Oblivion's character creation mode is hands-down the most in-depth and precise avatar customisation tool I've seen in any MMO or role-playing game, period. As ludicrous as it sounds, it'd probably take a mere fifteen minutes to minutely recreate anyone in the CVG office, with a new shiny of armour and elf ears thrown in to boot. Within the labyrinth of menus are customisation options for virtually any area of your characters face - the nose alone has about twenty separate scroll bars for you to tinker with. Ensuring I got the most out of my limited play time though, I whipped up a random character and prepared to jump into the game proper.

At its core, Oblivion simply feels like a bigger and better Morrowind. Many of the issues that may have bogged down Morrowind’s experience have been addressed, and Oblivion simultaneously feels complex and easy to pick up and play. It’s a sure bet that anyone who enjoyed that game will enjoy Oblivion. Even those who felt Morrowind started off too slowly (and I’ll admit, I am one of those people) will be swiftly drawn into the expansive adventure of its sequel. It remains to be seen just what kind of impact this game will have on the Xbox 360, but those who are hungry for a colossal, American-style RPG and don’t have a high-end PC may want to consider Oblivion. If the first four hours of Oblivion are any indication as to the rest of the game’s quality, then the world may well cease to exist when this game hits the shelves, because a lot of people are going to be skipping work for this one.