14. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360)

“Find him, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion.” These are the dying words of the good emperor of Tamriel, Uriel Septim. His task is a daunting one, find his rightful heir, and with his help, stop the invasion from the demonic (Daedric) realm, Oblivion. The fourth entry in the Elder Scrolls series, Oblivion was the first game that showcased the next generation of video game consoles and what could be done on them. The graphics are gorgeously lush in Tamriel and hellishly twisted in Oblivion. The gameplay is as open ended as it was in the previous games, but only bigger and better. There’s more to see, more to do, and more treasure to loot. You can literally start on any quest you so desire, and complete it in any given way. You can join the Thieves Guild, the Mages Guild, the Fighters Guild, or even ally yourself with the sinister Dark Brotherhood. There’s a main quest, yeah, but half of the fun in Oblivion is just seeing what you can do. Oblivion as an open world western rpg would only be topped by one other game, also made by the same developer, Bethesda.