The 2D side-scroller became popular in an era when there wasn’t much choice of software for the gamer. Technology limitations forced people to game on two axes, with a movable background to denote larger settings.
As processing power and programming skill increased- but still before the 3D era side-scrollers became quite wonderful representations of video gaming. In fact, there are many video game critics that still have 2D scollers in their all-time lists.
The advent of 3D gaming pretty much put the side-scrollers on the shelf, but there were a few companies that still embraced the genre through console releases. One of these companies was Konami, whose Japanese roots kept most of the trends from the Far East fresh in the minds of Western gamers.
The trend of never letting the 2D side-scroller perish can be seen in Japanese companies like SNK and Capcom, but Konami and their Castlevania series really epitomizes this feeling. Born on 8-bit hardware, the Castlevania series is still growing strong thanks to the demand for visually simple games that run well on powerful handhelds.
Another great re-launching pad for Konami’s Castlevania titles is Xbox Live Arcade, which really seems to be going head to head with the Wii with its recent arcade and old console ROM lineup. Microsoft’s latest title is Konami’s Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which many consider one of the finest achievements of the original Playstation system.
You’ll begin your Castlevania: Symphony of the Night quest where predecessor Dracula X left off - a final boss battle featuring Richter (the headliner in a few other Castlevania titles) battling Count Dracula. Once Richter defeats the count, the story behind Castlevania: Symphony of the Night finally begins with the aid of decent cut-scene visuals, on-screen text and dialogue. Set four years after the count’s defeat, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night reveals Richter as the new high priest of Castlevania. This doesn’t sit too well with the Count’s son Alucard, who eventually comes to life as your friendly neighborhood player character.
Earlier fans of the Castlevania series that didn’t have a chance to check out Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or Dawn of Sorrow will notice the major transformation of the franchise right away. The control scheme of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is indicative of the PSOne controller functionality. Jumps are completely pressure-sensitive, the use of a shield and a back dash move join jump/attack on the face button bank, and vampiric item use can be controlled through the shoulder buttons (a combo of shoulder and trigger in the 360 controller’s case).
The ability to view the map with a quick tap of a shoulder button (left trigger for us) illustrates the fundamental structural change of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night as compared to its predecessors: not all pathways lead to an end. Yes, the notion of open-ended style gameplay in the Castlevania universe begins with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which makes for a much more enticing, adventure-style experience. You’ll sometimes have to backtrack to get where you really need to go (although it’s frustrating fighting the same enemies again), and not all pathways are paved with goodwill and good intentions.
Konami’s decision to make Castlevania: Symphony of the Night more open-ended was directly related to the introduction of RPG-style elements. Running about Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’s world will reveal weapons, spells, equipment, and other items (such as a full compliment of relics which affect the world around Alucard) which can be equipped, dropped and summoned like your favorite role player. Each item has a certain RPG attribute, too. The system is a bit simpler that your typical RPG game, but the balancing of inventory definitely plays a role here in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Hit and magic points are gained and taken away, yet the heart system still determines the overall wherewithal of your hero. You’ll also notice from the Next button PC rap sheet that your hero levels up throughout his journey, in standard areas such as strength, intuition and good ‘ol luck. The player card also shows a tab entitled the Familiars, which are essentially helper entities that can attack at Alucard’s whim. Bats, demons, swords, ghosts and imps can all be summoned, while at the same time ranking up to make them more powerful.
The RPG elements and solid control scheme come together as a very enticing side-scrolling package. The cutscenes are old-school of course, but there is voice acting and some semblance of a plot for those into all things Transylvanian. However, stealing the thunder of Konami’s wholesale gameplay changes is the sprite art that really showcases this genre. These Kojima-designed characters are some of the best you will find in the land of sprites. The backgrounds are just as fancy, and help to achieve an eerie feel that only the scariest of modern games can match. You’ll also be met with particle effects that surely inspired many of today’s top artists, and animation sets that could make the mo-cap machine worker feel a bit guilty. There are early attempts at 3D here that somehow work, too. Your coffin of savedom spins ‘round in three dimensions, and there is a depth-of-field effect on distant items that is being helped along with the Z axis. 2D and 3D somehow come together to create an artistic interpretation of that time just before 3D ruled the roost.
The soundtrack is just as impressive as the visual feast, and that’s saying a lot for 1997. Budgets couldn’t call upon a philharmonic, so a Roland had to suffice. Oh, how the keyboard suffices in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night! Makes sense really – put the word “symphony” in your game title and you should probably attempt to create some aural magic on that silvery surface. Yeah, the voice acting is as hokey as you’d expect, but the sound effects are as solid as that Snake dude from another chapter in Konami’s past
With a mixture of open-ended gameplay elements, more advanced controls, and a gripping story, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is the epitome of the side-scrolling genre. What’s more ironic about Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’s prowess is the era in which it was released. 3D was burgeoning, but the strength of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night came through loud and clear to PSOne owners, just as it will come across to XBLA subscribers nearly ten years after its original release.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
The Godfather: The Don's Edition Review (PS3)
Does the game warrant enough respect?
The Godfather released for last generation consoles a few months ago. It was generally well accepted by reviews praising that it did a good job with The Godfather license. Not wanting to leave the PS3 out of the equation, EA spruced up the last-gen title and ported it over. The Godfather: The Don’s Edition is more or less a “director’s cut” of things that were left out of the other versions of The Godfather. How does this version stack up? Read on.
Little Italy
It is 1936 and you live in Little Italy. Organized crime it at its peak and everyone needs “protection.” You are just a little boy, not yet involved with the mobs. One day you come across the body of your father after you heard an explosion. He is shot dead by a rival mafia. Don Vito Corleon comforts you and promises you will one day have your revenge. Nine years pass and you have become nothing more than a street thug. Your own mother is worried and asks The Don for his help. He dispatches his trusted advisor to find out where you are so you can be part of the family.
As you roam the streets of New York City circa the 1940’s you’ll feel like you are in that era. The dress, the scenery, the music all throw you back to a time of smooth crooners and sharply dress gangsters. The world that was created in the books and movies of The Godfather remain intact as you feel like you are part of the Corleon’s family. Streets are dirty and the gangsters hiding in the alleys makes the old New York seem like a seedy place to live and operate. Once you start to drive around, you’ll notice that some buildings look the same and the floor plans of the business you need to extort are identical. Not only are there problems with the game world looking the same (save for a few famous buildings) character animations look like stiff boards trying to swagger about.
I Need A Favor
The Godfather: The Don’s Edition might be classified as an open world “sandbox” type game but don’t be fooled. The Godfather is more linear as the story is more pronounced and important than creating unorganized havoc in Brooklyn. You interact with key characters from the movie as you make a name for yourself. Marlon Brando’s voice and likeness are used for The Don, which is nice to see and adds you right in the thick of the movie. Still, there are all the elements of an open, persistent world game. You can mug random avatars, hijack cars, plant TNT on safes, or bride local police. Aside from the story, which is something you’ll want to delve into the most, you can do a variety of side jobs to increase the family’s bank roll.
You can extort businesses for money by offering your protection. If the business owners do not comply, you “negotiate” by any means necessary. These negotiations are a fun mini-game as you find out what breaks the will of the shopkeeper the most efficiently. This is where SIXAXIS control makes a large contribution. To rough up the owner, you can thrust the controller to the side to smash their head into the cash register to open it up or slam them into the wall so they know you mean business. There is a problem with consistency because sometimes the motion controls do what you want and other times, you head-butt the victim.
You can also purchase rackets to make money. Rackets are usually in the back of “legitimate” businesses and after you take over a business, you can take over the racket. There are also contract hits you can perform to people who haven’t paid up or have been a thorn in the Corleon’s side for too long. These favors help you gain respect and respect is what you need to advance up the chain of command. As you take more control, you gain points you spend in various attributes that will make you grow into a more skilled enforcer or operator (negotiator). They each have their strengths and it depends on what kind of play style you like the best.
You Talking To Me?
Combat in The Godfather is cumbersome. For as many illegal acts as you commit, you’d think that the fights would be a little easier to handle. To put up your fists, you hold down L1 and from there you use the R-stick to throw punches. You can also thrust the SIXAXIS controller different directions to head-butt or throw your foe. It just seems like you have to press too many buttons to get a punch to work. Weapons are a different story. There is a menu which I call “dial-a-weapon” that is accessible by holding down L2 and you pick your gun or bat from a circle menu. Aiming and shooting firearms is easy and generally is the best way to “off” people.
Singing With The Fishes
The sound for The Godfather is absolutely top notch. The orchestrated score from the movie is included in the title as well as many voices of the actors who were in the movie. Even the late Marlon Brando recorded some dialogue for the game before his passing. With certified actors on-board, the voice acting is done well. Even the oldies that play out of antique looking radios immerse you into the crime underworld effectively. If there is one thing that The Godfather does the best, it has to be in the sound department.
Make An Offer
There are some compelling reasons to get The Godfather: The Don’s Edition. The sound, the story, and even the interesting, yet repetitive, gameplay all make the game work. If you are expecting a fabulous game that delivers on all accounts, you will be disappointed. Even with the few upgrades over the last-gen titles, The Don’s Edition doesn’t belong on the PS3. I was put off by the complex, inaccurate controls to fight other gangs and by how many of the streets seemed to repeat themselves while cruising in the same part of town. I still kept coming back for more as there is appeal to the title.
The Godfather: The Don’s Edition is a great example of a game that might not work in all of the individual sectors but when it’s put together, the package as a whole works. The atmosphere the game creates is unparalleled but the PS3 feels underutilized as The Godfather: The Don’s Edition is still a PS2 game with some upgrades.
The Godfather released for last generation consoles a few months ago. It was generally well accepted by reviews praising that it did a good job with The Godfather license. Not wanting to leave the PS3 out of the equation, EA spruced up the last-gen title and ported it over. The Godfather: The Don’s Edition is more or less a “director’s cut” of things that were left out of the other versions of The Godfather. How does this version stack up? Read on.
Little Italy
It is 1936 and you live in Little Italy. Organized crime it at its peak and everyone needs “protection.” You are just a little boy, not yet involved with the mobs. One day you come across the body of your father after you heard an explosion. He is shot dead by a rival mafia. Don Vito Corleon comforts you and promises you will one day have your revenge. Nine years pass and you have become nothing more than a street thug. Your own mother is worried and asks The Don for his help. He dispatches his trusted advisor to find out where you are so you can be part of the family.
As you roam the streets of New York City circa the 1940’s you’ll feel like you are in that era. The dress, the scenery, the music all throw you back to a time of smooth crooners and sharply dress gangsters. The world that was created in the books and movies of The Godfather remain intact as you feel like you are part of the Corleon’s family. Streets are dirty and the gangsters hiding in the alleys makes the old New York seem like a seedy place to live and operate. Once you start to drive around, you’ll notice that some buildings look the same and the floor plans of the business you need to extort are identical. Not only are there problems with the game world looking the same (save for a few famous buildings) character animations look like stiff boards trying to swagger about.
I Need A Favor
The Godfather: The Don’s Edition might be classified as an open world “sandbox” type game but don’t be fooled. The Godfather is more linear as the story is more pronounced and important than creating unorganized havoc in Brooklyn. You interact with key characters from the movie as you make a name for yourself. Marlon Brando’s voice and likeness are used for The Don, which is nice to see and adds you right in the thick of the movie. Still, there are all the elements of an open, persistent world game. You can mug random avatars, hijack cars, plant TNT on safes, or bride local police. Aside from the story, which is something you’ll want to delve into the most, you can do a variety of side jobs to increase the family’s bank roll.
You can extort businesses for money by offering your protection. If the business owners do not comply, you “negotiate” by any means necessary. These negotiations are a fun mini-game as you find out what breaks the will of the shopkeeper the most efficiently. This is where SIXAXIS control makes a large contribution. To rough up the owner, you can thrust the controller to the side to smash their head into the cash register to open it up or slam them into the wall so they know you mean business. There is a problem with consistency because sometimes the motion controls do what you want and other times, you head-butt the victim.
You can also purchase rackets to make money. Rackets are usually in the back of “legitimate” businesses and after you take over a business, you can take over the racket. There are also contract hits you can perform to people who haven’t paid up or have been a thorn in the Corleon’s side for too long. These favors help you gain respect and respect is what you need to advance up the chain of command. As you take more control, you gain points you spend in various attributes that will make you grow into a more skilled enforcer or operator (negotiator). They each have their strengths and it depends on what kind of play style you like the best.
You Talking To Me?
Combat in The Godfather is cumbersome. For as many illegal acts as you commit, you’d think that the fights would be a little easier to handle. To put up your fists, you hold down L1 and from there you use the R-stick to throw punches. You can also thrust the SIXAXIS controller different directions to head-butt or throw your foe. It just seems like you have to press too many buttons to get a punch to work. Weapons are a different story. There is a menu which I call “dial-a-weapon” that is accessible by holding down L2 and you pick your gun or bat from a circle menu. Aiming and shooting firearms is easy and generally is the best way to “off” people.
Singing With The Fishes
The sound for The Godfather is absolutely top notch. The orchestrated score from the movie is included in the title as well as many voices of the actors who were in the movie. Even the late Marlon Brando recorded some dialogue for the game before his passing. With certified actors on-board, the voice acting is done well. Even the oldies that play out of antique looking radios immerse you into the crime underworld effectively. If there is one thing that The Godfather does the best, it has to be in the sound department.
Make An Offer
There are some compelling reasons to get The Godfather: The Don’s Edition. The sound, the story, and even the interesting, yet repetitive, gameplay all make the game work. If you are expecting a fabulous game that delivers on all accounts, you will be disappointed. Even with the few upgrades over the last-gen titles, The Don’s Edition doesn’t belong on the PS3. I was put off by the complex, inaccurate controls to fight other gangs and by how many of the streets seemed to repeat themselves while cruising in the same part of town. I still kept coming back for more as there is appeal to the title.
The Godfather: The Don’s Edition is a great example of a game that might not work in all of the individual sectors but when it’s put together, the package as a whole works. The atmosphere the game creates is unparalleled but the PS3 feels underutilized as The Godfather: The Don’s Edition is still a PS2 game with some upgrades.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles Review
Is more of the same enough when “same” means “awesome?” Find out inside.
Sandbox games are becoming more and more common with each generation of game consoles, and likewise, they are becoming more and more open-ended. The Elder Scrolls franchise is not a new one. Oblivion, which released in March 2006, was the fourth full installment in the series. Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles is also not another first for the long-running game franchise. There have been numerous expansions in the Elder Scrolls series over the last ten years. However, Shivering Isles is the first major expansion for Oblivion, and it comes as the first expansion to grace the Xbox 360, too.
Priced at $29.99 and available only on Xbox Live, Shivering Isles is alone – the first of its kind. You need a copy of Oblivion for Xbox 360 to even play the title, and what’s more, you need Xbox Live, which isn’t free, either, to download the expansion. Oh, and we almost forgot: you need Internet access. Then again, if you’re reading this, you probably have Internet, in which case pretend we didn’t say a thing about it and continue reading.
If you’re expecting something wildly different from what you played in Oblivion, stop right there. Shivering Isles, like all expansions, is no full-fledged sequel. It plays just like its immediate predecessor in more ways that we can name. However, this is no complaint, as the game it’s based on is one of the 360’s greatest. If you played and remotely enjoyed Oblivion, you’re going to be happy with Shivering Isles. But if you’ve never played Oblivion or any other games in the Elder Scrolls franchise for that matter, let us back up. If you dig non-linear sandbox-style games, then you’re going to love Shivering Isles. Catch our drift?
Whether you have a decked-out character with the best armor and weapon in the game or you want to create a new one from scratch, as soon as you’re done downloading Shivering Isles, you’re able to jump right into the expansion and experience it any way you want to. Unfortunately, when you first boot up Oblivion after downloading the expansion, you won’t receive any immediate direction as to how you’re supposed to get to the “Shivering Isles.” Bethesda’s approach is a little more laidback. This noted, a mysterious and equally sinister doorway appears in Niben Bay once you’ve downloaded the expansion, which you can use to enter the colorful and simultaneously dark Shivering Isles.
Within the Shivering Isles, new armor, weapons, side quests, dungeons, enemies, landscapes, towns, NPCs and a whole new main quest line awaits gamers. The storytelling in Shivering Isles is never boring, although it’s less conventional than your typical RPG. There are no cut-scenes in the game. The story is told through interacting with in-game characters (NPCs), with whom you must converse.
One complaint we had with Oblivion last year was the somewhat forgettable cast of characters. We’re happy to report that Shivering Isle’s features a cast with much more personality. Indeed, some of the people you come into contact with along your adventure are true characters – each more twisted and fascinating than the last. For example, the name Sheogorath might not mean anything to you right now, but after the first time you encounter the slightly manic and wordy Prince of Madness and ruler of the Shivering Isles, you won’t forget him. His dialogue is entertaining, and you won’t mind his constant ramblings, contradictions or any of the other nonsense he spews from his usually-grinning mouth. The same can be said about his servant, Chancellor Haskill, who is noticeably more serious and sarcastic than the man he serves. What’s more, the two people that rule over the two halves of the Shivering Isles, the drug-loving Duke of Mania and always-paranoid Duchess of Dementia, are both distinctly different but equally likable – or at least entertaining – characters.
The Shivering Isles is split into two parts: Mania and Dementia. Mania’s citizens are often eccentric, animated and almost always insane in one way or another. Oppositely, Dementia’s are sad, gloomy and demented, barely alive – and usually wishing they weren’t at all. There’s a relationship between the citizens of both realms and the landscapes they inhabit. Mania, as expected, is particularly colorful. Overgrown mushrooms cover most of the land, and where there are none, a colorfully psychedelic parade of trees, bushes, plants and other vegetation march, fueled by a light wind. On the other end of the spectrum, Dementia is a land that looks dead. Flooded by swampy bogs, dark forests, thundercloud-filled skies and a persistent aura of despair, the world contrasts the manic-but-colorful Mania in every way possible. Both lands feature undeniably insane people, but they’re all off their rockers for different reasons.
What was fun in Oblivion – exploring new areas, talking to town folk, completing quests – is still fun in Shivering Isles. However, this expansion seems to have more of a focus on the string of main story quests as opposed to side quests. Oblivion seemed to spill over with side quests, whereas Shivering Isles is a little less populated when it comes to them. This is somewhat disappointing to consider, but thankfully, the main quest line is ultimately enjoyable despite its tendency to rely on fetch quests.
There are a lot of new dungeons to explore – some optional, others mandatory – in Shivering Isles. Unfortunately, most of these look and feel too much like one another. We oftentimes found ourselves wishing we could just go back outside to the Shivering Isle’s far more interesting locales instead. A similar complaint we have is in regards to the fact that there is only one major city in the game. There are small towns, each made up of a couple shacks, spread across the Shivering Isles, and the main city in the realm is fairly large, but the town gameplay is so fun in the Elder Scrolls series, it feels like you can never have enough of it.
As an expansion pack, Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles never feels like it’s going out of the way to impress, and that’s because it’s not. Still, because the underlying formula behind the Elder Scrolls series is so irresistibly fun, we can’t help but love the game. We wish there were more side quests and we can’t help but wonder why Bethesda took our horse away. What’s more, the game has some flaws it inherits from Oblivion, such as its less-than-amazing combat system. But some minor quibbles aside, this is a great 20-plus-hour adventure. You can’t help but get lost in its immersive and imaginative design. If you loved Oblivion – we know we did – then you’ll definitely like Shivering Isles. It’s more of the same, but who says that’s a bad thing?
Sandbox games are becoming more and more common with each generation of game consoles, and likewise, they are becoming more and more open-ended. The Elder Scrolls franchise is not a new one. Oblivion, which released in March 2006, was the fourth full installment in the series. Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles is also not another first for the long-running game franchise. There have been numerous expansions in the Elder Scrolls series over the last ten years. However, Shivering Isles is the first major expansion for Oblivion, and it comes as the first expansion to grace the Xbox 360, too.
Priced at $29.99 and available only on Xbox Live, Shivering Isles is alone – the first of its kind. You need a copy of Oblivion for Xbox 360 to even play the title, and what’s more, you need Xbox Live, which isn’t free, either, to download the expansion. Oh, and we almost forgot: you need Internet access. Then again, if you’re reading this, you probably have Internet, in which case pretend we didn’t say a thing about it and continue reading.
If you’re expecting something wildly different from what you played in Oblivion, stop right there. Shivering Isles, like all expansions, is no full-fledged sequel. It plays just like its immediate predecessor in more ways that we can name. However, this is no complaint, as the game it’s based on is one of the 360’s greatest. If you played and remotely enjoyed Oblivion, you’re going to be happy with Shivering Isles. But if you’ve never played Oblivion or any other games in the Elder Scrolls franchise for that matter, let us back up. If you dig non-linear sandbox-style games, then you’re going to love Shivering Isles. Catch our drift?
Whether you have a decked-out character with the best armor and weapon in the game or you want to create a new one from scratch, as soon as you’re done downloading Shivering Isles, you’re able to jump right into the expansion and experience it any way you want to. Unfortunately, when you first boot up Oblivion after downloading the expansion, you won’t receive any immediate direction as to how you’re supposed to get to the “Shivering Isles.” Bethesda’s approach is a little more laidback. This noted, a mysterious and equally sinister doorway appears in Niben Bay once you’ve downloaded the expansion, which you can use to enter the colorful and simultaneously dark Shivering Isles.
Within the Shivering Isles, new armor, weapons, side quests, dungeons, enemies, landscapes, towns, NPCs and a whole new main quest line awaits gamers. The storytelling in Shivering Isles is never boring, although it’s less conventional than your typical RPG. There are no cut-scenes in the game. The story is told through interacting with in-game characters (NPCs), with whom you must converse.
One complaint we had with Oblivion last year was the somewhat forgettable cast of characters. We’re happy to report that Shivering Isle’s features a cast with much more personality. Indeed, some of the people you come into contact with along your adventure are true characters – each more twisted and fascinating than the last. For example, the name Sheogorath might not mean anything to you right now, but after the first time you encounter the slightly manic and wordy Prince of Madness and ruler of the Shivering Isles, you won’t forget him. His dialogue is entertaining, and you won’t mind his constant ramblings, contradictions or any of the other nonsense he spews from his usually-grinning mouth. The same can be said about his servant, Chancellor Haskill, who is noticeably more serious and sarcastic than the man he serves. What’s more, the two people that rule over the two halves of the Shivering Isles, the drug-loving Duke of Mania and always-paranoid Duchess of Dementia, are both distinctly different but equally likable – or at least entertaining – characters.
The Shivering Isles is split into two parts: Mania and Dementia. Mania’s citizens are often eccentric, animated and almost always insane in one way or another. Oppositely, Dementia’s are sad, gloomy and demented, barely alive – and usually wishing they weren’t at all. There’s a relationship between the citizens of both realms and the landscapes they inhabit. Mania, as expected, is particularly colorful. Overgrown mushrooms cover most of the land, and where there are none, a colorfully psychedelic parade of trees, bushes, plants and other vegetation march, fueled by a light wind. On the other end of the spectrum, Dementia is a land that looks dead. Flooded by swampy bogs, dark forests, thundercloud-filled skies and a persistent aura of despair, the world contrasts the manic-but-colorful Mania in every way possible. Both lands feature undeniably insane people, but they’re all off their rockers for different reasons.
What was fun in Oblivion – exploring new areas, talking to town folk, completing quests – is still fun in Shivering Isles. However, this expansion seems to have more of a focus on the string of main story quests as opposed to side quests. Oblivion seemed to spill over with side quests, whereas Shivering Isles is a little less populated when it comes to them. This is somewhat disappointing to consider, but thankfully, the main quest line is ultimately enjoyable despite its tendency to rely on fetch quests.
There are a lot of new dungeons to explore – some optional, others mandatory – in Shivering Isles. Unfortunately, most of these look and feel too much like one another. We oftentimes found ourselves wishing we could just go back outside to the Shivering Isle’s far more interesting locales instead. A similar complaint we have is in regards to the fact that there is only one major city in the game. There are small towns, each made up of a couple shacks, spread across the Shivering Isles, and the main city in the realm is fairly large, but the town gameplay is so fun in the Elder Scrolls series, it feels like you can never have enough of it.
As an expansion pack, Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles never feels like it’s going out of the way to impress, and that’s because it’s not. Still, because the underlying formula behind the Elder Scrolls series is so irresistibly fun, we can’t help but love the game. We wish there were more side quests and we can’t help but wonder why Bethesda took our horse away. What’s more, the game has some flaws it inherits from Oblivion, such as its less-than-amazing combat system. But some minor quibbles aside, this is a great 20-plus-hour adventure. You can’t help but get lost in its immersive and imaginative design. If you loved Oblivion – we know we did – then you’ll definitely like Shivering Isles. It’s more of the same, but who says that’s a bad thing?
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