This has forever been on my backlog of games and a blindspot since release, having never fully giving it the time of day beyond the first town despite sinking countless hours into Morrowind and Skyrim. For years I completely forgot I had a copy laying around for the 360 until YouTube's algorithm bombarded me with the funniest clips of NPC interactions, and kinda just wanted to witness these moments for myself. After reminiscing on the brief experience with the game, I figured 'eh, why not finish it' despite a natural aversion to these kinds of Western RPGs simply because of how addicting they can be.
Well, nearly 90+ hours of mastering guilds, ADHD rabbit holes, and 2 weeks of nonstop gameplay, it's safe to say that I had a pretty enjoyable time with some minute grievances regarding certain mechanics i.e. leveling, spongey combat, etc. I'm the kind of person to overlook faults or shortcomings if the experience as a whole is cohesive enough to not dampen the entire game. 'Completing' Oblivion (as in the main quest) was satisfying as it was bittersweet, and can safely say I'll be returning to this again down the road for its sheer immersion and the unexpected joy it brought.
Oblivion's biggest strength is its simplicity in its story and balancing that with rich and genuinely interesting lore. Naturally I couldn't help compare at times to Morrowind from the guilds I could join, the size of the world, or malleability/choices I had in a quest or player autonomy overall in that department. I quickly set that aside realizing how much of a disservice it is to Oblivion's entry to the series. To the same effect it would be making a similar comparison to Ocarina of Time to Majora's Mask: both do incredibly well for their respective approach and execution, and while one is more binary in its morals and simplistic, it stands firmly on its own just as strong. It plays its story straight and does it without taking itself serious, and this was what makes Oblivion shine: emphasis on creating a traditional epic.
There was a permeating comfort during the entire playthrough with its soundtrack giving me the solace of a campfire, never leaving my side and reminding me to enjoy myself and have fun. The only true comparison I can give to my time playing Oblivion is how it took me back to being a child role playing epic adventures and fabricating mythologies. Despite its high fantasy setting being a bit rudimentary and at times standard art direction, it reminded me how grand rpgs don't always have to be serious nor do I have to take myself seriously: how a simple story can be as effective as any intricately plotted fable, and not forget to just have fun.
Well, nearly 90+ hours of mastering guilds, ADHD rabbit holes, and 2 weeks of nonstop gameplay, it's safe to say that I had a pretty enjoyable time with some minute grievances regarding certain mechanics i.e. leveling, spongey combat, etc. I'm the kind of person to overlook faults or shortcomings if the experience as a whole is cohesive enough to not dampen the entire game. 'Completing' Oblivion (as in the main quest) was satisfying as it was bittersweet, and can safely say I'll be returning to this again down the road for its sheer immersion and the unexpected joy it brought.
Oblivion's biggest strength is its simplicity in its story and balancing that with rich and genuinely interesting lore. Naturally I couldn't help compare at times to Morrowind from the guilds I could join, the size of the world, or malleability/choices I had in a quest or player autonomy overall in that department. I quickly set that aside realizing how much of a disservice it is to Oblivion's entry to the series. To the same effect it would be making a similar comparison to Ocarina of Time to Majora's Mask: both do incredibly well for their respective approach and execution, and while one is more binary in its morals and simplistic, it stands firmly on its own just as strong. It plays its story straight and does it without taking itself serious, and this was what makes Oblivion shine: emphasis on creating a traditional epic.
There was a permeating comfort during the entire playthrough with its soundtrack giving me the solace of a campfire, never leaving my side and reminding me to enjoy myself and have fun. The only true comparison I can give to my time playing Oblivion is how it took me back to being a child role playing epic adventures and fabricating mythologies. Despite its high fantasy setting being a bit rudimentary and at times standard art direction, it reminded me how grand rpgs don't always have to be serious nor do I have to take myself seriously: how a simple story can be as effective as any intricately plotted fable, and not forget to just have fun.