First Impressions - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

What is there to say about The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion? What can possibly be left to say about a game that came out about a year ago, wowing the critics (with average review scores of over 90% and a rare 10 out of 10 from Eurogamer), winning about a gazillion game of the year awards, and selling over 3 million copies? That's the problem facing anybody writing a preview of the forthcoming PlayStation 3 conversion of Bethesda's RPG masterpiece, which is due to be released in March to accompany the launch of the console (in advance of a PSP title set in the Elder Scrolls universe which is set to appear later this year, hopefully).

[FordGTGuy]

Or does the PS3 Oblivion's snow not reflecting sunlight?

[MoonDust]

If this doesn't prove the PS3 is weaker i don't know what does. BTW: I thought 2k games was the publisher, not Ubisoft.

[Chagy]

this game does not appeal to me, but motorstorm does, 8 more days till motorstorm!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay lol

[THE TERMINATOR]

Trust me the Ps3 version is much better, just look at the other previews on gamerankings. Anyway its not long now for a full review of the game.

[FordGTGuy]

PS3 version has better graphics yada yada yada the Xbox 360 version is getting a graphics update anyway.

[THE TERMINATOR]

better framerate yada yada yada much faster loading times yada yada, improved draw distance yada I could go on but you bore me.

[frostbite06]

running out of bubbles, yada yada

[Bowie fan]

Oblivion's a masterpiece whichever format you choose to play it on. Although it's not gone entirely unnoticed that the devs that wrote it for the PS3, are by far the biggest proponents of the 'our version is so much better than the Xbox 360's' argument.

Which based on the comparison screenshots that I've seen to date, makes it questionable that a new pair of spectacles might be in order for my tired old eyes!

[EnforcerOfTheTruth]

This game demonstrates perfectly what happens when the devs put some effort into porting. The PS3 version looks and performs much better and lets not forget they worked on it for just a year.
Expect in future more and more games that look and perform better on the PS3, especially when they will be developed from the scratch for it.

[FordGTGuy]

An entire finished build for the game and atleast over half a year of polishing. You talk like they added Giant Crabs to the game oops sorry Ken.

[wii60]

yes the PS3 version is going to be good but I don't think it will stand up to the Xbox 360 version. I think the PS3 version is going to get 9.3 or something like that. I think this is going to be 360 chance to prove that PS3 ain't got so much better graphics

[TheExecutive]

Yeah I guess oblivion for the PS3 doesn't deserve anything but a mock preview from this dousche bag. Give me a break. I personally haven't played oblivion and this a$$ clown gotta be condescending through the whole preview, like I have nothing better to do than play the games they have played?

[calderra]

For those who missed it, the Oblivion devs already confirmed all the improvements for the PS3 version will be made available for 360 via patch. Updated graphics and draw distance, especially, will be the same on both consoles.

...except, as usual, you'll see better textures and lighting on 360. You don't have to quote me on that one- check out the vids once 360 gets the patch. Even with the fix, you can see the PS3 has inferior lighting.

[techie]

I think you find what they actually said when asked whether the 360 will get the visual improvements that the ps3 was getting "visual improvements? That's actually an overstatement. There are one or two things that we've done for the ps3 that we can do for the 360, as they are optimised for the ps3. So no not really visual improvements like we have done for the ps3".

Just so you know. Because ps3 is better? Uh no. More development time and optimisation? Uh yes.

[BoneMagnus]

Yes, even after the 360 gets its updates, the PS3 version may still have a few (relatively unnoticable) advantages graphically/load times.

But 360 owners have been playing the game for a YEAR now, and they are guaranteed all downloadable content - I'm sure the PS3 will get it too - eventually.

I'm tired of PS3 fanboys acting as if the 360 version was an unplayable mess of a game and THEY are getting the version that is not "broken".

Plus, the 360 upscales the game to 1080i since my older HDTV does not support 720P. I'd be playing the PS3 version in 480P.

That said, I'm also tired of 360 fanboys getting in a defensive huff because they feel they lost a valuable exclusive.

My hope is that this game sells like crazy on the PS3, that they have all downloadable content and Bethesda says "Wow! Let's make a another Elder Scrolls game NOW!"

The better this game sells, the more Western-style RPGs we'll see. Its an unexplored genre that will be important for the future of gaming.

[TheMART]

"The problem with such an approach is that the graphics in the PlayStation 3 version of Oblivion are essentially indistinguishable from those of the Xbox 360 version. Although Ubisoft, who will be publishing the PlayStation 3 version, has helpfully provided some comparison screenshots that suggest the PS3 version boasts superior textural detail, the game actually looked a bit more pixelated on the TVs that the publisher used for Eurogamer's recent hands-on."

Oblivion on the PS3 looks a bit more pixelated? And WTF happened to the snow compared to the 360 screenshot?

[power of Green]

I still can't believe Sony fans still think Oblivion's better on PS3. You give and take, PS3 has faster load times due to time and methods the design of PS3 allows, 360 version has more advanced effects & more stuff on screen at any given time(like textures) due to it being more powerful.

[EnforcerOfTheTruth]

You guys must be kidding, more stuff at once? Haha since when can do 360 much stuff at once? GOW 4vs4 anyone? Over 1 year in and there is still no game for 360 with much stuff at once. Ahh ok I forgot there is Oblivion, a game which 360 perfoms like a mid to low end PC. Don't believe? Check out the IGN review ;-) Ohh and the snow, looks like I'm talkin with some 5 year old here. Like it would make any difference performance wise if they put more white textures ;-) Everybody can see the PS3 version looks better, for example the ground looks sharper and has more colors than just dark green and white. And what the hell is near the middle of the 360 screen? Some kind of weird lookin 360 only special effect? LOL

FordGTGuy - Buddy, what polishing? They had to start almoust from scratch and had much less time then with the 360. 4 years vs 1 year ;-)

calderra - You are a little liar, actually the devs said many of the improvements can be only done on the PS3. Here is the naked truth buddy:
http://spong.com/feature/10...

Truth was enforced.

[Lex Luthor]

Gears of war intentionally has 8 players on screen in multiplayer, it's the way the game was designed. It doesnt mean it's inferior. Can anyone imagine 40-player Rainbow six....... thought not.

[spacetoilet]

Resistance, although not as good graphics to look at I agree (unreal engine is awesome), has ZERO slow down or wig outs no matter if there is 8 or 20 people on the screen, ships flying overhead and explosions and volumetric smoke out the a$$.

[FordGTGuy]

"FordGTGuy - Buddy, what polishing? They had to start almoust from scratch and had much less time then with the 360. 4 years vs 1 year ;-)"

Retards with three bubbles are so fun! Go ahead use your last bubble little fanboy you! BTW the 360 CPU can handle more processing at once then the PS3 and thats what he was talking about.

BTW if you think Bethesda started from scratch and made a complete copy your a retard and a fanboy. BTW Snow in real life reflects the sun unlike the snow shown in the PS3 screenshots. Doh!

Hey Enforcer of Twisted Truth heres what Pete Hines said:

"Pete Hines: Yeah, quite a few of the optimisations done for this version are specific to the way the PlayStation 3 is designed, in the way it processes information…"

He only said that some of the optimizations done were done specifically for the PS3 hardware and since the PS3 and X360 have different architecture what does that mean class? That the stunts they pull to make the architecture run better on the PS3 can't be used on a different architecture. Now before you say I TOLDZ YOUZ IZ STRONZERZ THENZ X3sixties!!!!!!!!!!! Remember that the same kind of tinkering with the hardware to make it run better can also be done on the Xbox 360 if they were to go back and do it.

In other words a technique to make a game run better on the PS3 hardware will not work on the Xbox 360 hardware and vice versa.

[timmyp53]

in a good way though..but its still a FP sword game that is time waster.

[timmyp53]

the rest of the game accrding to what i've read gave it the thumbs up in graphics and performance.

[CaliGamer]

I just wanted more information, if the time of day changes and I believe the seasons change on Oblivion, then how can we know that the two screenshots were taken under the same circumstances in the game? I mean, theoretically if the sun is at a certain angle, it would create reflections differently for the viewer if the game is capable of creating this separation.
The snow looks slightly brighter on the 360, but my question is is that because of the PS3 vs. 360, or is it just that they took it at a different time of day or a different season? Maybe it was overcast on the PS3 shot. How advanced is their rendering system in the game?
If any of these factors indeed affect the visuals, then I fail to see how this is proof that the PS3 is inferior. I mean, if you look, the 360 shot looks like the snow is thicker than on the PS3, so I don't know how good of a comparison these shots are if the PS3 shots were taken during a colder season.
If anyone owns a 360, could you please clarify.
Both look similar but it doesn't take away from the game, if you own a 360 and already played it why can't you just be happy that others will share in the experience that you have already partaken in?

[blackmagic]

All this arguing and no one has even commented on the actual screenshot of the 360 and PS3 versions side by side(360 top). Here are my observations:

1. In the foreground you can pick out the shader improvements that Hines was talking about. The ground on the PS3 version looks more 'craggy' and for a further distance. Hines has already stated that this improved shader code will be released for the 360 version.

2. The comments people are making that the PS3 has a farther draw distance is complete bullshit since I count 3 boulders in the distance that the 360 drew but the PS3 didn't. I can't see any other object draw differences. I'm talking to you conan and enforcer.

3. The light engine on the 360 looks to be superior. Snow actually reflects the light.

4. The 360 shows more texture detail at distance. You can clearly see the individual texture tiles on the ground at distance whereas the ps3 blurs them.

I'd say the 360 version looks better based on this screen comparison especially considering that the shader code will even out the only area that the PS3 seems to have an advantage on...

http://www.eurogamer.net/vi...

[weekapaugh]

since we are talking about crappiness, wtf is with the external power supply on the 360? i'm going to have to build an addition to house mine. was helen keller on that 360 design team?

[Bowie fan]

"since we are talking about crappiness, wtf is with the external power supply on the 360?"

Lol...I'll tell you what it is mate.

It's a practical alternative to cramming a source of heat inside the 360's case, and a major advantage should it ever go 'belly up' on you. Because returning a building brick to Microsoft for replacement/repair, is infinitely preferable to sending back the entire console.

But you try telling that to a PS3 fanboy.......