FreeArticles.com - Your Source For Free Articles Articles About xBox 360
$$$ Click Here To Make Money Online The Easy Way ... FAST! $$$
  Free Articles Home: Category: Video Games - [ 117 ]: Subcategory: xBox 360 - [ 53 ]


Xbox 360 - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion



 
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the sequel to 2002's Morrowind, a game whose lack of direction made it a bit of a disappointment for many RPG fans. So what is it about Oblivion that's raised it above the mire in a saturated genre to be an award-winner and one of the Xbox 360's biggest-selling titles?

Partly it's the graphical quality, both the PC and Xbox 360 versions taking full advantage of the hardware. The game uses the Havoc physics engine for combat and True HDR graphics with the SpeedTree Technology system adding depth and realism to the backgrounds. The flip side to this is frequent pauses for loading and occasional crashes, but at least the game is lacking the sometimes fatal bugs of its predecessor.

Mostly, though, it's the balance between freedom and direction. There's a solid, large-scale main quest revolving around the murder of the Emperor and securing the succession for his son. The voice work, featuring Patrick Stewart, Sean Bean, Terrence Stamp, and Lynda Carter, is excellent and almost completely lacking in cheese. Aside from this, though, you're free to explore a vast world full of side quests, guild quests, shopping, and a phenomenal amount of chat.

That's where Oblivion really jumps the RPG rails. All the NPCs are individuals, with their own goals and traits. (In initial game testing, the NPCs' freedom to pursue their own ends led to some hilarious anarchy.) It feels like a world full of people, not mannequins. Again, the voice acting is solid, though like most RPGs, all the women sound exactly the same.

Your ability to customise your own character matches that depth too. After selecting your race and designing your appearance, you go through the first scenes where you become involved in the Emperor's escape attempt. Unlike Morrowind, you're straight into the main adventure. After making your way through a sewer system, the game analyses how you've played up until this point and suggests a character class. If you've been charging screaming into every battle, it may be that 'thief' is not the class for you. You still have the option, though, to pretty much ignore class and just design your character the way you want. Levelling up will lead to gaining significant new skills, not just becoming incrementally better at the old ones.

In keeping with making it easy to stay on task, the quest management system in Oblivion is excellent. Your journal tells you exactly what you need to do, and once you've selected a particular quest to be your main objective, your next port of call will appear on your map and you'll get a compass telling you where to go. You're never wandering around lost and frustrated.

Combat is less simple than some RPGs, so there's a bit of a learning curve, but it's not heinous. Generally you'll have a 'hit' button and a block button and another for casting spells, with eight 'hot keys' - always a system harder to manage with a d-pad than a keyboard. You don't need to be too precise with your aiming, but getting hit will knock you round, and in melee combat that can be a real problem. Allies will get majorly pissed at you if you keep cutting them up by mistake.

There is no online or multi-player mode with Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. In a way, it doesn't really need that, because the world is so immersive, detailed, and well-peopled. It will feel a bit odd for MMORPG fans to be dealing with guilds made up completely of NPCs, though. Still, there's more than enough gameplay here to keep the most avid dungeon-crawler happily immobile for hours.

NEW! You can get all the information and tools you need to make backup copies of virtually every video game you own with nothing more than a CD burner or DVD burner and your home computer. PLUS learn how to play all of your favorite games on your PC, no console, or mod chip needed!

This free article is provided by the FreeArticles.com Free Articles Directory for educational purposes ONLY! It cannot be reprinted or redistributed under any circumstances.

$$$ Click Here To Start Making An Easy $50 to $189 Each Day $$$

Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.   

Article Views: [ 381 ]    Word Count: [ 660 ]    [ Print Article ]    [ Send Article To A Friend ]
Newest xBox 360 Articles Most Popular xBox 360 Articles

 
Walking Through The Xbox 360 Games
The Law Of Supply And Demand In Xbox 360
Xbox 360 Customization
The Xbox 360 Wait Is Officially Over
Life After Xbox Mods
Xbox Lovers Clubs – What, Where, Why, And How
Fill In The Blank: Xbox Is For You If ---
Xbox Mechanics: Tips On How To Install A New Hard Drive
Everything Starts And Ends At The Xbox Dashboard
X-Box Cheat Sheets
Accessorize Your Xbox
Microsoft Xbox: The Leader Of The Bunch
The Most Popular Xbox Games
Know What You're Getting With The Xbox 360
International Xbox Competition: World Series Of Video Games 2006
How To Save Money When Buying Xbox
Xbox 360: Great Value For Your Dollars
XBox 360 Overheating Issues
All About XBox 360 Mod Chips
Where To Find XBox 360 Cheat Codes
xBox 360 Game Review: Viva Piñata
xBox 360 Game Review: Saint's Row
xBox360 Game Review: Lego Star Wars II
xBox 360 Game Review: Gears of War
xBox 360 Game Review: Dead Rising
Refurbished xBox 360
How To Burn Or Copy XBox 360 Games
xBox 360 Game Review - Soccer on the XBox - Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007
xBox 360 Game Review - A Trekkie's Dream: Star Trek Legacy
Buy An xBox 360: Payment Plan Options
xBox 360 Game Review - A Great Alien Shoot 'Em Up - Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
Two Players, One xBox 360 Live Account: Can It Be Done?
The Top 3 xBox 360 Compatible Headphones Reviewed
xBox 360: Can You Add Any Computer Hard Drive To Yours?
xBox 360 Game Review - Back To School: College Hoops 2K7 for XBox 360
Cheats And Codes For xBox 360: February's Top 4
xBox 360 Game Review: War in the Pacific - Battlestations: Midway
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Review
XBOX 360- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Multiplayer
XBOX 360: Superman Returns Review

 
How To Burn Or Copy XBox 360 Games
Two Players, One xBox 360 Live Account: Can It Be Done?
The Top 3 xBox 360 Compatible Headphones Reviewed
xBox 360: Can You Add Any Computer Hard Drive To Yours?
XBox 360 Overheating Issues
Refurbished xBox 360
All About XBox 360 Mod Chips
Buy An xBox 360: Payment Plan Options
Where To Find XBox 360 Cheat Codes
XBOX 360: Gears of War Online Play Review
Buyer Tips When Purchasing A Used Xbox 360
XBOX 360- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Multiplayer
Xbox 360 - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Best Accessories for the Xbox 360
An Introduction to the Xbox 360
Life After Xbox Mods
XBOX 360: Superman Returns Review
xBox 360 Game Review: Saint's Row
XBOX 360: Gears of War Review
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Review
Console, the Next Generation: Can the Xbox 360 Hold its Own?
Xbox 360: Call of Duty 2
xBox 360 Game Review: Gears of War
XBOX 360: Dead Rising Review
Xbox 360 Customization
xBox360 Game Review: Lego Star Wars II
Xbox 360 - Tomb Raider: Legend
Xbox 360: Perfect Dark Zero
Cheats And Codes For xBox 360: February's Top 4
xBox 360 Game Review - A Trekkie's Dream: Star Trek Legacy
xBox 360 Game Review: Dead Rising
Xbox: 360: Project Gotham Racing 3
Xbox Mechanics: Tips On How To Install A New Hard Drive
xBox 360 Game Review - Soccer on the XBox - Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007
xBox 360 Game Review: War in the Pacific - Battlestations: Midway
xBox 360 Game Review - A Great Alien Shoot 'Em Up - Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
xBox 360 Game Review - Back To School: College Hoops 2K7 for XBox 360
X-Box Cheat Sheets
xBox 360 Game Review: Viva Piñata
Walking Through The Xbox 360 Games

Articles A-Z: 0-9  |  A  | B  | C  | D  | E  | F  | G  | H  | I  | J  | K  | L  | M  | N  | O  | P  | Q  | R  | S  | T  | U  | V  | W  | X  | Y  | Z  | ALL
FreeArticles Home  |  Newest Articles  |  Popular Articles  |  Submit Your Articles  |  Privacy Policy  |  Sitemap  |  Contact Us
© 1998-2008 FreeArticles.com - Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.