Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Review Oblivion scores 10/10 at Boomtown

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

<a href=http://www.boomtown.net>Boomtown</a> has joined the elite group of site claiming that <a href=http://www.elderscrolls.com/>Oblivion</a> is perfect. <a href=http://www.boomtown.net/en_uk/articles/art.view.php?id=10945>Like totally</a>.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote>The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a triumph of modern adventure gaming. To call it a role playing game is perhaps too limiting, it implies too much about stats and rolling D20s rather than getting stuck into the action.</blockquote>Then maybe we shouldn't call it a role-playing game. Just a thought.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote><b>Oblivion is an epic adventure, a milestone in gaming and a rare treat. That a game so complex and unashamedly hardcore has garnered so much attention from the mainstream gamers is a signal to many that dumbing-down and blinging-up everything isn’t always the path to success.</b></blockquote>Unashamedly. Yep, that describes this paragraph very nicely.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote>Here we have a game that is intelligent and uncompromising yet wonderfully easy to get involved with and enjoy. Yes there are problems with the levelling system, without these issues we’d be in danger of this actually being the proverbial perfect game. Perfection or not, Bethesda has created a milestone in gaming with Oblivion, a free-form adventure of such a high quality that I cannot do anything but offer our highest score. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is not perfect, but it’s the best game in town, avoid it at your peril.</blockquote>So, the game is clearly not perfect, but it gets the perfect score. Makes sense.
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
 

Micmu

Magister
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
6,163
Location
ALIEN BASE-3
Bethesda has made a rather critical error with the way levelling works. Much of the game makes you feel as though you exist within a living breathing world. But aspects of the levelling system can destroy that illusion.
Bingo.
 

germx

Novice
Joined
May 28, 2004
Messages
33
Location
Sweden
Vault Dweller said:
So, the game is clearly not perfect, but it gets the perfect score. Makes sense.

"But when you see the game moving, with its low frame-rate and ugly middle-distance textures you may feel a little let down. There are problems too with some of the character models, often they don’t seem to be lit correctly, resulting in their mouths appearing strange when you talk to them."

More parts of the review that makes you wonder why it got the 10/10 perfect score...
Sucky score system? indeed!
 

Solik

Scholar
Joined
Jan 24, 2006
Messages
377
Maximum scores don't necessarily mean perfect games. Some mags do it that way (PC Gamer does, hence them never giving one). Others simply use it to mean A+ / fantastic / as good as we expect games to be.
 

whitemithrandir

Erudite
Joined
Jul 15, 2004
Messages
1,115
Solik said:
Maximum scores don't necessarily mean perfect games. Some mags do it that way (PC Gamer does, hence them never giving one). Others simply use it to mean A+ / fantastic / as good as we expect games to be.

Alright, then you really don't need a scale of 10.0 to achieve that sort of effect.

Why not just go for a binary scale instead? 1 = worth playing. 0 = Not worth playing.
 

GhanBuriGhan

Erudite
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
1,170
whitemithrandir said:
Solik said:
Maximum scores don't necessarily mean perfect games. Some mags do it that way (PC Gamer does, hence them never giving one). Others simply use it to mean A+ / fantastic / as good as we expect games to be.

Alright, then you really don't need a scale of 10.0 to achieve that sort of effect.

Why not just go for a binary scale instead? 1 = worth playing. 0 = Not worth playing.

Some good sites actually don't give a score at all, just a recommendation, thats usually a pretty good thing.
 

elander_

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
2,015
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a triumph of modern adventure gaming. To call it a role playing game is perhaps too limiting, it implies too much about stats and rolling D20s rather than getting stuck into the action.

I think he is refering to NWN that was mostly about stats and rolling D20s and most likely he thinks that an rpg is either kotor or nwn so it's understandable.

I'm looking for Oblivion non-action gameplay. Has anyone see it? Anyone? Please.
 

Voss

Erudite
Joined
Jun 25, 2003
Messages
1,770
Solik said:
Maximum scores don't necessarily mean perfect games. Some mags do it that way (PC Gamer does, hence them never giving one). Others simply use it to mean A+ / fantastic / as good as we expect games to be.

Ah. Clearly, my expectations as to what's good are higher than yours. In my experience getting every question right on a test makes for a perfect score, getting something wrong means you don't get a perfect score.

And clearly, there is quite a bit wrong with this game, even if you are going for a combat-heavy exploration experience with only a passing nod to actual RPG elements. Or story. (And if someone is, fine. But don't call a Dodge Caravan a Porsche, either).

Insane Internet Shit-slinger said:
That a game so complex and unashamedly hardcore has garnered so much attention from the mainstream gamers is a signal to many that dumbing-down and blinging-up everything isn’t always the path to success.

Words can not express how frightening this statement is. Complex and hardcore have actual definitions. Someone send them to this freak, because clearly, these words don't mean what he thinks they mean. Next Johnny the Teenage Moron is going to insist he understands differential calculus because he gets how hitting something with a sword a lot makes the skill go up. The complexity!
 

Rhombus

Liturgist
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Messages
182
Location
In my head.
... is a signal to many that dumbing-down and blinging-up everything isn’t always the path to success.

Isn't that exactly what Beth have done?.. I'm confused here.. :?
 

Micmu

Magister
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
6,163
Location
ALIEN BASE-3
I wasted 60+ hours of my life and 50 euros on this turdpiece.
My conclusion: worse than morrowind.
 

SpFiota

Novice
Joined
Jul 6, 2005
Messages
22
At this point I'd rather see a string of Oblivion clones over more shitty MMORPGs. I pray this game sells through the roof.
 

Azarkon

Arcane
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
2,989
whitemithrandir said:
Solik said:
Maximum scores don't necessarily mean perfect games. Some mags do it that way (PC Gamer does, hence them never giving one). Others simply use it to mean A+ / fantastic / as good as we expect games to be.

Alright, then you really don't need a scale of 10.0 to achieve that sort of effect.

Why not just go for a binary scale instead? 1 = worth playing. 0 = Not worth playing.

Because the list of games not worth playing would be close to ziltch, given the reviewer imperative to find value where it does not exist.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom