DESCRIPTION

The first of Bethesda Softworks' Elder Scrolls series, Arena was an RPG groundbreaker at the time of release. Featuring full screen, first person, 360 degree rotational movement, Arena creates an absolutely astonishing huge world to explore with more than 400 cities, towns and villages to visit. Throw in hundreds, if not thousands, of dungeons, crypts, houses and tombs and a vast outdoor environment you can walk for days at a time in (through all kinds of weather), along with 18 unique character classes, over 2500 magical items and untold numbers of spell combinations with a gigantic story (backed by over 150,000 words of text) and you've got the idea of the scope of Arena.

You generate a character through either a quick selection process or a much more involved method from one of 8 races and 18 classes, build your experience in true role-playing fashion, and then set off to find and reassemble the eight pieces of the Magical Staff of Chaos, whose parts have been strewn throughout this huge world of provinces. You'll need it to battle the ultimate bad guy, the wizard Jagar Tharn, to save the kingdom. Arena is so vast you can even ignore the main theme if you wish and just establish your on-screen alter ego as a character with a passion for exploration and riches. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide