Game:
The Elder Scrolls IV: OblivionPlayed on: PlayStation3
Rating: M (mature)
Beware The Elder Scrolls. You'll lose sleep, get drowsy at work and stay up till dawn glued to the controller and TV. Simply put: Elder Scrolls is not a game.
It's a lifestyle.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion throws the player into a rich world with seemingly infinite choices. Where you go, what you do and how your character develops is entirely up to you. The number of hours played will exceed any other role-playing game out there.
But you know what? You'll stick with it because it's simply that good.
The wildly popular role-playing series has made its entry onto the PlayStation3 after enjoying much success and many accolades on the PC and Xbox 360. That's good news for PS3 fans hungry for a quality RPG to come out for Sony's flagship console.
Oblivion starts out with the hero or heroine, your average medieval peasant, in prison. The emperor enters your cell with bodyguards in tow, but is ambushed by would-be assassins. He and you escape, leaving you free to explore the tunnels beneath the prison (you'll fight rats and the occasional assassin). Later, you reunite with the emperor and choose between searching for his heir or exploring the rich world that developer Bethesda Softworks has created.
Either way, you win.
Gamers familiar with The Elder Scrolls in its previous incarnations can expect more of the same on the PS3. The look and feel of the game are top-notch, an all-around winner. The controls, which offer a first-person perspective, are easy to master. The sound, with the right speakers and home audio system, is awesome.
Whittle away the hours
It cannot be emphasized enough: Elder Scrolls can easily suck up endless hours out of your day and week. That's because there is so much to do in the game. There's the main quest, which will easily take double-digit hours to complete, as well as dungeons, far-away cities and people who need a helping hand or a knock on the head.
Gamers have two chances to personalize and detail their character at the start of their adventures. From the eyes to the hair to the varied professions and classes, it's all there. And if don't want green scales and a lizard's mouth, you can change before you leave the underground tunnels for the outside world. But choose wisely because after that point, there's no turning back.
That applies to skills and professions too. If your hero is a fighter, but you like to sneak through hallways, try being a thief. Like throwing big fireballs at guys on horseback? Then some kind of wielder of magic is probably the right choice.
Characters improve their skills by using them. If you need agility or endurance, you'll find yourself running and jumping all over the place. It can be annoying, but that's also what makes The Elder Scrolls IV appealing and realistic. Do you think Tiger Woods makes all of those shots by lying in bed?
There's really not an easy point or time to stop playing Oblivion, and there's not much bad to say about the title, which will grab you and never lose your interest. All PS3 owners should check out The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – with one caveat. Just keep telling yourself: It's only a game ... It's only a game .
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