Any RPG fan owes it to themselves to not only play Oblivion, but enjoy the world that it creates for you.
I've been wanting to write a review of this game for a while now, and the problem for me was finding out where to start. I guess for now I'll start on graphics. Amazing for its time, and still damn good up to this current time. People tend to look the same after a while, but for the first little bit of playing this game, you'll find yourself meeting tons of new and unique looking characters. The environment is huge and believable. You literally think that you're involved in a completely different world when you play Oblivion. Sure, you run into a lot of load times, but when you think of what the game is loading and the sheer size of what it's making, you tend to forget about it and often not even notice.
The major thing that will keep you coming back to Oblivion though is the combat. Every aspect of the combat system rewards you in some way, shape, or form. From blocking with shields and quickly countering your opponents, to sniping someone down with a bow and arrow, Oblivion offers endless possibilities for combat. To tie in with combat, the looting system is also worth a note. It is extremely rewarding in the case of the value and uniqueness of the items you can pick up.
The story is well-scripted, but not well voice acted. That's where Oblivion falls short for me. The voice acting is good for only the first 2 hours or so when you're stuck on the main quest. Everyone at that point has their own voices. But once you really get into it, you'll find yourself talking to the same voice but a supposedly different character. There really is no believable characters in Oblivion, because the actions and facial expressions they have is just not up to par.
The one falling that Oblivion has is well over-shadowed by the other amazing qualities of the game. People can call me picky for me negativity towards Bethesda's lack of voice-actors, but they really need some new talent. Even Fallout 3 has some of the same voices in it as Oblivion. This cast aside, Oblivion sits in second-place on my Action RPG list, second only to Mass Effect. I have still yet to beat the game, considering the fact that I have been doing nothing but side quests. If you want a game that is going to suck you in and keep you hooked from the very beginning, than Oblivion is the game for you. Hardcore gamers unite!