Gameplay-wise, Oblivion uses an action combat system with realistic hit detection, a clear departure from the statistical combat hidden by faux animations from the previous games. While this leads to better game feeling in all areas, it plays the same way from start to finish. No longer are there enemies that drain stats which require special medicine to reverse, nor the annoyingly charming Cliff Racers of Morrowind that would swoop down on the player. Outside of vampires that can turn invisible, Oblivion’s combat is all about smacking enemies and seeing their life bar go down.

Admittedly, the trap design of dungeons does try to shore up fights by adding environmental factors, and turning them against enemies is rewarding but it is not enough to redeem the rest of the experience.

Every issue mentioned here gets amplified by the invasive level-scaling system, which not only spawns creatures appropriate to your current progress – e.g. replacing a pack of wolves with a group of minotaurs – but also levels up them up to match you, making every encounter, again, fall into a rigid sameness quickly.