1UP previews Shivering Isles

1UP has posted a lengthy preview of the Shivering Isles expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Promising to give players 30 hours of new gameplay, Shivering Isles sets players in the twisted land of Sheogorath. Sheogorath is divided into two lands, mirroring the psychosis of the game's god of madness. Mania is a pristine world of excess and Dementia is a twisted land of decay. It's up to you to become the champion of Sheogorath and stop the land's impending destruction. The expansion will offer new quests, items, and of course new baddies to slay. Thanks to the smaller size of Shivering Isles, more attention has been paid to NPCs as well, giving them more varied dialogue and personalities. Each of the two major cities in the expansion houses a smith that will craft appropriately shiny or twisted armor which you can enhance with magical properties later on. Also available is the Dawnfang sword, which becomes more powerful each time it makes 12 kills. The catch is that its original power is restored every twelve hours with the cycle of the sun.

We won't reveal any more details, but the expansion looks to suck 360 owners back into the world of Oblivion when it releases later this year. Hit the "read" link for 1UP's preview, but be warned, there are spoilers ahead.