10 Beloved Video Games That Left A Horrible First Impression

1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

elder scrolls oblivion
Bethesda

Like most RPGs, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion had difficulty introducing its expansive narrative and gameplay to new players in just a few measly hours.

In fact the first level of Oblivion has infamously gone down as one of the biggest examples of how you shouldn't open an RPG. Although witnessing the murder of the king and fleeing your prison cell is cool from a narrative standpoint, the way the game funnels you down drab sewers and makes you fight annoying rodents completely sucks the fun out of what should be a daring prison break.

And it doesn't help that your new-found freedom once you do escape the overly-long sewer segment completely contrasts with every skill you've just learned. At this point you're used to following tight objectives down linear paths, so the choose-your-own adventure gameplay that comes after this first level takes much longer than it should to get used to.

As a result, entering the world of Cyrodiil feels nowhere near as refreshing and freeing as it should, and in reality only ends up being oppressively daunting and overbearing as you figure out where to go next.

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Which iconic games totally ruined their opening stretches? Let us know in the comments !

Contributor

Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.