The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

LGR Takes A Portal Back To Elder Scrolls Oblivion

During the middle run of the Playstation 3 I bought Oblivion used from Gamestop and up to that point it was the first time i'd seriously played an Elder Scrolls game. It was a fun open world game but like the recent LGR review of it, I didn't love the Oblivion gate sections either. All that to say, it's a fun game and the LGR review is a good overall retrospective of it and it's DLC expansions including the oft chided Horse Armor.

Since Cheerful Ghost has been rolling along happily for 7 years, make sure to read Greg's review from 2014 if you want even more Oblivion stuff to read.

https://cheerfulghost.com/games/167/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 09/30/2018 at 08:35pm

Thanks for the link! Gosh, I tired to play it again recently, but it's so hard. I'm amazed I've gotten through it a few times.

Travis Admin wrote on 10/01/2018 at 03:21am

As many hours as I've put into Skyrim (literally over 200 in a single game, and a few more games over 100), Oblivion is still better I think.

Greg, when you say "it's so hard" are you talking about the game being hard or getting past some of the dated mechanics? If it's the game itself, there's a difficulty slider that you can use to basically make yourself mega overpowered right out of the sewers.

Travis Admin wrote on 10/01/2018 at 03:29am

Also, fun story: I started Oblivion on PS3 on the special edition with the major expansions included. I got vampirism (oops) and went on the quest to fix it. As became tradition with Bethesda PS3 ports, this one was buggy in ways that didn't affect the other platforms and I couldn't cure it. At this point it was way too late to start over so I bought the game again. The non-special edition didn't have the bug, so I was able to cure my vampirism and continue on with the special edition.

But I found out that the PS3 special edition didn't even have all the DLC so what did I do? Bought it on 360.

And of course when I became a primarily-PC gamer, I bought it again.

Then I bought the Elder Scrolls collection on PC because it was beautiful and had some neat extra goodies and I wanted it on my shelf.

So I have 5 copies of Oblivion.

And this has been story time with Travis.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 10/01/2018 at 03:36am

Yeah the game is hard, it scales with you. I guess I didn't realize there was a difficulty slider. Skyrim is easier. I have 151 Oblivion hours on my PC, although I played through it once on the PS3. As for Skyrim, I played it first on the PS3. Then got it for Steam which says I've spent 108 hours. Then I got the Special Edition which says I've spent 173 hours.

But yeah, where I got to in Oblivion last time I played, I was getting attacked by vampires and without a cure disease potion.

Travis Admin wrote on 10/01/2018 at 03:49am

Yeah vampires are annoying in this game. As long as you can pray at a shrine quickly enough you can get rid of it without a cure disease potion. My issue was that I didn't know I had the precursor to vampirism until it was too late.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 10/02/2018 at 12:29am

I had the same issue with Vampirism. Got it, had no idea what it was and then found out I had to complete a quest to cure it. Walked away at that point.

If I come back to Oblivion I’ll pray more

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Review For The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition Deluxe on PC

Azurephile gives this a solid "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

Azurephile gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

Review

Recommended

Different editions

Alchemy

Repair hammers

It's been less than a year since I first played Oblivion (Game of the Year Edition) on the PS3 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It exceeded my expectations. It's so great that I've been wanting to play it again.

Editions: When I searched in the Steam Store for Oblivion, I was surprised to find two versions of the game; a Game of the Year Edition and a Game of the Year Edition Deluxe version. Apparently the Deluxe version includes everything in the Game of the Year Edition plus a couple of extra quests and places you can live in.

So, I've started playing Oblivion and have only spent about 3 hours in the game... Read All Review

Recommended

Different editions

Alchemy

Repair hammers

It's been less than a year since I first played Oblivion (Game of the Year Edition) on the PS3 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It exceeded my expectations. It's so great that I've been wanting to play it again.

Editions: When I searched in the Steam Store for Oblivion, I was surprised to find two versions of the game; a Game of the Year Edition and a Game of the Year Edition Deluxe version. Apparently the Deluxe version includes everything in the Game of the Year Edition plus a couple of extra quests and places you can live in.

So, I've started playing Oblivion and have only spent about 3 hours in the game (according to Steam). I have decided to play Oblivion the same way I did originally. For this game that means I'm an Imperial warrior that uses warhammers. One of the things that's new is that the Deluxe version has given me a few places to live. I have already visited each of them and began making one of them my home by storing some stuff in a chest there.

Alchemy: Another thing I've done differently is that I'm working on Alchemy, which I think I completely ignored the first time I played the game. I have started to use ingredients that I find to create some potions, even though the only potions I'm using are the ones that restore my health. Alchemy in Oblivion is different than in Skyrim. In Skyrim, you cannot see the effects of an ingredient until you eat it or use it. Oblivion, however, tells you what the effects are and seems to only allow you to combine ingredients that have the same effects.

Now that I have finished the very beginning of the game, I'm thinking I must have not fully explored that area when I first played it. This time around, I believe I've explored more thoroughly and found a lot of stuff. I came out of the sewers with a warhammer, which was the kind of weapon I used mostly when I first played the game, although I don't remember getting one so early before. Also, I have not yet died. When I first played, I found it difficult and I think I died a few times. I think that's because I was just beginning to play the game and wasn't as familiar with it as I am now.

Repair hammers: When it comes to my preference between Skyrim and Oblivion, I think both games have their differences, which makes them unique. I enjoyed not having to use repair hammers in Skyrim, but after a while I got used to having to do so in Oblivion. Eventually your Armorer skill increases and repair hammers don't break after being used. The only other Elder Scrolls game I've played is Morrowind, but I haven't finished it. I tried to play it again recently, but I didn't spend very much time with it.

So, I want to throw some questions to those of you who have played any version of Oblivion. Were you aware of the Deluxe version? I also wonder if you've had a similar experience with the game and find yourself loving it.

Update 11/2019
The last time I tried to play the game again was over a year ago. I remember being very fond of Oblivion, I really loved it. But now it seems too difficult. I’m not sure why that is. Apparently, you can change the level of difficulty, I must have missed that some where or forgot that you could do that. I remember being inside an Oblivion gate was tough, even the beginning was tough right before you go through the first portal. After that, I found myself helpless against a group of vampires.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/28/2014 at 02:57pm

Basically, the PS3 version got shit on. With the exception of Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles, no DLC came to it. It's why I eventually bought it for 360 after having played it on PS3.

jdodson Admin wrote on 06/28/2014 at 04:46pm

Oblivion is a lot of fun and had a pretty good ps3 port(I have it). Wish I could have continued with it as I had quite a bit of fun and it was my first experience with a Bethesda game.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 06/28/2014 at 08:11pm

Travis, I noticed you have it on Steam, too. Does the XBox version include everything that's in the Deluxe edition? I'm beginning to realize that it really must not bother us to buy a game multiple times to play it on different consoles or the PC. We must be serious gamers (I think that's an understatement). I'm also thinking that if I had an awesome PC like I do now back when some of these games came out and I had a Steam account, I might have saved some money by not getting the console versions of these games. Honestly, having this PC is getting me away from console gaming. I'm really glad that I finally have a PC that can play the latest games flawlessly. I'm also really glad that I have a Steam account. I should also once again say that I'm really glad to be an active member here at Cheerful Ghost. You guys have really had a big influence in my gaming life. So, thanks again for creating and maintaining an awesome website! =)

Travis Admin wrote on 06/29/2014 at 08:13pm

The Deluxe edition is only available on PC, and the GotY edition of Oblivion on Xbox 360 is the same as the PS3 version, but the extras that come in the Deluxe edition are all available as DLC on 360.

And then I bought it on PC for the mods. Oh, the mods.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 06/29/2014 at 09:52pm

Ah. Hahaha. In my Google searches about the differences between the two PC versions and information about the Data Files, I saw things about mods. Apparently, if you want to use mods, you'll find them in the Data Files section. I still haven't used any mods. What kind of mods did you end up using for Oblivion?

One quick note I want to make about Alchemy in Oblivion. Each ingredient has four effects and right away you're able to see the first effect. In order to see the other effects, you have to create some potions and get your Alchemy skill leveled up more. Since I've been collecting ingredients and using them to create potions, I've managed to get my Alchemy skill high enough to let me see the second effect of each ingredient.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 07/02/2014 at 09:49pm

After about 30 hours into the game and at about level 20 or so, I've decided to start the game over from the beginning. There were a few things I wanted to do differently. One of the things I wanted to do was spend more points in Intelligence to increase my total Magicka so that I could use higher level healing spells. I also wanted to loot more so that I could have enough gold to purchase a house in Skingrad while the NPC was still alive. While I played the game on the PS3, this character had died due to a bug. Even if he does die, I can use console commands here on the PC to bring him back to life. Another change was that I wanted to spend less gold on furnishing Deepscorn Hollow (one of the places you get a deed to thanks to the Deluxe edition) and save it for my place in Skingrad.

I made my decision last night after looking at a recommended quest timing guide (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Quest_Timing). Although I'm probably not going to follow that guide completely, I've already started out by doing the Zero Visibility quest right after I left the sewers at the very beginning. This gave me a free bed and storage space.

I was also thinking of doing the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood quests earlier in the game instead of later as I had done on the PS3. I wanted to kind of line those quests up along with the Knights of the Nine add-on so that I could more easily get rid of infamy.

Although I did not even consider quest timing while playing Morrowind or Skyrim, I see how helpful it can be in Oblivion. Since I love the game so much, I don't mind starting over and keeping the quest timing guide in mind. One other, insignificant, difference I've made is that I have blue hair. I was able to do that on the PS3 and some how missed doing it on the PC, but I've now corrected that. You've already noticed that I pretty much play characters very similarly in most of my games. If I can change colors of hair, eyes, clothes, or whatever, I choose blue, just because I love blue. =)

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 07/02/2014 at 09:50pm

I might not worry about the quest timing guide's suggestions for allies. While they didn't bother me so much in Skyrim and actually served the simple purpose of being able to carry things, helping me loot more, I find that in Oblivion they just get in my way and I accidentally attack them, which sometimes causes them to turn against me.

Oh and I wanted to make a slight correction to something I said earlier. I said that I didn't remember coming out of the sewers with a warhammer, but doing the quest again proved that to be incorrect. It is lying in the middle of a small room and easily visible, so I'm sure I had it when I left the sewers the very first time I played the game.

I am curious as to when Steam's summer sale will be over. I believe that I will buy the Game of the Year Edition of Morrowind on Steam next. Even though I have the game, I don't own the add-on disks, so there may be an advantage to getting it from Steam. Although I can get the game running on my computer by running it as an administrator or in compatibility mode, I'm not sure how it will behave by getting it on Steam. With or without taking advantage of the summer sale, I'm sure the game is now very cheap.

Oh and the only issue I've had with Oblivion thus far is that it sometimes (or often) crashes upon exit. While this really isn't a problem, I did look for a solution and apparently the fix is to get a mod. At the moment, I'm not interested in getting any mods, although I am interested in knowing what mods you got for it, Travis.

(This comment post of mine ran over 3,000 characters, so I've separated it into two comments. This isn't the first time I've written too much for a comment post. Hahaha)

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 08/07/2016 at 03:56pm

Care to recommend some mods? I didn't see a Workshop link on Steam, but I did find a post with a link to http://www.nexusmods.com/. There's a lot there. I'm not sure what I'm particularly interested in. Something to make it look better would be cool, although I never thought that it looked bad. I saw a higher encumbrance mod, which could be helpful as well. Perhaps something that removes the level cap would be interesting, too.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/08/2016 at 03:37am

Wow, two year necro post!

I only ever really messed with graphical mods. Darnified UI is great for making the menu and UI a bit better. Oblivion Character Overhaul makes the characters look ... well, less like Oblivion characters :D.

I have always hated how you level in Oblivion, so if you want to mess with that, see this reddit thread for different pros/cons of the different mods.

https://www.reddit.com/r/oblivion/comments/kj97b/best_leveling_mod_for_oblivion/

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A Humble Opinion

I'll preface this with the fact that Oblivion is one of the best examples of a game where modding capability really shines; there are countless user-made additions and at least one full-modification pack, Nehrim, that I know of off the top of my head. If you play Oblivion may people will tell you to just go straight into mods and ignore the base game and that's where I have to disagree.

The first game I played was vanilla. And, man, that first time you exit the sewers, you can do anything. The immense freedom, the open-world nature, it was incredible. Oblivion is by no means perfect and going back now the combat doesn't age very well, but the main focus of the game, the... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 12/14/2012 at 08:25pm

It's fantastic. One of my favorites of all time. I play with mods now, but very few. The vanilla game is great as it is.

Gary_Butterfield wrote on 12/14/2012 at 10:15pm

I love Oblvion and Skyrim but I think the FPS Fallouts are a lot better. Fallout has one of the most unique settings in gaming. The Elder Scrolls games, though I love them for their freedom, always seemed really generic setting wise.

gmlawton wrote on 12/15/2012 at 02:07am

For me, it was like my experience with Morrowind. I didn'tget into either right away. It took until I was able to work up the patience to get myself immersed. Also both games, their best foot isn't put forward in the main quests, it's the guild missions imo. It took mea while to figure that out, and that rushing through things wasn't the way to enjoy the games, but relazing and soaking in the universe.

Overall, I think it's The Elder Scrolls games helped me really mature as a gamer. They're great games... they just don't really pull you in, they grow on you if you give them the timeto.

Travis Admin wrote on 12/15/2012 at 03:25am

Gary, allow me to nitpick a bit. I don't think the Fallout games can realistically be called FPS games. I'm open to being convinced otherwise, but...

The VATS system means that you never really have to aim. Sure, it's obvious that Bethesda put a ton of FPS elements in their games. As an FPS though, Fallout 3 would fail miserably. It uses some pretty clunky FPS mechanics, when treated as an FPS. New Vegas improved on it quite a bit. It's substantially better. I used VATS far less in New Vegas because of the improvements, but still, VATS is front and center.

But otherwise I agree. The Fallout games really have some of the best atmosphere in any games I've ever played. I don't think the Elder Scrolls is generic, but the modern Fallouts are definitely more interesting and unique. I can't wait to see what Fallout 4 can do with the Skyrim engine!

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/15/2012 at 03:44am

@panicked @gary The new Fallout games have elements of a Shooter for sure. The game is in first person. I don't know the game doesn't feel like a traditional shooter but it has those elements.

I played more Oblivion that I have Skyrim, I ended up stopping my play of Oblivion on the PS3 due to me becoming a Vampire and not wanting to undo that. I didn't realize a Vampire had bitten me and then I turned. Walked out side and, yeah it hurt. :D

Timogorgon Member wrote on 12/15/2012 at 05:45pm

Oblivion is fun, but I kind of hate the leveling mechanics. You have to put in a lot of work to make sure you get the most out of each level up. After sinking somewhere around 15-20 hours into the game i ended up having to start over because my character kept leveling up but getting horrible stat gains. That soured my experience (pun intended) pretty bad, and after putting a couple hours into my new character I got bored and moved on to other games.

I actually have not tried any of the mods for the game. Maybe a mod or two would help bring me back to the game.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 12/15/2012 at 05:55pm

As far as Fallout goes, I'd say it's a FPS / turn based hybrid. The FPS features are a little clunky I agree, and I really only use them when sniping or up close with a shotgun. The setting is great too. I love the sort of retro-futurism of everything.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/16/2012 at 12:04am

The Fallout story blew my mind. I don't sink 8-10 hours a day into a game, but with Fallout 3 I did.

Gary_Butterfield wrote on 12/16/2012 at 02:05am

I just meant First Person. Reflex!

Travis Admin wrote on 12/16/2012 at 02:19am

Gary, yeah, I get that. I had actually just been discussing the very same thing earlier in the day on another site, so I was primed ;)

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/18/2012 at 02:06am

Primed for EVIL!

Travis Admin wrote on 12/18/2012 at 03:11am

THE PRIME EEEVILLL. THE LORD OF TERR-OR.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/18/2012 at 03:36am

Dude that totally a different game!

Travis Admin wrote on 12/18/2012 at 03:59am

Right, but you said "prime" and "evil." What choice did I have?

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/18/2012 at 04:06am

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