The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The return of the flying lizards, long missing from the Elder Scrolls world of Tamriel, is the central mystery in Skyrim. And your character, the mythical Dragonborn, who can absorb the powers of a dying dragon, is the key to its solution.

You have plenty of options in creating your character: male or female, scrawny or brawny, human or elfin, catlike or reptilian. Unlike most role-playing games, however, you aren't forced to choose one career. You can use magic, both healing and destructive, and still wield a wicked blade. (You can even use both at once, shooting fireballs with one hand while swinging your sword with the other.) Your skills improve the more you use them so if, say, you prefer picking off enemies at a distance, you get better with a bow and arrow.

As you explore Skyrim, you'll meet various groups that would love to have the Dragonborn on their team. You can enroll in the College of Mages and get on the spell-casting fast track. You can join the Imperial Army or the rebellious Stormcloaks. You can train to become a bard, a thief or an assassin. Starting on any of these career paths opens up hours of adventures, and you're allowed to dabble in some of each.

PLOT Role playing in a fantasy world

DETAILS Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, $60

BOTTOM LINE New heights of adventure