New Systems, New Games
With my recent entry about HD TVs and their essential role in the next generation of gaming consoles, you can probably tell I’m a little excited about the upcoming systems (all of them, actually). There has particularly been a lot of buzz about the Xbox 360 lately, mainly because it is closer to launch and has shown off a lot more demos and footage than the few teasers we’ve seen from the PS3 (and even less from the Revolution). While some not-so-bright gamers feel that the graphics jump offered by the 360 is only slightly above the current generation of systems, I feel confident that this sentiment will disappear once people see this machine for themselves. The first-person-shooter Gears of War has garnered the most attention from graphics aficionados, but for me, the real reason to own the system is the upcoming Bethesda RPG - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (pictured), which may finally convert me over to being a fan of western-style RPGs (I’ve always been a fan of Japanese RPGs such as Final Fantasy, but it’s getting a little tiresome rehashing the same formula again and again).
The Elder Scrolls series has always had a cult following of fans due to its extremely open ended go-anywhere, do-anything design. While exploring a vast world where you can choose your own destiny sounds fun, I was never too impressed by the look of previous titles (the style of the graphics didn’t exactly portray a world that I wanted to explore), and the rather stiff combat system kept me from bothering. I have to say, Oblivion looks both amazing and mysterious, and from the videos I’ve seen the combat appears to be much more natural than the stand-and-swing-away battles I remember seeing my college roommate slug through. Despite very positive outlooks from reviewers who have spent some time demoing the game, there’s still a chance the final product will fail to deliver. However, after the latest demonstration videos (up now at gametrailers.com), I’m seriously doubting it. There’s just so much detail that has gone into this presentation, with even minor NPCs dynamically leading daily lives and even learning skills, it’s hard to imagine a huge oversight in the production. It’s ambitious games like this that push the boundaries of what defines a video game.
