So good that every time you think you're done, it'll be calling your name a week later saying 'Play me!'
You start out the game by completely customizing your character. You can choose whether your character is male or female. You choose the race of your character, each race with its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on how you want to play the game (i. e. : certain races have a bonus to magicka, so, if you want to be a mage character, it would be preferable to choose that race). You can also change your character's appearance to your liking, which adds to the personalization of the game.
The graphics and landscape are indescribable. As soon as you walk out of the beginning dungeon level, you are shown this beautiful, vibrant landscape that, although pleasing to the eye, holds some very great dangers. I remember when I was playing my first character, who ended up becoming a terrible mess, and I simply wandered around and found a bandit camp that was somewhat close to the beginning, I didn't know that it was a bandit camp, so I ran in and was immediately greeted by an arrow in the chest and a warhammer to the face. To add to the complete and utter humiliation, I unknowingly trod into the bandits' fire while fighting (Two against one! When is that ever fair?), thus igniting myself and causing further damage. Needless to say, I died very quickly. After this death, I decided to make a different character, one who didn't suck. I also chose to use stealth, silence, and arrows rather than barging right into a fight.
Speaking of fighting, the combat in this game is rather good, although it could be better. There are three types of weapons: Blunt, Blades, and Ranged, ranged being my personal favorite. These are incorporated very well into the game, and, as a fun twist, the enemies can do almost everything you can do, and, depending on the difficulty you have it set on, they have a similar amount of health as you. However, the fighting itself can become rather repetitive, which is a shame.
Overall, Oblivion is an awesome sandbox RPG, and, if you're looking for a good game to take up your time while you're incredibly bored over the summer (as I was when I got it), then you've come to the right game.