The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

• Platform: PC, Xbox 360
• Published by: Bethesda
• Developed by: Bethesda
• Release Date: Early 2006
• Genre: RPG
• Multiplayer: No
• Online: No

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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Preview Continued..

-- December 2, 2005 by: David Craddock

At the very start of the game, only the major cities are familiar to you. In order to get to them or anywhere else, the map must be uncovered as your adventure progresses. As this occurs, map markers are laid down so players can easily see where they've been and how to get back. Each map marker indicates a different location. Locales ranging from caves and shrines to camps and forts are waiting for you to uncover and explore them.

Exploration can be done on foot or on the back of a noble steed. Horses speed up the traveling process and are also used as a status symbol. They're pricey, which means owning one is quite an achievement. Of course, owning a horse isn't your only option; you can also steal them should you feel so inclined. However, upon dismounting, the stolen mount will make immediate tracks back to its rightful master, so plunking down the necessary gold is your best option in the end, though you could always go from city to city by means of stolen horses. There are many different breeds of horses, all with their own levels of speed and health, so you'll have to travel to different locations if you want to find your horse soul-mate.

Thankfully, previously explored locations do not require time-consuming (read as: boring) return treks and be be re-accessed via a fast travel system. Just point to a location on the map, click it, and off you go, horse (should you have one) and all. There are restrictions, of course. For example, if you're spelunking a deep dark dungeon and are in the middle of a battle, you can't just open the map and warp away.

The world of Tamriel is quite a sight to behold; mere screenshots do not demonstrate even one one-hundredth of the effort that has been put forth into this visually stunning game. Given that the game is being hyped as one of the first "must own" titles of the first generation of games for the Xbox 360, the look had to be something special. The engine has been redone from scratch, meaning that if you happen to recognize anything from Morrowind, it only looks similar; it has been redone. All of the new tricks featured on the latest video cards and the 360 (such as specular, normal, and parallax maps; HDR lighting) have been used to the fullest.

The forests rendered in the game are a stand-out feature of Oblivion. Pain-staking detail was put into making the trees look realistic, and without Speedtree, the level of detail achieved would not have been possible. The program allows for all sorts of variations to come to fruition. Trees will have different variations in their branches, leaves, and trunks, giving each piece of nature a very unique look. Hines puts in that "forests were the big, crazy thing we wanted to try in Oblivion that hadn't really been done to a really high level previously. We do all the rendering and shader effects ourselves."

Just as the forest must be seen for the trees, Oblivion provides realism through more than just a pretty face. The graphics are undoubtedly an important aspect of this feat of realism, but they are only one part of a collective whole. When you combine the mouth-watering graphics with the physics engine, sound-based physics, full digitized speech, facial animations, the unique look given to each NPC, lip-synching, and more, you have fitted together the elaborate puzzle that is Oblivion. Perhaps the most important variable in the equation is the gameplay style that seems unique to the Elder Scrolls series. The player is given so many choices about who (or what) to be, where to go, and what to do when they get there.... Each of these elements is impressive on its own, but it is the sum of all parts that makes the game even more lavish and majestic.

Thankfully, the gorgeous sixteen square miles you'll be trekking through are far from sparse. There are approximately one thousand NPCs, stuffed to their virtual gills with countless lines of dialogue. Story is an important part of Oblivion, and the script does not aim to disappoint. Hines estimates the total recording time to be somewhere around the fifty hour mark. The printed version of the script was, he puts aptly, "ridiculous." Voice acting in video games is something that is taken very seriously by the industry in this day and age, so no expense was spared in procurring a triple A cast in order to provide an even more immsersive experience. Patrick Stewart has been signed on to provide the voice of the Emperor, while Sean Bean will voice the Emperor's son, who is the focal point of the game's main quest. Terrance Stamp provides the villainous voice of the villain behind all the terrible deeds, and Lynda Carter returns to lend her vocal talents to the Nords.

So the NPCs can talk. So what? That doesn't make them smart... does it? By itself, no, not really. But that's where Radiant A.I. comes in. "None of the behavior in the game is scripted," Hines says. Instead, a goal-oriented system has been created that allows parameters to be set for behavioral types. Since each NPC is completely unique when compared to any other, every NPC will have to figure out how to accomplish its tasks specified with the goal system. Pete illustrates the system with an example: "we don't tell an NPC to go steal an apple from this table at this time, we tell the NPC that it needs to eat during a certain period of time. If the NPC has a low level of responsibility and doesn't own any food or have money to buy it, it'll go off and try to steal it from someone who does."

How will events like the one described above affect the player? In different ways. If you're not around to see the apple being stolen, then it probably won't affect you in the slightest. The event is, like everything else in Oblivion, a small yet crucial piece of the whole that helps to affect the way the way characters move around the world and interact with each other... and you. It doesn't matter if you're around to witness something or not: NPCs may not always be at the exact same location one day that they were the previous. You're given different options regarding how to go about achieving your own goals, just as the NPCs are. And again, in the Elder Scrolls games, options are more important than anything.

You should know enough about the game by now to warrant an impatient drumming of your fingers from now until the game's imminent release. But what platform to play it on: PC or Xbox 360? Both are lucrative options, and to be honest, there aren't many crucial differences. If you only have one or the other, the choice is made much easier, but what if you're one of those uber-cool multiplatform owners? Again, options are what Oblivion is all about. If you're more comfortable with a keyboard and mouse combo, go with the PC version. If you prefer a controller, Xbox 360 will fit the bill. According to Hines, "The only real difference between the two versions is that the PC version has [software] that allows you to edit and add your own content to your game. We’ll be providing downloadable content for both versions of the game, but you can’t add your own stuff to the Xbox 360. Maybe someday, but not right now anyway."

Speaking of Xbox Live, it is a well-known fact that Microsoft has required every 360 title to have some sort of Live feature. Oblivion, of course, steps up to the challenge of keeping players immersed and entertained. Pete says that from the very first day, downloadable content will be made available that will add to the game. The content will "range from new items to new quests to anything in between. Being able to charge something for it allows us to dedicate more resources to it than we could in the past and be able to bring out things on a consistent basis." Yeah, you read that right: you'll probably have to shell out some bucks. But it's no different than paying for an expansion pack, which is always desirable when a game is good enough to warrant one. PC owners, never fear: The 360 gamers of the world will have to share their content with you, as Bethesda wants to ensure that no version is overtly greater than the other. How payments will work has not yet been revealed.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion looks extremely promising, and gamers across the globe are counting down the days remaining until the late March release date. Whether the game will deliver remains to be seen, but from everything I've seen so far, there is nothing but infinite potential on the horizon. The delay was unfortunate, but should be more than worth it in the end. PC gamers, upgrade your systems; Xbox 360 owners, whittle away your time on the games you've managed to get your hands on thus far. When Elder Scrolls IV arrives, prepare for all other aspects of your life to be cast into Oblivion.

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