The year-old Xbox 360 and PC versions of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion immersed players in a gorgeous and massive fantasy world. The new PlayStation 3 version is simply one of the best video games to surface in a long while.

Oblivion is an epic single-player RPG that lets you create a hero from scratch, before exploring open-ended cities, dank dungeons and heavily forested glens. Interacting with more than a thousand characters, many of whom will give you quests, you sharpen skills over time and battle giant poisonous rats, ax-wielding skeletons and colossal ogres.

You begin by escorting the emperor of Tamriel (voiced by actor Patrick Stewart) through a labyrinth of underground caverns. Evil goblins attack, and before he dies, the emperor asks you to find the lost heir to the throne and to protect the land from demons released from a hell-like plane called Oblivion.

You play from either a first- or third-person perspective: Experience these worlds through the eyes of the main character, or take the less immersive approach, which allows you to see your character at all times, as well as what may be lurking behind you. Specialize in hand-to-hand melee combat, range attacks (such as using a bow and arrow), spell-casting -- or a combination of all three. You accept most missions in any order, and you can also join one of the many guilds, each of which unlocks more objectives.

With its life-like towns and rural outposts to the creepy enemies and special magic effects, the game outshines its predecessors, 1994's Arena, 1996's Daggerfall and 2002's Morrowind. The real-life physics are a visual delight -- make a store sign sway back and forth by shooting an arrow into it, and then remove the arrow to reuse it later. Oblivion is a gorgeous, huge and gratifying fantasy RPG -- you should run to the store for your copy.