The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GotY Edition Review

DailyGame has nothing but praise for the game of the year edition of Oblivion, giving it a 9.5.

Aside from the sheer amount of content, the nicest feature of Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition is the fact that it works seamlessly with any previous game save. So, for instance, if a player has invested 150 hours into a specific character, that player can insert the Game of the Year disk and have literally no interruption in his or her story. In fact, only two things will make players realize the Game of the Year disc is any different at all: a “loading extra content” message when the game is first powered-up, and the sudden mention of new quests, landmarks and realms. Many games boast about seamless expansions, but this is one game where the hype really is true.

Because the Game of the Year content is seamlessly integrated with the core game, it should be no surprise that Oblivion: Game of the Year looks and sounds no different from the original one-year-old product. The Shivering Isles, with their unique locales, do see a bit more polish and geometry in certain areas, but for the most part, Oblivion: Game of the Year just looks and feels like more of the same. That statement should be far from a detractor, though, because Oblivion was one of the best-looking games of 2006, and even one year later holds up remarkably well in the graphics and audio department, particularly on the PS3, which benefits from higher-resolution textures and longer draw distances.

Aside from being the best multimedia experience ever created for a home audience, Oblivion: Game of the Year proves without a doubt that videogames can be art, and a very fine art at that. The only thing that might justifiably deter people from buying this game is if they already purchased the additional content and expansion pack and still have the original game in their possession. For all others, however, there’s really no excuse. Oblivion is more than a game; it’s a fantasy-world experience unlike any other. Game of the Year? More like game of the decade. But hey, we didn’t name this one; Bethesda did.

Spotted on RPGCodex.