Hands-On Previews


X-Box 360 Hands-On Previews
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Hands On Preview By: Ron Burke, Director of Gaming Trend

"This week I got to sit down with Pete Hines, VP of PR and Marketing at Bethesda to see their pride and joy, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. ...you cannot begin to touch the surface of a game with over 300 hours of content..."


X05: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Hands-On By: Charles Onyett at IGN

Looking every bit as good as we'd hoped.
"After what seems like an eternity of salivating over a few screens and grainy leaked videos, we finally got to go hands-on with Bethesda's Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and it was good."


X05: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Hands-On By Brad Shoemaker at GameSpot

Finally, an opportunity to plunge headlong into Bethesda's latest fantasy epic. We put the first section of Oblivion through its paces.
"Oblivion looks about as good as all those screenshots have led you to believe, what with its lifelike and expressive characters and its lavishly detailed environments..."


Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion By: Che Chou at 1UP

"We've seen plenty of gorgeous, lush, epic screenshots of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, but never running in full Xbox 360 glory in front of our own eyes -- until now, at X05. But it isn't until after you're making your way around in a dark dank dungeon with nothing but a torch and some salvaged swords when Oblivion really grabs you with its incredibly immersive sights and sounds."


The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360) By: Will Tuttle at GameSpy

Titled The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, this is one game that can't come soon enough, as it's looking like one of the best experiences the system has to offer.
"The king and his men disappeared into a doorway ahead, but it closed before I could get through. I explored the room a bit and discovered a crack in the wall, and I was able to break through using my sword. Suddenly, dozens of giant rats were upon me."


The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Hands-On (Xbox 360) By: Rob Semsey - "Horus" at TeamXbox

X05 was the first time we’ve had a chance to get our hands-on the game, and despite all the house music thumping away at the venue’s party-like atmosphere, we came away simply wanting more…much more.
"Making our way through the catacombs, we fended off several additional rodent attacks, and used the stealth function to sneak up on an unsuspecting goblin. Too bad that our torch was still equipped as the light gave away our intentions well before we could attack."


Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Hands-On By: Charles Onyett at IGN

We had the chance today to sit down and go hands-on with Bethesda's upcoming role playing epic for the Xbox 360 we continue to be impressed by the title's appearance and depth.
"As we walked again through the world of Oblivion we were continually amazed at the level of detail. From the intricately detailed swords and axes to the runes that glow over your body when you cast the most minor of healing spells it's obvious this game aims to please the most hardcore, demanding gamers out there."


Hands on look at Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion from our trip to New York By: Danel Comer at Next Level Gaming

During our trip Mike and I got to check out some of the titles that are coming to the Xbox 360, and get some great hands on time. Many of these games we had not seen since E3, it was great to have the opportunity to not only see them but also to have the opportunity to get our grubby hands all over them.
"...you may soon forget that you are playing a story, but instead feel as if you are living in a world, wrapped in intrigue, strife, suffering and conflict."


Played Oblivion at X05 By: Abscido
"Hey all,
I was at Microsoft's X05 event in Amsterdam and had a chance to play Oblivion for almost 3/4 of an hour.
There was one lovely moment where the Emperor was passing me and he actually turned his head and smiled as he walked by. Very nicely done. As I followed the Imperial troupe out of my cell, they were soon attacked by human opposition. Some of the animation here was excellent, especially in the flickering light of torches, and the armour looked wonderful: gleaming and reflecting with movement. There's definitely more bite and aggression to the combat animations for NPCs, though four or five of them fighting together can look a little over-frantic."


The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Hands on Preview By: Nicholas "bapenguin" Puleo, Editor-in-Chief at Evil Avatar

The one game everyone has been asking me about is Oblivion. I got to sit down and play through some of Oblivion at the show.
"When you get to a certain point the Emperor and his guards get attacked again and the battle ensues. Here’s where you can get your first weapon, a nice long sword."
"Most objects in the game are governed by physics as well, chains react to hitting them, and objects fall off tables realistically. There’s a well with a hanging bucket you can hit and watch it swing realistically."


I've played OBLIVION for a few hours... By: Nachokoolaid
I also post at the Elder Scrolls forums, and those guys had a thousand questions for me, so I’d like to report that I got through about 1% of everything they requested, but this preview will probably be more thorough than the others.
"Combat: Seems fun to me. I guess it’s a personal preference, but I thought it was more than just a hack and slash or button mashing affair. In fact, I often waited for the enemy to attack so I could block the attack first (there’s a slight recoil there, so if gives you a little time to attack). I actually like blocking with the weapon instead of the shield, because the shield sort of blocked my view a bit. However, the shield blocking was more effective. Those damn giant rats were annoying though, because it was hard to gauge their attacks."


* Full Preview: Eight hours with the Xbox 360 at GameSpot

Other than about six Xbox Live parlor games (including the return of fan favorite Geometry Wars and a cool looking billiards [and about 4 others]), the available games were Kameo: Elements of Power, Project Gotham Racing 3, Call of Duty 2, Perfect Dark Zero, Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, NBA Live 06, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Dead or Alive 4, and Condemned: Criminal Origins. I spent lots of time with the games, and the following are my thoughts on the console and each game.


PC Hands-On Previews
Preview: The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion By: Nomad and Santera at Absolute Games

"A black, "IV" Roman numeral, streaked with lava veins, flashes on the white screen and is quickly replaced by the main menu. Looking at it, we await demonic invasions from other planes of reality, searches for an heir of a panic-stricken country's throne, fierce battles, intrigues, tens of quests, books, locations, and - obviously - our small part in saving the world."
"A few steps later, we can find a chest - and a first thievery lesson. The fashion for lock picking mini-games which no stealth action manages to avoid nowadays has spread to The Elder Scrolls as well. The objectives are clear - all you have to do is raise and fix a number of bars with quick mouse clicks. Locks vary in difficulty, so while simple ones didn't require any effort, you might lose a dozen of lockpics while trying to pick others."
* This preview was based on a beta version of the game intended for localization purposes, and was not optimized as a playable build.


English Translation By: Max_aka_NOBODY at RPG Codex

Originally posted at: Absolute Games


Some More Recent Coverage
X05 in Canada (Toronto)
10-31-2005


X05 Toronto By: Dan Brakel at Xbox Addict -October 27th, 2005

A very short but disturbingly negative review:
"Oblivion looked Horrible!! I don’t know if the TV wasn’t adjusted right, but man, was it ever dark and grainy..."


X05 Canada by: Sebastien Roy (Mr NoBody) at Game-Focus

In French


X05 Canada: nos impressions by: Mercador at HardGamers -Octobre 30 2005

In French
Summary English Translation by: Mamakin at X05 in Canada (Toronto).
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