#Beware oblivion is at hand series#

I planned, I busted out the spreadsheets, and I carefully abused the system to create a character with the maximum possible stats and skills at the lowest possible character level, thus keeping enemies at their lowest possible level as well. It was totally wild, and once I wrapped my head around it, I went on to have one of my most memorable experiences building a video game character. On the other hand, if you understood how it all worked, you could easily manipulate OblivionвЂ™s systems to become an unstoppable god. Since enemies in the world gained levels when you did, depending on exactly how you leveled, it was possible to fall behind the curve. On the one hand, levelling up could potentially be a negative, which is counterintuitive and nonsensical. Yet for all its polish, one aspect of Oblivion remained rough: its skill and leveling systems were convoluted and easily breakable, which had results both good and bad. It might have been broken, but it sure was fun to create my own super character. Oblivion carried on these traditions splendidly. Character-building leveraged The Elder ScrollsвЂ™ iconic open-ended system once again, which allowed players a lot of control in crafting highly unique and personal characters. The core questlines were worthwhile in their own right (shout-out to The Dark Brotherhood), but you could also stumble into surprisingly interesting one-off quests in all corners of the world. Exploration, in addition to the natural beauty of Cyrodiil I described above, could also reveal countless likable characters and fun quests. As such, Oblivion made it easier than ever to remain focused on The Elder ScrollsвЂ™ core strengths of freeform exploration and intricate character-building, strengths which were still very much intact here. The menus and UI were also cleaner, which made keeping track of quests and my characterвЂ™s stats and gear much simpler. Combat in particular received a welcome boost with Oblivion: it was much more responsive and visceral, and thus more engaging and less tedious for me. While plenty have argued that Oblivion вЂњdumbed downвЂќ the franchise to some extent, I personally appreciated its more streamlined approach. Oblivion was also a more polished game than its predecessors, which made the process of exploring and engaging with the world much smoother. All of BethesdaвЂ™s open worlds are a treat to explore, and Cyrodiil is one I remember more fondly than most. It made my exploration consistently enjoyable and often surprising, and combined with how gorgeous the game was, I didnвЂ™t stop exploring until I had seen everything I could. Situated in the center of Tamriel, Cyrodiil inherited the geography of its surrounding provinces around its own periphery, which proved to be a welcome boon. While you first emerged into rolling green hills, your adventures could take you to all sorts of varied locals: dense forests, pristine lakes, radiant coastlines, frigid mountains, murky swamps, and so on. I especially appreciated said diversity, which was one of OblivionвЂ™s biggest strengths. Cyrodiil was a bright and diverse land that was immediately appealing, and its visual splendor enticed me to explore right away. ItвЂ™s a powerful and effective moment in a lot of their games, but experiencing that moment on a console in HD for the first time remains one of the most visually resonant gaming moments IвЂ™ve had.

From there, you could go wherever your curiosity took you. Oblivion started with the standard Bethesda opening: you went through a brief tutorial in a closed, linear environment - in this case a jailbreak through the sewers - to emerge out into its vast, beautiful, and open world. Cyrodiil was a beautiful world to explore in its day.

And there was one game that drove the purchase drastically more than any other: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. My interest in the new console slowly but surely turned from indifference to awe, and when I returned home for the summer, I made the plunge. For five months my gaming time was limited to handhelds, and while I used that time to play many wonderful handheld games, I couldnвЂ™t help but see footage of then вЂњnext genвЂќ games for the newly released Xbox 360, and get excited about the chance to experience them. In the spring semester of 2006, I was studying abroad, far from home. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading. That not only means IвЂ™ll talk about why I think each is a great game that speaks to my tastes, but also where and how it affected me in a larger context. I will slowly but surely get to every game on the list, and speak to why each holds a special place in my heart.

#Beware oblivion is at hand series#

Welcome to вЂњGaming Memories,вЂќ a blog series where I reminisce about my favorite video games.