Truely the first and probably the best Action RPG I'll ever play on a console.

User Rating: 9.5 | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion PS3
One day I was watching the Spike TV VGA's and I saw Elder Scrolls Oblivion out beat every other game for the Game of the Year. I knew that the Spike VGA’s were all popularity, but when I saw the rating on Gamespot, I was surprised. Not many games scored this high, and when I heard it was being released on PS3, I was ecstatic. I was never much a fan of RPG games, but this one got me hooked.

The gameplay was phenomenal. It was very well pieced, and the freedom of what you want your character to be like is great. What caught my eye was that you could make the game however you wanted it. You have the freedom to establish your own circumstances and do things how you like them and when you want to. Whether it is a slash ‘n smash character, an assassin, or a mage, you’ll find that the gameplay and the buttons are quite appropriate to fit all of the above.

The graphics were nicely done for the PS3. The developers said they tweaked it a bit, so I found it great. There were small quirks here and there, but overall, it was very solid and very consistent throughout the whole game.

The sound was a lot better than some other games I had played so far. They could have improved a lot on the sound, but I liked it as a whole. I just had a slight problem with the suspense. If something spotted you, then the suspenseful music would play before they attack, so it’s just a little problem I had with the game. The music was great, though. The voiceovers were very solid, but it seemed like they ran out of room at some parts because some characters had different voices.

There is a lot of replay value in this game, and that’s what many games nowadays are missing. If you finished the game quickly, you could start over with a different path to take, or build your character differently. The one thing that I wished was available was the chance to replay with your original character with the same stats and equipment (or not). It might be a bit unfair, but it’s just a lot of effort to build up another character. Hopefully in the next Elder Scrolls, this feature is available.

Overall, my experience with the game was an excellent one. It’s just great with the nearly unlimited amount of freedom this game has, and Bethesda really took it to the max. If you decide to pick up this game, beware, for your social life will be at a suspension. Haha. Really, though, this game is the best RPG I’ve ever played, and it is an excellent first experience for me. Although it is a year old, in another year I might find myself picking up this game again and playing it. Bravo.