Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Preview
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The graphics component of Oblivion was completely designed with the next generation of consoles and computer hardware in mind, and it really shows. When players start the game out in a dungeon, they will quickly notice how convincingly the bricks in the walls look like cold, glistening stone. Shadows shift to match movement in the flickering light, and the weapons are not just composed of smooth, monochromatic steel but textured, reflective surfaces with intricate runes engraved into the surface. For the game's outdoor environments, the developers at Bethesda Softworks actually went to the University of Maryland to study the ecological mechanics of soil formation, plant growth, and meteorology. Their plan was not to create an incredibly detailed series of fixed surroundings, but an engine that literally generates terrain based on natural environmental factors. Much of the game's territory will consist of forests for instance, if the climate is regularly wet then there will be abundant plant life, if dry then the land will be parched.
