The first review I ever published online was my review of Oblivion. It scored full marks. You won't find the review online any more. It was terrible, derisive bullshit. In fact if you read Official Xbox Magazine's review of the game you'll get a better written and funnier version of my original review. So, why the re-write?
Because I don't have any money left to buy new things. (Hint, Hint.)
My opinion on the original game still stands. It is an excellent, and addictive game. The graphics still have the “holyshitthat'sfuckingamazing” effect today, the writing and voice acting is still absurdly good, and the gameplay is still intricate and expertly coded. However, I would now like to deviate from the opinion of my younger self and state that Oblivion is not a masterpiece. It has some flaws to account for, including: noticeable lag at higher levels, an insane difficulty curve and the bastardisation of the far more complex Morrowind gameplay system. If it were by itself I would probably give the game eight out of ten now.
Luckily the Game of the Year edition comes with the two largest expansion packs. Let's see if these can add anything. First up is Knights of the Nine.
Knights of the Nine is comprised of a new guild complete with guild hall, quests and new items. The plot revolves around an attack on a chapel, to say much more would give it away. It's peaks and troughs are badly spaced. Instead of beginning with a low and dragging you further into the plot, Knights of the Nine's plot starts badly and ends badly.
The quests offer a similar and completely lacklustre experience. Most revolve around simple item collection missions and the few that don't are entirely combat orientated. I will give the expansion credit for the items included within it. Each is a palatable reward.
Overall I would recommend Knights of the Nine to hardcore players of the main game. It adds about five hours more gameplay for those who simply can't get enough. However, on the basis that it adds nothing for the casual player to really enjoy my point score is going to stay at eight. Next: Shivering Isles.
Shivering Isles is massive. It contains new locations (masses of them), new characters, new side quests, a new story line and tons of new items. Set in the realm of Sheogorath (the daedric prince of madness) Shivering Isles focuses on the struggle of the realm against the knights of order. The plot plays out in all manner of directions and each plot twist is as interesting as the last. The expansion's plot actually bests that of the original game by far.
This obviously helps to keep the quests fresh. Ranging from running your own dungeon to taking drugs in order to stay alive, Shivering Isles is able to provide a constantly changing and always interesting gameplay environment. The pretext that the expansion is set within the realm of insanity allows the developers to implement strange gameplay devices on a whim.
Overall, Shivering Isles is better than the main game. It's quests and plot are genius. The items are all fitting for the difficulty curve, and the characters are all vibrant and full of life. It raises The Game of the Year Edition's score to a solid nine.
One point was dropped because of the increase in load times and the neglect given to bugs.
9/10
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