One of my biggest disappointments with the PS3 is its lack of RPGs. There are a few, but the only one I have gotten my hands on so far is Oblivion.
When I say a “true” RPG, Im talking about a massively indepth adventure. There are others, such as Dark Kingdom, which can be considered an RPG, but that game is more of a dungeon-crawling hack-and-slash beat-em-up RPG. Oblivion is, needless to say, an awesome RPG. Its is a single player game set in a MMO world. The world you can explore is massive, with many different towns and even more dungeons. Basically, you do whatever you want.
You start off by creating your own character. You choose their race, sex, and appearance, and then you select a class (or create your own custom class). My character ended up being a male Wood Elf Assassin. From there, you start off in the game’s main story, but pretty soon, you are free to do as you will. You can continue advancing the main story whenever you want, but the games main fun is in its hundreds of mini sidequests, usually brought upon by NPCs. There are also many different dungeons, mines, and other locals you can explore in order to snag some swag. The free-roam of Oblivion is extremely great, and the freedom you have to do whatever you want makes the game extremely addictive.
Whats unique is that the game plays like a FPS, so all you see of your character is the weapon they are holding (be it sword, axe, bow, staff, etc.) This game was one of the first ones I bought with my PS3, so for me it took a lot of getting used to (I played very few FPS previously.) However, once you get the hang of the controls, you get sucked in. Between the free-roam, the ability to make a ton of choices for yourself, and the controls/camera, you really connect with the game. Without spoiling too much, one of the best parts of the game was when I had joined the Assassin’s Guild. I had done several missions for the guild, and suddenly the head of the group contacts me and informs me that one of the other guild members is a traitor. Thus, I am forced to go in and kill all the guild members. That was a blast.
This game is really revolutionary, as far as Im concerned. I have never played an RPG that sucked me in as much as this one did. However, the free-roam and seemingly endless quests are also one of the games biggest problems, as it makes the game extremely daunting. However, it is still the best RPG on the PS3, and one of my favorite PS3 games in all.
Review:
Story/Premise- 4.5
As I mentioned, while the free-roam of the game is awesome, if you spend too much time off the main quest (which you will do without even realizing it), you will forget what is going on.
Graphics- 4
The graphics were good. Not as clear or crisp, but still clearly superior to the PS2.
Controls/Camera- 5
The controls and camera took a bit of getting used to, but within an hour or two you will be good to go. After that, it all makes sense and comes together, and it really flows well with the game.
Replay Value- 5
The game has an unlimited replay value. I mean, there is just sooo much stuff to do. Even when you eventually finish the main quest, and all the side quests, you can download two expansions which add even more quests. Plus, all the races and classes offer a different experience, so I can see myself going back through as a warrior or mage at some point.
Online/Multiplayer- N/A
Final score- 4.6/5
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one of the best RPGs on the PS3. If you’re looking for a 50+hour RPG, this is the one.
Recommendation
A must have for the PS3 if you like RPGs.
I knew I wanted this game after the first five minutes of playing through the demo. It is an amazing FPS that only has a single-player storyline (there is no online play). You play a man who survives a plane crash and ends up in an undersea metropolis. Basically, upon reaching the city, it becomes clear that all is not well, and there are strange mutants/creatures about. That is the gist of it.
