The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [PS3]

Finally, it's an indisputable must-have game on the Playstation 3. Oblivion isn't exclusive to the platform, but it's arguably the best game you can play on this system. It's a grand open-ended fantasy role-playing game that combines the best of single player RPGs with the best of massively multiplayer online games.

From single player RPGs, it offers storylines, an overarching quest, and a world densely populated with characters, places, and treasure. You can't walk into a city without bumping into a new chain of quests. As you wander the world, the main storyline literally opens up before you. The basic premise is that strange gates to another dimension are leaking demons into this relatively peaceful fantasy land. It's up to you, a Mysterious Stranger, to close them and save the world. But only when you feel like getting around to it. Oblivion doesn't want to pressure you.

From massively multiplayer online games, it offers free-form exploration, lots of side activities, and a flexible leveling system. After a short tutorial sequence, you burst out into the world of Cyrodiil in what is easily one of the most memorable gaming moments of the last few years. From here, you're on your own to go wherever you like. Save the world, work your way into the good graces of various factions, steal loot from people's houses, look for dungeons to explore, or just run around picking herbs to make potions.

Most wide-open games will channel players around by making certain areas off-limits with higher level creatures. But Oblivion uses a somewhat controversial system, scaling the world up with your character's level. This means there's a sort of uniform difficulty level regardless of how powerful you are. It's an odd rubber-banding system, but it keeps the game from either running away from you or shutting you down early on.

The combat is real time, almost as if you were playing a fantasy first person shooter. Your basic approaches are melee combat, spellcasting, and ranged weapons, with various mixing and matching depending on the skills you've chosen (stealth is also an option, but you're eventually going to have to play Oblivion like an action game). But whatever you choose, it feels very hands-on and visceral. You're banging on shields, flinging fireballs from your fingertips, and shooting monsters full of arrows.