Along the way you’ll also be able to join the guilds of Cyrodil. The more reputable ones are the Mages and Fighters guilds. More shadowy, but no less useful, are the Thieves guild and the Dark Brotherhood. Each of these will help you build your skills in specific areas. In one of the more bizarre aspects of guild life, I found myself performing quests for the heads of the mage guild halls in each of the cities of Cyrodil to obtain their recommendations so I could enter the Arcane University in Imperial City to hone my magic craft. I felt like I was in high school again.

Both magic and combat skills can be learned by paying for training, or in some cases just reading the books that are found lying about. (Definitely pick up the books and read some of the many stories they contain. It adds a whole new dimension to the world you are traveling in.) Either way, training or manuals, results in more powerful attacks and skills for keeping yourself alive.

Questing into the dark places where hidden hoards of treasure lie or just earning some coin of the realm by doing tasks for people will give you the resources you need to better your personal equipment. Better armor and weapons, which come in many grades and materials, are essential as you move forward. Word to the wise: don’t even think about taking on ghosts and other supernatural creatures until you have at least some silver weapons.

Once you’ve built yourself up, then you can take another run at the main quest. Fortunately there is no time limit and you can leisurely get yourself ready for the important parts of the game.

From a presentation point of view the game is magnificent. The environments are especially beautiful and detailed. The characters look great. The soundtrack has very appropriate symphonic music that changes as you move through the world and confront enemies. The sound effects are also very full and visceral. The voice acting is good; Patrick Stewart’s voice is very distinctive as the voice of Emperor Septim.

What amazed me is how the developers managed to get this much content on just one DVD. It is simply unbelievable. Bethesda Softworks says there is about 500 hours of play time in the game if you really do everything. From what I’ve seen, I buy that number. Probably what makes it possible is massive compression of content. That may lead to one of the few flaws in the game – there are a lot of loading screens. Some can seem a bit long. I suppose considering the high hours-of-play to dollars-spent value ratio, a little waiting for decompression is a small thing. Add in the almost-inevitable downloadable content from Xbox Live, and you have a game that has so much bang-for-the-buck that all others pale in comparison.

The only other problem some may have with Oblivion is the amount of time it takes before the game really gets exciting. It takes many hours of play to get your character to the point where he is a genuine bad ass who does not have to fear too much in the game and has all the neat toys to play with. This initial leveling and equipping stage can sometimes be a frustration as you die and try again. But it is worth the pain and those that stick it out will be well rewarded.

I reviewed the Game of the Year Edition of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind back in 2003. I was very impressed with that adventure game then. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion further expands the genre but does not really stray too far from the core gameplay. What really makes it different is the level of immersion that is offered. It was so easy to start playing and only come up out of the game when the body’s demand to expel waste and take on more fluids became an urgent scream. I went so far as to disconnect my 360 from Live so I would not have the experience broken by pop-ups telling me my friends were online. It is truly the kind of game that sucks you in and won’t let go. It is a supreme act of willpower to turn it off to take care of the rest of your life. So be warned before you start into the jaws of Oblivion. - Will Jayson Hill.