The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition (2009) Review Summary
Last updated: 2026-10-04
- Overwhelmingly positive reviews
- Excellent quests and side quests
- Immersive open world exploration
- Broken leveling system
- Dated graphics and bugs
- Frequent crashes and instability
Emotions
Archetypes
Hardware
Windows <8GB VRAMmixedWindows 8-11GB VRAMnegative
Snapshot History
Positive
Negative
989
92%
352
87%
379
82%
- Sample precision
- Helpful reviews
- 76%
- Unhelpful reviews
- 24%
- Protest reviews
- 1%
- 82%Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
- 18%Helpful reviews with negative sentiment
- Positive points
- 1074
- Negative points
- 564
- Gameplay points
- 719
- Perf. points
- 84
- Rec. points
- 232
- Misc points
- 585
| Point | Description | Importance |
|---|---|---|
Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews
| Players consistently describe the game as fantastic, great, fun, and legendary, with many calling it one of the best games of all time. The sentiment is strongly positive across a large number of reviews. | 44% |
Excellent Quests and Side Quests
| Quests are frequently praised as excellent, addictive, and among the most interesting in the series. Side quests are also highlighted as detailed and engaging. | 29% |
Timeless Enjoyment Despite Age
| Many reviewers note that the game remains enjoyable and holds up well despite its age and flaws. It is still considered better than some modern games and is fun to revisit. | 22% |
Best Elder Scrolls Game
| Many consider it the best or one of the best games in The Elder Scrolls series, often citing it as a must-play and praising its DLC. | 21% |
Engaging and Amazing Story
| The story is repeatedly described as engaging, amazing, and enthralling, with the main narrative drawing players in effectively. | 21% |
Custom Spell Creation Praised
| The ability to create custom spells with various effects is highly valued, offering phenomenal customization and utility. | 21% |
Best RPG of Its Era
| Many regard it as the best RPG from its time, a masterpiece, and one of the finest in the genre over the past decades. | 21% |
Good Graphics for Its Time
| Graphics are considered very good, impressive, and holding up well on modern machines, though some note they are dated. | 18% |
Immersive Open World Exploration
| The open world is praised for its freedom, vastness, and abundance of discoverable content, providing a truly immersive experience. | 17% |
Better Than Skyrim in Aspects
| Reviewers often compare it favorably to Skyrim, citing better writing, more gameplay depth, and more engaging stories. | 17% |
Improved Systems Over Morrowind
| Gameplay is seen as more modernized and less clunky than Morrowind, with better combat and stealth mechanics. | 13% |
Personal Favorite for Many
| Numerous reviewers consider it one of the best games they have ever played, often calling it their favorite game of all time. | 11% |
Great Faction Questlines
| Faction quests are highlighted as great, fun, and well-written, with each of the five factions offering unique and lengthy storylines. | 11% |
Excellent Modding Community
| The game boasts a wide range of high-quality mods and a wonderful mod community, providing almost infinite value and replayability. | 11% |
Exceptional Soundtrack
| The soundtrack is frequently praised as incredible, gorgeous, and exceptional, lingering with players after they finish. | 11% |
Variety of Missions and Dungeons
| The game offers a massive amount of quests and dungeons, with many diverse types to explore, including guilds and other locations. | 11% |
Memorable and Charismatic Characters
| Characters are described as good, charismatic, and memorable, with eccentric personalities that leave an impression. | 11% |