"This isn't Oblivion!" - How the forth and fifth Elder Scrolls games conflict!

A little introduction is in order:

My RPG gaming experience began with nothing more than Runescape and the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I bought TESIV: Oblivion shortly after the XBOX 360's release, and I wasn't brilliant at it. Eventually I gained more skill and have become a self-labelled master of the game. Give me a subject on it, and I'll most likely be able to expand upon it.

I've been RPG-gaming for around four, maybe five years (started at 13 as far as I remember), and have been playing several RPGs in that time, with a few MMOs on the side (DC Universe now free to play, World of Warcraft, Rift at BETA, Lord of the Rings Online). So I have a knowledge of what to expect in an RPG, to some extent.

Oblivion being my second, but favourite RPG experience, I've always found that if a game isn't better or as good as Oblivion, it may as well not exist. Yes, I am an Oblivion fanatic. I'm practically a lore freak for that game, and why? Because a game has never been so good. A thick plot, lots of side quests and factions to get involved in, plenty of reading material and lore, and finally - lots of roles to play as. I can't do this in Dragon Age nor can I in Dark Messiah, so I will stick to what Bethesda do best - make RPGs.

After Oblivion, I was playing Morrowind and the experience was similar. Not as explosive or daring I'll say, but still enjoyable. The game felt like Oblivion in many ways, and I could still jump up the steepest hills and mountainsides (one of my favourite things about Oblivion is exploration, but sadly, Skyrim limits it quite a bit). I wasn't so masterful at that, in fact, barely leaving novice level, but still had a basic grasp of what to do and where to go.

Then along came Bethesda with Fallout 3 - it felt different (different engine?), and less enjoyable than Oblivion. It wasn't much new to me - explore this, go to this quest giver, save this world, etc. It didn't have the "oomph" or "epic" factor Oblivion did. But still, a very good game and offered me enjoyment.

Fallout: New Vegas came along. I was.... displeased. I won't say disgusted or enraged, because that simply isn't true. But I wasted £40 on that game, and barely got any of it back. Never completed it because political and faction reputations got tied up too much. Choices meant too much, and affected the game in ways I didn't want. I had lost control.

Finally, it was Skyrim - at first I felt disappointment, but now it's becoming like Oblivion a lot more. It has the Elder Scrolls feel that I want! It's my Elder Scrolls, and that's how it should feel. It should feel like what you want it to. The graphics and textures are very much like Fallout (I hear that only applies to the XBOX 360 version of the game though), and combat hasn't changed much. Agreed, I love melee combat in this game and not so much in Fallout 3, but this is.... exciting. It's much more like Oblivion - when I'm doing something, I really enjoy it and want to do more of it.

I have told myself time and time again, that this game is not TESIV: Oblivion. If I started my RPG experience in Morrowind, and then played Oblivion, would I have said then, "It's not TESIII: Morrowind, stop expecting it to be identical!"

Perhaps, but now I will never know. For that experience has been lost in time, and will never be felt. Still, I can always wait for the next ES game (if there is one, hopefully!), or Fallout, and compare Skyrim to Fallout properly then.

As you can tell, I'm not a man who likes change - never have, probably never will. I'll still venture on in Skyrim (haven't completed it yet, thankfully - so much content!), and always look back on the days of Oblivion, and remember, "That was the perfect RPG for me."