I remember stumbling across the first screenshots of Oblivion back in the day and being absolutely blown away. Coming from Morrowind, which already felt massive and immersive, this was a whole other level.
The lighting, the draw distance, the character models—it was like stepping into a painting. I had a friend who was skeptical, saying it couldn’t possibly live up to the hype.
But then the gameplay trailers dropped, and we were both sold. It’s crazy to think that this was the game that set the standard for modern RPGs, paving the way for Skyrim and beyond.
Who else remembers that initial rush of excitement?
Topic Overview (Wikipedia):
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a 2006 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and co-published by Bethesda Softworks and 2K Games. It is the fourth installment in The Elder Scrolls series, following 2002’s The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2006, followed by PlayStation 3 in 2007. Taking place within the fictional province of Cyrodiil, the game’s main story focuses on the player character’s efforts to thwart a fanatical cult known as the Mythic Dawn that plans to open portal gates to a demonic realm known as Oblivion.
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I was a huge Morrowind fan, but I never got around to playing Tribunal or Bloodmoon. I’d always start a new character, get lost in the world, and then realize I’d spent 50 hours and still hadn’t touched the main quest.
It was overwhelming in the best way. When Oblivion was announced, I was both excited and terrified—excited for the new graphics and gameplay, but terrified that I’d never finish Morrowind.
Looking back, Oblivion did streamline a lot of things, but it also lost some of that alien, mysterious feel of Vvardenfell. Still, it’s incredible how Bethesda built on that foundation and created something that still holds up today.
Man, I was obsessed with the Elder Scrolls back then. I played Morrowind three times with different races, then dove into Tribunal and Bloodmoon.
I remember hitting a wall in Bloodmoon and switching to Knights of the Old Republic, but when Oblivion was on the horizon, I rushed back to finish everything. The hype was unreal—I must have watched every trailer and read every preview a dozen times.
And the game delivered. The Shivering Isles expansion was the icing on the cake.
It’s amazing to see how the series has evolved, with Skyrim becoming a cultural phenomenon and even the recent Starfield. But for me, Oblivion will always have a special place.
That’s where Bethesda truly found their stride.
I go back even further—I started with Daggerfall. That game was a buggy mess, but it was so addictive.
I remember it crashing constantly, but I couldn’t stop playing. When Morrowind came out, I was hesitant because of the time sink, but it was a more polished experience.
Oblivion felt like the next logical step: better graphics, voice acting, and a more accessible world. The lore connection with Oblivion being the realm of the Daedra was a cool callback to earlier games.
It’s fascinating to see how Bethesda has handled the lore over the years, and how the community has kept the games alive with mods. Even today, people are still discovering Oblivion for the first time and falling in love with it.
I remember asking back then about the connection between Oblivion and Morrowind—specifically, how the Daedric realms tied into the story. It took me a while to piece it all together, but that’s part of the fun.
The lore is deep, and the games reward you for paying attention. Looking back, it’s incredible how much the series has grown.
I still play Oblivion from time to time with mods, and it holds up surprisingly well. The atmosphere is unmatched.
Anyone else still revisit Cyrodiil?
