Shivering Isles is now available

[John Beaulieu]

Its out on the US marketplace so I assume its on the UK one. Weighs in at just under 1 gig.

[Charlie]

Just checked the UK marketplace and it's not up yet. What time is Live going down for maintenance today?

Edit: It is up, but, strangely, couldn't find it under 'New Releases'. I had to load Oblivion and then check for downloadable content for it to show.

[DavidHolliss]

Live is down 8am to 10pm (UK time) today

[EvilBoris]

Can anybody tell me, does either the download version of the disc version require the full game?

I assumed it did, but I seem to be getting conflicting info

[Brats]

The full game of Oblivion is round 6.5 gig, so the download cannot be the full version of the game.

I thought the 360 version was download only?

[EvilBoris]

I think you may be right, I don't know where I've got that from :S

[Charlie]

Yup, the 360 version is a digital download only and unavailable outside the Microsoft marketplace and, yes, it requires the full game to run.

[AaronBekir]

yeah as far as im aware it does, there is no disc version for the 360, the disc version is for pc only.

aaron

[Kotatsu Neko]

They really did pick the worst possible time to kill Xbox Live...! Wish I had grabbed this before the off switch was flicked.

Anyone know what time the servers will be back up? Around 9 or 10pm BST?

[themanwithapc]

They really did pick the worst possible time to kill Xbox Live...! Wish I had grabbed this before the off switch was flicked.

Anyone know what time the servers will be back up? Around 9 or 10pm BST?

Keep you updated here (http://twitter.com/majornelson)

OT, I cannot believe this is out already. Has anyone been able to get the extra achievements for this yet?

[Concept]

I think I'm going to re-start (yet again) with Shivering Isles. I'm stuck as a vampire still from my last save after having abandoned it for weeks and losing track of where I am.

Meh. I feel I'm never going to get back into the groove with Oblivion.

[eastyy]

Meh. I feel I'm never going to get back into the groove with Oblivion.

then 30+ hours will just disappear :)

[Concept]

Lolz. I've probably put over an amount of time greater than what I had before my original hissy fit with Oblivion trying to get into the damn thing. That's the trouble with epic games like this, as much as they offer, it's so easy to loose the thread with it and the whole sense of momentum you had in terms of how it gripped you to begin with. Though I suppose you can say that with anything big.

What I like about Shivering Isles (from what little I've seen of it) is that it seems like The Elder Scroll's Majora's Mask. I like vivid fantasy worlds that stray off from the norm in an Alice in Wonderland feel.

[Kotatsu Neko]

I think I'm going to re-start (yet again) with Shivering Isles. I'm stuck as a vampire still from my last save after having abandoned it for weeks and losing track of where I am.

Meh. I feel I'm never going to get back into the groove with Oblivion.

If you have points to spare and can't be bothered with the very long winded vampire cure you could buy the Vile Lair expansion. It contains a fountain/pool thing which cures vampirism with a single click.

I've only recently got back into Oblivion and I'm loving it again. Still the best game on the 360 I think.

[Daragon]

Lolz. I've probably put over an amount of time greater than what I had before my original hissy fit with Oblivion trying to get into the damn thing. That's the trouble with epic games like this, as much as they offer, it's so easy to loose the thread with it and the whole sense of momentum you had in terms of how it gripped you to begin with. Though I suppose you can say that with anything big.

What I like about Shivering Isles (from what little I've seen of it) is that it seems like The Elder Scroll's Majora's Mask. I like vivid fantasy worlds that stray off from the norm in an Alice in Wonderland feel.

You've not played Morrowind then?

[Concept]

Nope. Oblivion was my first foray into an Elder Scrolls game.

[PeteJ]

I'm the same Concept, I've been struggling to get back into this. I apperciate the quest log and all they've done to make it user friendly, but the game is so vast it is hard to get back in. I played it recently and just focused on doing the main plot which was probably the best thing to do.

Can't wait for SI though - I presume XBLive is back up now?

[Fireproofradiator]

Morrowind presses the 'vivid fantasy world' and 'easy to lose the thread' buttons with equal vigor. I think it just has the edge over Obliivon for me because of the almost middle eastern feel of some of the regions. You're like an RPG Laurence of Arabia by the time you're wandering into camps in the north... Oblivion is an amazing achievement but they've gone with a much more whitebread and western tone overall. Still, Leyawin is pretty odd...

[erhgiez]

How many points is this?

[andrewfee]

How many points is this?
2400, so slightly more than the £18 retail price for the PC version. (but I suppose MS take a cut etc)

[Yoshimax]

2400 points ? So you'd have to buy 2 scratchcards from the shop to fund it (At £35).

That's pretty shocking

[andrewfee]

Hmm, didn't realise the UK only had 2100 point cards; USA has 2800 point ones iirc. I just buy mine through the dash anyway.

[Concept]

I'm the same Concept, I've been struggling to get back into this. I apperciate the quest log and all they've done to make it user friendly, but the game is so vast it is hard to get back in. I played it recently and just focused on doing the main plot which was probably the best thing to do.

Can't wait for SI though - I presume XBLive is back up now?

Yeah, it's easy to feel completely overwhelmed by Oblivion and consequently fatigued by it when you come back. I get that with the gigantic epics these days unless I make a concerted effort to put regular play time in.

Bought some points Shivering Isles today. I was ready to give up last night and start afresh but I gave it one more go and ended up playing from 12am to 4am (clever, I know). Just reminds me the way that when this game does finally sink its teeth into you it's still one of the most immersive out there.

Like you say, bring on SI. :)

[PeteJ]

Well I've bought it and downloading but sadly my 512 connection is struggling to get the 1gig download! I want it now :(

[Concept]

If you have points to spare and can't be bothered with the very long winded vampire cure you could buy the Vile Lair expansion. It contains a fountain/pool thing which cures vampirism with a single click.

I've only recently got back into Oblivion and I'm loving it again. Still the best game on the 360 I think.

Yeah, I have that downloaded. :)

Although the lair doesn't clarify the quest, (I think) it's marked in an area I haven't visited yet (the lower portion of the land I've left unexplored so there's more content later down the line. I also don't want to eliminate the vampire cure questline by 'curing' myself at the Vile Lair.

[Kotatsu Neko]

If you've initiated the vampire cure quest it remains active even if you use the cure in the Vile Lair.

Well I grabbed Shivering Isles tonight and I'm sure it will suck me in for a good few weeks. Nice to finally have proper sized new content in Oblivion. The only slight disappointments I have are with the lack of new music (at least so far), the same old voices back again, and the rather rough looking visuals. They're pretty scruffy looking compared to regular Oblivion.

[Charlie]

The only slight disappointments I have are with the lack of new music (at least so far), the same old voices back again, and the rather rough looking visuals. They're pretty scruffy looking compared to regular Oblivion.
Doesn't sound too promising. How much rougher does it look compared to Oblivion and in what way?

[Kotatsu Neko]

Doesn't sound too promising. How much rougher does it look compared to Oblivion and in what way?

It doesn't gel like Oblivion does, with generally scruffy looking textures and harsh colour palettes. The lighting is also very stark which highlights the lack of environment shadows in the Oblivion engine. I'm sure some of it is intentional, but it just doesn't work to my eyes.

I still think some areas of Cyrodill are incredibly beautiful, but the best I've seen of the Shivering Isles so far is just about passable.

Don't let that put you off too much, the game is still great and it's considerably more wacky and creative in the Shivering Isles.

[EvilBoris]

2400 points ? So you'd have to buy 2 scratchcards from the shop to fund it (At £35).

That's pretty shocking

Or just use a debit card to but them straight offof the 360 :P

[Velcro]

Does live take debit cards now? It used to be CC only right?

[PeteJ]

It doesn't gel like Oblivion does, with generally scruffy looking textures and harsh colour palettes. The lighting is also very stark which highlights the lack of environment shadows in the Oblivion engine. I'm sure some of it is intentional, but it just doesn't work to my eyes.

I still think some areas of Cyrodill are incredibly beautiful, but the best I've seen of the Shivering Isles so far is just about passable.

Don't let that put you off too much, the game is still great and it's considerably more wacky and creative in the Shivering Isles.
I disagree that it looks scruffy - looks exactly the same to me just bat shit insane.

[Skull Commander]

I wish that they would release a retail disc version, as if my 360 messes up again (a high possibility since it's my fourth one), then I will have to be online to play it because of microsoft's daft security feature.

[Charlie]

Fourth 360? Jesus. And there's me feeling short changed because I suspect my first 360 is about to bite the dust after 13 months. You must really like the console to buy four of them!

[Skull Commander]

Exchanged everytime. To add insult to injury I'v only had it for 8 months!

[Dezm0nd]

I've just gotten round to buying this, looking forward to seeing the mental realm :)

[Shakey_Jake33]

I think Shivering Isles looks totally gorgeous, but I'll agree it's a love/hate style.

[erhgiez]

Okay im a bit confused, just killed the gatekeeper and was told there were two different realms, dementia and mania, one door for each, but each door leads to the same the world, whats the difference between the two? as from the way the guy explained it seemed mania was all bright and colourful but dementia was dark and weird, but its the same for both! im confused, i can see why they call it the gate of madness!

[Shakey_Jake33]

I only went through the Dementia one, but Dementia is simply the lower half of the isle. Mania is the upper half. I don't think it really matters which you go through as you can go anywhere anyway.

[erhgiez]

Ahhh ive read into it a bit more, it seems as if which ever gate you go through thats the world you will play shivering isles in, once you go through one you can't switch between them which is a shame. just doing the gatekeeper again so i can see the difference

Edit: Hmmmp nope no difference, bit dissapointed, I was expecting two very different versions of the same world