There is an awful lot of buzz going around right now about Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. After having played it, it has created feelings in me that I have not yet seen anyone else mention in their writing of the game. So I figured why not get my thoughts out there and see if anyone else agrees with me.
I have been anticipating the arrival of this game from the moment I started playing Morrowind. I loved that game from the start and knew that I was going to be a long time fan of the series.
When Oblivion was first announced for the 360 it was the one game at the top of my list that I had to have on launch day. So it was fantastic to experience the game on the 360, FOUR MONTHS AFTER LAUNCH!
What I have experienced with the game since launch is something that I had not expected to feel at all. I did not feel it with Morrowind and I have never felt it with any other game. Nostalgia. Nostalgia not of video games. But nostalgia of the first Pen & Paper Dungeons & Dragons game that my mother bought in the early 80 's and the experiences that playing that game gave me with my family.
The game came in a red box that we tore open and quickly dived into. Creating characters and preparing for our first trek. I was probably 8 or 9 at the time and I was envisioning my creation with just my imagination. We went through that first adventure entering the dungeons and fighting the creatures, coming out victorious having saved the land and gained a little riches.
It has been a long time since I really set and thought about those memories and just how great it was to be so young and to be living that crazy adventure.
No game I have played has ever given me pause to think of those times, until now. Oblivion has finally brought the world and images that I created in my head to vivid life. When I go through a dungeon in the game, I truly feel that I am seeing exactly what I saw in my mind all those years ago sitting at that table in Barnsdall Oklahoma.
The creatures feel real, the battles seem real. I love going through the twists and turns and coming up on a chest, opening it and finding something that I have not seen before. I wish I could play for a week or more straight, just to really bury myself in that feeling of Nostalgia.
So I want to thank the creators of Oblivion for a fantastic experience. I want to thank you for creating a game that has brought me a ton of joy and will continue to do so for a very long time. Most of all, I would like to thank you for bringing back some old memories in Vivid color and causing me to think about times long gone by that were extremely special to me. Thank you!