Bethesda Softworks confirmed the upcoming release of the first expansion pack to their smash-hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, entitled Shivering Isles. Revealed two weeks ago, the expansion will feature 30+ hours of new gameplay by unveiling a new plane of Oblivion; the realm of Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness. Within the new plane, players will explore the two sides of the Prince–the creative and the psychotic sides. The main quest will entail helping Sheogorath by defending his realm and its inhabitants.
The Shivering Isles will feature new landscapes, Mania and Demential; a dozen new creatures, including Flesh Atronachs, Skeletal Shambles, and Amphibious Grummites; new items, ingredients, and spells; plus access to craftsmen to create new armor and weapons. The expansion will be released through retailers for Windows, and through Xbox Live for the Xbox 360. There’s no word if the upcoming PS3 release of Oblivion will feature the expansion, or if Bethesda’s Oblivion download site will offer the expansion.
Along with the expansion announcement, Bethesda mentioned that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has sold over 3 million copies since its release on March 21, 2006. Contributing to the success were rave reviews across the PC and 360 boards; the game also nabbed several awards from GamerNode’s best of 2006 list, including Best RPG, Best PC Game, and Best of ’06. Gamers have been easily immersed in the stellar graphics and versatile RPG gameplay.
Bethesda has encountered some controversy in the past with the releases of several pay-to-play plug-ins. While they are not required to enjoy the extent of the game, Bethesda experimented with the microtransaction formula in order to benefit fully from their product. However, a full-fledged expansion pack would most likely not be subject to the same criticism as these small pieces of downloadable content.
