The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is an action role-playing game released in 2006. It was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and co-published by Bethesda Softworks and 2K Games. This game is the fourth in The Elder Scrolls series, following The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind from 2002. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2006, and later for PlayStation 3 in 2007. The game takes place in the fictional province of Cyrodiil. The main story follows the player’s efforts to stop a group called the Mythic Dawn, which seeks to open gates to a demonic realm named Oblivion.
The game allows players to explore the world freely at any time and can choose to delay or ignore the main story. A key goal in the game is to improve the player’s character skills, which are numbers that show the character’s abilities. Early in the game, players choose seven skills as major skills, while the others are considered minor skills.
Development for Oblivion began in 2002, right after Morrowind was released. The game focused on faster pacing and a stronger story than earlier games. To create the graphics, Bethesda used an improved Havok physics engine, high-dynamic-range lighting, tools that helped create detailed landscapes quickly, and the Radiant AI system. This system allowed non-player characters (NPCs) to make more complex choices and behaviors than in past games. The game included fully voiced NPCs, a first for the series, and music composed by Jeremy Soule.
Upon release, Oblivion was both a critical and commercial success. It won many awards, including the 2006 Game of the Year award. It was praised for its graphics, large game world, and NPCs that acted based on a schedule. Many consider it one of the greatest games ever made. Later, two expansion packs—Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles—were released. These were included in the Game of the Year Edition in 2007 and re-released as a fifth-anniversary edition in 2011. Oblivion was followed by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in 2011. A remastered version of Oblivion was released in April 2025.
Gameplay
Oblivion is an open world role-playing game (RPG) that allows players to choose their own path. Players can complete side quests, talk to non-player characters (NPCs), fight monsters, improve their character, and explore any area in the province of Cyrodiil at any time, as long as the area is not blocked by a specific quest. The game does not end after completing the main story, and players can continue playing. A fast-travel system lets players instantly move to any location they have visited by selecting an icon on the game map. This system does not apply to main cities, which are available for fast travel from the start of the game.
Character development is a key part of the game. At the beginning, players choose one of ten races, each with unique abilities, and customize their character’s appearance. Players aim to improve their character’s skills, which are numbers showing their ability in specific areas. Seven skills are chosen early as major skills, and the rest are minor. Players level up their character each time they gain ten points in a major skill, which allows them to improve their attributes. Attributes are general traits like speed and endurance, while skills are more specific, such as armor or athletics. Illnesses or poisons can lower attributes. When players reach 25, 50, 75, or 100 points in a skill, they unlock new abilities related to that skill.
The game has 21 skills divided into combat, magic, and stealth. Many skills help in multiple areas. Combat skills are used for fighting and include weapons like swords, axes, maces, and hammers. Magic skills use spells to change the environment, affect enemies, heal wounds, or summon creatures. Stealth skills help players open locks, negotiate with others, or avoid enemies using a bow or sneak attacks. Tools like lockpicks can be bought, stolen, or found in dungeons or on enemies.
Players can view the game in first or third person, except on mobile devices, where it is shown in an isometric view. Players can adjust the game’s difficulty at any time, making enemies weaker or increasing the chance of success. A heads-up display on the screen shows the character’s health, magicka, and fatigue, which can be improved by leveling up. Health can be restored with spells, potions, or rest. If health drops to zero, the character dies. Magicka is used for spells and regenerates over time. Fatigue affects combat performance and can be reduced with rest, potions, or spells.
The game world includes many enemies, such as fantasy creatures like imps and goblins, and animals like bears and wolves. As players level up, enemies become stronger, and loot from defeated foes becomes more powerful. This system, called level-scaling, helps keep the game challenging but fair. However, some players criticize this system because it can make the game unbalanced. For example, characters who gain skills like athletics or armor automatically may level up too quickly, making enemies too difficult compared to the player’s abilities.
Plot
The game Oblivion takes place during the Third Era, six years after the events of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It is not a direct sequel to Morrowind or any other game in the series. The story occurs in Cyrodiil, a province of Tamriel, the continent where all the games in the series have taken place.
The story begins with the player being locked in a prison cell for an unknown crime. Emperor Uriel Septim VII (voiced by Patrick Stewart), along with Imperial bodyguards called the Blades, arrives at the prison while fleeing from assassins. These assassins killed the emperor’s three sons and now target the emperor. The emperor and the Blades tell the player that their jail cell has a hidden entrance to the city’s sewer, which can be used as an escape route. The emperor pardons the player, and they follow the group into the sewer. There, they are attacked by assassins. The Blades’ captain is killed during the battle. Knowing he will die, Emperor Septim gives the player the Amulet of Kings, a symbol worn by the Septim emperors of Tamriel, and tells them to take it to Jauffre (voiced by Ralph Cosham), the leader of the Blades. Soon after, an assassin kills the emperor. The player escapes the sewer and enters the open world of Cyrodiil.
Because there is no heir to Emperor Septim, an old agreement is broken. This agreement kept the dangerous realm of Oblivion sealed. Now, many gates to Oblivion open, and magical creatures called Daedra begin attacking Tamriel. Jauffre tells the player the only way to close the gates permanently is to find someone from the royal family to retake the throne and relight the Dragonfires in the Imperial City using the Amulet of Kings. There is an illegitimate son named Martin (voiced by Sean Bean), who is a priest in the city of Kvatch. When the player reaches Kvatch, they find the city destroyed by Daedra, with few survivors. A large gate to Oblivion blocks the city’s entrance. The player must enter the gate and travel through the Deadlands, a part of Oblivion, to close it from the inside. After closing the gate, the player helps reclaim Kvatch with the help of surviving guards. Martin survives, and the player convinces him to go to Weynon Priory.
Now called the Hero of Kvatch, the player returns to Weynon Priory with Martin, only to find it under attack by assassins and the Amulet of Kings stolen. The player escorts Jauffre and Martin to Cloud Ruler Temple, the Blades’ stronghold in Cyrodiil. Martin is recognized as the emperor and becomes the leader of the Blades. The player may join the Blades and search for the amulet. After gathering clues, the player learns that the group responsible for killing Emperor Septim and stealing the amulet is the Mythic Dawn, a group that worships Mehrunes Dagon, a Daedric Prince of Destruction. The cult believes Dagon created the world and wants to destroy it. Killing the emperor was the first step in their plan. The player tries to infiltrate the Mythic Dawn’s secret meeting place to retrieve the amulet. The cult’s leader, Mankar Camoran (voiced by Terence Stamp), escapes through a portal, taking the amulet with him. The player finds a book that opened the portal and gives it to Martin, who learns how to reopen the portal. The player must collect three items: a Daedric artifact, The Blood of the Divines, and a Great Welkynd Stone. With these, Martin explains that a final item is needed: a Great Sigil Stone from a Great Gate like the one that destroyed Kvatch. Martin and Jauffre allow the city of Bruma to be attacked by Daedra to open a Great Gate. The player retrieves the Sigil Stone, closes the gate, and saves Bruma.
A portal is created at Cloud Ruler Temple, and the player travels to Mankar Camoran’s realm of Paradise. After overcoming Daedra, Mythic Dawn members, and other obstacles, the player confronts Camoran and kills him. The player returns the Amulet of Kings to Martin, and they travel to the Imperial City with the Blades to relight the Dragonfires and end the Daedric invasion. They find the city under attack by Daedra and an enormous avatar of Mehrunes Dagon. The player and Martin fight their way to the Temple of the One. There, Martin explains they can only defeat Dagon by destroying the Amulet of Kings. He bids farewell to the player and shatters the amulet, merging with Akatosh, the Dragon-God of Time, to become his avatar. After a battle, Akatosh sends Dagon back to Oblivion and turns to stone. Martin’s soul, consumed by the amulet, enters the afterlife. In a final message to the player, Martin says that although the amulet is destroyed and the throne is empty, the gates of Oblivion are now closed, and the future of Tamriel depends on the player. The Empire’s high chancellor thanks the player and names them the seventh Champion of Cyrodiil.
Development
The game was created by Bethesda Game Studios, a software company based in the United States. The lead designer of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Ken Rolston, managed the development team for Oblivion. The PC and Xbox 360 versions of Oblivion were co-published by 2K Games and Bethesda Softworks, while the PlayStation 3 version was co-published by Ubisoft in Europe alongside Bethesda. Work on Oblivion began shortly after Morrowind was released in 2002. By mid-September 2004, Oblivion was officially announced, and its name was revealed.
During Oblivion’s development, Bethesda focused on creating a system with a more realistic storyline, believable characters, and meaningful quests than previous games in the series. Compared to earlier titles, Oblivion features improved artificial intelligence, made possible by Bethesda’s special Radiant AI software, and better physics using the Havok physics engine. The graphics used advanced lighting and shader techniques, such as high-dynamic-range rendering (HDR) and specular mapping, which became more practical with the seventh generation of consoles. Bethesda also developed tools to create game environments more quickly, resulting in landscapes that are more detailed and realistic than in Morrowind.
When designing Oblivion’s landscapes and buildings, developers used personal travel photos, nature books, texture images, and reference pictures. Tools for procedural content generation helped create realistic environments faster than in Morrowind. Erosion algorithms in the landscape tools allowed developers to make rough, rocky terrain quickly, replacing the smoother terrain used in Morrowind.
Oblivion’s new Level-of-Detail system made the game’s view distance much greater than in Morrowind, allowing players to see far-off towns and mountain ranges. According to a Microsoft press release, Oblivion’s game world is about 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) in size. Additional wilderness quests, ruins, and dungeons were added to fill extra space. Dungeons in Oblivion have more content than those in Morrowind, with more frequent creature encounters, quest-related characters, and puzzles. However, the number of NPCs (non-player characters) in Oblivion is smaller than described in previous game lore. The development team chose a lower NPC population to ensure the game ran smoothly, rather than to match in-game descriptions.
To address criticism that NPCs in Morrowind acted too simply, Bethesda created the Radiant AI system for Oblivion. NPCs in Oblivion make decisions to achieve goals, rather than following scripted routines. Their actions depend on the environment, other NPCs, and their programmed personalities. For example, an NPC without money who wants to find food might steal from others if given the chance and if it fits their character. These mechanics allowed Bethesda to create NPCs that could perform complex tasks. This system was later simplified in future games due to issues with NPCs attacking each other over time.
Oblivion features the voices of Patrick Stewart, Lynda Carter, Sean Bean, and Terence Stamp. Voice production was handled by Blindlight. Reviews of the voice acting were mixed. Some praised it as excellent, while others criticized it for being repetitive. This was partly due to the limited number of voice actors and the simplicity of the dialogue. Lead designer Ken Rolston noted that fully voicing the game was less flexible and more difficult to produce than Morrowind’s partially recorded dialogue. However, he acknowledged that voice acting can enhance a game’s atmosphere. Rolston said, “I prefer Morrowind’s partially recorded dialogue, but I’m told that fully-voiced dialogue is what younger players want.”
The music for Oblivion was composed by Jeremy Soule, a video game composer who previously won a BAFTA award for game music and received two AIAS nominations. The official soundtrack, with 26 tracks totaling 58 minutes, was released in March 2006. Soule worked with Bethesda and Todd Howard during the creation of Morrowind. In a press release, he said, “The epic quality of The Elder Scrolls series matches the grand, orchestral style of music I enjoy.” Soule created a soft, minimalist score to avoid overwhelming players. He explained that his music was inspired by a car accident he experienced while composing the score. He said, “I felt no fear… I simply acknowledged that I’ve had a good life and I would soon have to say goodbye to all of it in a matter of seconds.” Soule suffered only minor injuries but said the experience influenced his music, which focuses on the beauty of life.
An internal ZeniMax Media presentation from 2020, shared during the FTC v. Microsoft case in 2023, mentioned that a remastered version of Oblivion was planned for release in 2022. On April 15, 2025, images and promotional materials for the remaster were leaked from Virtuos’ websites. The leaked content included scenes like the player’s first view of the outside world, the Imperial City, and other highlights.
On April 21, 2025, Bethesda confirmed the leaks by posting a promotional image on Twitter and announcing a livestream on YouTube and Twitch. The livestream, watched by over 600,000 people, revealed that the remastered game was released on Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass. The game received generally positive reviews and reached 4 million players within three days of release, with a peak of 216,000 concurrent players on Steam.
The remaster uses a modified version of the original Gamebryo engine, adapted to work with the modern Unreal Engine 5. This allows the game to use ray-traced lighting and more detailed models than the original version.
Marketing and release
Oblivion made its public debut on May 18, 2005, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. The version shown at E3 was mostly complete, with most of the game’s content already included, though it needed additional refinement before its final release. Many viewers were impressed by the demonstration, and the game received several "best of" awards from game journalists, including GameSpy’s "RPG Game of Show," GameSpot’s "Best Role-Playing Game," IGN’s "Best PC RPG," RPGFan’s "Overall Game of E3 2005," and the prestigious "Best Role Playing Game" in the 2005 E3 Game Critics Awards. A near-final version of the game was displayed at Microsoft’s Consumer Electronics Show press tent in January 2006, highlighting its exterior environments. In the months before its release, excitement for the game was high, with critics calling it "the first next-gen game," which increased interest. Pete Hines, vice president of public relations and marketing for Bethesda, said: "People were expecting the game to cure blindness and heal the sick."
2K Games originally planned to release the game in late 2005 so it could be an Xbox 360 launch title. The official release date for the PC and Xbox 360 versions was initially set for November 22, 2005, but delays pushed it back to March 20, 2006. A mobile phone version, developed by Superscape and published by Vir2L Studios, was released on May 2, 2006. The PlayStation 3 version, ported by 4J Studios, was released in North America on March 20, 2007, and in Europe on April 27, 2007. This version included graphical improvements made after the PC and Xbox 360 releases and was praised for its better visuals. A PlayStation Portable version was also in development but was later canceled.
At the 2007 E3, a Game of the Year edition of Oblivion was announced. In North America and Europe, the game was released for Xbox 360 and PC in September 2007, and for PlayStation 3 in October 2007. In Australia, it was released for Xbox 360 and PC in September 2007 and for PlayStation 3 in December 2007. The game was also released on Steam on June 16, 2009. A 5th-anniversary edition was announced and released in North America in July 2011 and in Europe two months later. A double pack of Fallout 3 and Oblivion for Xbox 360 and PC was announced for release in North America on April 3, though it was not stated whether the bundle included downloadable content for either game. Oblivion was also bundled with BioShock for Xbox 360 and PC on July 7, 2009.
On May 3, 2006, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in North America changed Oblivion’s rating from T (Teen 13+) to M (Mature 17+), citing content not considered during the original review, including "more detailed depictions of blood and gore" and the presence in the PC version of a hidden image file that could be accessed using a tool not approved by the game’s creators, allowing players to view topless versions of female characters. In response, the ESRB reviewed the game, showing its original content and the newly disclosed material to its reviewers. The ESRB required Bethesda Softworks to inform all retailers of the rating change, provide stickers for retailers to display on the product, update all future shipments and marketing materials with the new rating, and release a downloadable patch to make the topless skin inaccessible. Bethesda followed these instructions but disagreed with the ESRB’s reasoning. Some retailers began checking for identification before selling the game, and one California Assemblyman used the event to criticize the ESRB’s efficiency. Michael Zenke, editor of Slashdot games, noted that the change caused concern, as it seemed to penalize developers for content they did not create.
Additional content
In April 2006, Bethesda began offering small extra content packages for the game through their website and the Xbox Live Marketplace. The first update included special armor for horses in Oblivion, released on April 3, 2006. While many players supported the idea of paying small amounts for downloadable game content, some were unhappy with the cost of the horse-armor package, which had limited value. Hines told reporters that Bethesda would not quickly change its approach based on customer complaints. Later releases in 2006 offered lower prices and more meaningful content, which improved how the gaming press viewed the updates. Other downloadable content included houses based on the game’s factions, a new dungeon, and new spells not included in the original game. The final content pack for Oblivion was released on October 15, 2007.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine is an official expansion for Oblivion, released on November 21, 2006. It was available for download on Xbox Live for Xbox 360 users and could be bought in stores for PC users. The expansion was included in the original PlayStation 3 version of the game. Developed and published by Bethesda Softworks, the expansion follows a story about a sorcerer-king named Umaril and the player’s mission to defeat him using relics from a lost crusade. While it did not change the basic rules of the game, reviewers praised it as a short but well-made addition to the main story.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles was released on March 27, 2007, for Windows and Xbox 360, and on December 8, 2007, for PlayStation 3. The expansion includes more than 30 hours of new gameplay, featuring new quests, voice actors, monsters, spells, armor, and more flexible gameplay. It introduces a new land that changes based on the player’s important choices. The story takes place in a realm of madness ruled by the Daedric prince Sheogorath. The player must help Sheogorath save his realm from a coming disaster called the Greymarch.
Reception
Oblivion received high praise from critics and became a commercial success. The game sold 1.7 million copies by April 10, 2006, over 3 million copies by January 2007, and more than 3.5 million copies by November 2011. A market research firm called Electronic Entertainment Design and Research estimated that the game sold 9.5 million copies worldwide. Reviewers praised the game for its impressive graphics, large game world, and NPCs (non-player characters) that acted based on a schedule. Eurogamer editor Kristan Reed said the game "successfully combines the best parts of RPG, adventure, and action games into a very engaging and exciting experience." GameSpot’s Greg Kasavin compared the game to Morrowind, which he called one of the best role-playing games he had seen, and said Oblivion is "clearly better" and would appeal to even those who usually avoid role-playing games. X-Play’s Jason D’Aprile noted that the game builds on the series’ tradition of offering vast open worlds and many choices, taking the concept even further.
GamesTM editors said the game follows RPG traditions but is easy to play and appeals to a wide audience because of its detailed design. Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club said the game is worth playing because of the sense of discovery in its environments. GameZone staff mentioned that players can spend much time leveling up their character, completing quests, and customizing their character before starting the main story. IGN editor Charles Onyett praised the game’s storytelling and easy-to-use menus.
Despite the praise, some critics had concerns. Patrick Joynt of 1UP.com said the conversations between NPCs and the player felt inconsistent at times. GameRevolution’s Duke Ferris noted that some voices repeated but praised the amount of high-quality spoken dialogue included. GameSpy’s Justin Speer mentioned problems with loading times and some bugs, like floating objects and mismatched lip movements. IGN’s Charles Onyett also pointed out issues with enemy difficulty scaling, long loading times, and imprecise combat, but said these problems did not stop the game from being enjoyable and well-made.
Oblivion won many awards. In 2006, it won the "Game of the Year" award at the G-Phoria Video Game Awards and the Spike TV Video Game Awards. At the 24th Golden Joystick Awards, it received "PLAY.com Ultimate Game of the Year," "Xbox Game of the Year," and "ebuyer.com PC Game of the Year." The game was named the best role-playing game of 2006 by 1UP.com, G4, IGN, GameSpy, GameSpot, GameRevolution, and PC Gamer US. Computer Games Magazine gave it awards for "Best Technology" and "Best Role-Playing Game" in 2006 and named it the second-best computer game of the year, calling it "an unforgettable masterpiece." In 2007, PC Gamer magazine ranked Oblivion number one on its list of the top 100 games of all time. At the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the game won "Role-Playing Game of the Year" and "Computer Game of the Year" and was nominated for other awards. Patrick Stewart’s voice acting as Uriel Septim won a Spike TV award, and the game’s musical score by Jeremy Soule won the first MTV Video Music Award for "Best Original Score" through a public vote.