Immersive world sweeps players into game
Andrew Seal
Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: TruLife
Imagine a world where the player can literally do or be almost anything: become an assassin-for-hire with expert services available to the highest bidder; a valiant knight; a strong and brave protector of the people; or a dark mage, raining destruction and slaughter upon those that oppose your iron will.
Welcome to the world of "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion," created by Bethesda Softworks and published by 2K Games. Simultaneously released for PC and Xbox 360, "Oblivion" might be the year's most anticipated game.
"Oblivion" is an RPG, or role playing game, where you take on the role of a character. In most traditional RPGs, the character is already made for you. In "Oblivion," you get to create your character right down to the tiniest detail, such as thickness of the eyebrows, color of the lips and so forth.
If you have the time and patience, you can even make your character resemble you!
As most good RPGs start out, you are in jail. The emperor of Tamriel, the continent "Oblivion" takes place in, is the target of a high-level assassination attempt and has to escape the castle. As luck and fate would have it, the hidden escape route begins in your cell.
Before the emperor (voiced by Patrick Stewart of Star Trek and X-Men fame) dies, he gives you his amulet and tells you to seek out his only remaining son, give it to him and then politely inform him that he is the new ruler of Tamriel.
There begins the main story line, but you are by no means strictly limited to that.
The Elder Scrolls series has long been touted as being one of the most immersive, open-ended role-playing experiences around, and "Oblivion" lives up to that standard.
By the time I was writing this review, I had found myself playing "Oblivion" for more than 15 hours - and I hadn't even started in on the main quest yet! Oh, I could have - right at the beginning, "Oblivion" can throw you into the thick of things, if you so choose. I didn't: Instead I spent some time traveling the beautifully-rendered countryside.
Welcome to the world of "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion," created by Bethesda Softworks and published by 2K Games. Simultaneously released for PC and Xbox 360, "Oblivion" might be the year's most anticipated game.
"Oblivion" is an RPG, or role playing game, where you take on the role of a character. In most traditional RPGs, the character is already made for you. In "Oblivion," you get to create your character right down to the tiniest detail, such as thickness of the eyebrows, color of the lips and so forth.
If you have the time and patience, you can even make your character resemble you!
As most good RPGs start out, you are in jail. The emperor of Tamriel, the continent "Oblivion" takes place in, is the target of a high-level assassination attempt and has to escape the castle. As luck and fate would have it, the hidden escape route begins in your cell.
Before the emperor (voiced by Patrick Stewart of Star Trek and X-Men fame) dies, he gives you his amulet and tells you to seek out his only remaining son, give it to him and then politely inform him that he is the new ruler of Tamriel.
There begins the main story line, but you are by no means strictly limited to that.
The Elder Scrolls series has long been touted as being one of the most immersive, open-ended role-playing experiences around, and "Oblivion" lives up to that standard.
By the time I was writing this review, I had found myself playing "Oblivion" for more than 15 hours - and I hadn't even started in on the main quest yet! Oh, I could have - right at the beginning, "Oblivion" can throw you into the thick of things, if you so choose. I didn't: Instead I spent some time traveling the beautifully-rendered countryside.