A refreshing expansion to one of the best RPGs in recent memory.

It's been a long time since I was last gallivanting around the province of Cyrodiil on my trusty steed, Shadowmare. Daedric cults had always tainted the empire, but when the Mythic Dawn had stolen the Amulet of Kings - the Amulet needed to re-ignite the Dragonfires that protect Cyrodiil from the Daedra plane of Oblivion - I was tasked with hunting down the cult's leader, Mankar Camoran, to retrieve it. After having claimed vengeance in the name of Uriel and Martin Septim, returning the Amulet to its rightful owner, and watching Martin kick Mehrunes Dagon's ass, all seemed well in empire. I spent a few more days traveling around the country, helping where I could, but with all the major side quest lines complete, and being haled as the Champion of Cyrodiil everywhere I went, I felt it was time that I leave Oblivion and patiently await the next Elder Scroll adventure. And so, I hung up my sword and shield; my monster-slaying days (literally over two days - 49hours) were over. That's what I thought anyway...

Rumors started to spread about the appearance of a mysterious door in the middle of Nibon Bay (near Bravil, South of Tamriel.) People brave enough to go in, came out "changed"... insane, actually. They say it leads to the Shivering Isles, known to some as the Realm of Madness; in any case the door just sits there as if waiting for its next victim... I tried to put my Oblivion days behind me, but the curiosity was too much for me to bear. With haste, I selected my strongest shield and most powerful sword as the Elder Scrolls universe once again consumed me. It turns out the emperor of the Realm of Madness, the Sheogorath, needs a mortal champion to save his empire from something called the "Greymarch". Even without the details, as the Champion of Cyrodiil (and an avid gamer), I feel obligated to help. It won't be a walk through the countryside, either. Even though the Shivering Isles is an expansion pack, with over 30 hours of gaming it offers more play than most standalone, fully priced games. Not only that but there are 10 new enemies to fight, tons of new weapons and armor to collect, and - my personal favorite feature - an entirely new (schizophrenic) world to explore.

Once you enter the door, it doesn't take much imagination (ha!) to understand why others have gone crazy (they're NPCs after all.) After a brief encounter with a bizarre stranger (a strange stranger?), the brick walls of the room you're in turn into butterflies, opening up to show an expansive view of the Fringe - an area that borders both Cyrodiil and the Realm of Madness. Even in this early stage it's plain to see that this new world is not Cyrodiil - giant, oddly-shaped mushrooms replace trees, everything is a different shade of color than normal, and there are huts built on stilts in the marshy sections of town. And this is just the beginning; destroying the Gatekeeper gains access to the actual Isles, which is even more unlike anything you've seen in Cyrodiil.

The Shivering Isles is a world intentionally divided into two very juxtaposed emotions - one side is happy and bright (known as Mania), while the other is depressing and dark (Dementia). To throw your judgment off even more, the inhabitants of Mania and Dementia, while embodying the same physical characteristics of their side, have personalities that reflect the opposite side (Mania inhabitants look glorious but tend to be mean, while Dementia's populace looks evil, but acts the contrary.) Even their names give you an idea of what they're like physically like: Mania's protectors are known as the Golden Saints, while Dementia's guards are called the Dark Seducers.

Production value is invariably high in every aspect of the Shivering Isles. Of particular interest is the duality that comprises Dementia and Mania, which is achieved throughout the world design. Both sides of the realm capture their intended feelings with razor-like precision (exact as an X-acto knife.) Mania is full of vibrant colors, bright sky and foliage, with huge, multi-stage waterfalls dropping into crisp, clean pools of water... essentially everything to make the environment look as pleasant as possible. Dementia, on the other hand, is perpetually dark and overcast; the trees are scraggly and leafless, and the landscape is full of rocks and valleys rather than shrubs and hills. The effect is only heightened by the fact that these two worlds are literally side-by-side.

You'll be traveling to different areas within the Isles to fulfill various tasks given to you by the Sheogorath. The gameplay is exactly like Oblivion (which is a good thing) so you don't have to go in a specific order or follow a specific plot line all the way to completion before moving on. There are plenty of side quests to experience and places to explore. Plus you can freely travel back and forth between Cyrodiil and the Shivering Isles, so if you want to complete some missions or get some special gear back in the "real" world, you can. Between Shivering Isles storyline quests, I usually end up finishing Cyrodiil-based missions I started when I last played the game in August 2006. Needless to say, like previous ES games, freedom of choice is as high as ever.

Shivering Isles is like Oblivion unleashed and on some kind of psychedelic steroid. While the gameplay remains the same, the artists and level designers kicked things up quite a few notches. Although the price tag may seem high at first (2400 MS points), the fact that this game is bigger (in every sense of the word) than most other titles currently available on the 360, makes it hard to ignore just how much value the Shivering Isles has. When I look up at the pink/purple crusted, star-ridden night's sky of the Realm of Madness, I can't help but be surprised at just how refreshing the game is even though I racked up over 48hours in the original. The unfamiliar mushroom trees, giant waterfalls, and unforeseen dangers that await me, only prove that the current Elder Scrolls IV fiction still has a lot to offer gamers. I can only hope that the next expansion is just as good.