Somewhat confusing at the outset, but ultimately well worth the effort.

User Rating: 9.5 | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion X360
As a launch title for the XBOX 360, Oblivion set the bar very high for the games that would follow it. Still, one question immediately springs to mind as I write this: "What took me so long?"

Breathtaking graphics, immersive storytelling, high-quality voice acting, and more content than you could ever possibly fully explore all help to set Oblivion high above other games you might purchase for the system, but none of these are the biggest draw of the game.

The biggest draw is definitely the character creation system. Most other RPGs let you improve your character's skills and attributes by killing monsters to gain "experience points". Oblivion, on the other hand, takes a somewhat more realistic approach by letting you improve your skills simply by using them. The degree to which you can improve your attributes (such as strength, intelligence, etc.) at level-up is likewise determined by the amount of time you spend using skills associated with that attribute. This means that your character's specialities will naturally adapt to your preferred play style. At least that's the theory.

Unfortunately, the implications of this levelling system are not fully explained during the initial character creation process. In particular, the way that "major" and "minor" skills are handled in the game is downright confusing. Major skills start out at a higher level of proficiency, and magic-related major skills give you access to more skills and effects at the outset of the game. Additionally, your proficiency in major skills will improve more rapidly than "minor" skills, and major skill advancement will determine the speed at which you level up.

All of this might lead you to believe that you should choose major skills that you intend to use frequently. The biggest problem with this, though, is that as you increase in level, so do your enemies. That means that if you accidently choose major skills that you use frequently, but that don't really help you in combat (such as alchemy, athletics, and armorer) you will soon find yourself fighting enemies that are a lot more difficult than you can handle. This counterintuitive element to character creation unfortunately makes for some steep learning curves and frustrations for newer players.

Fortunately, the game is such a joy to play that these issues are easy to overlook. Right now, I am less than 10 hours into the game, and have needed to redo my character twice. This is obviously a little annoying, but not so much that I don't have a lot of fun playing.

Another fun element of character creation is the sheer variety of characters that can be created. There are 8 races and lots of birthsign bonuses and prerolled classes, which can be a little overwhelming. However, once you get going you can make our character anything from a hand-to-hand brawler, to a stealthy assassin, to a pacifist merchant who never fights at all. The main quest is wothwhile, but completely optional, essentially making this the Grand Theft Auto of RPGs.

This is a game that is difficult to learn the basics of, but if you're willing to put forth a little effort, you will be very glad you did.