The opening sequences essentially have you navigating the catacombs underneath whatever dungeon you've been stuck in, sometimes escorting the emperor and other times fighting against the denizens of the dark by yourself. We quickly came upon a short sword and a torch, which let us make our way through the dank, untamed caverns that housed such hideous creatures as...rats! The fearsome rodentia quickly gave way to legitimately unpleasant foes, such as zombies and various sorts of goblins who were armed with knives, axes, and other crude implements of battle. As we progressed through the tunnels, the goblin opposition became much more fierce, finally culminating in wide-open cavern in which a goblin witch was practicing some dark magicks or other.

Like Morrowind, Oblivion controls much like a first-person shooter yet features the statistical trappings of an RPG. You'll fight enemies in real time--you have to hit the attack button to slash that rat, for instance--yet you'll have a ton of stats to keep track of, and you'll select and equip weaponry and magic based on even more numbers. Equipment like new weapons, potions, and gold can be scavenged off of every enemy you kill and can also be found in the occasional treasure chest. You'll even get the opportunity to establish some of your character's less obvious traits, such as your astrological association, which we were able to name in the midst of a conversation with the emperor.