SureAI

Hey y'all, this is Zeus_II on the line. If you don't know me, good for you. ^^
This seemed like just the place to rant- ah, I mean, give a review about just how awesome Nehrim really is. It's going to be a bit long, so you should only keep reading if you're honestly interested in my opinion, and I apologize ahead for any offense I might have inadvertently caused. You have been warned.

Some time ago a friend of mine showed me the Nehrim trailer, and I decided I should check it out. I must admit that the first thing I did after a look at the character creation screen was to download a custom race mod, but except my animation replacer that was the only modification I got. It was the only one I needed.
After a few minutes of playing I got a strange feeling, a sort of shiver down my spine, and it took me a while to recognize nostalgia. It was the exact same feeling I got when playing old RPGs, like Arcanum and Lionheart, for the first time. This feeling grew as I played on, mixed with a touch of awe at what had been done with the Oblivion game engine, beautiful and atmospheric scenery along with simple yet intriguing new features that breathed life into the game in ways I could hardly believe. Nehrim is everything Oblivion should have been, and almost makes the original game look amateurish. It's almost a shame to call it a mod, but to say it's a whole new game would probably make Bethesda sue SureAI.
Of course, the AI is still outright stupid. I've had myself a few chuckles at NPCs taking a detour just so they could walk through a campfire and set themselves ablaze, and once I even saw one pushing a stack of logs at me, just to run in front of it and get buried alive.
That everything is made by hand is obvious, though both in good and less good ways. The world is definitely more attractive and alive, the dungeons more intricate and interesting, and overall Nehrim is more visually appealing than Oblivion ever were. There are places where the seams are visible though, tiny gaps between one area and the next, places where you sink through the ground to your waist or walk a pace above it, and in some rare cases I've even fallen through the floor of a dungeon, descending into a great black nothing. However, I've tried creating an interior in the Construction Set once, and the effort required just to make two pieces of corridor fit together was about as much as my patience could handle. Considering the scale of the world, I find it amazing that there are as few gaps as is.
The feature I love the most though is the unique item sets scattered about. Searching far and wide for each piece of equipment is both rewarding and stimulating, if slightly annoying at times, and it is one of the things that brings back that old-school RPG feeling. The joy of finally finding the last piece and seeing the set transform before my eyes is priceless.
And it might just be me, but I find that some places and situations has a strong resemblance to the Lord of the Rings, especially towards the late middle and end parts of the main quest. This is amusing in a way, and even if it is unintentional I enjoy making comparisons and searching for references.
The incredible amount of work and effort put into this, the blood, sweat and tears likely poured into every pebble of Nehrim, is very much apparent. The quests and the gameplay, the music and the professional voice acting, the background and story are all beyond amazing. While I can't say it's a new game, it definitely isn't Oblivion anymore.
So, after over sixty hours of enjoying the world of Nehrim, here I am. I will look forward to further additions, and most likely play through it over and over. I've had surprisingly few issues while playing, and none not solvable by simply reloading a save, so I really must congratulate you guys at SureAI for a job exceedingly well done.

I guess that about sums it up. I apologize if some of the things I've said seem strange, I have such a way with words that sometimes I outsmart myself.

Well, I'm glad I searched the forum before posting, because this is EXACTLY what I would have posted.

Maybe praising the game a little more.

After spending more than a thousand hours on Oblivion, I now KNOW that after having played Nehrim, I will see little reasons for me to go back to Oblivion.
Too bland, too much boring dungeons ...

Nehrim is one of the best RPG I've ever played.

Thank you all very much. I will donate something as soon as I finish the main quest.