The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition (2009) Review Summary

Highly praised game quality: The game is frequently described as one of the best games of all time, with many players finding it very enjoyable and worth the price. It is praised for its good gameplay, storyline, and overall amazing experience.

Immersive and beautiful world: The game's world is often described as immersive, beautiful, and vast. Players appreciate the living world and the immersive atmosphere it provides.

Superior RPG experience: The game is often compared favorably to modern RPGs and is considered one of the best RPGs ever made. It is highly recommended for RPG fans.

Game holds up well: Many players note that the game still holds up well over the years, with graphics and gameplay that have aged well. It is considered impressive for its time and still looks great.

Large open-world gameplay: The game offers a true open-world RPG experience with a massive world to explore. Players appreciate the open-world missions and adventures.

Frequent bugs and glitches: The game is noted for having various bugs and glitches, including crashes and broken saves, which detract from the overall experience.

Clunky combat system: Combat is frequently described as clunky, unbalanced, and outdated, making it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable aspect of the game.

Poor leveling system: The leveling system is widely criticized for being confusing, unbalanced, and poorly designed, often leading to bad character builds and a frustrating experience.

Outdated graphics: The graphics are often described as outdated and not up to modern standards, which can be a turn-off for some players.

Performance issues in remaster: The remastered version is criticized for poor performance, frequent crashes, and additional bugs, making it a less favorable option.

Open-world RPG mechanics: The game features an expansive open-world environment with high freedom for exploration and a variety of RPG elements. Players can explore a medieval fantasy world with numerous points of interest and develop their characters with various skills and magic.

Character customization and progression: Players can customize their characters in detail, choosing from various races and classes. The game offers a deep character progression system with numerous skills and attributes to improve.

Main questline and side quests: The game features a rich main questline along with numerous side quests and dungeons. These quests offer varied locations and challenges, providing a depth of content for players.

Difficulty compared to Morrowind: The game is noted to be more challenging than Morrowind, with gameplay and leveling mechanics that are similar but more difficult. This provides a different experience compared to other games in the series like Skyrim.

Combat system: The combat system in the game includes melee combat and first-person perspective. It is noted to be challenging and different from other games in the series.

Frequent game crashes: Many players report frequent crashes, including crashes to desktop and occasional crashes during gameplay.

Runs well on low-end hardware: The game is noted for running well on low-end PCs and laptops, making it accessible for players with less advanced hardware.

Graphical and technical issues: Players have noted various graphical and technical issues, including outdated graphics, ugly UI design, and visible seams in landscapes.

Compatibility with Steam Deck: The game runs well on the Steam Deck and Linux with Proton, making it a good option for players using these platforms.

Stable performance with mods: The game can achieve stable performance with the use of mods, which help to smooth out gameplay and reduce bugs.

General Recommendations: The game is widely recommended, especially for fans of RPGs, combat games, and open-world adventures. It is also suggested for those who enjoy medieval fantasy settings.

Remaster vs Original Recommendations: Players are divided on whether to recommend the original version or the remaster. Some suggest playing the original for its gameplay differences, while others recommend the remaster for its improvements.

Mod Recommendations: Various mods are recommended for improving the game, including translation mods, bug fixes, graphic improvements, and unofficial patches.

Difficulty and Gameplay Tips: Players suggest lowering the difficulty for new players and provide various gameplay tips, such as saving often, exploring main quests and guilds, and using guides for efficient leveling.

Comparison with Skyrim: The game is often compared to Skyrim, with recommendations for players who enjoyed Skyrim to try this game as well.

Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 100.0h.

Story completion: 44.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

The game starts slow and may not be immediately engaging, but it becomes more enjoyable and addictive as players progress and overcome initial friction.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: Slow beginning; Outdated mechanics; Clunky UI; Repetitive dungeons.

Aesthetic Explorer: Explores the game world, appreciates visuals and atmosphere, and enjoys the overall aesthetic. Motivation: Immersion and exploration. Stance: buy.

Veteran Adventurer: Extensive playtime, deep knowledge of game mechanics, and engagement with various quests and locations. Motivation: Mastery and completion. Stance: buy.

Newcomer: Exploring the game world, learning mechanics, and comparing to other known games. Motivation: Discovery and learning. Stance: sale.

Performance varies significantly across hardware cohorts, with lower VRAM configurations struggling the most. Higher VRAM setups generally report better stability and performance.

Windows <8GB VRAM: negative. Frequent crashes and frame issues reported, especially on lower-end hardware.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: mixed. Some users report bugs and crashes, while others experience fewer issues.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: positive. Generally stable performance with fewer crashes reported.

Steam Deck: The game has significant stability issues and lacks proper controller support, which are major barriers for Steam Deck users. However, community workarounds and mods can improve the experience. Despite these issues, users appreciate the game's story and design.

Linux and Proton: The game runs well on Linux with Proton, with users reporting stability, modding capabilities, and overall positive experiences.

Monetization: The reviews indicate significant frustration with the game's DLC practices, particularly the feeling that content is being withheld to push players towards more expensive editions. The infamous horse armor DLC is frequently mentioned as a symbol of unnecessary and overpriced additional content. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to be aggressive, with a focus on selling content that feels like it should be part of the base game.

Mod reliance: The game heavily relies on community mods for stability, bug fixes, and an enhanced experience. While some users find the vanilla game playable, many indicate that mods are essential for a smoother and more enjoyable experience. The need for unofficial patches and various mods to fix bugs and improve gameplay is a recurring theme.

External guides: The game suffers from significant technical issues, including crashes and infinite loading screens, which greatly detract from the user experience. Additionally, the levelling system and inventory management are cited as confusing and poorly designed, often requiring external resources for effective navigation and management.

DLC availability concerns: Players are discussing the availability and quality of downloadable content for the game.

XBOX 360 compatibility: There are mentions of the game's performance or availability on the XBOX 360 platform.

Remastered version feedback: Players are providing feedback specifically about the remastered version of the game.