Oblivions placement on this list over the bigger, better looking Skyrim proves that technical power certainly isnt everything. Though Skyrim is quite clearly an incredible, mystical and memorable game in its own right, it didnt quite capture the magic of its predecessor and the rolling green fields of Cyrodiil though less dazzling than the frozen wastelands of Skyrim really did possess some intangible qualities that graphics just cant provide. The opening hour of Oblivion is some of the most powerful gameplay you are likely to ever experience, regardless of genre. You start deep beneath the Imperial City imprisoned in a dark, murky prison and spend the opening section trying to find a route out. Eventually, you see light at the end of the tunnel and emerge into the beautiful, wide-open Cyrodiil. As you step out from the tunnel you exchange tight hallways for rolling hills, candlelight for an array of celestial bodies and linearity for literally a whole world of fantastical possibilities the contrast is stark to say the least. A whole world of fantastical possibilities isnt overemphasising Bethesdas masterpiece either. Skyrim may be larger but this isnt to say there is a shortage of quests to be completed, levels to be unlocked and dungeons to be delved into in Oblivion. Indeed, the step up from Morrowind to Oblivion seems to be greater than that between Oblivion and Skyrim.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
