"You can go anywhere you want except for Oblivion. Whatever you do, don't enter Oblivion."

I chewed on these words for a moment before putting my headphones on, the rep from Bethesda standing over me awaiting my response to what he'd said.

"Yeah," I said coolly. "That's fine."

Secretly, I wanted to push the red button.

The site was the stylish W Hotel, a trendy hot spot nestled within New York City's Times Square, and the game was The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Braving the fierce winter wind, I'd battled the elements and arrived to happily discover an Xbox 360 as well as its companion, a 23-inch Samsung HD monitor, quietly awaiting me. I immediately sat down at the table, the TV no more than three feet from my face, and prepared to immerse myself in what is my most anticipated game of 2006.

"Whatever you do, don't enter Oblivion."

Oblivion's entrance is marked by this giant wall of fire and I know this because I spied it on someone else's monitor, but during the four plus hours that I played Bethesda's incredibly ambitious RPG I never came close to it. In fact, in four hours I managed to complete the very first mission, which is to deliver the sacred symbol of the empire, the Amulet of Kings to this monk living in a secluded town. The rest of the time I happily swam in lakes, wandered through the gorgeous and green countryside, battling wolves and other dangerous creatures, and explored hidden caves that revealed other terrors. And all the while I was completely immersed in the fictitious world of Tamriel.

In case you're not familiar with Elder Scrolls, they are a series of action RPGs, developed by Bethesda, which allow you to carve your own path through these wondrously detailed game worlds. There is a story and you're more than welcome to follow it, but there are also plenty of side quests and places to explore that are "off the beaten path". In the last game, Morrowind, you can join guilds, take all sorts of odd jobs or just set out on your own, wandering from town to town, killing whomever you wish and stealing whatever your pockets can carry. It's the quintessential adventure game, the type that most of us have been dreaming about for years, though it will soon be eclipsed by Oblivion, which is not only bigger than its prequel, but, if four hours are anything to go by, far more incredible.

Before you begin your adventure Bethesda grants you the right to customize your character however you see fit. After selecting a gender you then choose one of the following ten races, each of which has exclusive skills.

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