The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Preview

The guys at GameSpot were able to get some hands-on time with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion at Microsoft’s X05 event and have released a short preview based on what they saw. Check it out:

The game may play much like previous entries in the Elder Scrolls series, but it’s sure got a nice new coat of paint. Oblivion looks about as good as all those screenshots have led you to believe, what with its lifelike and expressive characters (who you’ll see in extreme close-up during conversations) and its lavishly detailed environments, which we’re sad we didn’t get to see more of. But that sure was a nice-looking dungeon. Oblivion excels at rendering surface effects, such as glistening dampness on the stone walls of the cavern. As you stumble through the darkness, everything has a dim, dingy look to it, but once you obtain the torch, you’ll see the stones sparkle in the light, with your immediate surroundings suddenly bathed in a warm orange glow. We’re especially looking forward to seeing if the game handles other sorts of areas, such as forested outdoor ones, with such explicit detail.