BlueAlien.org

I fired up my copy of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion today, and from the minute I got the shrink wrap off I have to say I am impressed.

Bethesda has abandoned the CD-ROM as a media for games. Big points there since I hate, hate hate CD swapping. The packaging is slick and simple - a sleeve with an accordion case not unlike you see with most DVD box sets these days. Sucker for fluff and background that I am I purchased the collector's edition which came with a guide to the empire, a facsimile Septim coin and a "making of" documentary.

After upgrading my graphics card drivers I gave the game a spin. I still remember when I fired up Morrowind for the first time, with the title fading in and the orchestral fanfare in the background. Oblivion made no less an impression on me. The game is pretty, very, very pretty. Grass whips in the wind, shadows stretch across the ground and the wind makes wavelets across the water. Characters have big, expressive eyes and facial features.

Much like Morrowind character creation and a tutorial are combine. You choose your race and physical characteristics - and you have a great deal of possibilities for customizing your character's look and then will play through a brief tutorial sequence where you choose your class (also completely customizable) and the sign you were born under.

I will have a more in-depth review up in a week or two. I'm about three hours in and loving every second of it. Oblivion promises to be everything Morrowind was and more. Fans of the last installment of the Elder Scrolls, Morrowind, will not be disappointed.