Editorial Oblivion and the rebirth of the Western civilization

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

<a href=http://www.1up.com>1UP</a> has felt the urge to post something stupid, so here you go: <a href=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3148996>Can Oblivion save a genre it helped bury?</a>
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<blockquote>East, meet West gaming is largely the purview of Western developers, and the PC RPG evolved from early classics like Hero's Quest (Quest for Glory) and Ultima. PC RPGs and Western RPGs have gone hand-in-hand to such a degree that the two are largely synonymous. The RPG can, at times, overlap a bit with the adventure genre, but the greatest defining characteristic of Western RPGs is "open-ended game design," or as The Elder Scrolls: Arena website puts it, "be who you want and do what you want." Which, perhaps ironically, is one of the biggest reasons for the genre's slow demise.</blockquote><a href=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3148996>Click here</a> for more thought-provoking stuff
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>

 

[HoodRich]

Geeze.. is this game like the fucking holy grail or something? "Classic" "nostalgic" and it's only been out a month! The last great triumph of western single player rpgs? Those are some heavy words. Too bad my computer's not cool enough to experience the magic of oblivion and see what all this damn fuss is about.

 

[HotSnack]

We'd need a whole slew of Oblivion-class games in order to beat out the popularity of multiplayer ones today.

Oh noes! MMORPGs are stealing SPRPGs jobs!

The world would be a darker place if the sole reasons why people play SPRPGs are features that MMORPGs have in spades (stats! grind! mad lootz!). The article was a bit funny though, as the writer seemed torn as to whether to write an article on the difference of wRPGs compared to jRPGs, or to write an article harping Oblivion to be the SPRPG's last hope (luckily for us, he wrote both and mashed it together).

 

[Brother None]

Diablo and Diablo II are both excellent RPGs

It's not really worth reading after that.

However, unlike MMOs, [single-player] games don't tend to have staying power.

Yeah, people totally don't play Fallout or Planescape anymore.

That article was way too unfocused to make any point with enough strength.

 

[Rhombus]

Diablo and Diablo II are both excellent RPGs

He lost me after that..

But yeah, a pretty interesting read, even though Oblivion is exalted above and beyond all reason...

Kensai-Edit-san: Damn, someone stole my quote.. Anyways, after reading that the Diablows was excellent RPGs, I didn't really trust his judgement about games and such..

Despite being on PC and allowing the player to take their character whichever route they chose...

Err.. if you chose to go to hell?

... the Diablo games revolve around the momentous events that unfold around the player and take place in very small, precise areas.

Or maybe they revolve around killing as many monsters as possible...

They had cool movies in them though.. Blizzard always made cool movies.. I'll give them that..

 

[undead dolphin hacker]

I think it's funny that the mainstream press is still cumming over Oblivion, while the gaming communities are already waist-deep in a backlash regarding Oblivion's true shoddiness. Talk about out of touch.

 

[User was nabbed fit]

Most of the gaming press needs to DIAF (die in a fire).

 

[Rhombus]

Game reviewers are more and more becoming like movie critics.. If they give high score to a game/movie, I know I won't really like it that much...

 

[Zomg]

Never trust anyone that doesn't respond to MMORPGs with open revulsion.

Edit -

In addition to enjoying the fact that in a single-player game you don't have to rely on other people to be the best, she's excited to see what innovations a game like Oblivion can risk that MMOs can't. "When income on the game [is] directly affected by appealing to a huge audience all at the same time, " she says, "creating something new and innovative is risky.... Single-player RPGS are far more likely to take risks."

We're really at a nadir when Oblivion is considered risky.

 

[Halenthal]

They had cool movies in them though.. Blizzard always made cool movies.. I'll give them that..

After seeing the cutscenes in Diablo 2 and LOD, I've always said Blizzard should stop making games and start making full length movies. I'd pay to see a 2 hour Blizzard movie about Diablo.

 

[kingcomrade]

People said the same thing about Squaresoft, and look at the turds they pinched out.

 

[sheek]

Talking about 'Western RPGs' implies that RPG from 'the East' which call themselves that are in fact RPGs which is untrue. The idea of some great encounter between two civilizations is a pretty stupid kind of concept - it's amazing if they expect people to be taken in by it.

 

[bryce777]

nija/cartographer/article writer

 

[Slylandro]

Eh, the article had an interesting premise but for me the compare/contrast between Western and Eastern RPGs seemed totally off base. At least the article pointed out GTA wasn't an RPG. Though for some reason it still classified Diablo II as one.

 

[Section8]

Eh, the article had an interesting premise but for me the compare/contrast between Western and Eastern RPGs seemed totally off base. At least the article pointed out GTA wasn't an RPG. Though for some reason it still classified Diablo II as one.

Well actually, GTA:SA to me is far more effective realisation of the style of RPG Oblivion tries to be.

 

[Rhombus]

They had cool movies in them though.. Blizzard always made cool movies.. I'll give them that..

After seeing the cutscenes in Diablo 2 and LOD, I've always said Blizzard should stop making games and start making full length movies. I'd pay to see a 2 hour Blizzard movie about Diablo.

Or a Starcraft one. Liked their Sci-fi setting more than any of their other ones... but yeah, they should.

 

[Section8]

Okay, after reading the whole thing, how come he's so fucking quick to dismiss GTA:SA as "not an RPG" for the follow reason:

The exact line is hard to define, but the GTA series has its focus on action, both on foot and behind the wheel. Your character can be customized, and there is a coherent story that the player can choose to dive into, but wearing a tuxedo to a fistfight doesn't make it a formal event.

...and yet he's full of praise for fucking Oblivion?

"The exact line is hard to define, but the Elder Scrolls series has its focus on action, both on foot and er, on foot after getting off a horse that you can't fight on. Your character can be customized, and there is a coherent story that the player can choose to dive into, but wearing exquisite robes to a fistfight doesn't make it a formal event."

Anyone want to try and tear my argument apart by saying "OIMGF! BUT OBLIVIN HAS TIHS AND GTAY DOSNT!1!!!"? I honestly can't think of anything Oblivion does that GTA:SA doesn't, and I certainly can't think of anything Oblivion does better than GTA:SA.

 

[LlamaGod]

Hey now, Oblivion doesn't have a radar that sho... oh shit, nevermind.

 

[Slylandro]

Eh, the article had an interesting premise but for me the compare/contrast between Western and Eastern RPGs seemed totally off base. At least the article pointed out GTA wasn't an RPG. Though for some reason it still classified Diablo II as one.

Well actually, GTA:SA to me is far more effective realisation of the style of RPG Oblivion tries to be.

I haven't played Oblivion but GTA: SA I wasn't overly impressed with. Based on the reviews of Oblivion I wouldn't really refer to it as an RPG, and my experience with GTA: SA marks it as more of a simulation game (like The Sims, except with a story) than a RPG game, though I'm sure the line can be blurry sometimes. I think the best thing about RPGs is that it takes so much of the best elements from various genres, that's why we always have arguments whether a game is properly put in the adventure genre, the simulation genre, the FPS genre, etc.

 

[Zomg]

Even fetal alcohol syndrome game reviewers know that GTA doesn't have swords, Section8. Get your head in the game!

 

[Vault Dweller]

Don't they have katanas and machetes?

 

[bryce777]

Okay, after reading the whole thing, how come he's so fucking quick to dismiss GTA:SA as "not an RPG" for the follow reason:

The exact line is hard to define, but the GTA series has its focus on action, both on foot and behind the wheel. Your character can be customized, and there is a coherent story that the player can choose to dive into, but wearing a tuxedo to a fistfight doesn't make it a formal event.

...and yet he's full of praise for fucking Oblivion?

"The exact line is hard to define, but the Elder Scrolls series has its focus on action, both on foot and er, on foot after getting off a horse that you can't fight on. Your character can be customized, and there is a coherent story that the player can choose to dive into, but wearing exquisite robes to a fistfight doesn't make it a formal event."

Anyone want to try and tear my argument apart by saying "OIMGF! BUT OBLIVIN HAS TIHS AND GTAY DOSNT!1!!!"? I honestly can't think of anything Oblivion does that GTA:SA doesn't, and I certainly can't think of anything Oblivion does better than GTA:SA.

The difference is that gta has GOOD action. It's a good action game instead of a shit action game pretending to be an rpg.

 

[Drakron]

Don't they have katanas and machetes?

The onky thing I remeber as a melee weapon is the double dildo.

 

[Human Shield]

Vice City and SA had Katanas.

Each addition in the series added new weapons, vehicles, and abilities. SA added *GASP* swimming.

 

[The Internets]

@ Drakron
Ha ha--but don't forget CJ can also deck himself out in a Gimp Suit so he doesn't look silly beating people to death with said dildo.

Actually, that kinda reminds me of why GTA:SA is a better game than Oblibion: it's fun.