I'll admit, I've never been into what I call Computer RPGs. I grew up playing the RPGs on the console side (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Phantasy Star, etc.) and played my share of Ultima games on the computer once I received my first home computer in 1989, so that would be around Ultima V's time which means I missed out on the beauty of Ultima IV although I later played it.
We are now on the cusp of the release of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on Xbox 360 and PC. I know there are other people out there like myself who could care less about this game, but I also know there are many that salivate over this game. Part of the problem with reading the sites I do is that every site has a group that thrives on Oblivion info. Is it sad that the game I'm more excited about coming in March (Oblivion's supposed release month) is Kingdom Hearts II on the PS2? Maybe not, considering all logic would point toward the fact that KH2 will far outsell Oblivion.
Last week Bethesda held two events showing off Oblivion, one in Chicago and one in New York. Some sites had people at both events, some only had them at one. There is a variety of previews out there, but many previews tend to skew toward the positive by default...it's the nature of the beast with online magazines. I found that I skimmed through most of the previews without really being awed more than I was before. I also found it quite amusing that Gamespot only used 2 pages on the preview while IGN spent 6 (IGN always seems to overwrite...I mean, look at the Black Review, 5 pages to explain about a game that is visually appealing but empty in the end? Why?).
I hope after all this hype that those people that are interested in Oblivion will be happy with the final product. The release for me will just come and go. I'll probably pick it up to rent on the 360. Maybe my thoughts about the game will change once I play it, but that's something. While many are enjoying Oblivion I will be enjoying Kingdom Hearts II a week later (KH2 comes out March 28th).
Feel free to E-mail me and tell me whether you feel the same as I do or you feel differently.