Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - latest screenshots

[Intrepid Homoludens]

More available at the developer's site.

[Duncan]

That's pretty great.

Have you played Morrowind, Trep? I'm playing it right now, and it's so great on its own that any significant gameplay improvements should make Oblivion pretty fucking fantastic. If they spent some more time on character interaction, it ought to be amazing. This is basically saying I hope the improvements aren't just graphical. Though that said, it'll never run on my computer anyway.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I have Morrowind for Xbox (GOTY edition, bundled in with Tribunal and Bloodmoon exp. packs, found it cheap at CompUSA). I don't expect the graphics to be as spot on as the PC version, but I'm not so shallow as to be that demanding. I pretty much don't want to play it just yet, I'm still deep in Half-Life 2, and there's freaking Hitman 2 still nagging me (which I'll try finishing after HL2). I'm also wanting KoTOR II pretty badly now, and Bloodlines. Sheesh!!

There's a Gamespy preview of Oblivion you should read to get some idea of the 'more than skindeep' aspect of it.

[Duncan]

With the two expansion packs, it ought to last you about a million hours, so I imagine you'll have your hands full for a while.

I think you'll like it, though. As far as the Xbox version goes, the graphics might not be as clear or precise as the PC version (the PC graphics weren't fantastic, anyway), but as far as I know there aren't any real problems. The only point of interest is in the Xbox version is that you have to play it third person.

The characters and character interaction are some of the worst things about the game. No one has any real personality and consequently, I'm not caring about anyone in the game so far. What's also annoying is that when you ask a character a question, you get a paragraph of dull exposition in response. It is good, though. The amount of freedom and number of quests are incredible. Once, after receiving one of the main quests, I ditched it and did other stuff for about fifty in-game days. So it can keep you busy. The downside is that, again, the characters suck, and the guy who gave me the quest didn't care that I hadn't seen him for months. None of the characters do anything, really. They're always in the same place. At four in the morning, they're still standing in the same place. Not sure what that's about. Also, people who have been giving me missions for months still tell me it's a pleasure to meet me.

(Thanks for the Oblivion preview link, by the way.)

[Marek]

I prefer to look at the new interior shots instead of the lame lizard man. Look at all those objects on the table! Oh how I long to throw them all on the floor.

[Erkki]

I see a "most light bloom" nomination coming...

[lailoken]

yeah i sincerely hope that they will change that for the final version! atm it looks like a bad eighties softcore pornmovie! but somehow they always have to do that when they get a new toy! sheesh...

[Roderick]

Oh sweet Morrowind :")

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Look at all those objects on the table! Oh how I long to throw them all on the floor.

Remind me to never invite you over.

yeah i sincerely hope that they will change that for the final version!

Man, where's your sense of romance? I love that dreamy looking shit. Makes that dragon man so......I dunno, heart melting?

[toblix]

I've noticed that developers/publishers are sending out more and more ridiculous screenshots for upcoming games. They're so great that it's 100% authentically certain that the game will never look that way.

The recently released Age of Empires III shots are also like that too, as well.

It sickens me.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Oh, I dunno, toblix. I mean, I was floored by the first screens and movies I saw of Half-Life 2, and now that I'm playing the game itself I'm not only floored, I've crashed through and am now finding myself downstairs in the living room. Same thing with Fable, except I value my life too much to lick the t.v. screen (and get a taste of my hot, manly hero stud) and risk being electrocuted.

[toblix]

The HL2 screenshots were great, but not unrealistically so, like this one:

Let me tell you this:

If AoE III ends up looking this good in real-time, I'll blow you all.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I dunno, toblix. I can't seem to find Waldo anywhere in that shot. Maybe you can give me a hint?

[Intrepid Homoludens]

On a serious note......Half-Life 2 vs. Age of Empires III? What exactly is the criteria we're using to compare them to each other, if we are comparing them? One is a fast paced first person shooter, the other is strategy. The graphics as per individual playing field is different.

AoEIII certainly looks jawdropping. I have a feeling it's gonna look as magnificent when you're actually playing it. Dunno why, exactly.

[baconian]

please change your avatar intrepid, that's freaking me out.

i too look forward to my promised virtual blow job.

[hermes]

Then try having it hanging on your bedroom ceiling....

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

I'm guessing at least half of the AOE screen shots come from opening cut scenes.

Also keep in mind that the shots where taken on a computer that most people probably don't have.

[Roderick]

I wouldn't mind having that screenshot painted on my wall. THe whole frigging wall I say!

[n0wak]

Trailer:

http://www.gamesarefun.com/gamesdb/media.php?id=849

[Roderick]

Patrick Steward is alsways a good choice for the king. And he's complementing his long history of playing pc-rpg kings (in Lands of Lore he was the voice of King Richard). I still have to say that Oblivion looks absolutely dismal in terms of design. I don't care how much bloom they fling at their world, I wish they first just got them some good designers. Honestly. Of course it's becoming tradition for the Elder Scroll series; token bad visual design. Like some sort of art movement. But that's why I just don't care.

Certainly with Morrowind it was still blocky enough to squint your eyes and trick yourself that they actually did have a designy thing going on. Now that the graphics are so much rounder you actually see how awful it really is.

Ah well, fortunately the games themselves KICK ASS And then I don't care HOW it looks. Not entirely true but I'd rather have it this way than the other way around.

[Trithemius]

Cheesy trailer; more theatrical than pushing its "wander-em-up" credentials. (Respec' to Consolevania).

[Erkki]

Yes, it doesn't look very good to me either. The forest scenes look great, but everything else is meh.

[Roderick]

Hey, Elder Scrolls have always been weakest in their cinematic visualisation. Wait till the gameplay comes up and destroys everything like a rampaging gorilla.

[lailoken]

yeah well if you're honest, the gameplay hasn't always been that great either. usually it's the sheer size and depth (characterdevelopmentwise) of the world that wins me over. playing WoW has really opened at least my eyes to the cluttered and cramped gameplay of the elderscrolls series. I am going to buy it of course but still. Also, what's with the colors, just doesn't work for me.

[Trithemius]

Hey, Elder Scrolls have always been weakest in their cinematic visualisation. Wait till the gameplay comes up and destroys everything like a rampaging gorilla.

I really wanted to like the cinematics of Morrowind... but there just.. weren't any, really. I thought the start bit was a kinda cool idea - but pretty slipshod in execution.

The real "cinema" moments I got were from standing on hills watching ash-storms start up; or when I first met the Ghost-Fence.