The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 12985 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10,547 out of 12985
  2. Mixed: 1,375 out of 12985
  3. Negative: 1,063 out of 12985
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  1. Insanityof-Dave
    Nov 26, 2011
    9
    Current Play Time: 52 Hours
    Review: Excellent
    Graphic's: 8/10 Sound effects and music: 9.5/10 Voice acting 8/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Content: 10/10 Controls: 9/10 Interface: 6/10 Replayability: 10/10 Value for money: 9.5/10 Overall an excellent game worth the £29.75 I paid for it. The interface is very poor as its a console port and quick swaping weapons/spells is terrible. However    Current Play Time: 52 Hours
    Review: Excellent
    Graphic's: 8/10
    Sound effects and music: 9.5/10
    Voice acting 8/10
    Gameplay: 9/10
    Content: 10/10
    Controls: 9/10
    Interface: 6/10
    Replayability: 10/10
    Value for money: 9.5/10

    Overall an excellent game worth the £29.75 I paid for it. The interface is very poor as its a console port and quick swaping weapons/spells is terrible. However these are small issues as im sure they will get modded ON THE PC (HAHA to consoles who pay £50 for a game then have to pay for the DLC and can't mod the game)    … Expand
  2. Zephalian
    Dec 3, 2011
    10
    I didn't like SKYRIM, until I GOT HIT BY AN ARROW IN THE KNEE, y'know made me open my eyes then i was like what a beautiful game?, i shoulda bought Oblivion but i have skyrim now it dosen't matter the game is a very well done piece of RPG Western at it's finest, can the other RPG's knock Skyrim? who know's but only complaint is the world feels empty as times.
  3. footlx
    Dec 3, 2011
    10
    A huge game in the tradition of Bethesda's memorable previous works of art. I have barely scratched the surface of Skyrim and have already gone through tons of immersive content. Truly an alternate world for one to lose himself into. I cannot understand how some users are giving it a 0 score. I think they are on the pay role of Bethesda's competitors. Sore losers!
  4. djmehs
    Dec 3, 2011
    10
    I'm pretty sure the 189 people who gave this a bad review are trolling like crazy. Not even sure why I'm defending it...The 1480 people and 21 critics who love it pretty much let it speak for itself. Everyone who has something bad to say seem to be hating on the PC version of it...I've got the PC version and it runs flawlessly. On Ultra High Quality graphics. I think in 58 hours of playI'm pretty sure the 189 people who gave this a bad review are trolling like crazy. Not even sure why I'm defending it...The 1480 people and 21 critics who love it pretty much let it speak for itself. Everyone who has something bad to say seem to be hating on the PC version of it...I've got the PC version and it runs flawlessly. On Ultra High Quality graphics. I think in 58 hours of play I've had 2 crashes. Which are never a problem since the game autosaves like every 5 minutes. Every time you go to a new area. This is my first actual PC game purchase (Since I just finished my first build about 4 months ago) Brand new to PC gaming, I tried to play with the mouse and keyboard and get used to it. I got a little bit frustrated because I had to keep looking down at the keys, but I still got the hang of it for the most part. I prefer my 360 controller because I've been an Xbox gamer for years, but I didn't despise the keyboard and mouse. It just wasn't for me. I even liked the F5 quicksave. In fact, I used it all the time even when using my controller. The graphics are beautiful at Ultra High Quality setting. I can see trees and lakes miles away, then actually travel to that lake and swim in it. People are also complaining that Bethesda uses mods as a way to improve their next game. Not sure I understand that very much. To me, it seems like making it easy for modders to mod and tweak their game to give Bethesda ideas for later games should be a major plus. Modders get to mod, Bethesda learns from the mods, and players see the results in later games. Everybody is happy. Oh, and I noticed most of the reviews about bugs were on the DAY IT WAS RELEASED. A game this massive and expansive is going to be buggy. As of today, I've already gotten 2 updates for the game fixing a ton of those bugs. Which means they jumped on it as soon as possible. Beta test all you want, you'll never find all the bugs until you get thousands and thousands of people playing.… Expand
  5. Highlanderonly1
    Dec 5, 2011
    10
    I usually have my priorities in line and do not get addicted to games like this, but my upcoming finals might have to take a backseat to all of this awesome.
  6. o_oli
    Dec 6, 2011
    10
    Simply one of the best games ever made. It has many quirks and bugs, but the same can be said for all previous elder scrolls games, and it's part of their charm. There are some more serious bugs that do need patching soon, however the community has created mods and workarounds for the most part, which is again another reason why this series is so great (and why you should get it on PC!).Simply one of the best games ever made. It has many quirks and bugs, but the same can be said for all previous elder scrolls games, and it's part of their charm. There are some more serious bugs that do need patching soon, however the community has created mods and workarounds for the most part, which is again another reason why this series is so great (and why you should get it on PC!). With the official mod tools coming in January and some DLC no doubt on the horizon, this game is set to be entertaining for hundreds of hours.… Expand
  7. Doctortony
    Dec 26, 2012
    10
    I'm gonna keep this simple: BUY IT. As a lover of medieval RPGs, including Runescape and Dungeon Siege, I felt that I'd never be able to relive the beauty and freedom in games again. Until Skyrim came along. This game is absolutely beautiful, incredibly expansive, and is like no other game I have played. It is absolutely everything you would want in a free-to-roam middle earth-esqueI'm gonna keep this simple: BUY IT. As a lover of medieval RPGs, including Runescape and Dungeon Siege, I felt that I'd never be able to relive the beauty and freedom in games again. Until Skyrim came along. This game is absolutely beautiful, incredibly expansive, and is like no other game I have played. It is absolutely everything you would want in a free-to-roam middle earth-esque hack-and-slash game. There are so many characters you can interact with, and so many quests. And it is true that later in the game it becomes a little repetitive, but by then you'll have wasted 100+ hours on the main quest and exploring the map. Most of the negative ratings come from a glitchy past, but with the most recent editions, you will very rarely find any . Stop being hesitant and buy this incredibly underrated game.… Expand
  8. Y4nk33
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    Perfect RPG game. Limitless quests, good main story and good side quest stories, amazing graphics, lots of items, lots of thigs to do, huge map, this game wont be forgotten.
  9. Woulong
    Apr 7, 2013
    10
    I would feel simply wrong if id rate this game lower then 10, it is simply epic and i dont know what else to say... It prooves me all over again how important optimizations are for games.. Simply put, game came out, 35 fps in whiterun.... Game now, 60 fps static in whiterun and EVERYWHERE, in ANY situations, with 2k textures, lots and lots of hd retextures, fxaa injector andI would feel simply wrong if id rate this game lower then 10, it is simply epic and i dont know what else to say... It prooves me all over again how important optimizations are for games.. Simply put, game came out, 35 fps in whiterun.... Game now, 60 fps static in whiterun and EVERYWHERE, in ANY situations, with 2k textures, lots and lots of hd retextures, fxaa injector and downsampling... And it is still better looking and better artwork wise then almost/if not every game that gets released or is released nowadays... It prooves me just how so many other companys cant fix their games and just abandon them... I swear john carmack is behind all this.. lol... I hope for lots and lots more patches/dlc´s in the future, hell, id spend every cent on this game..It can still grow so much bigger and can still expanded so, SO much more.. Patch 1.9 just helped push it over the line again.. AND it is only 29.99$ on steam. Another fact that helps pushing it knee-deep is the mod support... Thousands and thousands are out there and they become more hour per hour.. And for completion, my words to this game? AWESOME, in ANY aspect... simple as that!!...… Expand
  10. Writerwithamout
    Mar 31, 2013
    10
    The best RPG ever made. I have been playing for 500 hours and still haven't done everything there is to do. The world is immersive and fun and the mod community make for almost unlimited potential. This might be the best game made, ever.
  11. Gray_Perth
    Nov 26, 2011
    9
    I started with Daggerfall many years ago, and enjoyed Morrowind and Oblivion too -- Skyrim does _not_ disappoint. I am playing on an underpowered laptop with lowest graphics settings, and it's STILL engrossing. It's very immersive and quite simply entertaining -- it will eat up the hours as you complete quests and generally wander around, finding new and interesting things around almostI started with Daggerfall many years ago, and enjoyed Morrowind and Oblivion too -- Skyrim does _not_ disappoint. I am playing on an underpowered laptop with lowest graphics settings, and it's STILL engrossing. It's very immersive and quite simply entertaining -- it will eat up the hours as you complete quests and generally wander around, finding new and interesting things around almost every corner. I only awarded 9/10 because of a few bugs/glitches, and things such as: not really any dialogue choices, too many NPCs are flagged as "essential" and are unkillable, no proper incentive to eat or sleep, and destruction magic being underpowered at higher levels. But these are small nitpicks in a really entertaining game! It's just fun to play, to explore, to quest, to kill things and level up, to buy a house, visit new cities, slay dragons, etc. etc. Overall this is a very solid RPG game with interesting quests left-right-and-centre. I have already got my AUS$90 worth and I'm only about 40 hours in. I expect to hit 100 hours easily with this game. Recommended! 9/10… Expand
  12. Jasmo
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    Same premise as other Bethesda games with the non-vital central story line and unlimited opportunity to set you own goals and define your own criteria for success. I guess for those with no imagination and needing to be hand held down a specific path this is a negative but for me, being able to give free range to ones own imagination is what play is all about. Visually stunning even on aSame premise as other Bethesda games with the non-vital central story line and unlimited opportunity to set you own goals and define your own criteria for success. I guess for those with no imagination and needing to be hand held down a specific path this is a negative but for me, being able to give free range to ones own imagination is what play is all about. Visually stunning even on a laptop. Dungeon crawls are a big improvement over the mind numbing bi chromatic monotony of Oblivion. Use of a rich mix of design elements makes every dungeon feel different even though one knows they have to reuse elements in a design this massive. Despite all the complaints, the only significant issue I have had is the classic memory leak issue which can lead to CTD every few hours if not managed. As long as you leave and re-enter every few hours or whenever you see signs of texture rendering not being correct it runs fine even on higher settings. Fully immersing and enjoyable. I am 150 hours in and have not gone past half way on any major quest lines. Just too much fun stuff to do.… Expand
  13. RemembersREPTON
    Dec 3, 2011
    9
    I have been playing RPG games since the dawn of time and Elder Scrolls IMHO has always been the best FP RPG by a clear mile. This is an excellent follow on from the superb Oblivion. The graphics are beautiful, the geography stunning and the main plot interesting, drawing on what we all ready know about the Elder Scrolls universe. The lack of real character classes, with players choosingI have been playing RPG games since the dawn of time and Elder Scrolls IMHO has always been the best FP RPG by a clear mile. This is an excellent follow on from the superb Oblivion. The graphics are beautiful, the geography stunning and the main plot interesting, drawing on what we all ready know about the Elder Scrolls universe. The lack of real character classes, with players choosing development via their actions is excellent. I personally miss all the scores for intelligence etc, but its a minor point as the simplified perks and magicka, health, stamina model works well. The game is not perfect however, with your actions in the war not really changing people demeanor towards you. The theft system is also flawed, as it was in Oblivion, with some objects just being there for the taking. Say hi to the leader of the town, rob him blind, hang out for a little with his trinkets in your pockets, no one notices or cares. Especially weird if your publicly a paid up member of his worst enemy. No problem in Skyrim for some reason. IMHO however the game is an RPG, so you have to have a little imagination, and if you have its an excellent experience. My main gripe is that there seems to be less variety of content (clothes etc) than in Oblivion - I am guessing this is due to the game being primarily developed for console. I await some clothes mods from the community. I would have so much respect for a company that did not dumb down games on PC - come on guys, PC's should be the pinnacle, with reduced content for the consoles, don't set the bar at the lowest possible denominator.… Expand
  14. Heaviermetal
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    Do im 55 hours into the game. I have played a Thief/Assassin type character and a warrior character, both feel like 2 different games. Honestly I have not be addicted to a game like this ever before. This is GOTY for me. I am lost in the exploration of Skyrim, and around every corner is something new and unique to discover. This is a true PC game. From the amount of gameplay to the funDo im 55 hours into the game. I have played a Thief/Assassin type character and a warrior character, both feel like 2 different games. Honestly I have not be addicted to a game like this ever before. This is GOTY for me. I am lost in the exploration of Skyrim, and around every corner is something new and unique to discover. This is a true PC game. From the amount of gameplay to the fun factor of modding and tweaking the game to make it more of your own. 10/10… Expand
  15. Rimpson
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Considering this game is a console port, i feel visually it was more than adequate to give you the sense of scale and beauty Bethesda have clearly worked very hard on in Skyrim. its never going to win graphics awards for its character models and imperfect field of view loading distances, but even after playing bf3 this month, at no time did i ever think less of this game based on itsConsidering this game is a console port, i feel visually it was more than adequate to give you the sense of scale and beauty Bethesda have clearly worked very hard on in Skyrim. its never going to win graphics awards for its character models and imperfect field of view loading distances, but even after playing bf3 this month, at no time did i ever think less of this game based on its visuals. the sheer scale of content visible, the impressive arctic landscape and beautiful skies more than make up for any imperfections down on an individual scale. The story telling is rich and holds lots of depth, i found quests stacked up very very fast almost to the point of confusion, but i'm holding this totally down to my want of exploring every area of the landscape before moving on rather than zig-zagging around Skyrim. the quests are mixed, ranging from the tedious collection of boring items to complex and skilled assassination or theft quests that almost make u reload and try them again from a different angle whether u complete them or not. the variety of voices is much improved from oblivion and tho not perfect as most of the guards speak the same and a even a few main characters share the same voice/accent i feel based on the sheer scale of different npc in this game they have added enough variety to be reasonable. With all RPG games there is a balance between stats level and player skill when it comes to combat. WOW has it based very heavily on the stats u have worked up rather than any players skill with a mouse and keyboard. elder scrolls have added in a requirement for a lot of mouse controlled skill. meaning u do at least stand a chance against an enemy who dwarfs you on stats. in skyrim this is no different although i never really noticed any change in damage based on the location you hit an enemy other than in the front or in the back. this was most apparant with bows, as aiming for a harder headshot didnt seem to reward you over hitting the enemy in the torso, even if they where wearing armour but had their head uncovered. however a hit with an arrow through the face was always satisfying, even if that character then proceeded to chase you down the mountain side with it handing from their cheek. Using melee weapons nearly always became a hack n slash affair unless you were in sneak and managed to get some very satisfying throat slit one hit kills. i do feel on the whole it could be greatly improved to benefit players skill with the improved stats helping you along, rather than weapon and armor stats being loosely aimed via mouse at the creature u wanted to try and kill.

    visual and game play bugs were always going to be an issue with a game made up of so much varied content. this said, other than a few flashy green screens in the odd dungeon for a few seconds, ive not found a glitch yet that hindered my game play. Having bottles and plates randomly fly across the room and no npc characters bat an eyelid at it has its comic value, equaly does a mammoth being blasted 500 foot into the air or a bandit still telling you how "you will never leave skyrim alive", right in the middle of HIS death animation. these things only add to the smile on my face while playing this game. worse issue in the game by far is the horses, they help with nothing, the minor speed boost to travel around isnt worth the effort of paying 1000gold considering once u have found somewhere u can fast travel, so u would only be on the horse if u were exploring for the first time, in which case your going to be getting on and off talking to people or attacking baddies. and when u do find something that wants to eat ur face the horse turns into Braveheart and runs off at it, unless its a rabbit it normal gets itself killed and ur left with a horse pelt u paid a grand for!

    in conclusion, an awesomely visual and depthy game that gives you something to do for weeks and weeks. a few annoyances some may have with bugs are to be expected soon after launch and with a reasonable combat system, but one that sadly that lacks any real skill and has a horrible/lengthy weapon change system. the annoyances are more than made up for by the world and story in which you can immerse yourself    … Expand
  16. Paraeon
    May 2, 2015
    10
    Update: thanks Valve and Bethesda for removing paid mods. :)
    Skyrim is one of the best RPGs ever made (when mods are used). Cannot wait for the next TES game.
  17. moholdt
    Dec 2, 2011
    10
    I'd never imagine myself enjoying a 1st person role-playing game but with all the hype I decided to give it a shot. From the very start I got completely hooked. I haven't finished it yet, and I got the feeling I'm not even close and I've spent 100 hours (I take my precious time enjoying every pixel of every scenery).

    I've been reading some complaints though about bugs and things not    I'd never imagine myself enjoying a 1st person role-playing game but with all the hype I decided to give it a shot. From the very start I got completely hooked. I haven't finished it yet, and I got the feeling I'm not even close and I've spent 100 hours (I take my precious time enjoying every pixel of every scenery).

    I've been reading some complaints though about bugs and things not working and I'm really curious about what these bugs might be that make people so angry. The bugs I've encountered are minor and the fact that this game is so immensly huge I really don't care about them. I'd rather have a huge world to explore with some random bugs than a tiny little excuse of a "Story Mode" which is flawless.

    Recently alot of new exciting games have been released but so far none can match the gametime, depth and experience Skyrim can offer. I have no idea when I'm gonna complete the game but I don't think it will be any time soon. And after I do finish the game, I'm gonna have another go at it. This time playing another role.

    I actually created an account on metacritic just to write this review because I think Bethesda deserves the feedback. If this is the new standard for how future game should be like, then we do indeed have a bright future ahead of us. I can only imagine the amount of hours and efforts put into making such a huge universe. If anyone praticipating in creating this game is reading this review, well I would like to say thank you so much for making me feel there's still hope in the gaming industry.    … Expand
  18. TheFPSage
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    I thoroughly enjoyed the game, despite any flaws it has. The biggest problems were the lack of diversity when playing as different races (ie, Altmer not treated any differently than an Orc, other than being called "Orc" rather than "Elf" by NPCs). Another problem was the repetition in the questions, which seemed to be mostly made up of Got to X Cave, retrieve/slay Y. Additionally, the mainI thoroughly enjoyed the game, despite any flaws it has. The biggest problems were the lack of diversity when playing as different races (ie, Altmer not treated any differently than an Orc, other than being called "Orc" rather than "Elf" by NPCs). Another problem was the repetition in the questions, which seemed to be mostly made up of Got to X Cave, retrieve/slay Y. Additionally, the main quest seems to be halfarsed towards the end and you will be disappointed by the ending. By this point in the series, I expect this sort of stuff, though it would have been nice if they had gone a bit beyond.… Expand
  19. f0lly
    Dec 2, 2011
    10
    GOTY...no doubt. So much to see and do. Engaging quests. Well polished game on release, with only the most minor of glitches (compare this to TW2 and the abomination that was Rage). I am 37 hours in and feel like I have only scratched the surface; I reckon I'll get an easy 200 hrs of quality gaming out of this. I will say it again; GOTY without a doubt.
  20. tvangste
    Nov 13, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. combats ok better than oblivion but still ok...the skill set up wasnt as good it makes u to op. every single questline just ends nothing nice happens after u complete them like in oblivion when u finish the questline everyone loves u and u get the imperial dragon armor and its awesome cuase u feel great about it, this one u defeat a dragon in a different dimension get sent back to skyrim and u get no dialogue no more quests from the main storyline and u recieve nothing. all u get is a cutscene of dragons flying away...but even after u kill all the leader dragons there is still dragons around. all the guilds were only about 3 hours each lacked any really fun story in the guild and they ended the same way as the main story the thieves guild had a darker story than the dark brotherhood, good armor rarely dropped, all the dungeons had reused parts and 60% of the time u were fighting skeletons which got annoying since every single skeleton was a one hit kill after a while. It feels like u are in a small world the entire game, while the graphics are really good all the npcs look like poop. It feels like ur given no freedom, or too much freedom its hard to tell either one can be good or can be bad in this case it doesnt help the game out too much....thats why im giving this game a 8 out of 10.… Expand
  21. Legitopinion
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    A lot of these reviews contain complaints about the UI. Don't get stuck on small issues like this. Ya its built for consoles but despite that, this game is great. The graphics are not the best, especially after we all played BF3, however the actual world is stunning and beautiful. I like all the new combat mechanics seen in this game. I don't think I will ever get tired of sneaking up onA lot of these reviews contain complaints about the UI. Don't get stuck on small issues like this. Ya its built for consoles but despite that, this game is great. The graphics are not the best, especially after we all played BF3, however the actual world is stunning and beautiful. I like all the new combat mechanics seen in this game. I don't think I will ever get tired of sneaking up on someone and slitting their throat. The quest literally go on forever. The world is huge. You have complete power on how you experience this game. That is why skyrim is a great game. Yes there are some glitches but I don't those into account when reviewing games anymore unless they are game breaking. What release doesn't have glitches anyway? All in all if you like rpg's and you like to play the game your own way then buy this game! The content is massive, the detail is nothing short of amazing, and the experiences are just plain fun. Definitely my choice for game of the year.… Expand
  22. YellowBelly
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    In my opinion this is the best game of the series of scrolls. Graphics up to date. Huge options for the main character. I hope for large-scale additions.
  23. Mal81
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    This is the first Elder Scroll game I have played, and I regret that I haven't dipped in before. I have been in love with this game since the moment i walked into it's beautiful world. I have no past bias, no delusions that this game doesn't have rough edges. There are bugs, some funny, some ugly, but the sheer wonder and joy inherent in the game are excellent. After years of playingThis is the first Elder Scroll game I have played, and I regret that I haven't dipped in before. I have been in love with this game since the moment i walked into it's beautiful world. I have no past bias, no delusions that this game doesn't have rough edges. There are bugs, some funny, some ugly, but the sheer wonder and joy inherent in the game are excellent. After years of playing MMOs and Linear storyline type games, this open ended rpg has won a special place in my heart.… Expand
  24. Strange_New_Day
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    More and more modern games sacrifice content for graphics, Betheseda's Skyrim is fortunately not one of them. Skyrim is a massive, multifaceted world that really pushes the strengths of previous Elder Scrolls games. The quests are a step above what we have seen before, the world aesthetics are beautiful though the graphics do bennifit from the latest mods that are available. TheMore and more modern games sacrifice content for graphics, Betheseda's Skyrim is fortunately not one of them. Skyrim is a massive, multifaceted world that really pushes the strengths of previous Elder Scrolls games. The quests are a step above what we have seen before, the world aesthetics are beautiful though the graphics do bennifit from the latest mods that are available. The ambient noises blend well with the over arching music themes and character noises. The lighting and sound mesh together in dungeons to really give the gamer a feeling of danger. Whilst Skyrim offers an unprecedented sandbox style fantasy world rpg, possibly unrivaled in the modern genre it isn't all a bed of rose petals. The interface for the PC is atrocious. Bugs abound all over the game. The game is pathetically easy and whilst the world is stunning and the cities gorgeous, the larger cities feel like they consist of a handful of houses consisting of barely a handful of people. The writing fails at times and could of used a bit more work. This is an excellent game but through silly mistakes, glitches and the heavy handed UI console port I cannot see how it could be rated above an 8 out of 10. Skyrim is desperately in need of the upcoming mods the PC community will put together.… Expand
  25. Mohobie
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Open world, free to be explored with many hidden "gems" to find. The story is both engaging and direct for those seeking a more linier path to "completing" this game. However for most of us the game will literally have no ending. It has the bonus of an unending(litteraly) supply of quests for those who want them. It's vast, and it's options are even more so. Anyone who gives this gameOpen world, free to be explored with many hidden "gems" to find. The story is both engaging and direct for those seeking a more linier path to "completing" this game. However for most of us the game will literally have no ending. It has the bonus of an unending(litteraly) supply of quests for those who want them. It's vast, and it's options are even more so. Anyone who gives this game a low rating would likely be doing so because the game is not an MMO. It is a single player game plain and simple. Impressive grafix and a mostly intuative control system allow users to jump right in and begin their journey. This game becomes what you want of it. Desire a life of bravery and justice for all... you can make it so... Want to pinch the pocket of every noble you can find...go ahead.
    There really is no wrong way to play skyrim other then to not play it at all ;) If you want todo it then you can. Ok spent to much time here... I'm going back to being the archmage! ;)    … Expand
  26. misfireRM
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    Game of the Year for the next few years -- this game is simply outstanding. As for the 100+ negative reviews... even if my wife divorced me, my kids hated me, I got fired from work and my dog peed on my laptop, I could not imagine being in such a deranged state of mind to as to give this game a "0" rating. For those of you who have experienced the issue of flickering shadows/sunlight,Game of the Year for the next few years -- this game is simply outstanding. As for the 100+ negative reviews... even if my wife divorced me, my kids hated me, I got fired from work and my dog peed on my laptop, I could not imagine being in such a deranged state of mind to as to give this game a "0" rating. For those of you who have experienced the issue of flickering shadows/sunlight, upgrading to the latest version of graphics drivers (nvidia) did the trick for me.… Expand
  27. Renkoku
    Nov 21, 2011
    8
    The latest installment of the The Elder Scrolls saga is amazing. I have already clocked in over 80 hours in the game, and I have enjoyed every second of it. Well, mostly.

    The game starts off very strong, and yet slow. I did not like being unable to control anything with my character for a while. But after you get control, the game really picks up. The game definitely shows a    The latest installment of the The Elder Scrolls saga is amazing. I have already clocked in over 80 hours in the game, and I have enjoyed every second of it. Well, mostly.

    The game starts off very strong, and yet slow. I did not like being unable to control anything with my character for a while. But after you get control, the game really picks up. The game definitely shows a collaboration of everything Bethesda has implemented into their other releases over the years. Some of these things improve the game, yet some hinder it. The shear amount of player choice is amazing. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of the game, even after completing several guilds and most of the main story.

    However, I feel like the guild quest chains are too short. While most of the quests were fun, I didn't feel as accomplished with the guild's completion as I had in Oblivion. And the minor objectives given at the end of a guild feel repetitive.

    The game looks great. The more neutral color tones work well with the rest of the game. Though, there have been several times where my frame rate suddenly drops and lags, or various textures don't render correctly and I'm left looking at a shiny variation or a pure white base model. Not to mention the countless times that the game shuts itself off on me. I am hoping that those issues are fixed in the upcoming patch.

    I have fun with this game. It is a good way to waste away hours in a blink of an eye. Although I love the game to death right now, I don't feel like it's worth a 10 rating. It's great, but not the overall best. Hopefully once more of the bugs have been fixed or the expansions and modding community add more to the game, it will become a game that deserves a perfect score.    … Expand
  28. Kirsteek
    Nov 24, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I play a lot of RPG games and this had to be the best of them all. You start the game and within 5 minutes, a dragon appears. The story line is brilliant. The amount of quests you can do without storyline is immaculate. The map size is incredible and the expanse of places you can explore is unbelievable. I've started my second save to explore the other side of Skyrim. For anyone thinking of buying this game, do it and enjoy.… Expand
  29. nowandever29
    Nov 25, 2011
    10
    Skyim, put simply, is a fantastic game, worthy of the undivided attention of any fan of role playing games. It is deep, well written and acted, well designed and beautiful. The game does have the occasional bug, and the characters still look fairly creepy, but those are quibbles - this is the best video game this year, and continually surprises. Honestly. thank you, Bethesda!
  30. Mcad
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    Simply great game, can't fault it. Graphics look great, it plays well and the story is interesting and follows on from the 2 previous great games. Don't think bethsda has made a bad game yet.
  31. Grimloon
    Nov 27, 2011
    9
    It's not Oblivion, it certainly isn't Morrowind. Good fun though! This game is probably the most approachable Elder Scrolls game so far but it has to make sacrifices to be that. [Insert generic anti console rant here]. It's made anti RPG players pure fanatics for the genre by restricting the options. The ones that are left are glorious, just not as great as some of us are used to.
  32. silmaril464
    Dec 5, 2011
    10
    100 hours in game and no bugs encountered, this game is a masterwork, is the best game of the year ;)
    bethesda ha hecho un gran trabajo con este juego, una verdadera obra maestra, espero que gane todos los malditos premios habidos y por haber xD Larga vida a SKYRIM!
  33. SirDucky9
    Dec 15, 2011
    8
    Amazing game. The level up system is really great and in depth. The variety of things to do in this game is enormous. If you simply want to wander around roaming the wilderness for animals, then fine you can do it. If you feel like going on a mass murder spree then the wish is yours. You may also do exciting quests or have fun throwing food at someones face. These are just the starts toAmazing game. The level up system is really great and in depth. The variety of things to do in this game is enormous. If you simply want to wander around roaming the wilderness for animals, then fine you can do it. If you feel like going on a mass murder spree then the wish is yours. You may also do exciting quests or have fun throwing food at someones face. These are just the starts to this amazing journey however for some people they are not even allowed to experience this amazing game due to massive bugs. I, myself have never had any of these although I know someone who cant even open a door without crashes. Another issue I have found is that i am bored. I have no idea why because I always had great time playing, but for some reason I still just don't feel like playing this game. Odd… Expand
  34. NeasOlc
    Oct 26, 2012
    8
    While the game isn't perfect, and suffers from occasional bugs and a poor vanilla interface, the great thing about the PC version is it's openness to modding. A lot of the complaints in these reviews are remedied by mods that are free to download and use. The open world is great and Skyrim fixes a lot of the ugly repetition and bland generic landscapes present in Oblivion. The open,While the game isn't perfect, and suffers from occasional bugs and a poor vanilla interface, the great thing about the PC version is it's openness to modding. A lot of the complaints in these reviews are remedied by mods that are free to download and use. The open world is great and Skyrim fixes a lot of the ugly repetition and bland generic landscapes present in Oblivion. The open, classless character system adds even more freedom, and increases re-playability: even if you know the storyline, it can be fun to play with entirely different skills and a different race as you did before.… Expand
  35. FryGuy
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Absolutely one of the best RPG I've ever played. There is so much to do, many places to explore and you can be anything you want. I have played over 150 hours now in total and there is still some side quests to be found. There is still some bugs and personally I miss multiplayer but these things doesnt ruin much.
  36. Aeryx
    Feb 18, 2013
    10
    Skyrim is the kind of game that makes me totally proud of being a PC gamer. This has got to be one of the greatest games ever. When I was in highschool, Morrowind led to many near-failed grades. Regretful but it was damn worth it! When I was in college, Oblivion led to so many failed grades! Terrible loss and my parents disowned me, but HELL IT WAS WORTH IT! Now I am a working man, ISkyrim is the kind of game that makes me totally proud of being a PC gamer. This has got to be one of the greatest games ever. When I was in highschool, Morrowind led to many near-failed grades. Regretful but it was damn worth it! When I was in college, Oblivion led to so many failed grades! Terrible loss and my parents disowned me, but HELL IT WAS WORTH IT! Now I am a working man, I didn't lose my job because of Skyrim but if I did, IT WOULD STILL BE WORTH IT! Get this game now and you will be reborn!… Expand
  37. MCZaphelon
    Apr 3, 2013
    9
    Before I bought Skyrim, I was wondering what all the fuss was with the Elder Scrolls series. I mean, I'm not the world's greatest RPG fan. I bought the game, and I was instantly absorbed in it. It has a dynamic storyline and an incredible level of immersion I'd never experienced before! A must-have for any gamer.
  38. jordanjmann
    Apr 27, 2015
    9
    This game without mods - 8/10
    This game with mods - 10/10
    This game with paid mods - 0/10

    Congratulations for destroying the biggest modding community in the world in one day, Valve/Bethesda.
  39. CJx101
    Dec 3, 2011
    10
    People just **** about things that aren't perfect. Well, welcome to the gaming industry and life. Nothing's perfect, but this is not, I repeat NOT an expansion to Oblivion. There IS actually a lot more and exciting content. But please, if you don't like it go back to your repetitive Call of Duty. If you didn't notice the better graphics then I suggest you upgrade your video card. OtherPeople just **** about things that aren't perfect. Well, welcome to the gaming industry and life. Nothing's perfect, but this is not, I repeat NOT an expansion to Oblivion. There IS actually a lot more and exciting content. But please, if you don't like it go back to your repetitive Call of Duty. If you didn't notice the better graphics then I suggest you upgrade your video card. Other than that, Quotation forthcoming.… Expand
  40. Jima
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    This game is amazing. I am almost 30 hours in and feel like I just started the game. Around every corner is something a little more exciting.
  41. shintsurugi
    Nov 23, 2011
    9
    TLDR: Skyrim > Oblivion, buy it, play it, quicksave. Awesome.
    I'm just gonna put it out there. Skyim is awesome. As for why, well, that's a much longer statement.
    This game does not need my praise as it's gotten overwhelming support from game critics and the community, but I'm gonna put my own two cents out there anyway. To be upfront, I did not like Oblivion. Something about how that game    TLDR: Skyrim > Oblivion, buy it, play it, quicksave. Awesome.
    I'm just gonna put it out there. Skyim is awesome. As for why, well, that's a much longer statement.
    This game does not need my praise as it's gotten overwhelming support from game critics and the community, but I'm gonna put my own two cents out there anyway.
    To be upfront, I did not like Oblivion. Something about how that game began, the lack of direction, the clunkiness of the combat and the bugginess of the game engine put me off three separate times.
    Skyrim fixes a lot of those issues. I feel the start of the game is stronger than Oblivion's (if you remove Sir Patrick Stewart from the equation)., in that it remains fast-moving and gives you a good primer on many of the systems (although some more explanation about magic and the favorites system would be nice). I found the town of Riverwood much more inviting than the monstrosity that is the Imperial City. My own personal preference of course. Some people complain about the compass and the plot arrows, but I think they're a great addition from the Fallout series of games. They may make things a bit easier, but they just add to the wanderlust you get going through the immense world of Skyrim. Also, I don't know about other people, but I don't like to get lost, so having a convenient plot arrow is a bonus in my book.
    To be honest... I can't really tell you what's different about Skyrim's combat from Oblivion's. It's still swinging a sword, backpedaling and blocking every now and then. Maybe the animations are smoother, or the timing is looser (or maybe it's just those awesome kill animations...), but I really do enjoy the combat in Skyrim. Not the game's strongest suit, but when has that ever been Bethesda's strong point? And it's definitely not a weak point in this game.
    I am proud to say that Skyrim has only crashed on me once during my 60-odd hours of gameplay (apparently it didn't like a chest I looted). A massive improvement over Oblivion's constant instability. I can't speak to the graphical improvements, as I have it turned all the way down to the ass-end of the spectrum because my laptop is, well, a laptop. But the environment design is more varied than you'd expect from a winter-y continent and some of the dungeon designs are just flat out awesome.
    I feel like I don't need to speak too much about the story, other than it's pretty sweet. Bethesda remains strong in this respect and every side quest is given just enough attention to make you feel like you're not doing yet another side quest for yet another sum of gold and XP. Speaking of XP, the leveling system. Oblivion's leveling system was... weird. The scaling brought all sorts of craziness to your character's performance, which put off a lot of people, including me. Skyrim simplifies the leveling system a bit further than an RPG-geek like myself would have wanted, but I feel like I still have a good amount of control over the direction of where my character goes (except for leveling Restoration to 40 to get that damned perk...). Everything in it is fairly intuitive and almost every time you level up, I feel like you get a tangible benefit.
    Oh, right, one more thing. The interface. It's obviously been designed from a console perspective, which would normally annoy me, but that also means almost every menu can be navigated through WASD and E, which I personally find a helluva lot more accurate than using a mouse pointer. Favorites are an interesting idea, if a bit hard to get used to. Reading the manual helps. Scrolling through items gets tedious at times, but something akin to that issue probably would remain regardless of the interface. The one complaint I do have (and this is horribly nitpicky) is that you should be able to select OK with E and not the mouse. Consistency, people.
    All in all, again, Skyrim is awesome. It's the best game Bethesda's put out so far, and despite its few flaws, it remains an immensely enjoyable experience all the way through. (Just keep quicksaving!)    … Expand
  42. Endrevius
    Nov 23, 2011
    8
    Quite good game. Surely recommended, bears same addiction that rest of TES series had. Same funny bugs as well ;]. The main disadvantage is the graphics. Looks so outdated that heavily modded Oblivion looks a lot prettier. Cause of that, if You finished Oblivion, Skyrim gets boring after 50-100 hours of playing, its like a huge DLC, but nothing more. Pretty high time of playthrough as forQuite good game. Surely recommended, bears same addiction that rest of TES series had. Same funny bugs as well ;]. The main disadvantage is the graphics. Looks so outdated that heavily modded Oblivion looks a lot prettier. Cause of that, if You finished Oblivion, Skyrim gets boring after 50-100 hours of playing, its like a huge DLC, but nothing more. Pretty high time of playthrough as for modern cRPGs, but compared to The Wither 2 (Ultra++ settings), that after 4th finish (4x~30h) still gives me the same "Oo-ooh" graphic wise and still makes me want to play again with massive sightseeing and eye orgasms, still wont make me change wallpaper gallery made from thousand of screenshots, its not impressive anymore. Game surely worth finishing + exploring most of its content but thats it. Finish and forget. The Witcher 2 made a lot better impression on me TBH.… Expand
  43. Compgamer55
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    This is a very worthy next installment in the elder scrolls. The graphics are good, the gameplay is fluid, the lore is outstanding. Having started the series at morrowind it has been interesting to see the lore develop through out the series and I really like how you can hear/talk to people about the other lands that you have previosly visited and sometimes they even talk about actions ofThis is a very worthy next installment in the elder scrolls. The graphics are good, the gameplay is fluid, the lore is outstanding. Having started the series at morrowind it has been interesting to see the lore develop through out the series and I really like how you can hear/talk to people about the other lands that you have previosly visited and sometimes they even talk about actions of your previous character. (ex hearing of an eruption on red mountain that caused alot of elves to relocate to skyrim). They have improved the gamplay alot, the fighting is outstanding but one of my favorite additions was the ability to buy and upgraid a house, particularly the weapon racks and mounts that were added. I think its cool to be able to put my old sword up on the wall, or to have my favorite set on a rack for easy taking whenever I want. The only part I was a little disappointed in is the dark brotherhood quest line seemed a little short and was too easy. My character was very not stealthy and I had no problem completing the quests w/ no bounties or killing necessary people where as in oblivion that was impossible in many missions and overall the oblivion quests were more exciting (for the dark brotherhood). There is an abundance of quests, its really crazy the amount they put into this. I also think the dewmer ruins in this game are far more interesting to explore than in the other titles. Crafting is also a very big upgrade. I LOVE the redesigned armor, oblivions armor was rather ugly in my opinion and even possessing daedric armor didnt excite me as much where as in this game almost all the armor looks great. Another downfall for me is some of the characters use the same voice (one in particular is very distinct and able to be heard from few characters) The world is very large and full of places to explore, iv played for over 80 hrs and im not near finished. I cant wait for the DLC to come out... Also to Therealjonah who was the top negative rater when I posted this I just loled at him. I read down to the part where he said some thing like "when the first morrowind came out..." what a moron morrowind is the Eldar scroll III, thats some "experience". To add to that he wants morrowind with better graphics, anyone with the PC version of morrowind has access to all the mods made to the game MANY of which re-do much of the visuals to make them look much better and add variety I suggest trying them out. To someone else "This game is really broken on PC, it's unbelievable that reviewers do not take into account whether developers put in any effort on the version (PC) of the game that they are rating" wouldnt know I bought it on the 360, why would anyone who has it on a console take into consideration how it runs on the PC? Thats the dumbest expectation from people iv ever heard... I own morrowind and oblivion on console and PC, do prefer PC but went with console for this one until it goes on sale on steam or something but why would I think that the majority of people who will own it once on a console car about the PC? Anyway Overall this game is great, a vast improvement in the series and I will enjoy playing it until the next installment comes out, hopefully the gap wont be as large as the last one! 10/10… Expand
  44. gary72
    Nov 22, 2011
    10
    Wow, I feel like Bear Grylls in this game! I love exploring the wilderness, climbing up rocky hills - and killing stuff! You won't have to drink your own urine either. Love this game!
  45. Kadan123
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    what can i say. the only bad thing is this game is too good and way too addictive. it takes up too much of my time. that time has a new name and its called skyrimming. an absolute masterpiece. thank you bethesda and all involved.10 out of 10
  46. Limbo75
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    I've been a hardcore gaming for the last 30 years and this game sets the bar for fantasy RPG for the last few years. The game play is excellent, graphics on ultra settings are unmatched for this genre, character development is extremely complex and allows for unique class creation based on desired playing style. I have hit level 30 and barely touched the main quest line which shows thatI've been a hardcore gaming for the last 30 years and this game sets the bar for fantasy RPG for the last few years. The game play is excellent, graphics on ultra settings are unmatched for this genre, character development is extremely complex and allows for unique class creation based on desired playing style. I have hit level 30 and barely touched the main quest line which shows that the side quest variety and availability feels almost endless. Mark my words this game will be the best of the year hands down. The visceral experience of hearing a dragon approach while hiking a mountain peak and then the ensuing epic battle is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences to date. None of the bad reviews I've read offer anything truly constructive (many don't even seem to have played the same game I am) and the majority of graphics critiques seem insane as on Ultra Settings it looks better than anything else I'm playing right now on PC. As many others have said I will be surprised if it doesn't win game of the year.… Expand
  47. LORDofDOOM
    Nov 30, 2011
    10
    One of the best games ever made - I've played now over 80h and it got better and better :-)
    If you can buy ony one game for this year - Buy Skyrim.

    BTW: This is one of the very rare games in last time that comes with Mod Support/SDK. If the Moddingscene is active as they was by skyrim you can have fun forever with this game.
  48. MetalHeadCrab
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    The most impressive thing is the game hardly ever crashes like Bethesda's previous titles. Summary: Its good, enough said or it will all be spoilers.
  49. redpanda751
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    Skyrim lives up to its hype and is truly an amazing game. The game is almost everything I wanted except for a few minor glitches, but that's to be expected from a game that hasn't been out that long.

    Gameplay: there's so much you can do in this game that it's almost too overwhelming? There's over a couple hundred hours of gameplay which is an incredible amount of time to keep you    Skyrim lives up to its hype and is truly an amazing game. The game is almost everything I wanted except for a few minor glitches, but that's to be expected from a game that hasn't been out that long.

    Gameplay: there's so much you can do in this game that it's almost too overwhelming? There's over a couple hundred hours of gameplay which is an incredible amount of time to keep you occupied.

    Graphics: The graphics are amazing. I have installed many graphics enhancing mods that have already been released and it looks AWESOME. The people that complain about how bad the graphics are either needs to get better hardware or get their eyes checked out. Seriously, how could anyone say this game looks bad compared to most games released this year?

    Sound: The soundtrack is great. However, it's a lot of the same track being played over and over and it might get tiredsome. Additionally, the game doesn't work for me unless I set the sound quality lower. This has been an issue for many so hopefully they will solve it soon. Still not worth docking a point over this though.

    Replay value: A TON of replay value. You can make as many characters with millions of variations of what you do and the great thing about this is that almost nothing needs to be repeated. (as long as you don't want to).

    All in all, this is a game-of-the-year material that no one should overlook. Note that I am NOT a fanboy and that this is my first time actually enjoying an Elder Scrolls game. If anything just try it out at your friends place or watch some youtube videos, it'll change your world!!!!!    … Expand
  50. kolaborr
    Dec 2, 2011
    10
    Bugs? Sure but i still love this game. Big Mammoths, Giants are the best (Dragons are weak). Love the gameplay, love the graphics. Overall great game. A must buy for everyone!!
  51. Smkitdown
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    This game is one of the best games if not the best I've played this generation. There is almost an unlimited amount of things to do and many places to see. You can walk into a town because you are there to do a certain quest and by the time you leave the town you almost forget why you originally went there because of all the things there are to do. This game's AI is a major improvementThis game is one of the best games if not the best I've played this generation. There is almost an unlimited amount of things to do and many places to see. You can walk into a town because you are there to do a certain quest and by the time you leave the town you almost forget why you originally went there because of all the things there are to do. This game's AI is a major improvement over the AI in Oblivion and the facial animation difference is like night and day. If you enjoy a lush story driven world with a great history and great lore behind it GET THIS GAME! The music of the game is great and on par with its predecessors (Oblivion had great music.). You'll enjoy the musical scores as you explore the harsh mountains of Skyrim and delve into the deep caverns and ruins. Another big improvement over Oblivion is the voice acting. In Oblivion they had only around 12 voice actors. In Skyrim there is around 75 actors doing 150+ roles! You will be hard pressed to find any of the NPC's in the game with the same voice unlike in Oblivion. The visuals are also wonderful. The races look like how you picture them in your mind and the animation is detailed and well done. The scenery of the game is also outstanding! While you travel either by foot or on horseback you will have your breath taken away when you see the highly detailed mountains, and the towns scattered all over the huge landscape. You will see castles built hanging off the sides of mountains and deep caverns with springs running through them. When you explore the dwarven ruins you can sense how they lived and the technology they possessed just from the scenery. Sure there are a few bland textures once in awhile, but that is to be expected when it comes to a game of this size. Another welcome improvement to the series is the addition of dual wielding weapons and magic. If you want to be a rogue dual wielding daggers you can. Want to be a TRUE battlemage with a spell on one hand and an axe in another you can! If you want to be the most powerful mage in Skyrim you can! You can have a destruction spell on one hand and a restoration spell on the other so you can lay waste your opponent while being able to heal yourself without having to go into the menus. Also, you can have the same spell on both hands and cast them both at once for a more powerful version of the spell (If you have the perks.). The crafting system is also greatly improved. You can smith your armor from the ore you receive from mining and then enchant it by disenchanting a magical item and taking that enchant and putting it on your item. You can go and explore the forest for herbs and make powerful potions and poisons. The main story is very well written and paced well. The side quests are so well written and produced that they are on par and even exceed main stories in other games this generation. I've played the game for 75 hours so far and I still haven't even come close to running out of things to do! Also, the replay value of the game is very good since there are so many choices to make that effect the way the game is played. I was playing while on Skype with my friend and we were at around the same point in the game, but we both got to the same point through very different means. The only downfall of the game is the UI. It is obviously made for a console and because of this I would give the game a 9.8, but I can't on metacritic. The UI doesn't make this game unplayable though it just isn't very accurate sometimes, but once you get used to it it's not a problem. This game is by far the best bang for the buck this generation! I really believe that this game will receive GOTY for 2011!… Expand
  52. carlbme
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    I loved the past "Elder Scrolls" games, but this one blows it out of the water. The graphics on the PC blow the consoles out of the water with the use of the higher end graphics cards. Great game-play, Great story, Great controls, Great graphics, Great sound....yup. One awesome game!
  53. Hawki_ice
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    We'll ill be damned they did it, they brought back all the things i loved from Morrowind and made what i would consider the best game in the series so far, Skyrim is like a brilliant mix of oblivion and Morrowind and a little of fallout thrown in. Gone are the class's and birth signs in favor of a much more open game play style that just hits all the right buttons, they borrowed the perkWe'll ill be damned they did it, they brought back all the things i loved from Morrowind and made what i would consider the best game in the series so far, Skyrim is like a brilliant mix of oblivion and Morrowind and a little of fallout thrown in. Gone are the class's and birth signs in favor of a much more open game play style that just hits all the right buttons, they borrowed the perk system idea from fallout, but its much more structured and beautifully presented, i have a few small issues with the game but its only things like wishing it was less console and more PC game.… Expand
  54. LazyShadw
    Nov 22, 2011
    10
    I have never been so addicted to a game since Fable or the first era of World of Warcraft back in 2004... For our times and our technology, Skyrim offers the best escape into a fictional digital world, where the limitations although present are shaded by the immense world that will consume countless hours from your life and embellish them with outstanding music and epic story. Even ifI have never been so addicted to a game since Fable or the first era of World of Warcraft back in 2004... For our times and our technology, Skyrim offers the best escape into a fictional digital world, where the limitations although present are shaded by the immense world that will consume countless hours from your life and embellish them with outstanding music and epic story. Even if you're not an RPG fan, I would strongly suggest and recommend you should try this game out, threw any means necessary, but in the end, even if you are the biggest video game pirate on the web, dig up your golden chest and pay your respects to Bethesda by buying this masterpiece.… Expand
  55. ebonized
    Nov 22, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is a good game. But let's stop right there for a second - anyone claiming that the game is 'perfect' and 'the best game of our generation' are really exaggerating the game's strengths and massively downplaying its weaknesses. This game has MANY flaws, especially on the PC version. To deny them makes your review biased, one thing that a lot of people just don't understand (or don'tSkyrim is a good game. But let's stop right there for a second - anyone claiming that the game is 'perfect' and 'the best game of our generation' are really exaggerating the game's strengths and massively downplaying its weaknesses. This game has MANY flaws, especially on the PC version. To deny them makes your review biased, one thing that a lot of people just don't understand (or don't want to). You have to step back and look at the game from an objective perspective. So that's what I'm going to attempt to do right now. ::::PROS:::: 1.massive world 2. open ended 3. decent storyline and sidequests 4. well-designed and fun to explore dungeons 5. relatively immersive 6. highly customizable (playstyle, weapons, spells, etc) 7. PC version can be modded 8. some decent voice acting 9. magic is extremely satisfying (looks cool too) 10. easy to change difficulty allow you to change it to scale with your character 11. established lore that really sucks you into the world of Skyrim ::::CONS:::: 1. repetitive fetch/kill quests with no meaning 2. bad UI on PC - going through your "Misc" items with all the bugged and non-stacked soul gems is a nightmare 3. several immersion breaking problems 4. misplaced NPC dialogue (ie. being told by an NPC not to 'leave my stuff lying around' after they just killed me, or having an enemy say 'that was only a scratch!' AFTER I just chopped his head off - seems a lot of the dialogue triggers at the wrong moments) 5. feels too much like Fallout 3 and Oblivion - Bethesda does not seem to be really improving or changing too much of the same formula they've been using for years now -many sounds/textures are the exact same from Fallout 3) (eg. picking up ingredients/'ash pile') 6. graphics are good at a distance, but terrible up close > poor textures 7. many bugs - graphical glitches, crashes, quest bugs, getting stuck 8. horrible NPC AI (especially companions) - another thing Bethesda has not really improved upon 9. some poor voice acting/too many reused voice actors (ie. that one Slavic woman that seems to be cloned at least 3 times in every town) 10. crafting is generally not very fun - alchemy is overly diluted with 10 different ingredients that do the same thing, smithing requires you to create 5000 iron daggers to level, enchanting is ok 11. poor inventory management system (something that could have been improved for the PC) that makes 'the inventory game' a pain 12. The whole game in general sometimes feels more 'mechanical' rather then 'organic' By no means am I saying that Skyrim is a bad game. It can be incredibly fun and immersive and it offers countless hours of pure entertainment. However, its flaws are numerous, and I can't rightly give this game more than 8.0 out of 10. Thanks for reading!… Expand
  56. thetinx
    Nov 22, 2011
    10
    Although I have never had any experience with previous elder scroll games, this is by far my favorite game of all time. The map is HUGE, bigger than fallout 3. The graphics are superb, and quests are... well I cant keep up with all my quests, so many it makes you want to slow down and "enjoy" the game. I must say this game has an infinite amount of "replay" value since you wont everAlthough I have never had any experience with previous elder scroll games, this is by far my favorite game of all time. The map is HUGE, bigger than fallout 3. The graphics are superb, and quests are... well I cant keep up with all my quests, so many it makes you want to slow down and "enjoy" the game. I must say this game has an infinite amount of "replay" value since you wont ever need to start a new game. If you choose to be a mage in the beginning it doesnt mean you dont get combat, and you can quickly change into combat. For me I was iffy on the 60$ for a game, however I must say I am hooked beyond belief. The only con is you might get so addicted you start falling behind on school work. But I just have no self control. The only thing I would improve are controls, however you quickly get used to them and it turns out amazing anyways.… Expand
  57. Flavorzoul
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is a very addicting game, with hours of gameplay, im probably never gonna finish it. But i am sure gonna try, my advice is that you run to the nearest store and buy it, no matter the price
  58. SylarHRG
    Nov 23, 2011
    9
    From the moment you dive into Skyrim, from the opening sequence and beginning your journey through this beautiful world, you can already see the creative genius at work behind this game.
  59. adlersson
    Dec 2, 2011
    10
    I couldn't play too much with the Oblivion but I was curious about this piece so I bought it and fortunately I didn't have to disappoint. I think one of the best offline RPGs today.
  60. Awesomegamer7
    Dec 4, 2011
    10
    after a week of playing TES 5:Skyrim, I can say that the game is another masterpiece from Bethesda Studios like Fallout 3 and New Vegas.
    While playing the game you really get attached to the story that your doing and there are quests all over the kingdom of Skyrim to do.
    The controls are good (of course), music is perfect, combat mode has its problems but nothing you can't stand to play.    after a week of playing TES 5:Skyrim, I can say that the game is another masterpiece from Bethesda Studios like Fallout 3 and New Vegas.
    While playing the game you really get attached to the story that your doing and there are quests all over the kingdom of Skyrim to do.
    The controls are good (of course), music is perfect, combat mode has its problems but nothing you can't stand to play.
    The only problem with the game for me is that you cannot kill the guys important to the story (the guys that give you missions to do and etc...)
    But after all the game is a pretty good, if still haven't go to a store near you and buy it.    … Expand
  61. InsidePCgaming
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    Hands down best game of the year! The whole landscape is intrigueing. The graphics are amazing. To explain the game simply, would be to say that itâ
  62. goldenaxe
    Jan 14, 2012
    8
    doesn't live up to my expectations unfortunately. But since I am a fan of the series and have played the previous game quite a bit, I'm still pleased. The game is less open ended then Oblivion IV, often you can't alter or end a quest line by killing a key person, they often act like you didn't kill them the next time you go visit them, and the menu system and controls are far too consoledoesn't live up to my expectations unfortunately. But since I am a fan of the series and have played the previous game quite a bit, I'm still pleased. The game is less open ended then Oblivion IV, often you can't alter or end a quest line by killing a key person, they often act like you didn't kill them the next time you go visit them, and the menu system and controls are far too console oriented, making it feel like it was just ported straight over to the PC without tweaks for controls. It is still fun, and I like ironic bugs in the game if they aren't messing with the quest direction too much.… Expand
  63. roboticsun
    Dec 18, 2011
    8
    After 50 hours log into to this game, I still found this game is an empty and hollow game. Skyrim has hardly any immersion. The story is bland. You can tell they created the bells and whistles THEN created the storyline around it. Which is sad. As an RPG, it should be more concerned with the story. Then the bells and whistles pull you in even further. Bethesda is losing track on what madeAfter 50 hours log into to this game, I still found this game is an empty and hollow game. Skyrim has hardly any immersion. The story is bland. You can tell they created the bells and whistles THEN created the storyline around it. Which is sad. As an RPG, it should be more concerned with the story. Then the bells and whistles pull you in even further. Bethesda is losing track on what made morrowind so enjoyable. To go from Morrowind to Oblivion then to Skyrim are huge steps backwards. This game was released with lots of bugs and even broken on PS3, Bethesda clearly choose quantity over quality. They do not even bother to polish the game. I'd say Don't buy it right now. Wait for the price to come down to $20.… Expand
  64. irtimiD
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    I have to give this game a 8 for several reasons. it is a very fun, addicting and huge game which allows for players to play how they want to, and pick different choices. The game play is fluid and the combat system had improved a lot from oblivion. There are many enemies which are all different difficulties and where some provide a challenge for the player, other are easy to kill afterI have to give this game a 8 for several reasons. it is a very fun, addicting and huge game which allows for players to play how they want to, and pick different choices. The game play is fluid and the combat system had improved a lot from oblivion. There are many enemies which are all different difficulties and where some provide a challenge for the player, other are easy to kill after reaching a higher level. The dialogue system is a lot nicer and does not pause the game like the previous game. Instead the players and the environment around the player carry on like in real life. There are issues with the game which i would like to point out; starting with the UI ( the menu). The main problem is for the pc users who use a keyboard and mouse, who find it difficult to make a selection because the menu has been designed for the console user. I ended up using my xbox 360 controller with my pc version because i found the game play, the menu and the character creation unbearable. Right from the start of the game where i was creating my character, the mouse felt out of sync and most of the time did not recognize my commands. Another problem that i have had was the frame rate messing up and occasionally textures going funny and showing me bright pink objects. The final downside to the game is in the menu layout i would like to see the character like in Oblivion which showed what items i was wearing and allowed me to rotate and zoom in onto my character. I really liked that feature in Oblivion because it helped me choose what items i wanted to equip. I am hoping that someone will make a mod that does just that. Overall though the positives outweigh the negatives and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an excellent game that provides hours of fun, and most of all you as the player choose how you want to play the game.… Expand
  65. Asterai
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    Magnificent. Beautiful vistas, diverse towns, an abundance of stories to be found wherever you go. Storytelling in both main and side quests is engaging, and I have yet to meet a named quest that relied purely on the simple formulas of kill-ten-rats, escort, bounty, or fetch. Strong player choice is a guiding principle of design, and nearly any classic archetype can find their home,Magnificent. Beautiful vistas, diverse towns, an abundance of stories to be found wherever you go. Storytelling in both main and side quests is engaging, and I have yet to meet a named quest that relied purely on the simple formulas of kill-ten-rats, escort, bounty, or fetch. Strong player choice is a guiding principle of design, and nearly any classic archetype can find their home, even guild, in this world. Scummy towns feel scummy, prosperous towns feel clean and sturdily built. Voice acting, music, and sound design generally are pleasing; visual art direction everywhere is superb, with culture imbued in every object you find, and wonderfully varied landscapes. Dungeons are, so far, distinct places, often featuring traps, puzzles, and environmental hazards to be used against enemies; nameless enemies can sometimes be overheard discussing obstacles that you later encounter. Killing dragons is fun and useful and never resented, but pales in comparison to the many other things you could be doing. _ _ _ _ _

    The bad? Stealth AI could use some work; sleeping NPCs should almost never be able to detect sneaking players, and there are a few times when NPCs should respond more intelligently (or less) than they actually do (an arrow from the dark should never be explained away as "I'm just hearing things"). Smithing could be expanded more than it is. Some traveling companions have Leeroy Jenkins-like overconfidence that makes fighting beside them a struggle in dungeons; fortunately, they're almost entirely optional. Minor bugs - mostly oddities in the collision system - will bother some players; stability is quite good but not perfect. Worst from my perspective, the UI has poor sensitivity to mouse location; I've struggled to click on the conversation topic I really wanted. _ _ _ _ _

    For a player like me, however - first and foremost an explorer, a consumer of stories who narrates every action with the motives behind it, someone who sneaks past sleeping dragons to see if it is possible - this game's flaws are irrelevant, and since this review is for PC, mods will fix them anyways. This is one of the best, the biggest, the richest games I have ever encountered, and I love it to pieces.    … Expand
  66. Rakathor
    Dec 15, 2011
    10
    Very, very good game. Many people complain about the bugs, and it's understandable, but hey, it's huge game, with alot of work behind, sometimes errors slip through. Another thing is that many people have complained about hotkeys, many think there aren't any, but there is, you just have to assign them, that's not so tough is it? as far as gameplay, yes, it is like oblivion and fallout, butVery, very good game. Many people complain about the bugs, and it's understandable, but hey, it's huge game, with alot of work behind, sometimes errors slip through. Another thing is that many people have complained about hotkeys, many think there aren't any, but there is, you just have to assign them, that's not so tough is it? as far as gameplay, yes, it is like oblivion and fallout, but what can you do, this is rpg, it is supposed to be like this. It is a beautiful game, with a great story, many side quests, and generally it provides many hours of worthy gameplay, 'nough said.… Expand
  67. Omap
    Mar 7, 2012
    8
    Buggy, laggy, clunky, consolized, and Fantastic. Skyrim is not so much an RPG as it is an "Adventure Simulator." that being said, it's launch was marred by bugs and clunky UI screens are a pain in the ass to navigate with a keyboard and mouse, as well as muddy textures and sometimes buggy lighting. luckily the player base has picked up where the devs have slacked, with UI mods, textureBuggy, laggy, clunky, consolized, and Fantastic. Skyrim is not so much an RPG as it is an "Adventure Simulator." that being said, it's launch was marred by bugs and clunky UI screens are a pain in the ass to navigate with a keyboard and mouse, as well as muddy textures and sometimes buggy lighting. luckily the player base has picked up where the devs have slacked, with UI mods, texture packs, model packs, and all you could ever hope for. this is why you buy Bethesda games on the PC, because while this game is about a 5/10 by itself, with all the mods at your fingertips, it is easily worthy of an 8.… Expand
  68. Pomornik
    Dec 3, 2011
    9
    Best RPG i have ever played, and i've played plenty. Its superior to morrowind and oblivion in almost every possible way. It would be easily a 10/10 if it wasn't for the fact, its a console port, and it shows. First of all, the interface is... not very good, it was obviously designed to be used with a gamepad, but you can get used to that. The bigger problems are the technical issues.Best RPG i have ever played, and i've played plenty. Its superior to morrowind and oblivion in almost every possible way. It would be easily a 10/10 if it wasn't for the fact, its a console port, and it shows. First of all, the interface is... not very good, it was obviously designed to be used with a gamepad, but you can get used to that. The bigger problems are the technical issues. Horrible, blocky and flickering shadows, random crashes, and not so great performance even on a good machine. I wont mention smaller bugs, since they are but a minor annoyance, and nothing gamebreaking.
    Still its worth to get through all that, because the gameplay itself is next to perfect. The combat is great, there is no boring quests, dialogues and voiceactors are top notch, envitorment is just beautiful. As in case of all Bethesda titles, there is a strong support for mods, which will definetly help keeping the game alive for many years.    … Expand
  69. skullzyer
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    Once again a masterpiece from Bethesda. Game has beautiful graphics just like its predecessor. It can be enjoyed even on older graphic cards. Loving the fact that dungeons aren't made from the same schematic. All in all, good successor to Oblivion.
  70. Draco705
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    I've been playing since Morrowind, and I've gotta say, this game takes the cake. I love the visuals on my rig, and the gameplay is simple and intuitive. Everything flows very nicely, and the quests aren't the usual "go find this" or "go kill this" all the time like Oblivion. Sure, there are a lot of those, but a good few of them are more complicated or change direction unexpectedly in theI've been playing since Morrowind, and I've gotta say, this game takes the cake. I love the visuals on my rig, and the gameplay is simple and intuitive. Everything flows very nicely, and the quests aren't the usual "go find this" or "go kill this" all the time like Oblivion. Sure, there are a lot of those, but a good few of them are more complicated or change direction unexpectedly in the middle of the quest, but I want that kind of innovation.… Expand
  71. hit925
    Nov 22, 2011
    10
    A very impressive game indeed. Being my first Elder Scrolls game, I didn't know what to expect going into it. I certainly wasn't expecting anything as jaw dropping as this. I have to say, the game's characters look awkward in parts but that's outweighed by the sheer vastness and visual brilliance of the world. Get this game if have any interest in the RPG genre. Word of warning: when youA very impressive game indeed. Being my first Elder Scrolls game, I didn't know what to expect going into it. I certainly wasn't expecting anything as jaw dropping as this. I have to say, the game's characters look awkward in parts but that's outweighed by the sheer vastness and visual brilliance of the world. Get this game if have any interest in the RPG genre. Word of warning: when you start playing, you may start to wish dragons existed...… Expand
  72. panokia75
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    This game is a true marvel. Visually it is stunning and gameplay is, well how can I put it, absolutely massive and a 99% joy. The change in the weather and lighting is ofen mesmerising and whilst the graphics could be better no normal PC would be able to cope, so by todays standards the graphics have been I feel underrated. They are often gorgeous. The characters and buildings are notThis game is a true marvel. Visually it is stunning and gameplay is, well how can I put it, absolutely massive and a 99% joy. The change in the weather and lighting is ofen mesmerising and whilst the graphics could be better no normal PC would be able to cope, so by todays standards the graphics have been I feel underrated. They are often gorgeous. The characters and buildings are not quite up to perfection but the lighting and effects are tremendous as is the feel for a large 3D environment which is what makes the game immersive. I think they have got this right as the envoronment looks fantastic. Gameplay is similarly epic with one or two niggles but the variety of play with having a choice of weapoin and magic in either hand is great. The favoutites quick selection is not as fluent as some systems but the game stops allowing time to think. Whether it slows the game down too much is personal preferance. I quite like it as it often reminds you to check inventory or level up magic etc or decide what attack/defense method will be used. The combat system is solid and great but doesnt rely on realism too much but it is solid and enjoyable. This game is about choice not just fighting and the game really is unique where it will drag you in an impress you time after time. I have aging PC with a AMD 955 BE which easily copes on max settings as does my 6950. Anything less than this may struggle a touch at 1920 x 1080 resolutions and above. Technical issues with me However are a slight ghosting and rendering issues expecially with fabrics but are observed infrequently. I picked the cat type race (kitjiit I think), which can see better at night. A very good choice I think.… Expand
  73. BoydDaMilkman
    Jan 21, 2012
    8
    I find it hard to review this game. If I were to be legitimately honest and give my true opinions on this game I would upset a great many people that would see this. Do I hate this game? No, it is one of my top 5 games of 2011 but then again, there were only 7 or 8 games that i actually enjoyed of this year.

    Probably the thing that pisses me off the most about this game is the way in    I find it hard to review this game. If I were to be legitimately honest and give my true opinions on this game I would upset a great many people that would see this. Do I hate this game? No, it is one of my top 5 games of 2011 but then again, there were only 7 or 8 games that i actually enjoyed of this year.

    Probably the thing that pisses me off the most about this game is the way in which the story is told. The story is the same story we have seen in every RPG ever created, and if you really think about it. Itâ    … Expand
  74. Chrono
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    A true masterpiece, it's hard to say what RPG game will surpass it in 2012. The start is absolutely epic the build up is phenomonal once you have the world to your self, the world is alive and that's a good thing and even after you leave it, it will still feel alive that is a key point to a non-linear game and Bestheda have nailed it, The story and immersion are the things that are neededA true masterpiece, it's hard to say what RPG game will surpass it in 2012. The start is absolutely epic the build up is phenomonal once you have the world to your self, the world is alive and that's a good thing and even after you leave it, it will still feel alive that is a key point to a non-linear game and Bestheda have nailed it, The story and immersion are the things that are needed most in an RPG game and this game exceeds it, however there are a few glitches and bugs but they will eventually get fixed. DRAGONS FTW… Expand
  75. Haon
    Nov 30, 2011
    9
    I was sitting around last night and I finally realized why I like Skyrim so much. It reminds me of backpacking. You don't go backpacking to win the war or save the damsel; you go to wander the countryside and see the sites and pick up cool sticks. Skyrim realizes this goal better than any other game, period. There are three reasons why: quests, dungeons, and the visuals. The questI was sitting around last night and I finally realized why I like Skyrim so much. It reminds me of backpacking. You don't go backpacking to win the war or save the damsel; you go to wander the countryside and see the sites and pick up cool sticks. Skyrim realizes this goal better than any other game, period. There are three reasons why: quests, dungeons, and the visuals. The quest structure is loose enough to give you freedom but well written enough to inspire you to continue. I love getting the push out the door to go to place X, but not being punished if I get sidetracked to place Y. The dungeon structure is incredible. There is a slight amount of similarity simply to retain realism, but each dungeon I've been in is dramatically different than others. Long gone are the cookie cutter aelid(?) ruins and gateworlds of Oblivion. The variety is simply stunning. Finally, the visuals are great. Not just good, and not super-fantastic, but well done indeed. More than the simple graphical rendering is the way Bethesda realized the world and the ecosystems. All you need to do is watch Planet Earth to grasp that "tundra" does not equal "barren wasteland," and the designers have created a vibrant land that does Northern Europe proud. Along the same lines is the cultural ambience of Skyrim. There is racism and tension over who should rule the land, and both come off as very real. Some of the comments by the peasantry is a little goofy, but do yourself a favor and listen to the jarls talking with their minions. Absolutely stunning dialouge. Now, to the more generic topics... Combat is well done. It seems to me that combat in Skyrim is as interesting as you want to make it. Want to be a guy w/ heavy armor and no mobility that can take it and blast it? Go ahead. Want to be the guy (me) who dances around in combat? Want to snipe? Want to... You get the idea. My advice is to pick the play style you like, though. Skyrim will let you do whatever you want, but if that bores you, it doesn't care... The sound also deserves mention. A pro reviewer (sorry for the lack of the cite!) said something along the lines of "when a dragon lands on you and the soundtrack starts playing, you WILL pee your pants." Man were they right. Mute the sound, meh, another fight. Have the music and flame effects blaring and your begin to appreciate why games are called multimedia... (Side note: I've got the song running through my head as I write this. Nice...) Finally on my list of total awesomeness is the load times. I'm playing on a laptop w/ decent specs, and this game runs on High visuals and almost NO load times. I'm talking 5 seconds tops. For such a huge world that looks great, this is flat out unbeliveable. In fact, it essentially nullifies my biggest gripe, which is......... CRASHES! Yep, they're there, but because I can reboot the game and get back to playing in 30 seconds flat, it much easier to treat them as a reminder to move around in real life than as game breaking issues. My second biggest gripe is the lack of, hmmm, how about epicness with regards to the supposedly high-level characters in the game. If you're one of the top dogs in the Companions, why are you dressed in steel armor and not Ebony? Why aren't the jarls weilding souped up versions of weapons? "So you can't get their stuff early" just doesn't seem good enough. Bethesda, try a little harder next time, please. To be fair, though, the rest of the world levels MUCH better and more realistically than in Oblivion/Fallout 3. Lastly, this game really shouldn't win any awards for storylines. This isn't really a slam, because they are nice enough, but a Witcher 2/Mass Effect/Dragon Age this is not. If you're SOLELY in a game for the storyline, you might wait a bit for this one. Or not, and read the tons of books lying around in the game... Lastly, I'd like to make a comment about the PC interface: I can't comment. I went into the game knowing I'd be playing with a controller, and it's quite well done (plus you can still quicksave on the keyboard! Yay!) If you're dead set on using a mouse/keyboard, just remember to check the modding community; they've got some nice fixes. All in all, this game is the best exploration/open world game to date. It is freedom, exploration, and fun bundled up and delivered to your computer. Enjoy the hike!… Expand
  76. CoreDave
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is an excellent game there is no doubt about that, I am generally a little concerned about the direction of travel the series is going in. I think the streamlining has gone a little too far, I understand where some, indeed many, of the changes may have been for the better over the last couple of games but it feels like the series is losing something in the quest to appeal to theSkyrim is an excellent game there is no doubt about that, I am generally a little concerned about the direction of travel the series is going in. I think the streamlining has gone a little too far, I understand where some, indeed many, of the changes may have been for the better over the last couple of games but it feels like the series is losing something in the quest to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Mods will hopefully be Skyrims savior much as they where Oblivions. I just urge Beth to think a little longer and harder about what how to achieve fun accessible gameplay without throwing out more and more complexity.… Expand
  77. LaMuffin
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    elder scrolls. It returns with a big bang! its a massive world with amazing graphics and stunning storyline and side quest content. The fighting in this feels less clunky then oblivion did. And unlike morrowind and oblivion the world feels more alive. It feels like your not in a small world with tons of robots to talk to. The conversations flow more fluienty and the physics is improvedelder scrolls. It returns with a big bang! its a massive world with amazing graphics and stunning storyline and side quest content. The fighting in this feels less clunky then oblivion did. And unlike morrowind and oblivion the world feels more alive. It feels like your not in a small world with tons of robots to talk to. The conversations flow more fluienty and the physics is improved immensly. You might be thinking about the crafting system and think 'I DONT WANT TO MESS AROUND DOING CRAFTS I WANT TO FIGHT!!! ARTS AND CRAFTS ARE FOR GIRLS' well thats true to an extent. but the crafting system is very entertaining and can be exiting... for example you may have just found a deadra heart to make your first deadric weapon or armor peice. And another great part of the game are the perks. when you level up it is such a great feeling that you get to pick a perk. just like fallout. You can also get MARRIED!!!! getting married is suprisingly intense. more so than fighting a dragon. BUT the most important thing about the game for me is this: After you finish the main quest. You will feel like you beat the game. And that even though you still have like 1000000000000000 quests you feel like they are just errand boi quests.... well... The truth is that the main quest is one of the SMALLEST parts of the game! EVEN after you finish the FACTION QUESTS (Dark brotherhood theives guild ect.) There are MASSIVE side quests. You can go out and explore a abandoned house to find it has a deadric gods spirit that will offer you a powerful mace if you go to the mounatins and find a mage trapped by a large group of bandits and after 10 failed attempts to defeat the bandits you use Call Dragon dragon shout and KILL THEM ALL!!!! AND THERE ARE LIKE a BAZZILIONNN more quests like that!!! ITS THE FREAKIN GREATEST GAME EVER!!!… Expand
  78. kranky
    May 6, 2012
    9
    Well, this game made with old buggy phisics engine, with old AI, have terrible gamepad-oriented interface and lots of buggy quests and scripts... But after installing plugin that adds huge boobs to every female NPC, Skyrim becomes on of the best RPGs ever! (after Morrowind ofcourse).
  79. MrSniker
    Nov 22, 2011
    8
    If it wasn't for The Witcher 2, this would definitely be Game of the Year but it has several shortcomings. The UI is definitely a console port mess, switching weapons, spells and shields during battles is often times a nightmare. You'll often get things mixed up, spells on the wrong hand, or weapon it's really a nightmare. Yes there are hotkeys but generally they don't help much whenIf it wasn't for The Witcher 2, this would definitely be Game of the Year but it has several shortcomings. The UI is definitely a console port mess, switching weapons, spells and shields during battles is often times a nightmare. You'll often get things mixed up, spells on the wrong hand, or weapon it's really a nightmare. Yes there are hotkeys but generally they don't help much when you're switching from spells to sword and boarding. Another problem is crafting is a pain, especially enchanting with the UI in place. Leveling up enchanting on weapons you've found is a pain. The level scaling system is back and it creates some odd problems. If you spent your first levels leveling up crafting trees before combat you'll often times face opponents far stronger than you because of your lack of combat skills. It's really annoying and I noticed this from the jump to 20-->30 because I spent around 5 levels crafting. It's annoying and they should really just ditch the idea, it doesn't promote exploration. It's annoying when you open a master safe and only get 12 gold. Really 12 gold for a master safe? The pros are well the skill system has been simplified now to perks on a little tree. It's simple and easier to understand than past Elder Scrolls. Dungeons have been vastly improved from Oblivion and are fun to just go exploring in for fun. Combat is a huge jump and the story is your typical DnD experience, it's predictable but your so lost in exploring you don't really care. Overall the game is great, it takes all the problems of Oblivion and fixes most, save for the annoying console UI, and I stress ANNOYING.… Expand
  80. SpazzBrozz
    Nov 30, 2011
    10
    I LOVE THIS GAME. Your review must be at least 150 characters long. Your review must be at least 150 characters long. Your review must be at least 150 characters long.
  81. Renge
    Nov 30, 2011
    10
    The time you wasted from your life for this game will not gonna be in vain. I don't play Oblivion, but I can say that this game is so much better than I expected before. I thought this game will similar like Mass Effect series, well there is some similarity, but Skyrim win by wide margin. Open world, make your own stories, pick your guild, pick either Imperial or Stormcloak, play warrior,The time you wasted from your life for this game will not gonna be in vain. I don't play Oblivion, but I can say that this game is so much better than I expected before. I thought this game will similar like Mass Effect series, well there is some similarity, but Skyrim win by wide margin. Open world, make your own stories, pick your guild, pick either Imperial or Stormcloak, play warrior, mage, thief, archer, or hybrid, that is for you to decide.

    The best RPG I've ever played in my whole life, hands down. Can't wait to see the future of this game in the hand of the modding community.    … Expand
  82. chevmech
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    Another fantastic completely immersive RPG masterpiece- The perfect next step in an epic series. Elderscrolls sets the bar for the genre much like Indiana Jones and (the first 3) Star Wars movies did for film. Skyrim is a homerun! Bravo, Bethesda!
  83. vangoat
    Nov 24, 2011
    10
    If you like open worlds and rpgs this game is amazing in every way. Graphics, characters, stories, and sound are all amazing and feel next gen. I played Dark Souls quite bit and this game is a calming wonderful experience with all the satisfaction and accomplishment. I thought I would never sell dark souls because of how great it was (albeit uber hard), but now i don't know if I'll everIf you like open worlds and rpgs this game is amazing in every way. Graphics, characters, stories, and sound are all amazing and feel next gen. I played Dark Souls quite bit and this game is a calming wonderful experience with all the satisfaction and accomplishment. I thought I would never sell dark souls because of how great it was (albeit uber hard), but now i don't know if I'll ever play it again. Obviously, Skyrim is not for everyone, but if you've every like an RPG this is the quintessential experience...unbeatable. Freedom beyond any game before it....I like my freedom.… Expand
  84. fishrule
    Dec 2, 2011
    10
    Our hero, our hero, claims a warrior's heart
    I tell you, I tell you, the Dragonborn comes
    With a Voice wielding power of the ancient Nord art
    Believe, believe, the Dragonborn comes
    It's an end to the evil, of all Skyrim's foes
    Beware, beware, the Dragonborn comes
    For the darkness has passed, and the legend yet grows
    You'll know, You'll know the Dragonborn's come
  85. DV8ER
    Dec 11, 2011
    10
    Overall this game is amazing. It's so fantastically well done that it's a game I can't get away from. I'm completely addicted and I love it! Way to go Bethesda!
  86. Thunderbolt2
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is an amazing piece of entertainment. It has made all of the necesarry progressions throughout the Elder Scrolls series. A pure masterpiece. Anyone that says otherwise is just complaining that the game is differenet than it used to be. This is however necesary to offer new experiences
  87. Mudget
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    I can't in good conscience rate Skyrim a perfect 10. I really believe 10's should be reserved for flawless, new-generation, absolutely unique games. The kind that set trends rather than follow them. While Skyrim is absolutely amazing, another gem from Bethesda for sure, it is not flawless, it is still using last-gen technology (most notably dx9), and although it's certainly a vast andI can't in good conscience rate Skyrim a perfect 10. I really believe 10's should be reserved for flawless, new-generation, absolutely unique games. The kind that set trends rather than follow them. While Skyrim is absolutely amazing, another gem from Bethesda for sure, it is not flawless, it is still using last-gen technology (most notably dx9), and although it's certainly a vast and unique Elder Scrolls world to explore, it really only incrementally ups the ante from Oblivion, not quite the Holy-Mother-of-God! reactions we're seeing from a lot of the mainstream press. You'll notice this within minutes of playing. On the flip-side, giving this game a 0 is ludicrous and makes absolutely no sense. Zeros should be reserved for bottom-of-the-barrel trash games thrown together in a few months, with a nice mix of horrendous graphics, game-breaking bugs, unplayable controls and unusable UI. If any of these things are so messed up for you that you honestly rated Skyrim a 0, then I might encourage you to update your computer, because on a top-of-the-line system, this game runs great, even with slightly goofy mouse-keyboard translations from the console port. The scope of the world alone would grant a game like this a 5 or 6 at the very least. Add in endless quests, overall great graphics, dialogue for every line in the game, a stellar soundtrack, a well-thought-out progression scheme, and improvements in almost every area over the correctly, universally-rated 9+ Oblivion, and anyone with any experience in gaming whatsoever would -have- to give Skyrim at least an 8. On the other hand, if you didn't care for the previous games in the series, you won't like this one, because it's more of the same, but better. Way more, and largely better. And for most of us, this is a very good thing.

    PROS
    This is an RPG addict's dream, as were the previous Elder Scrolls games. Most of us will get lost in this world for many months before the luster fades. And by then, creative modders will have designed new ways for us to enjoy the game and extend the lifespan probably up to the release of the next ES entry. I was still playing Oblivion off and on right up until Skyrim's release, and still felt I hadn't explored the entire game world, and that is one of the key highlights of any Elder Scrolls game. After about 30-40 hours of gameplay already (did I mention that this game is addicting?) I have probably only uncovered about 15-20% of the overall map. Unlike in Oblivion, where things became fairly repetitious fairly early on, Skyrim seems much more able to keep things fresh. This many hours in, and I'm still being surprised by things left and right. This world is big, there are quests at every turn, and it is without question the most "alive" feeling ES game to date, with characters going beyond just wandering around and really adding flavor to the overall world. There are a lot more moving parts here, too. From waterfalls and rivers that actually spray "foam", to birds and butterflies that cast real shadows causing you to look up at them (I'll get to dragons later, that is an awesome way to discover that you've got one above you), to spells that cause environmental effects like burning or freezing, to in-menu, fully-realized 3D items that are awesome just to look at - Skyrim feels very organic and "alive", especially when compared to its predecessors. Yes, there are better looking games out there, heck, there are better looking role-playing games (The Witcher 2 comes to mind). But there are NO games out there of this scope and size that look this good. It is an incredible accomplishment, and if you can crank your settings up to ultra, it's pretty delicious. Without a doubt there a lot of "ooh" and "ahh" moments. Combat, while not perfect, is adequate. The menus are vastly improved over Oblivion. Character models and shading are also vastly improved. Textures in most areas are improved, too, but occasionally they can be ugly. If you're running through the game having a good time, they're hardly worth a comment, though. Still, there are some problems.

    CONS
    As so many people have said already, PC menu controls are ticklish. It's easy to click the wrong thing, especially in the skills menus, but Beth says they are working on a fix, and it's really not an immersion-breaker. Between the new Favorites button (brilliant) and the ability to assign numerical hotkeys, I find control in almost every area about 80% fluid, and a huge improvement over Oblivion.

    I miss a few things. I miss acrobatics (which seemingly would have fit into a mountainous region very well). I miss spell crafting. I miss being able to place items absolutely anywhere I want, with precision. But mods will fix this stuff.

    Bottom line, this is the very best of the current gen as far as RPGs go. It's not next-gen, I'm anxious for a future dx11 Elder Scrolls. But make no mistake, this game is WIN.    … Expand
  88. SketchyGalore
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    I've noticed that a lot of negative reviews about Skyrim have mentioned a lack of a good story. This gave me pause since, when I think about it, if someone wrote everything I was doing in Skyrim down in a novel, it would suck. And indeed, there have been moments in the game where I look at what's happening around me and doubt the feasibility of my epic tale ("You really want me to takeI've noticed that a lot of negative reviews about Skyrim have mentioned a lack of a good story. This gave me pause since, when I think about it, if someone wrote everything I was doing in Skyrim down in a novel, it would suck. And indeed, there have been moments in the game where I look at what's happening around me and doubt the feasibility of my epic tale ("You really want me to take your dead friend's ashes? Uh... I just got into town..."). But then, it struck me. Skyrim isn't a story. Skyrim is a world. And that is absolutely perfect for an Elder Scrolls game.

    What do I mean by that? I mean that this game was never meant to be enjoyed like a book. Skyrim is at its best when you let yourself simply drift off the path and do whatever seems interesting. The game begs you to just live in its world, explore areas, get involved in things, and generally make yourself at home in a beautiful world full of things that want to kill you. Ironically, the "main quest" can easily end up feeling like a side quest to the more important task of... whatever you think the most important task is. Skyrim is not a game of shocking twists and turns, in depth characters, or climactic endings like a more linear, adventure based RPG, such as the recent Bioware games. Thus, I can see a certain type of person frustrated by the lack of a single intriguing path to follow. For most of us, though, this serves as a perfect setting to get lost in for countless hours; a world to experience, not just a story to read or a game to beat.

    This review was mostly made to remark on the storyline, but I will say that the gameplay surrounding everything is remarkably solid. I've seen a lot of growth in Bethesda since Oblivion, including the advancements they've made in their Fallout games. Steadily, the company that once told me jumping and sleeping were the keys to character advancement is learning what makes a fun, balanced game. The systems that run the rules of the game (character advancement, equipment, etc) are masterfully crafted to support the aforementioned "life" style of gameplay, making sure that every one of your hundreds of thousands of choices is rewarded, one way or another. Combat, animations, sound effects, voice acting, and, of course, graphics all received the love and attention needed to make sure no one part of the game fell flat.

    Only a few things hold Skyrim back from perfection. Most of them are little issues, slightly unpolished moments, etc. The best way to sum it up is that Skyrim is a game that tries to do a LOT of stuff and, like most games of that nature, flaws and bugs big and small are going to creep up. It suffers from a bit of "console-ism" as well, where a game feels like it's made concessions in its development in order to make it function as a cross-console game compared to a game that was made strictly for PC. However, this is not nearly as bad as some.

    The future looks incredibly bright for Skyrim. In addition to the inevitable bug-squashing that comes with patches, a modding tool on par with what was available for Oblivion and the Fallout games is in the works. Assuming that people have as much control over things as they have in the past, it means great things are coming and, whatever problems aren't addressed by Bethesda themselves, the community will undoubtedly tackle.

    This is a game people will be playing until Elder Scrolls VI and beyond.    … Expand
  89. Voss
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    This latest addition to the Elder Scroll series brings a lot of new things to the table. One of them being the reworked Gamebryo graphics engine. I was completely disgusted upon hearing this was being developed with consoles as a main priority. I'll be honest, the graphics are not that great at times, sure, they look good at a distance(mountains, dragons, walls) but up close? God I can seeThis latest addition to the Elder Scroll series brings a lot of new things to the table. One of them being the reworked Gamebryo graphics engine. I was completely disgusted upon hearing this was being developed with consoles as a main priority. I'll be honest, the graphics are not that great at times, sure, they look good at a distance(mountains, dragons, walls) but up close? God I can see the pixels, they are ingrained in my head. It looks like Oblivion all over again. But since they made this game for consoles, it's kinda hard to get real close and check them out on consoles anyways. Getting past graphics, which by the way does not hurt this game AT ALL, I will say I have never, NEVER sat down and played a game non-stop for as long as I do with Skyrim. Everything from meeting new NPCs, exploring new dungeons, receiving new quest, and random dragon encounters could not be any more immersive.… Expand
  90. blackwolfrise
    Nov 22, 2011
    9
    This is a big step in the right direction for the Elder Scrolls series. It improves so many of the things that have plagues the series. The writing is better, graphics are a little more natural, voice acting is decent, and the combat is better. There is still room for improvement. The facial animations are still rough. The map and path finding need work. There are a myriad of other littleThis is a big step in the right direction for the Elder Scrolls series. It improves so many of the things that have plagues the series. The writing is better, graphics are a little more natural, voice acting is decent, and the combat is better. There is still room for improvement. The facial animations are still rough. The map and path finding need work. There are a myriad of other little glitches that need to be ironed out in future patches. Even with all the negative it is still a fantastic achievement in gaming. The story from what I have experienced is great, the dragon fights are gripping, the graphics are jaw dropping at points, and it is simply loaded to the brim with hundreds of hours of content. It is a simply amazing value at $60. You will be playing this great game for months to come.… Expand
  91. Lesstat
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    Total free open world. Amazing views. Hand made locations. I want not just play there - I want to live there! This game is a masterpiece in all time RPG world.
  92. rcuhljr
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    Wanted to drop off my two cents to counter act the hyperbolic zero score reviews for people who don't like the graphics or control scheme, or even better the people who are blatantly wrong in their reviews(Re: no hot-keys). There are valid complaints about the PC version of this game, namely the interface and the limited number of voice actors at the fore front. I won't touch the graphicsWanted to drop off my two cents to counter act the hyperbolic zero score reviews for people who don't like the graphics or control scheme, or even better the people who are blatantly wrong in their reviews(Re: no hot-keys). There are valid complaints about the PC version of this game, namely the interface and the limited number of voice actors at the fore front. I won't touch the graphics issue because I wasn't bothered by them in my playing, but I then I've never been obsessed with them. Even with these caveats, I've still spent almost 80 hours in a game that's been out less then two weeks at this point. Bethesda created an incredibly immersive world and a truly entertaining game, I'm on my second play through on master difficulty and I'm looking forward to at least two more because I've only explored 15-20% of the world.… Expand
  93. Matonk
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    This game is incredible. I have spent 100 hours on it with one character, and probably will spend 100 more. For once in a RPG, I actually feel immersed, I spend more time wandering around exploring than doing quests, because the sandbox world is so amazing. You could play this game like a life sim, and still get your moneys worth out of it. Donâ
  94. Optim
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    A fantastic game that will give you a run for it's money. It deserves all of it's critical acclaim because it has been improved so much by Bethesda it's actually insane. The main quest is fun, the side quests are numerous and the gameplay has been improved tenfold. The environment will change by your will, the people will talk about your deeds, random events will keep you occupiedA fantastic game that will give you a run for it's money. It deserves all of it's critical acclaim because it has been improved so much by Bethesda it's actually insane. The main quest is fun, the side quests are numerous and the gameplay has been improved tenfold. The environment will change by your will, the people will talk about your deeds, random events will keep you occupied throughout the world and the endless amounts of towns and dungeons will keep you occupied forever. An amazing, captivating game that is worth EVERY penny. A ten out of ten for me.… Expand
  95. cowkiller1234
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    This game is a terrific RPG! It is one of the only RPGs that isn't in your face about the choices you made (for instance, being evil/good doesn't change the way you look.) I'm a little disappointed that it doesn't have an arena like in oblivion, and the plant life is familiar looking and not foreign looking like in morrowind, but it is still terrific!
  96. NoclearSqworms
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    This is definitely the right choice for Game of the Year. While Oblivion didnt have your character drawn into any particular "story" while running around on all of those sidequests, Skyrim sucks you in hard during each and every storyline. The quests you do pertain directly to a lot of the books that are littered around Skyrim (and now sit cozily on bookshelfs in three of my houses). TheThis is definitely the right choice for Game of the Year. While Oblivion didnt have your character drawn into any particular "story" while running around on all of those sidequests, Skyrim sucks you in hard during each and every storyline. The quests you do pertain directly to a lot of the books that are littered around Skyrim (and now sit cozily on bookshelfs in three of my houses). The shouts that change the weather are great for clearing up that haze or the snowstorm and making everything look pristine. Ahh... and you can summon a dragon (and numerous other minions if you are a conjurer) !! Whose side are you on in the civil war??? *Stormcloak*… Expand
  97. anonima
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    This is a masterpiece of RPGs. The story is amazing,the characters are almost reals. So epic feel when a dragon flying to the moon,then you shoot him and he fall like a sandvich!
  98. Eman3s
    Nov 30, 2011
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played, its just stunning with all the little details they put in it. I've put about 65 hours into it and every time I turn it on my mouth still! hits the floor, its been a LONG time sense a game has done that to me. As for the bugs, Yeah it has some bugs...but with a game that's THIS BIG! you need to expect some. Bethesda will iron them out with patches.
  99. glddraco
    Dec 1, 2011
    10
    This game has to be the best game I've ever played. Sure its buggy but most games, especially complex games are going to have bugs. I've been rather down with fantasy rpg games ever since Dragon Age 2 came out and I almost gave up on games in general. I loved the details among the many things you can do in the world.
  100. TheTacoShack
    Dec 6, 2011
    10
    This game is fantastic and a great addition to the elder scrolls series. Dungeons are far more diverse and the environment is beautiful................
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2011
1
#1 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
2
#2 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 29, 2012
    90
    Unfortunately, Skyrim trips and falls on its own (most probably, to make the cool-sounding deadline of 11-11-11) and just before it reaches perfection as the ultimate specimen of its genre, it self-destructs in a crucial aspect of game design: the interface and the peripheral components (inventory, journal, map, etc)... but that is not to say that Skyrim is anything but a truly majestic, epic RPG that will suck you right in its cosmos.
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  2. Armchair Empire
    Feb 14, 2012
    100
    Skyrim is definitely one of the best games of 2011, but if the DLC holds out, it might just be one of the best games of 2012 as well.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 19, 2012
    90
    Skyrim is the best open world RPG you can get. A true evolution of genre is not flawless but still it is the game you love to live in. [Christmas 2011]
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