Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles
| Developer: Bethesda | Publisher: Bethesda |
| Release Date: March 26, 2007 | Also On: PC, PS3 & Xbox 360 |
What more is there to say about Oblivion? It was easily one of the best games released last year, and perhaps the deepest game of all time thanks to downloadable content. Already being 100+ hours in length, Oblivion has received a new expansion pack called The Shivering Isles. While this is not the first expansion the game has received, it is the first true expansion, giving gamers another 30+ hours of gameplay in a land mass that is equal to a forth of Cyrodill. With new missions, weapons, armor and surprises, what isn’t there to love?
In The Shivering Isles, you will be playing the role of Sheogorath’s Champion. As his champion, you will be following orders from him to prepare for the Jyggalag, a creature that appears every century to wipe things clean from this plane of Oblivion and forces everything to be rebuilt. Sheogorath himself is one of the most amusing characters you will find in Oblivion. Not only is he a powerful ruler, but he has a hilarious sense of humor. Easily, he will become your favorite NPC in the game. But you will find others in the world that will prove to be just as useful to you, such as his servant, torturer, and an armor maker that will craft you new duds for finding the materials for him.
Visually, The Shivering Isles brings more of what you saw on Oblivion to the table. The massively detailed world only seems to grow as the new land mass you play on is broken up into two separate regions: Mania and Dementia. Each portion of the region greatly stands out from each other, with Mania being a more tranquil place like Cyrodill, and Dementia being a more twisted place; much like Oblivion without the fire. The Shivering Isles is considered to be a plain of Oblivion, and although the land mass does not match that description, the characters do. You will find many new creatures wandering the lands to battle carrying the same detail you would find anywhere else in the world.
The voice talent for this new realm of Oblivion is phenomenal. The actor for Sheogorath has a voice that can be played as a madman, and a caring ruler all at the same time. With a split personality like Sheogorath has, this is crucial to the part and Bethesda nailed it. Other supporting characters were well played, though most do not offer too much insight and are a bit of a waste. The music, though still fantastic, mirrors that of the music in Cyrodill, offering nothing truly new to the game there.
There are many reasons why you should pick up The Shivering Isles expansion of Oblivion. New creatures, quests, ingredients, armor, weapons, spells, and even achievements are just some of the reasons why. The quests are just not nearly as memorable however and you will more than likely blow through the main storyline in a dozen hours. That is just the outer core however, for a $30/2400 MS point price tag; The Shivering Isles is a welcomed addition to avid players and fans alike. I know that you will not be disappointed.
| Graphics: | 9 |
| Sound: | 9 |
| Gameplay: | 8 |
| Creativity: | 8 |
| Replay Value/Game Length: | 9 |
| Final: | 8.6 |
| Written by Shawn | Review Guide |
Game Freaks 365 is not responsible and does not endorse the comments posted above from registered users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, or remove user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice. Items that may be considered inappropriate to post are those containing profanity, hatred, vulgar, unlawful or threatening comments.
Read 1250 times.
