The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
It's been over a year since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was released on the Xbox 360 and quickly relieved gamers of their free time or of any time at all, basically. To say that Oblivion was a success on the 360 is a bit of an understatement: it really rocked the casbah! Now available on the Playstation 3, Bethesda is set to deprive a whole new slew of gamers of their free time. Chores will go un-chored, pets will go un-petted, beds will not be made, and of course significant others will be making a life-size dummy of you to keep them company because once you set foot in the land of Cyrodiil, you will be hooked.
Heed the Call of Your Emperor
As should be the case, an epic game calls for an epic story. Emperor Uriel Septim VII is assassinated while trying to escape through a secret passage deep within the Imperial Palace. However, before he is killed, he entrusts you to deliver the magical Amulet of Kings to a man named Jauffre. Upon the Emperor's death, gates to the hellish Plane of Oblivion—one of the many alternate dimensions in the Elder Scrolls milieu—have opened up throughout the land allowing its demonic inhabitants, the Daedra to cross over from Oblivion to Cyrodiil. Without an Emperor on the throne the Oblivion gates threaten the existence of all of Cyrodiil as Mehrunes Dagon, one of the dark Princes of Oblivion, wants nothing more than the destruction of the kingdom.
Along with a suitably grandiose main quest—it doesn't get much bigger than "saving the empire"—Oblivion is filled to the brim with side-quests and other "diversions" that will keep you busy for hours…and hours…and hours. Believe me, as you travel throughout Cyrodiil, you'll be hard pressed to reject the lure of a newly discovered cave, tomb or mine that you happen upon. The promise of new quests and sweet, sweet loots in Oblivion is a siren song that hasn't been heard since the days of Diablo.
I Gotta Be Me!
Amassing tons of loot isn't all that great unless you have a character worth pimping out. Oblivion's deep character creation allows you an enormous amount of freedom to create the character you want. There are ten races to choose from, each with their own advantages (somtimes the bonus will come at a price)! Once you're happy with the look of your character, you'll get a chance to sample the gameplay before having to decide the astral sign under which you were born as well as your player class (mage, fighter, thief, etc). With so many customization options it's fitting that Bethesda gives you the option to change your mind before leaving the tutorial area.
As you make your way through Cyrodiil, you'll find plenty of opportunities to not follow the main quest. Five major guilds will tempt you into their ranks, each with a fairly lengthy quest-line and associated booty. The guilds are a great way to earn some nifty gear as well valuable experience. Completing all of the guild quests will more than likely turn your character into a "jack of all trades" kinda guy (or gal), which seems to be Bethesda's intent as the game seems to "punish" players who stick solely with the core talents of their chosen class. Hardcore roleplayers might take offense to this tactic but the more casual players probably won't even notice.
More Tune-Up Than Face-Lift
Considering that the PS3 release is a full year behind Oblivion on the 360, one might hope that the PS3 version would have gotten a new coat of paint before it went out the door. However, the PS3 and 360 versions are as close to identical as you can get—both in content and on the surface—which is to say that the game still offers breathtaking views and terrific lighting effects though, a year after its original release it is already starting to look a bit dated. Thus is the life of the "next-gen" graphical masterpiece! 
But, once you've made the climb to a nearby hilltop and and watched the sun rise over the Imperial City, you'll forgive Oblivion for not being a Gears of War look-a-like.
What has been improved since the original 360 release is all under the hood? Gone are a lot of the annoying bugs and technical hitches that plagued the original 360 version. As it stands now, Oblivion's enormous environments run silky smooth without any of the game crashing bugs that always seemed to pop up on the 360. There are the occasional drops in framerate, but considering the sheer scope and breadth of Oblivion, I remain perpetually amazed that the game ever made it through certification.
Can you say, "Instant Classic?"
Oblivion is an undeniable triumph of game design. Is it perfect? Not quite, but it's damn close. As an added bonus—presumably to make up for missing the PS3 launch party—Bethesda has included the add-on quest Knights of the Nine on the PS3. The expansion adds another 10 hours of gameplay to the already massive world of Oblivion, and while the question of future downloadable content on the PS3 is still up in the air, you can bet that the good folks at Bethesda will do what they can to keep you firmly rooted in Cyrodiil. Quite simply, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a masterpiece. If you haven't already fallen victim to its addictive, spell-binding world, or even if you already have, you had better clear your schedule and get ready to fall in love – all over again.
-Teal
