ELDER SCROLLS 4 OBLIVION: GAME PREVIEW 

Game Preview:  Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

Oblivion, the fourth game of Elder Scrolls is a tad expensive but worth it.

BY A CORRESPONDENT

31 March, 2006
MUMBAI, INDIA

The fourth game of the Elder Scrolls RPG series is definitely the game of the month. Due to be released this week (March 21st in the U.S. and 24th in Europe), the game has already received two thumbs-up from top reviewers OXM who feel that most gamers would be satisfied "with a fraction of what's here" and PC Gamer, who said that the game achieved "far more than I'd ever thought possible." Bathesda's latest product looks to be a huge improvement on Morrowind, with a groundbreaking new AI system and will also support a new version of the Construction Set that will be freely downloadable at their website.

Priced at $59.99, the highly anticipated game may be expensive, but the 200 hours of gametime it provides more than makes up for the cost. Supported by both Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360, the game, which has been in development since 2002, uses a combination of 'freeform graphics and cutting-edge computer graphics.' Featuring over 1,000 non-player characters with facial animations, lip-synching and full speech, the game offers a main quest the player can play at their own pace or a vast world up for exploration as well as the option to make one's own challenges. It also allows players to create their own character, whether it's a noble warrior, a menacing assassin, or a mysterious sorcerer.

With the Emperor of Tamriel assassinated, and the killer running loose, the gates of Oblivion are opened and demons invade. The player's quest is to find the lost heir and place him on the throne before the demons devastate the land.

Minimum System Requirements: Windows XP, 512MB System RAM, 2.0 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor, 128MB DirectX 9.0 compatible video card, 8x DVD-ROM drive, 4.6 GB free hard disk space, DirectX 9.0c (included), DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card.