I'm going to talk video games for a minute

Ok so I love video games. Well maybe I should say I love certain video games. And so I'm going to talk about my latest addiction.- Oblivion- The Elder Scrolls 4. Now I played Morrowind which is the elder Scrolls 3 and no you don't have to play that one before you jump into Oblivion but Morrowind is where I first became addicted.The gaint free range of the Elder scrolls is what first attracted me. There are missions and side-quest that you can do but in what order and the decision to do side quest is completely up to you. But i'm getting ahead of myself heres a blurb of what it about :

Oblivion Game of the Year Edition presents one fo the best RPG's of all time like never before. Step inside the most richly detailed and vibrant game-world ever created. With a powerful combination of freeform gameplay and unprecedented graphics, you can unravel the main quest at your own pace or explore the vast world and find your own challenges. Also included in the Game of the Year edition are Knights of the Nine and the Shivering Isles expansion, adding new and unique quests and content to the already massive world of Oblivion.

Now I didn't get the game of the year edition but I did download the extra content off the playstation 3 network and I can honestly say that the game of the year edition is better in terms of price

Live another life in another world, create and play any character you can imagine
An all-new combat and magic system brings first person role-playing to a new level of intensity
Groundbreaking AI system gives characters full 24/7 schedules
New lands to explore in the Shivering Isles expansion

Challenging new foes, hideous insects, Flesh Atronachs, skeletal Shambles, amphibeous Grummites and more

And the plot-

Oblivion is set in Cyrodiil, a province of Tamriel, the continent on which all the games in the series have taken place. The plot begins with the arrival of Emperor Uriel Septim VII (voiced by Patrick Stewart), accompanied by a trio of Imperial bodyguards known as "the Blades", at the Imperial City prison. They are fleeing from the assassins of the Mythic Dawn, a fanatical religious cult, through a secret underground exit in the city sewers. By chance, the exit is located in the cell occupied by the player. The player follows the party into a series of catacombs. There, the group is attacked by the Mythic Dawn, who are staved off by the Blades. Meanwhile, Uriel entrusts the player with the Amulet of Kings, an ancient artifact traditionally worn by the ruler of Cyrodiil, and orders them to take it to a man known as Jauffre. Subsequently, an assassin ambushes and kills the emperor, before being defeated. The sole surviving guard, Baurus, explains that Jauffre is the Grandmaster of the Blades and can be found at Weynon Priory. The player then proceeds to the open world of Cyrodiil.

It is soon revealed that the lack of an heir for the fallen Emperor has broken an old covenant—the seal for the barrier between the mortal realm and the hellish realm of Oblivion. Multiple gates to Oblivion open and an invasion of Tamriel begins by magical creatures known as the Daedra. Jauffre informs the player that the only way to close down the gates permanently is to find someone of the royal bloodline to retake the throne and re-light the Dragonfires in the Imperial City. Fortunately, there is still an heir to the Septim throne: an illegitimate son named Martin (voiced by Sean Bean), who resides in the city of Kvatch. Upon arriving at Kvatch, the player is met by a fleeing refugee, who explains that the Daedra have destroyed the city and killed many of its inhabitants. The leader of the town guardsmen, Savlian Matius, says he saw Martin escape into the chapel along with a few others, but cannot get into the city, as the Oblivion Gate is obstructing the main city gate. After venturing into the Planes of Oblivion and closing the gate, the player assists Savlian Matius in a counter-attack against the Daedra within the city walls. With the area secured, the player enters the Kvatch chapel and persuades Martin to come to Weynon Priory.

Upon their return, the player finds that Weynon Priory is under attack by the Mythic Dawn and discovers the Amulet of Kings has been stolen. Jauffre orders the player to escort himself and Martin to Cloud Ruler Temple, the stronghold of the Blades. Martin is there recognized as the Emperor and is given command of the Blades, while the player is sent off in search of the Amulet. After gathering information with the help of Baurus, the player is tasked with infiltrating the secret meeting place of the Mythic Dawn. When the player manages to infiltrate the inner circle of the Mythic Dawn, their leader—Mankar Camoran (voiced by Terence Stamp)—escapes to his Paradise through a portal, taking the Amulet of Kings with him. The player takes Mankar Camoran's book (the Mysteriam Xarxes), which has the power to open a portal to the Paradise, before escaping the shrine. Martin deduces that the only way to recover the amulet is to create a portal to the Paradise and follow Camoran. A "collect-the-pieces" quest begins, as the player seeks out three key artifacts necessary to recreate the portal.
With all three retrieved, Martin reveals that a final ingredient is needed: a Great Sigil Stone from a Great Gate similar to the one that devastated Kvatch. Martin and Jauffre hatch a plan that involves allowing the city of Bruma to be attacked by the Daedra so that a Great Gate can be opened. The player then must venture into the gate and obtain the Great Sigil Stone. On the battlefield before Bruma, Martin gives a moving speech before charging the Daedra. Many men are lost but a Great Gate is finally opened. Within, the player obtains the Great Sigil Stone.

A portal is created at Cloud Ruler Temple and the player is sent to Camoran's Paradise. After bypassing a host of monsters and obstacles, the player confronts Camoran in his throne room and slays him and his family. When the player takes the Amulet from Camoran's neck, the Paradise evaporates. The player returns the Amulet to Martin, and the Blades travel to the Imperial City to re-light the Dragonfires and end the Daedric invasion. There, the Daedra begin a desperate final assault and overrun the Imperial City. The player and several others fight their way to a small temple named the Temple of the One, in the Imperial City Temple District, to find that a 200-foot tall being is wreaking havoc in the city, revealed to be the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon himself. The player and Martin fight their way into the Temple, where Martin shatters the Amulet of Kings to merge himself with the spirit of Akatosh, the Dragon-God of Time, and become his Avatar. After an epic fight, the Avatar defeats Dagon, before turning to stone. Martin disappears, the gates of Oblivion are shut forever, and the throne of the Empire again lies empty. In a final monologue, Martin describes the events in an optimistic light and states that the future of Tamriel is now in the player's hands. Lord Chancellor Ocato of the Elder Council proclaims the player Champion of Cyrodiil.

Now I adore this game I received it for Christmas and since then the kids have to wrestle the PS controller out of my hands. And I'm not even half way through which it another thing I just love. When I find a great game I want it to last and with hundreds of hours of gameplay Oblivion certain fits the bill. The graphics are awesome. And with the free roam if I don't feel like doing the missions I can just wander the wilderness looking for new places to find. Oblivion is available on many platforms. So if your looking for a great game to help you unwind look no farther.