Bethesda Softworks today blew open details along with the first screenshots from the hugely anticipated next chapter in the Elder Scrolls series, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Currently in development for the PC with Playstation 3 and Xbox 2 versions touted, Oblivion is set in Tamriel’s capital province of Cyrodiil, and sees the player tasked with finding the heir to the Emperor’s throne after he was killed by an unknown assassin. Without an Emperor governing Tamriel, the gates to Oblivion are literally thrown open, spewing forth all manner of demons to invade Cyrodiil and attack its people and towns. It’s up to you to find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel.

Amongst the many improvements currently being made is the debut of a groundbreaking new AI system, dubbed “Radiant AI”. This allows NPC’s to make their own choices depending on the world around them; they’ll decide where to eat or who to talk to and what they’ll say, they’ll sleep, go to church, and even steal items, all based upon their individual characteristics.

Bethesda is certainly breaking the boundaries in other areas, with full facial animations and lip-synching promised alongside full-speech for all dialogue, which should only go to heighten the sense of believability within the game world.

"Since starting this project two years ago, our goal has been to create the quintessential RPG of the next generation," said Todd Howard, executive producer of The Elder Scrolls® series. "We looked back at what we had done with the series, and then looked ahead to what the future of video games could be, and we think this is it."

Howard commented, "Our games have always been about great depth and variety in creating any kind of character you want and going out and doing whatever you want." He added, "With Oblivion, we're taking the idea of a virtual fantasy world as far as it will go."