Play3Live has scans of OPSM’s feature of the now confirmed ’surprise’ PS3 launch game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The majority of people will probably have played Oblivion on the 360 or PC so I’ll skip an introduction to the game and get right down to what’s new in the PS3 version.

Firstly there’s a new “mini-faction” called the Knights of the Nine which is the opposite to the Dark Brotherhood who are primarily bad guys. The primary goal of the Knights of the Nine is to retrieve the Crusader’s Relics which, according to Jeff Gardiner are “some of the best gear in the game”, thus setting you on the path to becoming a modern day incarnate of a legendary force of good.

Be warned though you can’t just simply join the Knights of the Nine and off you go. You first have to go on a pilgrimage across Cyrodiil (which is approximately 16 square miles of land) to visit the shrines dedicated to the 9 Gods of Tamriel. Easy eh? Well these shrines don’t show up on your map.

So once you’ve located all 9 shrines and completed your pilgrimage you can then start searching for the legendary and powerful relics. Once found, you can equip them straight away and reap the rewards of your endeavours.

There’s another catch however, you have to stay on the path of good. You can’t commit any crimes or kill anybody that raises your infamy meter because if you do, you can no longer wear the equipment and will be forced to complete the pilgrimage again and lower your infamy meter. It pays to be good.

The new mini-faction isn’t just an add on though as you will interact with new characters, enemies and locations, one of these being the ancestral home of the Knights of the Nine which is in a state of decline. As you continue your quest, word will spread of the good deeds you have done and people will want to join you.

These new recruits will then rebuild the once decrepit home and the surrounding area turning it into a thriving beautiful place. Once you’ve finished the new quest, which is between 10-20hrs long, a blacksmith will be able to upgrade the relics to your current level so they won’t max out at level 10.

As you may have already read elsewhere, the extra development time has allowed some subtle improvements in the graphics department in the PS3 version in the way things appear from a distance.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is also infamous for it’s downloadable content, especially the horse armour which cost $2.50.

At the moment PS3 owners will be spared the option to shun the horse armour download as Sony’s online plans are as well know as the location of the Lost City of Atlantis. That may change by the time it launches but it’s not present now but downloadable content is guaranteed in the future.

I’ve never played Oblivion and I’ve heard nothing but nice things about it (apart from one nub ) so I’m seriously looking forward to this next year. One definite purchase for me.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Scans

IGN has had hands on time with the Xbox 360 version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 & there are a few notable changes to the game from the Tiger Woods ‘06.

There will be 12 courses for you to smack the little white ball around compared to the disgraceful 6 that featured in Tiger Woods ‘06 on the 360, with 15 golfers to choose from. That’s still a lot less than what’s featured in current gen games. However Tiger looks incredible apparantley thanks to the new Universal Facial Capture Technology. Sadly only Tiger has been created using this technology.

The controls have been changed back to a more user friendly method with the left stick controlling the fades and draws and the right stick now controlling the loft.

The PS3 & 360 versions will apparantley be nearly identical with just a few visual differences.

IGN - Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 Hands On

The EA Sports Tiger Woods website has more images, tons of info, a producer interview & strangely there is no mention of a PS3 version at the top of the main page.

EA Sports Tiger Woods Website