The Elder Scrolls

The inescapable reality is that Bethesda makes precisely the sorts of games I love, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim may be their best, even if buying the game on release day is akin to paying $60 for access to a public beta test.

I read what had to be one of the weirdest articles I've come across in a while. Yes, I know it's IGN, but it's still about Dark Souls, and I wanted to see where they were going with the article. It didn't go very far. The points of the article irk me.  It's one thing to compare two relatively similar games, but this is almost going beyond apples and oranges into a whole other realm of incompatibility.

By and large, I find Mike's review of Oblivion to be nearly as flawless as the game itself. Everything he said in his main review about the game's beautiful graphics, playability and scope I agree with wholeheartedly. It really is stunning to walk all the way to the mountains at the end of the map, then turn around and be able to see the main city in the distance. Where his opinions and mine diverge, however, is on the subject of the game's lack of focus.

Game Description: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the most richly detailed and vibrant game-world ever created. This new chapter uses next-generation technologies to create a fully immersive gaming adventure. After the mysterious and untimely death of the Emperor, the throne of Tamriel lies empty. With the Empire ready to crumble, the gates of Oblivion open and demons march upon the land. To end this growing darkness, you must find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel. Next-generation graphics for lifelike towns, dungeons, and the most realistic forests ever created in a game—optimized for high-definition TVs.

Writing this review proved to be a great deal harder than I'd imagined. I think there are two reasons why: First, Oblivion is a huge and multifaceted game. There's a lot of ground to cover and it's easy to concentrate on the few negatives while skipping over a lot of the positives. Second, it's really hard to talk about the game without referencing Morrowind regularly.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

If Morrowind is any indication of where The Elder Scrolls series is headed, I would say that it is certainly moving in a positive direction and I am very excited to see what will happen with The Elder Scrolls IV.

Players can kill people, bribe them, soothe them with some smooth talk, or simply steal whatever it is they need. The game thus often feels quite lifelike, which only adds to the immersive quality of the experience as a whole. This is where Bethesda has really improved upon standard game design and structure.

According to ESRB, this game contains Blood, Violence

It takes a particular kind of mindset to really enjoy a game like Morrowind. You really have to get what the designers are trying to do and understand why they avoid what seem like more obvious alternatives. Like the two previous games of the Elder Scrolls series, Morrowind has its sights set on one goal: to provide us, the players, with all the limitless possibility our finite little minds can comprehend.