I agree, but leveling up in Oblivion is pretty pointless because enemies level up with you. As far as Final Fantasy goes, it's pretty much the most linear series of RPGs ever made. Sure, you can usually take up some side quests, but these are usually end-game things. I think the problem comes in mainly when regarding storylines. Oblivion's storyline is pretty terrible, really. It's a patchwork of generic quasi-medieval stuff. The thing is, Oblivion is so much fun to play, because you're not just watching these things happen, you're doing them. As for Final Fantasy, the main draw is in getting swept away through story. You want to play more to see what happens next in the story. This is the biggest difference in not only western v. eastern RPGs, but all game types. (Think Metal Gear) This is all fine. I like my share of both. Here's where the problem comes in: Most of the newer Final Fantasies have shitty stories. 7 was great, but the horrible translation left it a nearly unintelligible mess. 8 had too many coincidences for me to suspend my disbelief. 9 was pretty much the good parts of all the old FFs. 10 was interesting for a while, but like 7, was pretty horribly put together. 12 is one of my favorites because it told you the story. It didn't use gimmicks like so many others. I think you get my point by now, but in case you don't, here it is: If the main selling point, (aside from Square's increasingly formulaic cut-scenes,) is the storyline, then it should be good. Or at the very least understandable without having to go online and read what the fuck is going on.