Coupled with the fact that these NPCs are most likely portrayed by the same voice actor/actress further adds to the overall strangeness of the world. These conversations range from completely nonsensical to manic insanity with about eight different emotions being conveyed all at one time. The AI constantly glitches out and you are left watching two NPCs talk at each other about various conflicting topics concerning the realm. In addition to the faces of Oblivion, the whole world just feels like a fever dream hellscape conceived by an AI’s idea of what a medieval fantasy world should be. At the best of times, they look like potatoes with wide-eyed smiles carved into them. When characters’ faces in Oblivion attempt to show any discernible emotion they twist into horrifying grimaces. You let your imagination run wild as you fine-tune your hero’s face just to end up creating a battered slab of meat that somewhat resembles a human’s. The character creation screen is one of the most cherished features of the RPG genre. This is even before I played the Shivering Isles the DLC that is really supposed to be the most overt display of insanity in Oblivion. While returning to this game for more of an insight into its insanity, I realized that this game does horror so unintentionally that it is genuinely unnerving. Bethesda’s efforts to achieve a photorealistic world and create both authentic and believable inhabitants led to many uncanny results. An atmosphere of uneasiness accompanied me throughout my entire first playthrough. What awaited me in Cyrodiil was nothing short of abject madness. Picking up the Game of the Year edition six years after release it was safe to assume that most if not all bugs and irregularities were patched. As someone who has clocked countless hours on various RPGs, it was not until October 2013 that I directed my attention towards Oblivion. I was a latecomer to The Elder Scrolls series.

Oblivion funny character creation