Elder Scrolls reveal bigger picture of Oblivion: things heat up between PS3 and 360

from MorrowWind to Oblivion - Image 1

For months now, the fourth title in the Elder Scrolls series has been making waves across the market ever since it was released on the 360 and PC. It’s been getting nothing but praises, positive reviews, high rankings, awards, and heck!, it even made it to CNN Money’s Top 10 games to get for Christmas.

However, with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion PS3 release looming ever-so near now, and one can’t help but think of how much impact this will have on the eager market. IGN was able to check out the latest build of the PS3 version and they reported on their hands-on impressions of the game.

Everything seems to be improved pretty much on every sense – graphics, gameplay, and bug fixes – Bethesda really took to the Cell Processor’s power to the max. Load times have been made shorter, visual textures now smoother, and calling it a simple port just doesn’t cut it anymore. A couple of changes have been made: one of the most stark differences being the option to bypass the sewer tutorial on your pilgrimage to Wayshrines of the Divine.

The way it stands, Oblivion on PS3 will live up to its hype. IGN reports that the PS3 version is visually comparable to the output of a high-end PC, and we’ve asked ourselves: is the PS3 finally showing its power over the 360? Now, let’s take a step back and take a look at things macroscopically – look at the big picture, basically.

Open the scrolls, open the “Full Article” link below. We talk more about ANA scaling chips, “Debbie Does Dallas”, and a special cameo of Dark Diamond’s PS3-tan and 360-tan!

from MorrowWind to Oblivion - Image 1

For months now, the fourth title in the Elder Scrolls series has been making waves across the market ever since it was released on the 360 and PC. It’s been getting nothing but praises, positive reviews, high rankings, awards, and heck!, it even made it to CNN Money’s Top 10 games to get for Christmas.

However, with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion PS3 release looming ever-so near now, and one can’t help but think of how much impact this will have on the eager market. IGN was able to check out the latest build of the PS3 version and they reported on their hands-on impressions of the game.

Everything seems to be improved pretty much on every sense – graphics, gameplay, and bug fixes – Bethesda really took to the Cell Processor’s power to the max. Load times have been made shorter, visual textures now smoother, and calling it a simple port just doesn’t cut it anymore. A couple of changes have been made: one of the most stark differences being the option to bypass the sewer tutorial on your pilgrimage to Wayshrines of the Divine.

The way it stands, Oblivion on PS3 will live up to its hype. IGN reports that the PS3 version is visually comparable to the output of a high-end PC, and we’ve asked ourselves: is the PS3 finally showing its power over the 360? Now, let’s take a step back and take a look at things macroscopically – look at the big picture, basically.

PS3-tan and 360-tan by Dark Diamond - Image 1 PS3-tan and 360-tan by Dark Diamond - Image 2

The Xbox faction has built a strong empire, with a little more than a full year of exposure under its belt. The 360 revolution is sitting in a comfortable spot. However, using Oblivion as a springboard to assess how fast the Sony console is catching up, if the PS3 is starting to show signs of high-end PC output, the Microsoft fortresses might be in for quite a volley of attacks to shake their 1-year foundations. But will they?

A couple of you 360 gamers do have reason to feel comfortable. After all, Halo 3 is looking more and more like pwnage-material, and the supposed Zephyr is definitely looking wicked (meaning the good kind of wicked, not bad-wicked). This year will look interesting for Microsoft, especially with the ANA scaling chip to crack down the Cell Processor.

Sony? Well, they’ve got Guns of the Patriots coming out, as well as FFXIII. Both these games are looking hella fine (literally fine-smooth resolution!) in high-def glory. If more games of this sort come out, we can possibly see a contender or maybe even a new version of the Unreal Engine pretty soon.

Unfortunately, only time will tell how much games being developed for the PS3 will be pushing the proverbial envelope. How far can the Cell Processor go? What other developments can there be for both consoles? Not to mention, there’s still the battle of format wars being waged, and even the porn industry has something to say about that.

Let’s think positively about it though. Although tough as the competition is between Sony and Microsoft, this year has only seen its first month. There are 11 more to go and we’re sure there are going to be more turnabouts and plot twists along the way. Ah, the thrills and spills of the industry. Maybe we can all expect a whole slew of games that are always pushing the envelope, one right after the other.

That’s good news for all of us, whether you’re a fanboy of this console or that (why not both?). Games will definitely get better for all parties concerned as developers try to top each other off. It’s a competition thing, and as competitions go, the only direction for it to take is to move forward. Oblivion has set the ball rolling, but how far will the momentum keep itself up?

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