Others say...

"Not as good as everyone is claiming it to be, but...."
It's still nice when you get stuck.

It's really geared towards smash-and-bash characters, but the quest help alone is well worth the price.

"Amazing."
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is THE game I have been looking for. This is an RPG that should be played by any fan of the genre. It doesn't beat Baldur's Gate (IMHO), but it's the next best thing. This game is very open, meaning not linear. Don't like the main story line? That's fine, go do your own thing. The world is massive. The NPCs have decent AI. They come up with random conversations with each other, but they keep on topic. It is rather amusing to hear a group of them talking to each other.

You may customize your character down to the very detail of how the eye brows sit above the eyes. Unless you just accept the default character or randomize one, you could spend A LOT of time making your character look just like you want.

The combat is fairly close to realistic, but can be frustrating with a few quirks (I don't see how a dagger can block the blow of a longsword and cause recoil). I really like the leveling system. You level based on the skills you regularly use (i.e. if you jump a lot, always run, wear certain armor, regularly use a particular weapon, etc.). For instance, if your character wears light armor and wields a bow, during combat, you will notice that you gain skills in light armor proficiency and marksmanship. If you run from one location to the next, you may notice your athletics skill increase.

Enemies are VERY persistent. They will pursue you until the death (yours or theirs) or until you outrun them by a VERY long distance. Not to mention, they will attack you on spot. They will make chase through buildings, into or out of towns, and even through the path of another enemy. They can be relentless. However, you can have them chase you until you reach a nearby city guard, which the guard will quickly dispatch of the pursuer (that is IF you can outrun the enemy for that length of time).

One VERY unrealistic quirk I have for this game is this. I observed an NPC, engaged in a relentless pursuit, chase the player through water while swinging their war hammer. Bear in mind that the water was VERY deep, so the player was swimming. Meanwhile, the NPC was right behind them swinging away with their war hammer (while swimming) as if they were standing on land. All you could hear behind the player was the whoosh-whoosh-whoosh of the hammer as if the water wasn't even there.

Despite the few quirks of the game, Oblivion's fantastic gameplay, great detail and brilliant RPG engine more than make up. I can see this game providing 100+ hours of gameplay.

If you like fantasy setting RPGs, buy Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

"Fantastic value!"
Worth every penny. The reference tables and maps alone justify spending the money for this product. Gameplay tips are practical and they work. Highest recommendation.

"Great Game"
Hours of enjoyment - wish they would make an online version of this game.

"A must have"
if you played any of the previous Elder Scrolls you know how easy it is to play for hours and hours with out even touching a quest line. The guide helps to realize what us important to the story. It also features a helpful guide for creating characters.