View All (13)

View All (9)

At this point in the review, I could sing the praises of what might be the most beautiful game available on the PS3. I could gush about how the amazing sunlight and water effects will make you drool and rub your eyes in disbelief. You already know that that though, don't you? Too bad, because I'm going to talk about graphics anyway. Yes, Motorstorm is a terrific looking title. Virtua Fighter 5 certainly is crisp and vibrant. But taking all things into consideration, Oblivion's art style transports you into a realm that none of the other existing PS3 titles can. The forests, snowy landscapes, dank caves and castles have such a diversity in design and color that it honestly appears as though you are traversing through a real world.

The characters you interact with throughout Cyrodiil are just as richly crafted and unique as the world they inhabit. You will encounter soldiers on patrol, all dressed in shiny armor. You'll meet shady reptilian creatures under starry skies. You'll even battle pale-skinned vampires on some of your quests. Going back to the world of Oblivion itself, the stark contrast of quaint little cottages dotting the landscape versus the appearance of the fiery-red Oblivion gates in your path is just one example of the amazing diversity and beauty you'll find throughout Cyrodiil. My best descriptions can in no way convey to you how beautiful this game truly is. Once you play it for yourself, I'm sure you will be just as amazed as I was. It may be even a tad prettier than the Xbox 360 version and that is saying a lot.

Moving on to the voice acting and musical composition of Oblivion, you'll find nothing but the highest quality here. For a world so vast it is surprising to hear that many of the non-playable characters have excellent voice acting. Guards sound gruff and tough and maidens have a certain lilt to their voices that add to the overall authenticity of the world. Conversely, you can expect the evil characters to have a sinister tone to their voices. These tones always seem to convey that they want to hurt you in the worst possible way. These seemingly simple elements draw you into the game emotionally, in a way that you may have never before experienced until now. Yes, some of the voices are re-cycled, but that is a petty complaint considering that many other RPGs give you text boxes with little to no voice acting.

The musical score is fantastic and always seems to capture the mood of the moment. When you're wandering through the forest just exploring your world, a nice soft melody floats on the breeze. When an enemy approaches or you enter an Oblivion gate, the entire musical score suddenly rises to a fever pitch to let you know that trouble is on the horizon. Throughout each quest, you'll rarely find that the music doesn't fit the scenario. Bethesda certainly took a lot of time getting it right and it shows in the final product.