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Review Oblivion scores 77%

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,544
Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

In what is possibly <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=11960">the first balanced review of Oblivion</a> since its release, the game has received 77%. What, no 100%? No 5 stars? No 10/10? I'm shocked too! Here's a snip:
<br>
<blockquote>The game is still very, very linear. There's no branching points at any of the guild lines, and the quests for the main plot go one after another in a linear sequence, just like Morrowind.This means the player has NO impact on how the story will unfold. There will be no side switching, and for each given plotline, be it for a Guild or the main quest, the player is forced to play through a linear sequence of missions until one and only one ending is reached. Further more, with the exception of a few select quests, there's one and only one way to solve any given quest: by going to the place, beating everything up, and completing your objective. This completely destroys the whole Choice and Consequence deal that should be the backbone of any RPG. It makes the player feel like he's just going along for the ride, with nothing at stake, and no impact whatsoever on the outcome.</blockquote>
<br>
Despite the criticism and non-hyped score, overall the reviewer enjoyed Oblivion for the light action game that it is. <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=11960">Be sure to read the rest here</a>.
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UPDATE: If you think linking a review someone posted on our own forums is a bit crass, then you can read <a href="http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=305385">the same review on the Elder Scrolls Forums here</a>.
 

Gremmy

Novice
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
6
I don't think a biased codex-poster is a reliable pundit for a front-page review.
 

Zomg

Arbiter
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Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,984
What the hell? Why would you link a forum review? That's painfully embarassing.
 

dagamer667

Liturgist
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
Messages
104
Personally, having all cities unlocked for fast travel the moment you leave the tutorial alone should reduce the final score by at least 10%. That totally hosed the entire experience of exploring the game world.
 

Sisay

Liturgist
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Jan 17, 2004
Messages
122
Location
Soviet Finland
I'm waiting for the inevitable "Why is this news? R00fles" post by Volourn. And for once I'd agree.
 

HardCode

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Aug 23, 2005
Messages
1,139
WTF? Has the Codex short circuited? What the fuck is with you people? First, you all bitch and moan about biased, paid-off, mainstream game site bullshit. Then, one of our own posts an excellent review, it's stupid to link to it? What the fuck, just because mith didn't put it on MyMainStreamReviewSite.com, it doesn't make it news? Does something need to be approved by the Pentagon to be official and worth of a Codex news post? Talk about lunacy. It's a great review.
 

Twinfalls

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Jan 4, 2005
Messages
3,903
HardCode said:
WTF? Has the Codex short circuited? What the fuck is with you people? First, you all bitch and moan about biased, paid-off, mainstream game site bullshit. Then, one of our own posts an excellent review, it's stupid to link to it? What the fuck, just because mith didn't put it on MyMainStreamReviewSite.com, it doesn't make it news? Does something need to be approved by the Pentagon to be official and worth of a Codex news post? Talk about lunacy. It's a great review.
 

Zomg

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Oct 21, 2005
Messages
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It just reads as petulance and pitifulness, like the only review we can dig up that agrees with our sensibility comes from a forum member (which is, you know, basically true). I'm sure if I were a troll I could spin this into gold, as if our anti-Oblivion shit hadn't gone off the deep end in the first place. I'm as annoyed as the next person that mainstream game reviewers can't tell the difference between thirty million dollars melted down and poured into a mold and quality, but this kind of shit just aids the enemy and gives them easy ways to lampoon the outsider mindset.
 

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
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Messages
28,544
Welp, I could link to the same post on the TES forums if it makes people happier.

... or ask whitemithrandir if we can post it up here as content. I just figured seeing as it's alreay posted, posting it again in the content system (presuming he agrees) is kind of daft.

And hey, if the only decent review of Oblivion so far was posted on our forums, then I'll be damned if I'm not gonna post it.

Bitches.
 
Joined
Jul 15, 2004
Messages
1,117
I don't mind :) I think you'll need to tidy up a few typos though.

It just reads as petulance and pitifulness, like the only review we can dig up that agrees with our sensibility comes from a forum member (which is, you know, basically true). I'm sure if I were a troll I could spin this into gold, as if our anti-Oblivion shit hadn't gone off the deep end in the first place. I'm as annoyed as the next person that mainstream game reviewers can't tell the difference between thirty million dollars melted down and poured into a mold and quality, but this kind of shit just aids the enemy and gives them easy ways to lampoon the outsider mindset.

Alright, well, if you disagree with my review, or if you think I didn't address important points, or if there were points that are biased, hey man, tell me about it. Let's discuss it here. I'm not a "hardcore" codex drone or anything. I'm more of a TES forumite than anything else. I BARELY post seriously here (if ever), but if you want to talk and discuss my review in civility, hey, I'm all for it.

Now, I agree it needs a bit of work to be considered newsworthy material, but I'd be happy to receive inputs or suggestions, or just have a plain ol' discussion.

Let's talk.

What's wrong with my review?
 

Zomg

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,984
Oh, nothing man, the review isn't the vulnerability, putting it on the front page is. Your review is probably the best I've read, although I'm not a big fan of numerical ratings.
 
Joined
Jul 15, 2004
Messages
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Zomg said:
Oh, nothing man, the review isn't the vulnerability, putting it on the front page is. Your review is probably the best I've read, although I'm not a big fan of numerical ratings.

I can't see any reason why my review would suddenly degrade in quality if the Codex decides to post it as a news item

Is it a political thing? Is it because the Codex is waging a funwar with the "TES fanboys"? I don't know, maybe the review isn't very mainstream, but I do feel it addresses a few points that you won't see in "official" reviews, and is worth the reader's time, if he/she stumbles upon it.

...or do you want me to add a line in the FAQ saying

"Q: Are you affiliated with the RPG Codex? Are you, or have you ever been, an RPG elitest fascist?
A: No."

?

I don't think a biased codex-poster is a reliable pundit for a front-page review.

I have nearly 4000 posts at the TES OFFICIAL forums, and I've only posted about 300 or so times here, and I've been a Codex member for a long while. Do you REALLY have to bias people's opinions based on what arbitrary internet FORUM they post?

This isn't even about popularity or publicity, or attention whoring, though it would be nice for the Codex to think my review is fair, I won't bowl over a cry if they said it sucked. I just find it really weird that you'd associate everything coming out of the Codex as "biased", especially a member that's barely hit his 300 post mark.
 
Joined
Jul 15, 2004
Messages
1,117
kingcomrade said:
My whats. What the hell, I was defending you and DU.

Hey man, you're Kingcomerade. Half this board is made up of your alternate accounts.

I can't trust you.

:shock:
 

Zomg

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
6,984
I'm not the Codex; I probably shouldn't even have said anything. Just don't be surprised when a troll scores points off a Codex newsposter interposing a lukewarm forum review in a torrent of 10/10s.
 

Jason

chasing a bee
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
10,737
Location
baby arm fantasy island
DU, make the review official content and then link to that. It does look kind of stupid to just have a link to a thread (at the Codex or ESF) as a frontpage item.
 

NeVeRLiFt

Liturgist
Joined
Nov 27, 2004
Messages
145
Location
In the shadows of the Megacorporations
Fuck the drama!! we have some politics going now ;)
the review was good and spot on.
Anyone with half a brain and who's played Oblivion can see all the gaming sites have giving biased and sorry ass reviews and fail to mention the short comings and flaws that Bethesda have in Oblvion. (if game sites are on the payroll... then this is one game that really makes it look it)

Gamespot really dropped the ball in their review!


Thanks for keeping it real at the Codex and posting links to honest reviews is front page news worthy imho!!
 

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