Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

You, a simple prisoner, have just witnessed the assassination of the king. Before he died, though, he entrusted to you a mission. He asks you to deliver the Amulet of Kings to his illegitimate son, the last of the royal bloodline. Along the way, though, your character gets sucked into an even larger plot and must help defend the world from those who would destroy it.

The series is noted or the fact that you can delay or entirely put off the main quest, instead focusing on smaller quests or free-roaming the game's world. Indeed, there's a LOT to do in the game.

Of course, talking to various people in the many towns will lead you to information that you can choose to follow up on, instigating a new quest that will often lead to money, treasures, or just a good reputation. There are TONS of these, ranging from a a simple delivery of an item within one town, to traveling back and forth across the map to gather information. Of course, if you are unfortunate enough to have the curse of the vampire fall upon you, there is a rather lengthy quest to get rid of that, too.

Even just leveling up your character is massively fun, never annoying or irritating. When you first begin the game, you choose your character's Major Skills. When you improve enough in the skills of your choosing, your character will raise a level. And even improving your skills is a piece of cake! Want to improve your sneak? Then sneak around. Your marksmanship? Go wild with the bow and arrow. And the list goes on.

Honestly, I can't give this game enough praise. It's wildly fun, and I've heard that it offers up to 400 hours of gameplay. Wow!

Besides the regular quests, you can join one of the many guilds in the game. The Fighters Guild and the Mages Guild are open to anyone, and they are exactly what the names imply. You can advance in rank among the guilds, earning money and items along the way, or just use the free lodging they give you with membership.

There are two special guilds, though, that require a little more work to get into. The first, my personal favorite, is the Thieves Guild. Your character will be invited to join once you've stolen a few items on your own. (Don't forget to improve your sneak skill!) You'll be provided with a fence to sell your goods and special high-profile theft missions.

Beyond that, and doubly evil, is the Dark Brotherhood. For all practical purposes, it is a guild of assassins. To be invited to this clan, you must... take somebody out. After joining, you are provided with high profile assassinations to raise your rank in the Brotherhood.

Tamer, but still bloody, is the Arena in the Imperial City. You can bet on fights or become a participant yourself in fights to the death (save often...), winning matches and rising to stardom (and getting a whole lot of money in the process).

All's in good fun, though, right?

Critical reaction to the English version of Oblivion was almost entirely positive. At Game Rankings, Oblivion holds an average review score of 94% for the Xbox 360, making it the 2nd highest rated game of 2006 and the highest rated Xbox 360 game released to date, 93% for the PC, making it the 5th highest rated game of 2006, and 93% for the PS3 version, making it the highest rated game overall for the PS3; PC Gamer UK, PC Gamer US, PC Zone, GameSpot, IGN, Electronic Gaming Monthly, and OXM have all awarded the game 9/10 or more, and praised the game for its immersiveness and scope, winning the game awards from various outlets.

The television program X-Play, citing similar reasons, awarded the game a rare 5/5, with Eurogamer awarding it a perfect 10/10.

GameSpot called the game "simply one of the best role-playing games ever," awarding a score of 9.6 for the Xbox 360 and 9.3 for the PC. PC Gamer UK awarded the PC version a high 93%.