This Week in Xbox:

To Hell and Back, Happily

If you've read this space lately, it's been made readily apparent that the industry-wide post-holiday drought is over. March brings us the gems I've already mentioned in previous columns, like EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 3, Burnout Revenge™, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat™, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™, and Top Spin™ 2 (okay, so that one's out in early April). I shouldn't leave out Blazing Angels™: Squadrons of WWII, either.

To be honest, though, the one I can't stop thinking about is the definitive role-playing game for the next generation. Of course, I'm talking about The Elder Scrolls IV®: Oblivion™.

I committed heinous acts of murder and
debauchery. I got thrown in jail multiple times.

I had the incredible opportunity to go out to developer Bethesda's Maryland studios to do an exclusive review for the April issue of Official Xbox Magazine. (Shameless plug: that issue goes on sale everywhere March 14, though subscribers should start receiving it a week or two prior to that date.)

Normally we review games here in the office, but because this was an exclusive situation, we went to the East Coast just as the game was finished. Anyway, during my four-and-a-half-day, 44-hour RPG marathon, I did so much cool stuff that I'm glad I wrote it all down …

Time for a little hack-n-slash …

I created a master thief. I picked hundreds of locks. I stole thousands of gold worth of merchandise. I owned two horses (the first one died). I joined the Thieves' Guild. I joined the Dark Brotherhood Guild. I committed heinous acts of murder and debauchery. I got thrown in jail multiple times.

I slew untold legions of hell-spawned monsters. I bet on the gladiator fights in the Imperial City's Arena. I participated in the gladiator fights in the Arena. I "dreamwalked" a mage who was trapped in his own mind. I reunited two long-separated twin brothers. I cleared the boyhood town of those brothers, purging it of the ogres that had overrun it.

I closed several gates to the hell plane of Oblivion. I spied on people. I pickpocketed. I bribed. I sweet-talked. Of course, I saved the whole land of Tamriel. And that's just scratching the surface.

This ain't no walk in the park.

I could talk about my experiences in Oblivion all day, but check out the review in the April OXM for the full verdict. This at least will give you an idea of what awaits you in this Xbox 360-exclusive RPG.

Livin' Live
I've been keeping busy in the evenings by pummeling my pals in the brilliant Fight Night Round 3 via Xbox Live® from the comfort of my living room couch. With my preferred boxer Joe Frazier, I love to dish out the pain. Just ask my co-worker, Maximum PC editor-in-chief Will Smith.

Tip of the Week
While fighting for fame and glory in Fight Night Round 3, "man hug" to escape a knockout punch by pressing the Y button near your opponent after you've been hit with an impact punch. Just don't miss, or else you'll be left open for an easy knockdown blow.

Article by Ryan McCaffrey, Senior Associate Editor, Official Xbox Magazine