Don't get me wrong, I loved elders scrolls oblivion IV. It was the first next gen game I ever owned, and I ended up putting about 150 hours into my character. By the hundredth hour, however, several flaws began gnawing at me. Listening to the same voice actor have the same riveting conversation about mudcrabs, the level scaling which basically allowed you to go anywhere at anytime draining the game of tension or a reason to level up, and the environments and quests begin to look cut and paste due to repetition. All the elements of oblivion I loved made it into fallout 3, and everything I hated was trimmed out. There's no ridiculous level scaling, ensuring that if you set your sights on the capital and make a beeline at level 3, your ass will be handed to you and if you want to level up a specific skill you are not forced to perform that skill repeatedly. F3 is basically my ES4. I've always preferred dys-topic fiction over fantasy, so this is truly a world that I can get lost in. The environments are gorgeous and very detailed and literally dripping with atmosphere. Bethesdas character animations are beginning to look a bit dated, but its not much more than a minor nuisance as the content and gameplay are so incredibly deep. Definitely the most promising game I've played all year.