Following in the celebrated footsteps of Arena, Daggerfall and Morrowind comes Oblivion, the fourth full-scale instalment in Bethesda Softworks' long-running Elder Scrolls series, and the developer's most ambitious project to date.

Set in the Imperial heartland of Cyrodiil rather than a backwoods colonial province like Morrowind, the game's plot concerns the assassination of an Emperor, an amulet of great power and the opening of a dimensional portal to Oblivion, the titular underworld of Tamriel and home to legions of nasty beasties. The gateway unbolted, these demonic denizens are free to pour forth into the real world and cause all manner of mischief. With a release date still some way off, the developers are reluctant to reveal any more of the storyline, although it's clear that you will be venturing into the hellish realm of Oblivion at some point and that (as with all Elder Scrolls games) you'll be starting the game as a prisoner.