Today there is the whooshing sound as hundreds of thousands of people stopped holding their breath all at once. Bethesda and 2K Games the makers behind the smash hit and highly esteemed Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, have been teasing us for years. With screen shots and short videos of their amazing new engine and game play mechanics in the super anticipated sequel, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. They have reported that the game has reached "Gold" Status, which means it’s ready for production and the release date is officially listed as March 20th. Which means as early as this month, we could all be swinging a sword through the rich and beautiful world of Elder Scrolls again. There are a number of previews and early reviews already listed on one of the major sites (www.elderscrolls.com). It is being hailed as the first real step in the next generation of gaming and by all rights and accounts should succeed in blowing us all away in only a few short weeks. For those of you unaware, Oblivion mainly follows the format of Morrowind, which is a Massive Single Player RPG. Basically a huge world, filled with stories, quests, NPC’s, and challenges, to give the impression of living breathing immersive world like you might find in an online game. But just for you to explore. The previous games offered hundreds of hours of play time and some of the most incredible visuals and world design seen to date. The new engine is offering unprecedented graphics, top notch voice acting, new game play mechanics, and has already been voted RPG of Show at E3 2005. So the game is finished, it’s coming to your PC, or if you’re lucky enough to have camped outside a Best Buy recently and have an Xbox 360, then you’re well on your way to being the first lucky few to experience Oblivion in all its next-gen glory. March 20th! Start holding your breath again.
