivion, or Morrowind. I like RPG's almost to the point of exclusivity, and didn't really care for either. I recommend Dragon Age for a good Medieval/fantasy RPG like the setting in Elder Scrolls.

 

[Oly J]

I played the whole game. Beginning to end. And all the sidequests. And all the dungeons. And a good bunch of the mods. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Anyone at all.

and yet you obviously liked it enough to do everything in the game, and play through mods...no one feels sorry for torture victims who tighten their own thumbscrews, bash the game all you want but you obviously enjoyed something about it enough to keep you playing or you wouldn't have kept playing

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I played the whole game. Beginning to end. And all the sidequests. And all the dungeons. And a good bunch of the mods. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Anyone at all.

and yet you obviously liked it enough to do everything in the game, and play through mods...no one feels sorry for torture victims who tighten their own thumbscrews, bash the game all you want but you obviously enjoyed something about it enough to keep you playing or you wouldn't have kept playing

Yeah I found that rather odd aswell, I love Oblivion but I've never managed to finish it becuase its so bloody huge.

How the hell did you manage to do that and play through mods aswell while hating it. :| No offence but that doesn't sound very likely.

 

[fdbluth]

All right, nice to see there are people out there who feels the same way with Oblivion. With all the hype Skyrim's been getting, I thought I was in the wrong.

Honestly, Oblivion (and Fallout) require imagination. The whole idea of the games are that you are supposed to decide what you do. If you want a game with a huge, barely changeable cinematic story laid out before you, go play one. If you want a game where you can have an adventure, but at the cost of not having your experience painfully pre-rendered with the best graphics and voice acting because there are far too many paths and dialogue options to do so, play Oblivion/Fallout.

I don't know why, but this just sounds insulting (although I'm also fairly certain it wasn't meant to be). The thing is, I enjoyed Fallout 3, because it was an immersive game, unlike Oblivion. When I talked to people, their voice didn't change. When I walked the wasteland, there was a clear goal set up. When I did things, it wasn't for "kicks". It was a sense of adventure that I wanted to do, because I felt interested enough to explore and accomplish. Oblivion just didn't do that for me. I have imagination, but the game does have to meet me halfway to achieve immersion.

If you can handle the combat system run on dice rolls, it sounds like Morrowind is the right game for you OP. It has that level of immersion that you described. Oblivion just never was close to that, despite some rather cool additions that were made.

Is the combat system going to be a bit like KOTOR? Because I absolutely loved KOTOR to death, but couldn't stand the combat.

 

[C95J]

I've just been playing Bioshock for the first time, and I agree it is an amazing game

I think that you should give Oblivion another try, I love the game personally, and Skyrim is already pre-ordered. Although the immersion isn't great, the amount of things to do, and places to go is enough to make it a fantastic game for me, and that is why I play it.

 

[Infinatex]

Skip it. Skyrim comes out in a few months. Go cop that instead.