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The Face of Oblivion
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, sequel to hit 2002 RPG Morrowind, exploits the potential of Xbox 360 beyond the hilt. Imagine the thematic depth and intricate storyline of the original game, with the ability to navigate for miles in any direction, over hills and dales, in castles and across chasms, wielding spells and swords and building up your character into a worthy adversary for the angriest daedroth.
Um, up for it? Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is all this and more. RPG enthusiasts will love the intricacy of every aspect of Bethesda's new masterpiece, with its ability to take your hero/heroine/dark elf through seemingly infinite permutations of fight sequences, inventory upgrades, and costume changes. Add to this some majestic graphics and you've got the category killer on Xbox 360 that Microsoft was looking for.
The twists and turns of developing a character alone make this RPG worth the price of admission. As you work through way through challenging encounters, you'll find an equal challenge in deciding exactly what attributes, skills, armor -- heck, what exact style of leather boots you would like to be wearing tomorrow. Level ups abound and propel you through the game as you are motivated to explore and fight to develop your character to fresh heights of talents and granular levels of personal preference.
What's overwhelming about Oblivion is how good it is and how much there is to it. Literally almost everything that's ever been done well before in past role-playing games is in here--done at least as well, if not better. From the quality of the story and character interaction to the pure thrill of the combat to all the pleasure to be found in the game's little details--the lock-picking minigame, the alchemy system, the way arrows stay stuck in their victims, the ability to eventually create your own spells, the informative full-color manual, all the different books you can stop to read in the game--these things combine to make Oblivion one of the single best, longest-lasting gaming experiences to be had in a long time. It's just too bad there's no multiplayer.