Oblivion: All Cities Ranked By Their Side Quests

We find the best cities in Oblivion for all those who love a good side quest.

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Bethesda Studios’ fourth Elder Scrolls title is one remembered fondly by its fans. Following on from their success with their previous title, Morrowind, the designers behind Oblivion invested heavily in the creation of a living and breathing world – so while Morrowind could at times feel static, Oblivion always felt dynamic, with NPCs that had their own lives, day-to-day concerns, and followed their own schedules. The extent of this can be seen in the towns and cities of Cyrodiil, which come to life by virtue of their resident NPCs.

The side quests that you could stumble upon throughout your journey were also generally improved upon and exacerbated that sense of whimsical realness that the Imperial province retains, and are at their best when they dealt with the game’s dynamic cities and people. However, while there’s something to love in all of the cities across the vastness of Cyrodiil, from the sun-kissed harbors of Anvil to the snowy mountain slopes of Bruma – some manage to handle their side content better than others.

9 Cheydinhal

Cheydinhal is a city of mixed Dark-Elven and Imperial heritage located in the East of Cyrodiil, unique in that it is governed by the only non-Imperial member of the nobility in the entire game. Unfortunately, Cheydinhal possesses only one or two truly memorable side quests, such as investigating the mysterious disappearance of a renowned painter, or rescuing the Count’s son and being rewarded with a choice of unique weapon and a knighthood that, unfortunately, doesn’t amount to very much.

The infamous Dark Brotherhood assassin faction has its headquarters beneath an abandoned house in the city, but usually sends you to the other towns of Cyrodiil to find your marks. Overall, there are definitely cities with a more interesting array of side content.

8 Anvil

Anvil is certainly a pretty town – even the NPCs say so. However, when it comes to its side quest content, the area leaves something to be desired. Its Fighter’s Guildhall serves as one of the three quest hubs for that faction, but it’s hardly the most interesting guild available for the player to join, and its quests are equally lackluster.

The Thieves Guild questline sees its narrative climax in the Anvil Castle, but it’s a short affair, and your burglarious business in the town is usually more routine. Anvil does have its moments though. Becoming the owner of an old manor with a colored history, putting a stop to a… unique gang of thieves, and the starting quest for the Knights of the Nine DLC are all points in Anvil’s favor.

7 Bruma

Snowy Bruma is a little taste of Skyrim in Northern Cyrodiil and has a unique terraced layout that causes it to stand out from its peers. Its side quests are alright – seeing you investigate the suspicious death of a supposed vampire, and get involved with a troubled couple’s affairs to uncover their ill-gotten gold.

A couple of faction quests take you up north, with a particularly fun Dark Brotherhood contract taking place on one poor resident. Bruma’s true star quest, however, only occurs when your character has a fame score of ten and sees you contracted by the Countess of Bruma to expedition north and rediscover the ancient command post of a failed invasion.

6 Skingrad

Skingrad is an interesting town, famous for its cheeses, wines, and reclusive (totally not a vampire) Count. Side quests are unfortunately quite limited here, however, and that’s a shame, as possibly the single most beloved quest in the entire game calls Skingrad it’s home.

Whodunit, a faction quest for the Dark Brotherhood, puts the player in the shoes of an Agatha Christie villain, stalking their prey through a large manor. Besides this, the quest for players to cure vampirism is set in motion by Skingrad’s good Count Hassildor, and a paranoid resident of the town may bid you investigate strange goings-on. The house that you can purchase in Skingrad comes with a side quest or two of its own, so Skingrad scores a little higher than most.

5 Bravil

If Anvil is the prettiest town in Cyrodiil, then Bravil is the ugliest. According to its residents and even the game’s loading screens, the great shantytown is filthy, smelly, and suffers awfully from wealth inequality. It is also, however, home to some uniquely interesting side quests, including delving into a stranger’s nightmares in a bid to rescue him, visiting a ghostly apparition that wanders nearby shores, and investigating the disappearance of a townsman who ran afoul of a loan shark.

The general Bravil area is also home to the island that acts as the introduction to the critically acclaimed Shivering Isles expansion. There’s plenty to do in Bravil – though it’s a shame you can’t do more to fix the many issues that plague the town.

4 Leyawiin

Located in a swamp at the tail end of Cyrodiil, Leyawiin shares many of the same issues as its neighbor, Bravil, and a particularly unsettling quest for the Thieves Guild actually incorporates some inequalities present in the town into its narrative, leading you to some parts of Castle Leyawiin that the nobility would rather remain undiscovered.

For the less larcenous player characters, there is some great side content involving aiding an unlikely knight in a quest for revenge, and another dealing with an artifact that was canonically created to be annoying. Leyawiin promises hours of swamp-themed fun for a visiting player.

3 Chorrol

The mountain town of Chorrol is not only the quest-hub for the story-critical Fighter’s Guild missions, but it is also home to some of the best side quests in the game.

Being contracted to investigate and interrogate the denizens of Castle Chorrol to solve the mystery behind a valuable painting’s theft, reuniting a long-separated family, helping them reclaim their home and uncover their family legacy, and chasing a lead to a mystery straight out of a H.P. Lovecraft story are all iconic quests in the Elder Scrolls 4 that you’ll want to do again on your thousandth playthrough.

2 New Sheoth

The city of New Sheoth is available through the Shivering Isles expansion and is divided into two halves: Bliss, and Crucible. Each is a fairly large town on its own, so it’s almost cheating that the city itself is home to some of the most fun, fleshed-out side content in the game.

Recovering a resident of Bliss’ lost fork, hunting strange collectibles from across the isles for Crucible’s Museum of Oddities, and helping the local conspiracy nut to prepare for an imminent apocalypse are just a few of the wacky side quests that you can expect to find in the capital city of Sheogorath’s realm.

1 The Imperial City

It stands to reason that the largest city, and Cyrodiil’s capital, would have the best – and most – quests, but the Imperial City has ways of surprising even veteran Oblivion fans from time to time. A wealth of content exists at Cyrodiil’s heart, and you can get lost in its streets for hours hunting undercover vampires, dealing with corruption within the ranks of the guards, becoming an Indiana Jones-style treasure hunter, or accidentally stowing away on a maritime mystery.

The Imperial City also hosts some of the best quests for factions in the entire game, and a prospective member of the Thieves Guild in particular will soon become intimately familiar with the Imperial capital. The Imperial City literally has it all.

Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/oblivion-all-cities-ranked-by-side-quests/