Elder Scrolls Overload
Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition makes an already enticing offering near-impossible to resist.
Published: November 4, 2007
In stark contrast to the goodie-goodie role that you have to take as part of the Knights of the Nine quests, The Shivering Isles are governed by a decidedly sadistic decree. Sheogorath quickly sends you on your way as his chosen busybody and though many of the quests in the game are basic fetch errands that introduce the new creatures in the game, allow you to earn new spells and items (ranging from weapons and armor to quite a few new crafting recipes made from ingredients only found in the Isles if that's your thing) and generally just expose you to the crazy inhabitants in the dichotomistic lands, there are opportunities to have fun.
Hell, the first mission lets you open up a dungeon meant to trap unwelcome adventurers and keep them out of the world -- and you get to be the guy who triggers all the little traps and catches. Yeah, it's a little messed up, but so are the dual realms of Mania and Dementia, which are mostly idyllic and nightmarish, respectively. The way the two meet in the middle, along with the clean divide of Sheogorath's bifurcated castle guard just further illustrates the two halves of the world. From quest designs to environments, everything has an off-kilter feel to it, and it really does show Bethesda's depth of imagination.
The production values, are, of course, quite high, which is to be expected from a series like this; the Isles themselves are wildly creative, ranging from oppressive and bleak to oddly beautiful, and the creatures and characters the inhabit the lands are equally diverse. Yes, the characters in the game still look like aliens most of the time, and the game has some chunky moments, framerate-wise from time to time, but it's nothing that I didn't notice in the main world too. The voice acting is equally good, and the atmospheric, sometimes morose tunes that fill the land really do have a way of getting to you. I found myself having to leave just to see something "normal" -- and oddly enough that even included the normally unsettling transitions near the gates to Oblivion back in good ol' Tamriel.
It probably goes without saying that the Game of the Year Edition of Oblivion is the definitive offering. Incredibly packed with both obvious and tucked away bits of gameplay, the whole feeling of a massively multiplayer online game that's just, well, offline only gets stronger with the addition of new expansions, and if you haven't yet jumped in and experienced Bethesda's unique take on a role-playing game, you owe it to yourself to pick this version up -- y'know, until the Game of the Decade Edition comes out.
