The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Once you've escaped the initial dungeon - a necessary but not overly drawn-out rat-killing trek during which the game instructs you on the basics of blocking, spell casting, sneaking and more - the hand-holding eases and you're free to roam the great outdoors. Here, you can seek out the heir to the vacant throne of the land and quash the hell-spawned threat that could destroy the world. And with only a cursory glance, you'll see that it's a world very much worth saving.

Over the past year, you've probably already heard how great The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is from PC and Xbox 360 owners, and it maintains that same pedigree on PlayStation 3. There's no doubt that it stands alongside Resistance as the system's creme de la creme even if it does have its own share of bugs and a lack of downloadable content found elsewhere. A must buy for fans of fun games -- no RPG bias required.

The PlayStation 3 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is every bit as impressive as the Xbox 360 and PC versions. However, this isn't necessarily the best version of the game. This version does come with the Knights of the Nine add-on, which will add about 10 hours of gameplay to the already lengthy game, but it doesn't come with any of the other downloadable additions made available on the Xbox 360.

Let's get one thing straight though: Oblivion will consume you. It'll consume your life, your performance at work will suffer and you might not see friends in weeks. With hundreds of hours of gameplay, and an unprecedented amount of quests to be completed, I couldn't possibly recommend Oblivion enough. Great job Bethesda. Sorry social life.

Bethesda has been working on Elder Scrolls IV since the turn of the century, and they’ve built an impressively immersive adventure that will take you several months to completely devour. But Oblivion, for better and for worse, pushes the 360 to its limits, and it shows. If you can overcome the occasional performance hiccups, you’ll be rewarded with one of the most engaging and visceral role-playing games ever created.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion sets a new standard in RPGs. There isn't a lot of difference between the PC and 360 version. Just make sure your PC is loaded or you won't enjoy the same crisp, graphic resolution. There is so much to do in this game and the interactivity of the AI makes it seem like a massive online multi-player experience. Expect months of fun and adventure.