The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for PlayStation 3 - recently revealed as asurprise launch title for Sony's next-gen console- will feature a huge, exclusive quest that revolves around a new faction, The Knights of the Nine.
The Cyrodiil-spanning adventure will offer an extra 10-20 hours of gameplay, with your reward being a collection of super-powerful items.
Your mission will be to retrieve a set of kits known as the Crusader's Relics, fulfilling the Knights of the Nine's primary goal. Think of it as an Oblivion-set search for the Holy Grail, only there's a collection of them and they give you +50 bonuses when bashing people's heads in. However, to undertake the task you'll first have to prove your dedication to the Knights by embarking on a pilgrimage across Cyrodiil.
Above: The PS3 version should look as good as this Xbox 360 shot.
The Knights of the Nine will order you to wander the 16-square-mile game world in search of shrines dedicated to the nine gods of Tamriel. Only when you've knelt at each of them will you be inducted into the order and sent out on the quest.
Additionally, being a clan of goody-goodies, the Knights will only allow you to continue your quest if you remain worthy - meaning no crimes, no murders and nothing else that could raise your infamy level.
Locate a relic and it's yours to keep, so long as you walk the path of good. And, as you progress, locals who hear of your achievements will flock to the ramshackle ancestral home of the Knights to pledge their allegiance, slowly building a thriving community and restoring the Knights' home to its former glory.
With Oblivion already boasting near-endless playability, the PS3 version could be the best outing yet in the gigantic world of Cyrodiil. Planned as a launch day release - or thereabouts - Oblivion will hit the PS3 this November.
October 9, 2006
