Zero Punctuation: Oblivion

[trlkly]

Except that I spent £900 on my brand new gaming computer with top of the range graphics card, quad core processor, 1TB hard drive and other nice little extras, and I'm damned if I'm going to risk f--king the whole thing up, forcing myself to reinstall the operating system and losing all my saved games (I back up things like music and video files to an external HD but I'm not THAT obsessive) for the sake of some mod bashed together by a guy on the Internet who for all I know could be a Siberian cyber-criminal. Sorry, but I am VERY careful what I install on that PC!

Y'see, I disagree completely with the "mods" idea. If I have to install mods to make a game playable, then I consider that game unplayable. This isn't an operating system we're talking about, it's a FRIKKIN' GAME. There is no excuse for it needing to be "upgraded" with unofficial mods in order for it to work properly. None at all. I don't understand why people (rightly) give programs like MS Windows and Office a hard time, but let things like this go.

While your take on mods is understandable, the fear of having to reinstall your operating system is ridiculous. Windows is unstable, but not that unstable. As long as you use well-tested mods, you shouldn't have to even worry about using System Restore. The other fact is that, well, you never have to reinstall your operating system to fix a problem. It may be the quickest way of resolving your problem, but it's never the only method. Mediocre tech support will try and convince you that it is the better options, but an expert can easily tell you what you need to do to fix the problem. And even if you do reinstall, nothing is going to be physically wrong with your system. As time progresses, I'm sure you'll get less cautious and be surprised at how strong modern computers are.

Still, as I said, I understand the idea that a game should not need mods to be playable. The thing is (assuming you have a legit copy) your only recourse might've been to mod it to make your purchase worthwhile. At least, I've never been to a store that will take back an opened game, and I can only sell a game for half of what I bought it for. If I payed for it, dadgomit, I'm gonna play it.

And, of course, some people already knew the unmodded game would be crap, and planned to mod it before they bought it. Those people apparently weren't disappointed.

 

[Zemnexx]

Good review indeed, though I like the Elder Scrolls series and am A major fan of ALL games, that includes RPG's and JRPG's, the review was hilarious, mainly because all the things he says in the review are 100% true about it. But you also have to remember that the game is quite old, it was great whenever the Xbox 360 first came out and they were barely tapping into the awesome graphics that we have today, but looking back, the graphics that "were" new made us blind to the obvious flaws in the game, pointed out in this review.

Edit: And the game was good un-modded, the mods just add new stuff to the game or change some stuff that try to make the game better, the PC version of the game is Open to modding, Bethesda has the game made so that you can mod the game openly (because Bethesda is cool like that), thats one of the main reasons I love the games so much, the Modding Community is HUGE for the Elder Scrolls Game, and the chances of the mods breaking your computer are...none, if you install too many mods, they might conflict and you might have to re-install the game, but only in the worst case scenario.

 

[miffywiffy]

Same as anything though if you hype up for something sooo much then you're set for a massive disappointment and will end up hating it, I had the same thing with GTA4. However my points for GTA4 were valid in the game has lost all the crazyness from SA and I'd rather just play SA as it is more fun for me.

However most people rip on Oblivion because they take a nostalgia trip to older RPG's and remember them as the best thing since sliced bread. Well go back and play them games and they arn't great like you remember and your ealize Oblivion made major steps over all the other Elder Scrolls games.


Fucking don't play Mass Effect if you think the AI in here is bad lol.

 

[Snidenightshade]

Oblivion was fun for me i raided the Bravil gaurd quartes for no reason just wanted to have some fun and kept knocking out the leader of the city and the captian of the gaurd it was fun lol

 

[Chemfire]

Never really liked Oblivion myself, it was a grindtastic little game, but a lot of people like that kind of thing, so If the want to like it they can, Not mys style. =D

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I agree with Yahtzee on his points. However, I still love the game, so apparently his priorities are separate from mine. Meh, to each his own.

 

[ONe.21JiggaH4X]

This is an incredible 0p. christ i'm glad yahtzee exists and does this stuff.

 

[VonBlade]

Surely nothing is quite as fun as the whole "I've saved the world as you may have noticed from that enormous dragon, but yeah please treat me like a snot-nosed punk okthxbye" thing.

Surely if the radiant AI was either of those things (radiant or AI) then the bandits in their full daedric set wouldn't pick on the current Arena champ would they. Oh yeah they would.

Oblivion. Should be sent to. End

 

[NezumiiroKitsune]

You complain about immersion and then you complain the world isn't diverse......... Well the world isn't meant to be diverse it is meant to be a more realistic medieval setting fantasy game based on myths of the time it is set in. it's a small part of the map so take each English country for example and say Oblivion is like Bedfordshire, you don't see a volcano and then a few feet down the road a iceberg now do you? So really it keeps the immersion by doing so.

Also other faults you found with the game happen in all RPG's and the only difference Oblivion has is it's like GTA fantasy instead of the linear progression based most other RPG games are. Don't forget that back in the making of the game it was quite a impressive achievement and well to todays standards some things wouldn't be accepted back then there was more leg room for errors.

The only valid points you said were the dropping items cause I couldn't work out how to first of all... abit of trial and error until I found out how and the people of the streets changing voice halfway through talking to you although this only happened once or twice throughout the whole game.

your other point about fast travel well you don't have to use it, although if the world was amazingly diverse you'd still use it because noone enjoys running from point a to b for 15 mins hense why theres griffins in WOW which let you go make a cup of tea.


I just feel it's a weak review and I loved your past reviews but this one just felt like you had a few drinks and wanted to moan about a game you just didn't gel with.


Oblivion is a fantastic game that fixed all the flaws of the previous Elder Scrolls title and while people will say oh Daggerfall had a giant world.... well it was a giant boring mess where you'd see the same towns over and over again.

Whine whine whine blah whine moan excrement whine? ¬_¬ I'm not going to even bother beating you with the opinion stick. Oblivion is great, and I stress the next thing I'm about to say, IN MY OPINION. This was a very very funny review (again imo but I'm not going to keep typing that), and all the points are true, having played Oblivion for countless hours, the voice changing really does show, ESPECIALLY with beggars as he pointed out, as beggars have no predetermined persona when it comes to the topic "Rumours". Fast Travel does break the immersion flow, and makes you dubious of the point of the size (there is one, PC wise modding, otherwise realism).

I know, and sympathise with the volcano / iceberg thing, but variation in a game like Oblivion is sadly hard to come by and a little bit of differentiation between areas would be desirable. Not a volcano AND and icebeg, but why not an Iceberg or a Volcano? Isntead of constant green, then constant white. Albeit as I made clear in my last post, it looks stunning non the less and I love it for its plants and brillaintly vivid colours.

ALL I'm trying to strain out is, you cant say Yahtzees opinions are wrong (without being an ass), and therfore the review is weak. The damned SSBB fanboys did the same thing, and that just got depressing. His points if you have played Oblivion to a venerable extent, are valid. He doesnt lie, and fast travel / lack of variation coincide, to make dull gameply for some people. I know a couple of friend who despise Oblivion, and likewise some people here also have expressed there shared dislike. If somewhat with an excess of venecular typography, i.e. They wont stop fucking swearing.

Can you tell I have nothing better to do? I'm going to go do the Mankar Camerons Paradise mission again... Sorry about being a bit pissy at the beginning. Opinions cant be wrong, the belief they can be is very Neo-Nazi.

 

[thetragicclown]

I'd like to add my vote for a retrospective review of the Thief series. Not that such a vote has any real use, purpose or influence, but I'm doing it on principle damnit! Failing that a retrospective review of Fantasy World Dizzy, because I'm still chuffed about the visual reference to it in the Painkiller review.

 

[Nitro 288]

I have to completely agree with this Review. I never felt immersed in this game world the times I did try to play it. It was like 3 hours of gameplay last time I played it, I thought the combat was alright, but without the immersion, it felt too much like a chore.

 

[lightbulbthief]

Im enjoying these slow months you never know what you're going to get from Yahtzee, and thats going to get ruined by MGS4 and alone in the dark, wait a minute what am i saying? MGS4 and alone in the dark,great!

 

[BTKBrian]

That was a pretty good review. I do agree that the immersion was dealt a big blow mostly by fast traveling. However, there was a mod set for the PC called Modular Oblivion Enhanced, and it included plug-ins that can disable fast traveling, implement travel services at the front of each major city (which you would pay a minor fee for to get to another city), and teleportation spells to each city (Mysticism Journeyman skill level).

 

[Hajmola]

Although I do admit that oblivion looks like it plays in the meadows for the most part, there are other parts of it in the north which is cold, and swamp like near bravil. I dont think you should be able to criticize a game for that since how often would you find a cold tundra or something similar right next to a desert or a volcano.

As far as fast travel is concerned, some people just don't like to walk around so they have made fast travel for them and for those of us who enjoy walking to places, they have that feature build as well.

PS oblivion is ment to be played with mods and more based on side quests rather than main storyline.

 

[NezumiiroKitsune]

Although I do admit that oblivion looks like it plays in the meadows for the most part, there are other parts of it in the north which is cold, and swamp like near bravil. I dont think you should be able to criticize a game for that since how often would you find a cold tundra or something similar right next to a desert or a volcano.

As far as fast travel is concerned, some people just don't like to walk around so they have made fast travel for them and for those of us who enjoy walking to places, they have that feature build as well.

PS oblivion is ment to be played with mods and more based on side quests rather than main storyline.

PC Oblivion by any chance? If PS Oblivion had mods I'd weep with joy. Blasted Sony being tight, whiney cunts with the imagination of a baked sponge. How do you translate "User generate content isnt evil" into moron. Then into **** for microsoft.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Alright so now that he's reviewed a bunch of RPG's and a JRPG - can we get this guy to review an RTS? We won't get an MGS4 review for two weeks, so I say we all spam email him a request to review Dawn of War or Company of Heroes.

 

[SirCannonFodder]

You complain about immersion and then you complain the world isn't diverse......... Well the world isn't meant to be diverse it is meant to be a more realistic medieval setting fantasy game based on myths of the time it is set in. it's a small part of the map so take each English country for example and say Oblivion is like Bedfordshire, you don't see a volcano and then a few feet down the road a iceberg now do you? So really it keeps the immersion by doing so.

However, it's supposed to be representing a nation roughly 2/3 the size of Australia. In a country that big you don't just have fields and snow, you get stuff like rain forests, deserts, marshlands, and many other kinds of terrain. Heck, Vvardenfell, the island Morrowind was set on, had more variety despite representing an area about 1/3 the size of Cyrodiil.

 

[Pugnate]

While I do think Yahtzee hit the nail on the head with most of his points, I think he missed out on the game's biggest flaw; its 'leveling up' system.

The game gives absolutely no motivation to level up, as the world's NPCs infuriatingly level up with the protagonist... a serious flaw in an RPG.

In an RPG, it always feels good to go back and dominate those NPCs that had given you a tough time earlier in the game. In Oblivion, even at level 20, you will still have your ass handed to you by meager street bandits. Heck, you will have as much difficulty in killing a beggar, as you did at level 1.

In great CRPGs like Baludr's Gate II, you could often go back and kill those creatures that had been too powerful for you to handle at lower levels.

In fact, in an early chapter of BG2, you encounter two separate dragons, both of which are almost invulnerable to your attacks at that stage, and are better left ignored. However, the game returns to the same location in chapter six, allowing you another crack at them, and thus letting you enjoy character's growth.

Unfortunately, none of these experiences are possible in Oblivion, largely because of its pathetic XP mechanics.

 

[Hajmola]

Although I do admit that oblivion looks like it plays in the meadows for the most part, there are other parts of it in the north which is cold, and swamp like near bravil. I dont think you should be able to criticize a game for that since how often would you find a cold tundra or something similar right next to a desert or a volcano.

As far as fast travel is concerned, some people just don't like to walk around so they have made fast travel for them and for those of us who enjoy walking to places, they have that feature build as well.

PS oblivion is ment to be played with mods and more based on side quests rather than main storyline.

PC Oblivion by any chance? If PS Oblivion had mods I'd weep with joy. Blasted Sony being tight, whiney cunts with the imagination of a baked sponge. How do you translate "User generate content isnt evil" into moron. Then into **** for microsoft.

thats the problem with console oblivion
its crap