The Carroll-esque world of the Shivering Isles is an entertaining place for a while, but after immersing yourself in a world of madness, you might start to feel a bit touched yourself. Most of the characters are harmlessly nutty, but some of them are downright annoying. ...Screaming incoherently in a Scottish accent wasn't funny in austin powers, and it's not funny here.

Bethesda obviously took fans' and critics' complaints that Oblivion was too much a cookie-cutter fantasy affair to heart, because it's created a world so bizarre but so organically right that it makes Tamriel all but impossible to return to. In fact, I wouldn't step into the Shivering Isles' gate until I was totally done with the content from the main game, because it'll be rough going back to bandits and castles after you've fought an island's semi-sentient eco-system and seen how a god of Madness builds his capital.

OK, so Shivering Isles doesn't reinvent the fireball. But the impeccable design and construction of the original game breathes life into this expansion -- not, as you might assume, the other way around. If you're looking for more to do in (or an excuse to return to) the vibrant world of Oblivion, Sheogorath's kooky kingdom is well worth the $30 entry fee.

The Shivering Isles is an entirely worthy addition to Bethesda's stellar fourth entry in The Elder Scrolls series. It respects a player's ability to make decisions, offers some useful armor sets and weapons, delivers a vivid, more imaginative variation of the traditional high fantasy province of Cyrodiil, and will reinvigorate that addictive itch for exploration inspired by Oblivion. If you've weaned yourself off the Elder Scrolls IV since its release, this expansion is a great excuse to jump back in, if only to experience Sheogorath's bizarre tangential meanderings.