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"Welcome to the Starry Heart of Dawn's Beauty."

Whether you're in agreement with those who believe that Oblivion is the true evolution of the single player RPG, or if you hold steady to your conviction that it's simply an action adventure game with RPG elements, few can dismiss the game's popularity since it's release on the Xbox 360 and PC. PS3 gamers have languished in pain as the title which was originally slated for launch has been repeatedly delayed. Gamers can now rejoice as this must-buy title has finally made its way to the PS3 console.

Certainly, most gamers have at least heard of Oblivion, but just in case you haven't here is a quick summary. Oblivion is the latest action RPG from Bethesda Softworks. In this installment, Cyrodiil is your expansive playground. While Oblivion contains plenty of towns to visit and side quests normally associated with a Bethesda product, you can also count on a decent main quest to keep you entertained for ten to twelve hours. To start, you customize your character with a generous create-a-character system. You not only create a unique looking character from one of ten races, you can also choose from twenty-one pre-defined classes, or you can select a custom class.

While selecting a specific class does have an affect on your overall gaming experience, the beautiful thing about Oblivion is that as you journey through the vast land, you can acquire a variety of skills to make a well rounded hero. There are guilds to join and as you complete your assigned quests, you will acquire additional items to customize your character just the way you want.

To bolster the case of those who believe that this is an evolution for single player RPGs, I would be remiss if I didn't discuss the utter mind-boggling depth of game play options. As with any well crafted RPG, Oblivion offers a diverse variety of skills that take time and patience to master. For the warrior within you, there are melee attacks, ranged attacks, blocking, armor repair, etc. For those who prefer the magician's path, you can expect to learn conjuration, illusion, alteration, etc. Herbs and gems that you will find scattered across the vast land of Cyrodiil can be mixed together to create powerful potions and enchantments.

Oblivion begins in the bowels of the Imperial Prison. This is your opportunity to learn the control scheme and prepare for the long journey ahead. While most RPGs begin quite slowly and seem to take hours to get into, Oblivion throws you right into the struggle. The moment you realize that Oblivion is going to be a quality experience is when Emperor Uriel speaks and you instantly recognize the voice of Patrick Stewart. I don't care how many RPGs you have played, the second he begins weaving the tale that will steal many hours of your life, you will become immediately entranced. Uriel tells you of of a man named Jauffre. He entrusts you with the important task of delivering the Amulet of Kings to him. And this is where my description of the story ceases. It would be a crime for me to ruin what might be the greatest single player action adventure experience you've had on a console.