Bethesda Softworks has announced first details regarding The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. In development for two years, the series' fourth main installment will feature a huge world for fans who want to do more than just complete the game's main quest, to explore. Players will be able to join various factions, for instance the thieves' or mages' guilds, and over the course of the game rise to the top of the respective group. Aligning oneself with a certain faction will only allow players to experience unique storylines. The development team at Bethesda furthermore implemented a new artifical intelligence system, called Radiant AI. This new system lets NPCs make their own choices based on their perception of the world around them. Specifically this means they will decide on what to say to whom, where to eat, whether to go to church or rather steal items based on their individual statistics. To make Oblivion's NPCs even more realistic, they will feature full facial animations, lip-synching as well as voice acting for all dialogue. Story-wise, the game will take players to Cyrodiil, capital of Tamriel, where they have to locate the hidden heir to the throne. His predecessor was killed by an unknown assassin and without the rule of the emperor, demons from Oblivion begin to invade Cyrodiil.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for PC and unspecified next generation hardware has yet to receive a release date.

• Official The Elder Scrolls Website