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. Vadinoi
    Jan 11, 2012
    10
    Excellent game, many thanks to developers! The beautiful drawing, the huge world, interesting quests. The thought over balance. There are insignificant defects which can be corrected patches. I play almost every day till some hours. I recommend game to fans of this genre. Thanks.
  2. Finrandojin
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    The Elder Scrolls series has been a favorite of mine ever since Morrowind came out, while Oblivion left much to be desired, no such thing can be said of Skyrim. A vibrant beautiful and above all else open world, awaits the brave adventurers who venture into the wild north of Tamriel. The player is afforded an incredible amount of choice on how to play the game, from a sneaky rogue to aThe Elder Scrolls series has been a favorite of mine ever since Morrowind came out, while Oblivion left much to be desired, no such thing can be said of Skyrim. A vibrant beautiful and above all else open world, awaits the brave adventurers who venture into the wild north of Tamriel. The player is afforded an incredible amount of choice on how to play the game, from a sneaky rogue to a Berserker Nord in heavy armor wielding a two handed battle-axe. There are no invisible walls guiding you to the next encounter and nothing is forcing you to advance the main quest. After completing the starting sequence where you create your character and are familiarised with some core mechanics of the game, the world is open for adventure and exploration. And this is just the beginning, with the Creation Kit coming out soon the amount of user made content and mods will explode making Skyrim a game with unending potential for improvement.… Expand
  3. WhataTwist
    Jan 3, 2013
    10
    Even more than a year later I'm still enjoying Skyrim tremendously. However; without the mind blowing mod support, I would have stopped playing a very long time ago.
  4. m3gat0n
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    the only game you MUST HAVE in this year, the graphics, the enviroment, the story plot.. absolutly beautiful its a Masterpiece!
    Hurry go buy it for pc, set the graphics at max and enjoy the game of the year.
  5. Alpha_fish
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am truly astonished by the number of negative user review for this game. Worse yet, the majority of these negative reviews are written by people who claim to have played no more than 5 hours of a game that has been designed to last around 300 hours if if the player opts to complete every quest and dungeon in the game. That's a lot of content these reviewers are missing out on. I have also seen many complaints regarding the PC controls for the game. I actually can't speak of how the keyboard and mouse feel as I have been using my wired xbox controller the entire time I have been playing, and I have to say that the game handles very well with the controller and does seem to be tailored for the use of controllers (much like the Witcher 2). Still, it seems foolish to rate a masterpiece like Skyrim so low for something so trivial, as others still have done for the "terrible" graphics in the game. The game is gorgeous. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or wasn't playing the game on its highest settings. Certainly the game isn't quite as glorious to behold as say Battlefield 3, but it is far beyond the deary, ugly landscapes and denizens of Fallout 3's Wasteland. Plus, the game world is massive. While the surface world of the game is comparable to Oblivion, there are numerous dungeons: each with their own unique look and personal history for the player to discover. While the hundreds of locations to find and explore suits me and my play style, no doubt others will be more interested in the main story and Guild quests. Simply put, they are amazingly fun. There are no more tedious tasks like getting recommendations from every Mage's Guild, instead you are dropped right into the Guild's quests; all of which have interesting stories and valuable rewards (such as the ability to transform into a werewolf). I still haven't touched on the much improved combat yet, so I'll dive into that now. The ability to dual wield everything from axes to spells has tremendously improved the game play. Using nothing but magic is a truly viable option, whereas in Oblivion you often had to rely on melee weapons for close combat, now you can have a magical shield up while simultaneously shooting fireballs. Companions are also a much greater help in the combat arena than they were in the past, owing to the ability to give them enhanced weapons and armor as well as the option to tell them to attack particular targets. Still, the game is not without its blemishes, notably I am disappointed by the lack of attributes in the game (Strength, Endurance, Speed, etc.). While the perks when leveling up do give you a great deal of control in regard to how you would like to play the game, I can't help but feel combining all of the attributes into the categories of Health, Magicka, and Stamina oversimplified the leveling system too much. Still, all in all the game is absolutely amazing, and there is no way I could fully explain everything it does right in this review, so I will simply end it here with a hearty recommendation that anyone reading this review go out and buy this game.… Expand
  6. Invader-Nik
    Dec 16, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the best Elder Scrolls game by far. Before this game I never payed attention to the series, and then when I played the game I just loved it. The world is massive, full of cities, villages and other things. The graphics are simply amazing. And all the moves you can learn is also great. But the thing I love most about this game is the ability to turn into a werewolf. Really great work. Bethesda has done it again!… Expand
  7. ConallKeat
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    An amazing new installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The beginning of your adventure could be daunting, with an incredibly open world and a sub-par journal system. But when you start understanding how the game works, it is an awesome world you can explore as much or little as you'd like. If you've ever enjoyed open world fantasy games, this is definitely a game to really consider. Is itAn amazing new installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The beginning of your adventure could be daunting, with an incredibly open world and a sub-par journal system. But when you start understanding how the game works, it is an awesome world you can explore as much or little as you'd like. If you've ever enjoyed open world fantasy games, this is definitely a game to really consider. Is it worth $60+? That's up to you. But I'd say it'd be money well spent.… Expand
  8. DeagleHS
    Nov 13, 2011
    8
    Amazing with a splash of disappointment. I've re-written this a few times and I'm just going to say the things that are annoying me - the disappointments. Although this is much to love. The graphics are MASSIVELY outdated. I brought Metro 2033 for $5 recently and it's graphics where better. I know graphics aren't what a game is all about but when I started the game (on ULTRA) I thoughtAmazing with a splash of disappointment. I've re-written this a few times and I'm just going to say the things that are annoying me - the disappointments. Although this is much to love. The graphics are MASSIVELY outdated. I brought Metro 2033 for $5 recently and it's graphics where better. I know graphics aren't what a game is all about but when I started the game (on ULTRA) I thought I'ld accidently set it on Medium or low. lol I swear I rechecked the video setting 5 times to make sure it wasn't a mistake. I'm gonna say it - it's the outdated console's (xbox and ps3) that are to blame. The console's manufacturers are milking their current box's for all there worth and the effect it has on PC games is developers working with making new gen games based on crappy crappy outdated hardware. As we all know the money is where the console noobs are at. So we will continue to get S word lol graphics until a new console gen emerges. From the youtube video's I was so excited to look at an artifact (sword, shield or food) and look at it in amazing detail but Nooooo. To support much of what i've been saying have a look at RAGE - similar situation. The detail level is horribly low and this was another disaapointment. Then there is the console port - ok it's a OK console port but there are obvious things like the GUI settings for the console pads LT and RT - WTF how could you overlook taking this out of the PC release.
    OK im off the whole consoles are to blame section
    Combat: Having so much fun with stealth and Archery - good job here. Melee combat has been slightly improved but still have a while to go to be interesting. Haven't touched magic - not playing that character yet.
    More voice actors and this has improved but still needs improvement. Characters are still rather stiff.
    Love how NPC's are more aware of your actions and comment as such. I was having fun using my shouts in town and a guard came along and told me to shut up lol. I love the random encounters.
    So why am I giving the game an 8/10 with all this complaining. Despite the short coming's and a few area's the game is still as immersive as ever and im enjoying it. The graphics were full DX11 and not DX9 overlook the rest of the issues. This is a open world game and realistic graphics really does help you be in this world.    … Expand
  9. Frokkels
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    I live RPG's. This makes me blind to the problems that most of them have. Games like the Gothic series(before the Arcania abomination), Morrowind and Oblivion. Risen etc... They all had problems. I still loved them. I think games are like works of art. Some are unique and others are just plain commercial. If you give people what they want then you are making a commercial game. When II live RPG's. This makes me blind to the problems that most of them have. Games like the Gothic series(before the Arcania abomination), Morrowind and Oblivion. Risen etc... They all had problems. I still loved them. I think games are like works of art. Some are unique and others are just plain commercial. If you give people what they want then you are making a commercial game. When I bought this game the salesperson asked me if I was aware of the system requirements as all good salespersons should do. Then right after he said that perhaps it was a stupid question as people that bought this game knows what it is about. Perhaps this says more about the game than anyone can. This game is an unique piece of art. So was most of the other RPG's I have mentioned. I don't compare this to any of the other RPG's. If did that then I would not have bought this. I bought this because I yearned for a new story. For a new adventure. Judging by how satisfied Morrowind and Oblivion left me feeling I knew that Bethesda would not disappoint. Trying to keep the masses happy with this game was a tough job that I think Bethesda did well. Not only do they have grand impossible and bloody combat against creatures much larger than the character but a lot of smaller more cerebral things to do. Creating a living world within the confines of a PC/Console that performs well and "lives" seems impossible given the limited resources available on all the platforms. It is a fresh outlook on Tamriel that seems very different to the other Elder Scrolls games. Six hours I can not account for when I fired it up and I am thinking of restarting because it seems to me that I made a mistake on one of my choices. The world to me now seems "wrong" and I must fix it. LOL Giving it a high score is only right. We did not get a perfect game. We did not get a well tested game. I don't think most Artists are happy with their final product anyway. That still does not make their masterpieces any less enjoyable. Most of the bugs in this game will probably be fixed. The nice thing about the PC version is that the community of players usually step up and try to get it close to perfection. The more Mods a game has the more I think people loved it. The only reason why I don't give a 10 is because I agree that perhaps there is no real sense of accomplishment in completing some of the faction story lines. That could also be that I have yet to explore everything in the game and have just not found out everything about the factions.… Expand
  10. HoosTrax
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    After feeling some disappointment with Oblivion, the previous installment in the Elder Scrolls series, I'm glad to see Skyrim return to what made Morrowind so memorable. While Oblivion had the open-ended gameplay that forms the core of TES, it lacked that magic of exploring an exotic setting, with its been-there-done-that high fantasy medieval setting. In Oblivion, you also could not helpAfter feeling some disappointment with Oblivion, the previous installment in the Elder Scrolls series, I'm glad to see Skyrim return to what made Morrowind so memorable. While Oblivion had the open-ended gameplay that forms the core of TES, it lacked that magic of exploring an exotic setting, with its been-there-done-that high fantasy medieval setting. In Oblivion, you also could not help but feel like you were playing second fiddle to the true star of the game, Martin Septim, to whom you served as an errand boy and supporting actor. Thankfully, Skyrim returns to the days where you take on the role of someone preordained by destiny to play a critical role in the fate of the world, and this is reflected by the unique abilities bestowed upon you during the course of the story.

    Not all is well however, as the clunky controls simply cannot be ignored and prevent Skyrim from getting a 9.5-10.0 score in my book. The oversized text and menu navigation / organization point to a clearly consolized UI that was ported to the PC with no changes, and with no thought to usability. Mouse navigation is imprecise and laggy, and doing something as simple as checking your inventory or viewing perk trees is made unnecessarily cumbersome and sluggish.

    While in almost all other respects, Skyrim is a step forward in the TES franchise, the UI is a sore point and is effectively a regression from Morrowind's UI, which was vastly more usable. Other than the incredibly obtuse journal system in Morrowind, there was very little else that needed to be changed. One can only hope that Bethsoft takes heed of the complaints and does not continue the slide toward unnecessary consolation of things that should not be consolized in a PC version of a game.    … Expand
  11. Aekero
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Alright so I've actually never gotten into an Elder Scrolls game before, I'm going to date myself and say I actually bought Daggerfall. :p, and I also bought Morrowind...but I never actually _played_ either for more than a couple of hours, because of one reason:

    First person, I like fps', but for some reason I hate it with a sword/shield, just feels bleh, I was reading over the review for    Alright so I've actually never gotten into an Elder Scrolls game before, I'm going to date myself and say I actually bought Daggerfall. :p, and I also bought Morrowind...but I never actually _played_ either for more than a couple of hours, because of one reason:

    First person, I like fps', but for some reason I hate it with a sword/shield, just feels bleh, I was reading over the review for Skyrim and someone mentioned it had 3rd person view, so I thought "why not?"

    Glad I did, I had none of the hype built up, just going off of my previous experience with ES games, and I'm really liking it so far.

    I'm going to do a quick comparison with another game I absolutely loved this year, The Witcher 2.

    Graphics-

    Witcher 2 - I actually run max settings on both games minus ubersampling on tw2, which is ridiculous, but even then the Witcher 2 looks a bit better. Better textures and whatnot, more vibrant feeling world. Skyrim - Hey, 2nd isn't bad, this still looks awesome on max, to be honest the gear etc looks a bit drab...but then again it's probably more realistic. Also the world view (i.e. when you're running across the world and can see for 10 miles in every direction) is awesome, I really feel like I'm in a "world" vs a few zones like I did with the witcher.

    Voice Acting -
    Skyrim - it's not bad, honestly I felt like they did things like interruptions better in Skyrim than in tw2.
    Witcher - more flavor, yet not as seamless

    Story -
    I guess it depends on what you like, Skyrim feels _way_ more open, vs the Witcher felt somewhat open but mostly linear.

    Combat-
    Tw2 has skyrim beat imo, Skyrim has a better selection of skills/trees, but TW2 combat feels a little more skill based, why isn't there any sort of dodge mechanic in Skyrim?

    Out of the gates - I've heard people complaining about performance issues with Skyrim, but man it's nothing compared to TW2 at launch. I was getting 20fps in TW2, and it took about 10 different tweaks before I could run it at max fps (with the same graphic settings), I shouldn't have to do all that myself!

    All in all this is a solid game, coming from someone with really no previous bias/expectation. I had huge expectations for TW2, and the game fell a little short, but even then I'd say they're about as good. TW2 has better graphics, better combat, and better voice acting. Skyrim makes you feel like you're in the world much better, is more open, and does everything decently. I'm glad I picked this up, this was a very nice surprise.    … Expand
  12. Chardivitch
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I absolutely LOVE this game. Even though there are some bugs in it. Hey, it is all getting fixed as we speak. With the use of steam Bethesda can add on to this already EPIC game
  13. Sween
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    My Game of The Year ! Great Story Hundreds of hours of pure fun and you really can Feel the ES World, The Greatest game till now ! a lot of Options ! You must Check that game
  14. Nsan1ty
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    This game is definitly worth every penny they're asking for it. The graphics are stunning, even on my old ATI 4890. I've been playing for possibly over 30 hours by now, reached level 27 and spent most of my time on side quests while a friend of mine who's level 4 and spent less time than me on it has progressed further than me on the main quest. This shows how much content there is in thisThis game is definitly worth every penny they're asking for it. The graphics are stunning, even on my old ATI 4890. I've been playing for possibly over 30 hours by now, reached level 27 and spent most of my time on side quests while a friend of mine who's level 4 and spent less time than me on it has progressed further than me on the main quest. This shows how much content there is in this game.

    Like many games at release, Skyrim still has a few bugs such as quests that cannot be completed due to some unlucky bug happening, but there's just so much content overall that you can easily skip one quest and go to another. Otherwise the autosave feature will work nicely for you if you insist on completing every possible quest. I believe I've only experienced one crash so far which I'm unsure what caused it, but I went to the same area and it didn't crash again so I didn't bother with it.

    The weather effects are very nicely done and, if you choose to, you can set most of the settings to the point where this game will just be so much better looking than a console game that you'll be happy to be on PC.

    The Competence system is enjoyable and leads to some customization that isn't directly reflecting what you do in game. Sure, you need to attain a certain level in the skill to unlock a competence, but you're in no obligation to take a competence in Lockpicking if you leveled mostly from picking locks. You can save it for another skill or pick one of the early competences of that skill, letting you customize yourself a bit more.

    The NPC interaction is enjoyable, although some NPCs do repeat themselves too often which can turn out to be annoying when playing for a long time.

    Overall, I'm far from disappointed with this game. In fact, I didn't feel interested as I am with Skyrim as I've been with any other recent games I've played and could even see myself starting over once I finish the game on my current character. That's how interesting this game is.    … Expand
  15. Gibl3ts
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    This game was the most anticipated RPG of the year, and there is no doubt it lived up to its name. There is more than one storyline, players are given much freedom, it looks graphically amazing and the list could go on. I would give it a 10 out of 10 if it wasn't for bugs, but no doubt this game is good to the point that i have played 70 hours and have only explored 5 holds. Thank you Bethesda!
  16. DragonTrinity
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    PC gamers are mad that they spent thousands of dollars to make the game look better and cheat. Only to be royalty screwed when Bethesda decides to support those who were smart enough not to spend so much money and get a console. Its an amazing game with excellent graphics for an rpg and for those of you who are bashing the game..........you might as well grab a magnifying glass and goPC gamers are mad that they spent thousands of dollars to make the game look better and cheat. Only to be royalty screwed when Bethesda decides to support those who were smart enough not to spend so much money and get a console. Its an amazing game with excellent graphics for an rpg and for those of you who are bashing the game..........you might as well grab a magnifying glass and go inspect a tapestry for flaws.......cause that's how knitpicky your ass is.… Expand
  17. Wylie
    Nov 19, 2011
    9
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim far surpasses oblivion in my opinion. you can fight dragons, dual wield spells, and combine them for "super" spells, or have a one handed weapon in one hand and a spell in the other , you have shouts which are pretty much powerful spells,open world, wide selection of skills and talents.one very awsome game.
  18. Mivix
    Jan 13, 2012
    10
    Game of the year 2011! Maybe also the best RPG ever. Story, gameplay, characters, voice acting, everything is perfect. All the flaws from the past elder scrolls games are gone. Almost no bugs, missing textures or broken mechanics. Only a big open world with lots of good quests, monsters and items. Highly recommended!
  19. BlackBird79
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Ok, I agree with all the positive reviews and i admit that i am very pleased with the game. It is a fresh air in the RPG genre for quite a long time, and especially after the flop DragonAge2 was.

    I am in the game something like 12 hours and my only disappointment is the lack of interpersonal relations with any of your followers or with any of the NPCs. This is something that in other    Ok, I agree with all the positive reviews and i admit that i am very pleased with the game. It is a fresh air in the RPG genre for quite a long time, and especially after the flop DragonAge2 was.

    I am in the game something like 12 hours and my only disappointment is the lack of interpersonal relations with any of your followers or with any of the NPCs. This is something that in other RGPs was marveled and praised by players...

    That's the only thing i think the game lacks. Maybe though i am too early in, do not know. I ll see what comes next.    … Expand
  20. AdamC
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    This game is a masterpiece. I am a person who was prejudiced against this game from before iteven came out. I do not like any previous Bethesda games really, with the massive world, detailed RPG elements and lack of a solid storyline unattractive qualities in a game. Skyrim is different. Easily accessablle menus and systems make the game seem less daunting, while also providing moreThis game is a masterpiece. I am a person who was prejudiced against this game from before iteven came out. I do not like any previous Bethesda games really, with the massive world, detailed RPG elements and lack of a solid storyline unattractive qualities in a game. Skyrim is different. Easily accessablle menus and systems make the game seem less daunting, while also providing more content than there was to be had in previous game. Gorgeous graphics (especially in the constellation skill building system- wow!) and an astouding attention to detail are but one reason to play the hell out of this thing. It is more additive than any shooter I have played (and I have burned hundreds of hours playing CoD games alone) with the mind-boggling number of quests and options for customization allowing the player to make their own Skyrim. If you want to only play the main storyline, you can, but I can assure you, you will be missing out. The greatest achievement here is the choice given to the player- you can explore the universe however and as extensively as you want. A barebones playthrough, or an every-nook-and-cranny approach (or anything in between) are equally possible and fun. To me, storyline is the most important part of games, and this game has a respectable plotline. While certainly not up there with the Bioware games (Mass Effect, KOTOR, check them out, they are amazing) the gameplay is more than enough to make this a splendid experience for anyone. The only reason I give this a 9 instead of a 10 is the occaisional glitches and bugs. This is unfortunately an issue, and you will sometimes get stuck in a corner or have some other problem, but it is extremely ppolished in comparison to previous games, particularly the laggy and bug-ridden Fallout New Vegas. No matter what your thoughts on previous Bethesda titles are, GET SKYRIM. No matter what games you like, GET SKYRIM. I promise you you will love this game to death, and you might well be playing it for that long too.… Expand
  21. Hell-Piercer
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    You all expect this game to be perfect, all you people who rated the game so badly just look for the down falls of the game and not the highlights do you people buy the game just to look for the bugs and the glitches so that you can write a review about how bad the game is? This game has many good things about it if you would all just look beyond the simple bugs, graphical glitches and UIYou all expect this game to be perfect, all you people who rated the game so badly just look for the down falls of the game and not the highlights do you people buy the game just to look for the bugs and the glitches so that you can write a review about how bad the game is? This game has many good things about it if you would all just look beyond the simple bugs, graphical glitches and UI problems (Of which i had no problems with what so ever with). This game has many hours of game-play, a huge area to explore and very challenging monsters and creatures to fight. Just because you cannot sit there casting a spell to level yourself up, or run an opponent to a guard and have him kill your enemies for you, that's what makes the game more challenging. Also the people who play the game on its easiest difficulty finish the game in 10 hours then say "its a **** game cause its too easy" are just too stupid to understand that a game isn't supposed to be all fun, it's also supposed to be challenging so that when you actually do something that is hard in the game then you have that sense of accomplishment that you did something that is difficult to do, you haven't play a game properly until you have finished it on the hardest difficulty slayed the strongest creatures and obtained the strongest items (Or created them). I hope you people will learn a thing or 2 about my post....… Expand
  22. bj0rkn3s
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    I think this is an awesome game. Everything is positive in this game.
    The only negative is that it can be too much to do sometimes, so you never get bored at least.
  23. EggrollShop
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    By far the best Elder Scrolls Game in the series. Many different innovations and despite the many glitches (check youtube if you want to see all of them) the game is amazing. Though killing dragons can get tedious as well as monotonous it is still a very enjoyable experience that I recommend for fans of fantasy style RPG's. It's a huge ever evolving world that requires lots of time andBy far the best Elder Scrolls Game in the series. Many different innovations and despite the many glitches (check youtube if you want to see all of them) the game is amazing. Though killing dragons can get tedious as well as monotonous it is still a very enjoyable experience that I recommend for fans of fantasy style RPG's. It's a huge ever evolving world that requires lots of time and patience but in the end you leave the experience with not only the sense of accomplishment but the urge to continue exploring different towns and trying different outcomes. If you like this game you will play it for days on end if not years to come.… Expand
  24. jshkorn
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Here is my opinion of Skyrim so far, I've logged 27 hours in so far. I am in love with this game. It combines my love for Real life Nordic people with the awesome Elder Scrolls lore. I was blown away with the opening scene, simply amazing. The gameplay is awesome. I really like how peoples heads track you when you move around them. As if they're real people. The AI is pretty good in myHere is my opinion of Skyrim so far, I've logged 27 hours in so far. I am in love with this game. It combines my love for Real life Nordic people with the awesome Elder Scrolls lore. I was blown away with the opening scene, simply amazing. The gameplay is awesome. I really like how peoples heads track you when you move around them. As if they're real people. The AI is pretty good in my opinion. I feel like I'm actually part of their world and they are not just there for me to talk to, or kill. The terrain is pretty accurate as well. beautiful pines, birches and aspens. beasts that actually look like real world beasts. The first time I seen a dog and a child, I was like, about time! Though there were dogs in TES:IV they looked rather bland. The dogs are very life like in this game. I love the crafting that they have brought into the game. you can make every piece of gear or kit you'll ever need in game. From armor to swords and potions to a salmon steak. Mining, skinning, chopping wood, fishing. All very awesome.

    Now on for my very small complaint. The IU is terrible, much rather have the oblivion or a hybrid of the Fallout UI than this one. As well as the mouse speed. Even on the fastest setting the mouse tracking is slow. Your arms and armor to not receive any damage, which I got a little disheartened about after seeing such amazing blacksmith set ups throughout the game. I was hoping that there would be a cross over from the Fallout series where you could use two of the same items to repair one and etc. As for leveling up and skills. This was kind of hard to figure out but after a few level ups I started to get the hang of it. As for combat, I'm getting rather tired of my followers getting in my way and taking a blow from my axe instead of my enemies. I hope there is a way I can fix this later on in game (a perk perhaps?) or someone makes a mod to fix the problem. Also, The only challenge I seem to get is by fighting giants and mammoths. Everyone else is usually dead in 2-4 hits without me getting less that 90% hp in damage. Well, this is my person opinion about this game. I have enjoy it very much so far and plan on having many more hours of fun with it, I'm not even 10% done with it as I've been exploring and taking in the wonder views. Amazing job Bethesda. I only wish that I could have afforded that $2,000 gaming PC I wanted for this game and the collectors edition.    … Expand
  25. thisistheguru
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    I have been a fan of Elder Scrolls and despite not able to complete Oblivion (Gave up due to heavy travels and it was a year before I realized its too late to play). But I enjoyed it nevertheless. About a year ago, I took Oblivion off my shelves and installed it but this time I also patched with the mod's that were touted as great and that really enhanced my game experience. So I wasI have been a fan of Elder Scrolls and despite not able to complete Oblivion (Gave up due to heavy travels and it was a year before I realized its too late to play). But I enjoyed it nevertheless. About a year ago, I took Oblivion off my shelves and installed it but this time I also patched with the mod's that were touted as great and that really enhanced my game experience. So I was looking forward to Skyrim and when it was released I purchased it with much anticipation. Let me first give my gripes. My machine is fairly decent. 8GB RAM, 1GB ATI 3xxx HD graphics card, HD monitor and more than enough hard disk space than ever needed. Win 7 64 Bit. No weird programs or software running. And yet when I cranked to HD levels of graphics, the game was sluggish and was performing in Slow Motion. I loathe to think that a 1GB Graphics card RAM is not enough for running a game smoothly. Pity! Now I am debating whether to invest in a new graphics card splurging a few hundred bucks just for a single game. Now for the good part and some game gripes! I enjoyed the intro. I enjoyed the setup. And I am enjoying the quests. Despite the piss poor documentation that game with the game, I am certain that I am not doing justice by making the most of the experience. For e.g. using the smelters, workbench, grinding stone, forge, alchemy set etc. There is nothing to indicate how to use these, in what order. Like many in this world of gamer, I am a causal player who plays a lot but does not dwell into the physics and math of the game. So boo-hoo to players like me, who just wander the maps and just kill wolves, bandits but don't realize that there is a world of stuff just beyond that. There are several forums available but then like any good value garnered by good information, I am soaked in too much information. I am not that patient and I do not want lack of information to ruin my game experience. And the key mapping was much better in Oblivion (found a Mod which makes it easier). I also use a controller called Razer Nostromo and I find playing this game a much better experience than using my keyboard. For the game itself, I am awed by the depth and length of it. Combat is evolved (despite my always freezing in the middle and getting killed for it). Overall, I am going to enjoy and I will resist the temptation of using cheat codes (its a boon and a bane).… Expand
  26. Eebahgum
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    Well what can I say? I am absolutely enjoying this game. The graphics are fantastic. I'm finding it much easier to play with a joypad instead of keyboard and mouse at the moment. Loving the unintentional humour bits from the glitches. I'm having no trouble with loading times either, get yourself a faster computer if this is the case. The only bug bear I have about these sort of games areWell what can I say? I am absolutely enjoying this game. The graphics are fantastic. I'm finding it much easier to play with a joypad instead of keyboard and mouse at the moment. Loving the unintentional humour bits from the glitches. I'm having no trouble with loading times either, get yourself a faster computer if this is the case. The only bug bear I have about these sort of games are the many books. I don't read most of them and feel I'm missing out on the lore. Can't the developers just keep them to a page long?… Expand
  27. ShadowRamen
    Jan 18, 2012
    9
    Wow. I don't even know where to start with this game. it has so much going for it. first of all, the game looks beautiful. the new engine does wonders for the game this this time. characters look fantastic compared to the last installment. then theres the world. the world is massive. and you can go anywhere you want straight out of the gate. i have over 60 hours in the game so far, and iWow. I don't even know where to start with this game. it has so much going for it. first of all, the game looks beautiful. the new engine does wonders for the game this this time. characters look fantastic compared to the last installment. then theres the world. the world is massive. and you can go anywhere you want straight out of the gate. i have over 60 hours in the game so far, and i havent even been to all the main areas. nevermind the tons of small settlements and dungeons that are literally everywhere. the world is massive and beautiful. and every character has there own personality. there own story. they may not be interesting, but there all there. that brings me to my first problem. even thought a great amount of detail has gone into these characters, they dont feel life like. they dont seem to be remotely interested in what there saying to you. and thats a shame. but its a hard thing to do. and even though its not done the best, its still miles above the competition. moving onto the gameplay, skyrim has kept its combat pretty much the same as oblivion. because it works. very well. its really my favorite part of the game. everything is smooth and fluent. then theres the story. there is so much story in this game, that i cant begin to talk about it without taking up the rest of the review. so its good. very good. theres over 100 hours of it. with every good thing that game brings out, there seems to be a lot of not so good things to go with them. i bought the game for PC. and its very buggy. there is so many bugs, its become a sport with me and my friends to find the most hilarious one. floating people, killer props, and liquid ground are all present here. i guess what im saying is that the game is great, but with many problems. i still recomend picking it up.… Expand
  28. Jonathanp55
    Nov 27, 2011
    8
    It is a fun game. Great main story, fun game play, beautiful graphics, open world. But its not all good. The side missions, for example, the Mages Guild in this game just sucks. I mean, when you complete the mission, its like they say "good job, now here you win" and thats it! Blood graphics are still not impressive for an M rated game. ALOT of glitches in the game, usually major glichesIt is a fun game. Great main story, fun game play, beautiful graphics, open world. But its not all good. The side missions, for example, the Mages Guild in this game just sucks. I mean, when you complete the mission, its like they say "good job, now here you win" and thats it! Blood graphics are still not impressive for an M rated game. ALOT of glitches in the game, usually major gliches that probably are figured out by now. Overall a good game, but please Elder Scroll, work on side quests too!… Expand
  29. jefersonrg123
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    Sem duvida alguma, o melhor jogo que ja joguei! mesmo nao gostando de RPG eu estou jogando e adorando! tambem é o primeiro game que digo que me prendeu a frente do computador por mais tempo! Com certeza merece GOTY!!!
  30. Merowech
    Nov 30, 2011
    9
    Good:
    Very nice graphic. Even with an average graphic card. Dont understand people dont like/see that. Wonderfull distance view of the landscape. Perfect RPG atmosphere with a well written storyline. Interactive citicen behavior. It makes you feel living in that world. AI react different how you behave. NPC talking about your progress in game. very nice.
    Poor: Controlling. You can see    Good:
    Very nice graphic. Even with an average graphic card. Dont understand people dont like/see that. Wonderfull distance view of the landscape. Perfect RPG atmosphere with a well written storyline. Interactive citicen behavior. It makes you feel living in that world. AI react different how you behave. NPC talking about your progress in game. very nice.

    Poor:
    Controlling. You can see that it is controler coded and ported for Keyboard and mouse. Sometimes hard to select options with the mouse. So i cant give 10/10. ;-)

    Overall it is one of my best RPG i have ever played.    … Expand
  31. ProxyXIII
    Nov 30, 2011
    9
    I found this game thoroughly enjoyable even though it was an obvious console port and streamlined to hell. I thought game could have gone over and had more features added or redone. It just feels like it is missing so many things, and things taken out that should have stayed. I came from Morrorwind and Oblivion, and those two honestly had more content, even so, I enjoyed this game and whatI found this game thoroughly enjoyable even though it was an obvious console port and streamlined to hell. I thought game could have gone over and had more features added or redone. It just feels like it is missing so many things, and things taken out that should have stayed. I came from Morrorwind and Oblivion, and those two honestly had more content, even so, I enjoyed this game and what it offered. Being able to jump into the Elder Scrolls world was nice and I did notice the game running alot better than Bethesda's recent games.

    I'm playing it on the PC, and so far hadn't had any problems with crashes, only when I'm alt+tabbing constantly. For those of you that do play on the PC and didn't notice, you can add hotkeys to your equipment from the favorites menu.

    I've tried this game on the console as well and I have to say, I'm glad I'm a PC gamer. The console version of this is too jittery and buggy. Still I wish the devs would think more about the PC community, and stop streamlining everything. I miss the complexity of a game and now everything is made for the convenience for kids and people who are too lazy to get into the learning curve

    All in all, the game is fun and anticipating the upcoming DLCs and mods.    … Expand
  32. Etrute
    Jan 9, 2012
    9
    Skyrim is an excellent way to pass time, slay dragons and get your butt firmly kicked by a frost troll in the first hour of gameplay. The game offers (as i read somewhere else) a veritable "country-in-a-box". a Beautiful one at that too. Combat is much better than Morrowind and about the same level as Oblivion, stealth is reasonably unchanged as well. Im thinking the magic system is anSkyrim is an excellent way to pass time, slay dragons and get your butt firmly kicked by a frost troll in the first hour of gameplay. The game offers (as i read somewhere else) a veritable "country-in-a-box". a Beautiful one at that too. Combat is much better than Morrowind and about the same level as Oblivion, stealth is reasonably unchanged as well. Im thinking the magic system is an interesting way of going about it, instead of making a new spell that does only so much fire damage and ice damage, you just put fire on the left, ice on the right, and go to town. Now, i don't know how many of my fellow reviewers have tried to make a fantastic storyline with no issues and gripping gameplay through and through (*In a sandbox world*) but for what it is (certain storylines do fall flat oddly), its pretty awesome. While you still feel the fact that your a player in a world full of npc's, just looking at how much they have improved since oblivion is great. No doubt, might i add, once you done with what the devs have created, it can grow exponentially from there with the modding community that has already polished the graphics and will within a reasonable amount of time start unleashing their own mini-countries onto the interwebs.

    Tl,Dr; Devs made a wonderful sandbox game. Storys fall flat rarely (but disappointingly). Great if you enjoy stalking your prey.    … Expand
  33. HellzYeah
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I started out playing this game with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. However, as I kept playing I started to notice that it was becoming increasingly harder to come back to the game, especially after I had beaten the main questline. The RPG elements are oversimplified, crafting is easy when you can buy most of your supplies at the vendors. Its a good game, while you canI started out playing this game with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. However, as I kept playing I started to notice that it was becoming increasingly harder to come back to the game, especially after I had beaten the main questline. The RPG elements are oversimplified, crafting is easy when you can buy most of your supplies at the vendors. Its a good game, while you can enjoy it. It does however get very repetitive and boring super quickly though. It does take a long time to notice the little things that make you get bored but I think that's a point for the developers on that subject.… Expand
  34. mymyst
    Jan 11, 2012
    9
    Fairly the best game of the Eldar Scrolls line. They improved like every part of the last games and implemented some new stuff. .For those who where already used to the Eldar Scrolls game style its a must have, for all the others its the very best beginning to this game row.
  35. InfinityBlaze
    Mar 25, 2012
    10
    I do not know why all these negative reviews are cropping up. Oh well, haters gonna hate. Anyway, this game is hands down one the best games I have ever played, gorgeous visuals, tons of content, and a epic modding community makes this GOTY 2011.
  36. sh1488
    May 14, 2012
    10
    if you buy one game this year make it skyrim the amount of content is worth the price. unlike most games nowadays .ive spent hours in this game already and ive barely touched the main story the side quests and random things you fine are so good you have gamer ADD on what to do next its awesome.
  37. FranCP
    May 16, 2012
    10
    The first time that I play a RPG..... and all that I want to say is: THIS GAME IS AWESOME, the graphics are so good, the gameplay is amazing, its a fantastic and addictive game.
  38. Dtweak
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    Skyrim in many ways is the best game ever made. You can always think of hundreds of ways to make it better and its got numerous bugs (including some game breaking ones); yet it still holds onto a 8.1 user score.
  39. vildemare
    May 19, 2012
    10
    Excellent game! Worth every cent! Maybe a bit repetitive from time to times, but who cares when it feels so good! The inventory and skill access maybe quite crude anc could be more innovatie, but you'll live and get used to it. Awesome game.
  40. chronoT
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    On the right PC there is NO denying this game looks graphically delicious. Definitely much better than the previous Elder Scrolls in almost every way, Skyrim is a huge game with loads of content and locations. It is truly fun to level up your character and progress across the map, the game makes you feel immersed in this snowy, yet stunning landscape. I really enjoy how you can make aOn the right PC there is NO denying this game looks graphically delicious. Definitely much better than the previous Elder Scrolls in almost every way, Skyrim is a huge game with loads of content and locations. It is truly fun to level up your character and progress across the map, the game makes you feel immersed in this snowy, yet stunning landscape. I really enjoy how you can make a single character be pretty much everything, from a sword and shield wielding knight to a Mage with a staff, or whip out dual-wielding axes. I have to say that Skyrim has some of the best music/soundtrack of any game, and it mixes SO WELL with this world. You feel so free when you play this game, in a good and fluent way. It is easy to determine what you can and can't handle and you would think traveling is a chore, but its just too fun. A few things I would like to see changed for their MMO though would have to be a more diverse SET of voice acting for NPCs so its not so repetitive, and also the combat. Although I think the combat is ok, it certainly isn't the best. At times it is downright annoying especially in smaller spaces. There is the occasional repetition with dungeons as well, but they still feel pretty unique and treasure hunting is always a blast.… Expand
  41. TheGamer31
    Aug 2, 2015
    8
    Easily one of the best RPG games out there. Amazing graphics that still hold up (for the most part) today, almost 4 years after the game's release. There are a lot of problems that can break immersion and keeps my score from being a 9 or a 10. For example there a handful of bugs in the game like the infamous giant glitch, or how sometimes bodies will sink through the floor or terrain, orEasily one of the best RPG games out there. Amazing graphics that still hold up (for the most part) today, almost 4 years after the game's release. There are a lot of problems that can break immersion and keeps my score from being a 9 or a 10. For example there a handful of bugs in the game like the infamous giant glitch, or how sometimes bodies will sink through the floor or terrain, or the also infamous intro glitch. There is also the problem that even though there are many decisions in the game none of them really change the game, and what I mean by this is that you can do a quest to kill somebody or retrieve some ancient artifact that is really hard to get and bring it back to someone, it doesnt do sh*t to the rest of the game world. That being said there are a lot of good things, like the music, gameplay, the base story, how large the world is, and the list goes on.… Expand
  42. criticalwind
    Dec 19, 2012
    10
    I've always liked the Elderscrolls series and Skyrim was a fun and enjoyable game to play. I also have a love for modding video games so the Creation Kit adds an extra joy to the game by allowing me to create new content and customize the game to suit my play style.
  43. that_danish_guy
    Mar 23, 2013
    9
    this is an medieval, adventure, Explorer, with All the RPG elements possible. a big nice world with a nice map design a lot of gameplay and exploration. i must say the Graphics are amazing and i would have rated it 10 if it wasnt beacause of all the bugs that makes you rage sometimes but still a price potential game i would suggest it to every RPG player and FPS lover you will love it.
  44. PStakhiv
    May 17, 2013
    9
    This isn't a perfect game lack of memorable characters, lack of really enjoyable missions, the main plot isn't that good. But Skyrim is one of the most beautiful open world RPG out there, just being there and be able to participate in Civil War, build your career in guilds great pleasure!
  45. TomSoapEdyBacon
    Jun 6, 2013
    9
    I was sceptical about this game when it was released, I didn’t want to be running around with magic and swords but as a big fan of fallout I needed something to quench the thirst of waiting for fallout 4. So I bought this game and played with an open mind, only to find out it is one of the greatest video games I have ever played. So much to love about this game, so detailed, so beautiful,I was sceptical about this game when it was released, I didn’t want to be running around with magic and swords but as a big fan of fallout I needed something to quench the thirst of waiting for fallout 4. So I bought this game and played with an open mind, only to find out it is one of the greatest video games I have ever played. So much to love about this game, so detailed, so beautiful, so dense with plots and stories of this universe. So open to explore and choose your own journey. So many stories to tell and numerous times I have been overwhelmed at the epicness of what things happened to me. Thank you Bethesda.… Expand
  46. mcminnra
    Jul 23, 2013
    9
    Perfection of the highest order. I loved TES series before Skyrim and this just culminates everything I love into one game. The story is epic and draws you in. The world is detailed, and the combat is excellent crafted. If you love RPG's or action game, then do not miss this one. No other game has me coming back quite like this one. Everything I turn o the game, even though I've playedPerfection of the highest order. I loved TES series before Skyrim and this just culminates everything I love into one game. The story is epic and draws you in. The world is detailed, and the combat is excellent crafted. If you love RPG's or action game, then do not miss this one. No other game has me coming back quite like this one. Everything I turn o the game, even though I've played ~200ish hours, I always find something new or some new place to explore.… Expand
  47. LairdEJM
    Sep 11, 2013
    10
    A glorious masterpiece of a game, which is literally a country for you to explore and become part of. The graphics are sublime, the endless quests are intriguing, mysterious and compelling, the customisation of your character and what he/she chooses to do is liberating and a stroke of genius.
    The added DLC is also all worth getting and worth the money, something which I VERY rarely say    A glorious masterpiece of a game, which is literally a country for you to explore and become part of. The graphics are sublime, the endless quests are intriguing, mysterious and compelling, the customisation of your character and what he/she chooses to do is liberating and a stroke of genius.
    The added DLC is also all worth getting and worth the money, something which I VERY rarely say these days.

    Honestly, in my humble opinion, arguably the greatest achievement so far in the realm of video games.    … Expand
  48. InsaneCupcakes
    Nov 14, 2015
    10
    STORY:
    4.5/5

    GRAPHICS:
    4/5

    GAMEPLAY:
    3.5/5

    FLAWNESS-NESS:
    1.5/5

    Too many bugs to count :( Not One, but TWO questlines broke due to bugs! There is an ongoing joke about Bethesda not having quality inspection, and sometimes, I believe they're right.

    >>> OVERALL
  49. LethalMuffin
    Nov 17, 2014
    10
    The Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim has trapped me and I can't leave my chair, can't stop playing. I keep telling my self to stop playing and do my math work, but no I have to play Skyrim. This game has possessed me plz send help.

    This game is Gr8, I R8 8/8, M8!!!!!!!!
  50. annorius
    Apr 27, 2015
    10
    Update 4/27/15 - 10/10 (9.5) to push this game rating back to what it should be.

    Paid mods have been removed and the battle has been won, thank you to all the soldiers in our fight.
  51. Niroo
    Mar 15, 2012
    8
    After finishing most of the main story-lines, I quickly started to lose interest in the game as by that time there was no longer a goal to aspire to and the mechanics of Skyrim's open world were rather ill concealed. Feeling mildly disappointed, I then discovered that I had already played the game for a good 90 hours and quickly revised my opinion: it'd be rather odd to be disappointed byAfter finishing most of the main story-lines, I quickly started to lose interest in the game as by that time there was no longer a goal to aspire to and the mechanics of Skyrim's open world were rather ill concealed. Feeling mildly disappointed, I then discovered that I had already played the game for a good 90 hours and quickly revised my opinion: it'd be rather odd to be disappointed by 90 hours of fun for a â… Expand
  52. Praesi
    Feb 14, 2013
    10
    Yes, Skyrim has some little contra points like the Console like Inventory and a little bug here and there. But the World of Skyrim will blow your mind away. Countless Dungeons, Keeps and other Stuff to explore. The World is huge, so big you will have to spend 200h+ to explore every location. The Charme and Style of Skyrim creates the best Sandboxgame out there. Gameplayfun is unreached toYes, Skyrim has some little contra points like the Console like Inventory and a little bug here and there. But the World of Skyrim will blow your mind away. Countless Dungeons, Keeps and other Stuff to explore. The World is huge, so big you will have to spend 200h+ to explore every location. The Charme and Style of Skyrim creates the best Sandboxgame out there. Gameplayfun is unreached to this day Thats why i gave a 10. Thank´s Bethesda.
    P.S: Go FO4!!    … Expand
  53. sabbede
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Hands down the greatest cRPG I have played since... Well, to be honest, the last Bethesda game. Unlike every other game they have put out, this game is STABLE! The most stable and (major) bug free game they have ever released. It is:
    Deep
    Immersive Fun Addictive Beautiful Is it perfect? No. For example, I would have preferred full DX11 support. But it is so good, I can easily    Hands down the greatest cRPG I have played since... Well, to be honest, the last Bethesda game. Unlike every other game they have put out, this game is STABLE! The most stable and (major) bug free game they have ever released. It is:
    Deep
    Immersive
    Fun
    Addictive
    Beautiful

    Is it perfect? No. For example, I would have preferred full DX11 support. But it is so good, I can easily forgive the minor flaws. Buy this game.
    Love it.
    Live it.    … Expand
  54. Fanonymous
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Skyrim may be my favorite game of 2011 to date, and that was after I had waited for Batman: Arkham City with the greatest anticipation. Skyrim beat Arkham by enough that I may have to finish the Batman game next year. Something to look forward to.

    Gameplay has improved significantly over Oblivion. Where Oblivion's skill based system was often confusing and complex, Skyrim has made it very    Skyrim may be my favorite game of 2011 to date, and that was after I had waited for Batman: Arkham City with the greatest anticipation. Skyrim beat Arkham by enough that I may have to finish the Batman game next year. Something to look forward to.

    Gameplay has improved significantly over Oblivion. Where Oblivion's skill based system was often confusing and complex, Skyrim has made it very straight forward to understand. The best part is you don't really have to create a character "class". Instead you can simply choose your own play style and your skill will level up appropriately. I love the freedom of play style this offers.

    Unlike the seemingly barren landscape of Oblivion, the land of Skyrim is vast and filled with adventures at every turn. I've wandered for hours and not reached an obvious border, though I know they are out there. And this game encourages exploration like no other game before it. Just heading back from one quest I ran into a new village and three new dungeon areas and finally had to call it quits for the day even though I was constantly tempted to look around "just one more bend in the road."

    NPC's are a treat as well. Instead of the cardboard mannequin's of Oblivion, the NPC's in Skyrim are alive. You can sit, watch and listen as they go about their daily business. And they react to your presence even if you don't approach them. Sometimes a new quest line will be opened up by an NPC who approaches my character asking for assistance. The entire experience is incredibly organic. Nothing like the silly "look for the exclamation mark over the NPC's head" of the MMO world. The graphics of Skyrim do have issues. While it is easy to tweak the game to get good performance, the textures often look better at a distance than they do close up. Of course, I spend so much time gazing off into the distance looking for that next adventure, I am never bothered by the few muddy textures around me.

    There are glitches. Skyrim is not just a computer game, it is a great big computer game with a vast complex environment and interactive items everywhere. So to expect it to be perfect is unrealistic. The flaws never are significant enough to destroy my immersion. I'm know there are obsessive types who will examine every brick and bristle with the occasional NPC that gets stuck in a conversation loop. Frankly if the immense amount of content and imagination that Skyrim has to offer on the plus side does not make up for the rare problems, you probably won't be satisfied by a video game released this year.

    I honestly think that Skyrim is the game to play in 2011 if you can only play one.    … Expand
  55. Schuback
    Mar 26, 2016
    10
    This is what you call an open-world game. You go anywhere and do anything. As you explore the different areas, you'll see npcs doing their chores, going to bed at night, living out their day-to-day lives, wild creatures, fishes in the water, bandits, everything.. And DRAGONS!!! The world is alive!! The world is so beautiful. A truly immersive experience you wouldn't want to miss. It is aThis is what you call an open-world game. You go anywhere and do anything. As you explore the different areas, you'll see npcs doing their chores, going to bed at night, living out their day-to-day lives, wild creatures, fishes in the water, bandits, everything.. And DRAGONS!!! The world is alive!! The world is so beautiful. A truly immersive experience you wouldn't want to miss. It is a much more in depth open-world as compared to newer games like Fallout 4, or the not-so-open world games like MGSV and The Witcher 3. Play good or bad. Join the thieves guild or be an assassin with the Dark Brotherhood. Play with magic or swing your sword while running around like a crazy person. You can get married or adopt a child. It's all entirely up to you!!.

    When you are given a quest, it's up to you on how you want to approach the situation. You want to fight everyone, you can. Sneak pass and play stealth, Yup. Set up traps, go archer? Magical spell so you can feel like Harry Porter or whatever? Or you might be even lucky enough to talk your way through in some cases. All is possible. Everything rarely feels scripted or linear and It doesn't demand that you approach it the way they want you to (ie MGSV and TW3). Story and side quests are mostly well written. It requires quite a few decision making and your decisions actually do change the world. It's bizarre. Characters are well designed too. The armour, the weapons are sooo awesome. They look nice and feel nice. Crafting is so addictive. Do not leave them out when playing this game. Music is nice (though I think Oblivion has better music). You can create your own character, male or female, have different races to choose from (not forced to play as random old man). And mods!!! The mods add so much. The graphics mod will make this game better looking than games lots of newer games.

    Overall, Skyrim is a game on a different level. It's the ultimate game to date that doesn't feel outdated in terms of the gameplay. Slap on a graphics mod and you will have the ultimate package. More than 500 hours spent on this game. Best! 10 out of 10!!    … Expand
  56. barbie
    Mar 12, 2012
    8
    love the new interface, love the streamlined perks system, love the graphics, even love the combat mechanics, what i hate though is the plot, it doesnt feel focused enough, and all the sidequests are rather boring. also i wish you could form deep relationships in the game like in Dragon age origins, make u sorta feel more attached to the wonderfully huge and impressive world. overalllove the new interface, love the streamlined perks system, love the graphics, even love the combat mechanics, what i hate though is the plot, it doesnt feel focused enough, and all the sidequests are rather boring. also i wish you could form deep relationships in the game like in Dragon age origins, make u sorta feel more attached to the wonderfully huge and impressive world. overall though i loved it, got a good solid 30 hours out of it before boredom kicked in.… Expand
  57. Yllems
    Dec 14, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Truly, a joy to play. Skyrim has a lot of great points and bad points that just can't be ignored. The Great. At first, the leveling and skill tree changes kind of bothered me, but I grew to like the changes, it's a little bit more simplified over oblivion for the leveling, moving to just magicka/health/stamina but the skill trees give a lot of room for diversification. There is a ton to do, so much so, it's hard to know for sure if you've done everything in an area. I particularly like the choices that are presented in some of the quests, for example, when joining the brotherhood. I liked the addition of the shouts in the game, gave a lot of the casting abilities for those who choose not to be a mage. I thought it was a cool idea to move the stars from what you were born under to the stones and I loved how they got rid of the greater and lesser skills and can level everything equally. I loved the enchants, as overpowered as they are, there's still a certain joy in completely destroying your enemy with gear that you've made.

    The Bad: Holy bugs batman... I've been running the game on a top of the line system and get game crashes about every 30min-1hr and get weird graphical gliches as well (which seem to go hand in hand most of the time). I had a companion quest bug out on me because I had cleared out the dungeon while exploring that they were gonna send me to and had to use console commands to fix it after waiting a month in game. Also had a similar story trying to get the house in windhelm, had to use console commands for that one too (who knew you couldn't do brotherhood quests first?). While I like the skill trees, It's doesn't take long to figure out that most of the skills in those trees are worthless (anyone else notice how light armor fully perked is completely worthless when held up against heavy armor fully perked?) and I was surprised and disappointed how many of the top tier perks fell into the worthless category. I was a bit bothered that mages can run around in heavy armor without any penalties, truly, it makes no sense why the mages at the college are all wearing cloth. Playing through on master difficulty is still too easy with the crafting skills as they are, especially enchanting, which can and does completely invalidate magicka altogether (sucks to find that out halfway into the game as a mage after power leveling your magicka). I REALLY wanted at least one item, just one, to be better than something I could make myself. (wth is the point of doing all those shrines if they're all gonna be worse than what you've got?)

    All in all, I know it sounds like I didn't like the game, but after putting in over 240 hrs, I just can't say that I didn't love it. The reply value is high, the entertainment value is high, the story is riveting, I just ended up having to gimp myself and not use certain skills to make it harder. (Currently playing through only using thief stone skills +1hd on master)    … Expand
  58. Verdan
    Apr 26, 2012
    8
    After i got this overhyped game, i had very high expectations. For me the graphics were very good, i was hoping the character i play to talk aswell and more choses in dialog´s. Story wise the game was letdown. General idea was awesome, but it took too long to get the general idea what is going on and side missions (Factions) gave cryptic ideals about their goals and how youAfter i got this overhyped game, i had very high expectations. For me the graphics were very good, i was hoping the character i play to talk aswell and more choses in dialog´s. Story wise the game was letdown. General idea was awesome, but it took too long to get the general idea what is going on and side missions (Factions) gave cryptic ideals about their goals and how you fit in em. Exploring the world and quick travels did make it simple, but you had feeling you are part of something huge. Sadly the main storyline was over pretty quickly and i lost interest doing side mission that led nowhere. Dragon fights were funny for a while, but then you are stuck just hoping the thing lands so you can keep going somewhere. Overall good game with awesome graphics (My standards).… Expand
  59. frast
    Dec 19, 2011
    9
    The game really great. It reminds of old times rpg'ów with a huge world and a large number of races, monsters, enemies, weapons, equipment. For this wonderful cool climate and as far as storyline and nice graphics. Very good game but not perfect by me and are annoying bugs in it that u are not really players can occur frequently (for example, you can see videos on youtube.) MyThe game really great. It reminds of old times rpg'ów with a huge world and a large number of races, monsters, enemies, weapons, equipment. For this wonderful cool climate and as far as storyline and nice graphics. Very good game but not perfect by me and are annoying bugs in it that u are not really players can occur frequently (for example, you can see videos on youtube.) My rating -8.5 / 10… Expand
  60. UNOCK
    Nov 15, 2011
    8
    A great game by all standards, but struggling with allot of flaws. The Elder Scrolls universe only grows with Skyrim, and it's great storytelling. Like it's predecessors, there is so much more than the main storyline to experience. There's a world to explore, and something that is waiting to happen around every bend, and over every hill. However, the game struggles in some areas.A great game by all standards, but struggling with allot of flaws. The Elder Scrolls universe only grows with Skyrim, and it's great storytelling. Like it's predecessors, there is so much more than the main storyline to experience. There's a world to explore, and something that is waiting to happen around every bend, and over every hill. However, the game struggles in some areas. Explanations for how certain stories got to end up in skyrim are lacking, and feels like they were put there for a convenient link to the past games, rather than as a new and thrilling story for you. The game also struggles from several techincall problems. Quests that can't be completed, and things flying left and right because you brushed past them. Still, this game is definitely the RPG of the year, and after 30 hours of gameplay, I've barely scratched the surface of the games full potential. Some patches, and this game will be a solid game, that can be enjoyed for years yet.… Expand
  61. randombanana
    Nov 15, 2011
    8
    I wish i could give this game the 10 it deservesl The problem is that an awesome concept is hold back by the same thing that hold back oblivion. And i refuse to give it more credit as its predecessor when it has not improved on these basic things. This is why i will take on all the bad parts first. I am talking about game breaking bugs (found at least 1 in the main quest), dragons flyingI wish i could give this game the 10 it deservesl The problem is that an awesome concept is hold back by the same thing that hold back oblivion. And i refuse to give it more credit as its predecessor when it has not improved on these basic things. This is why i will take on all the bad parts first. I am talking about game breaking bugs (found at least 1 in the main quest), dragons flying through solid mountains, NPC's floating around and way more. Then there also is the console designed menu thats horrendous on PC, slow loading textures and generally pretty bad texture work from up close. But now the good part. The game may have some bad textures from up close but the environment is beautifull, you will be stunned by all the amazing views this game has to offer. There is an insane amount of fun to be had while not even following the main story and i think this counterweights all the bad parts of this game. Dragonfighting is **** awesome and most of the times there will be some epic situation like finding a blood dragon attacking a village of enemies and another dragon joining in on the fun. I personally like the dragon shout system although i find it hard to find a good use for some of the shouts like frost breath that does allmost no damage but has a long cooldown. all in all good game but if you plan on buying it wait till it got some bug fixes by bethesda or the community.… Expand
  62. TheSleeve
    Nov 15, 2011
    8
    There are several shortcomings in Skyrim that keep it from reaching its full potential. First, the UI... It is painfully obvious that this game was designed to target the X360, and the PC version suffers as a result with a clunky user interface. Second, AI issues... I have played through the intro sequence only twice, and the second time through, there was a serious bug where my ally frozeThere are several shortcomings in Skyrim that keep it from reaching its full potential. First, the UI... It is painfully obvious that this game was designed to target the X360, and the PC version suffers as a result with a clunky user interface. Second, AI issues... I have played through the intro sequence only twice, and the second time through, there was a serious bug where my ally froze in place and left me to fend for myself. Third, the controls... It seems that very little care or caution was put into the PC control scheme, with awkward keyboard-only navigation of some menus, and Y-axis mouse sensitivity that scales with frame rate. - [][] - These three shortcomings aside, Skyrim excels in just about every thing it sets out to do. The main plot line is NOT the main attraction here. Skyrim is truly the spiritual successor to earlier games in the series such as Daggerfall, in the sense that it lets you simply exist in another world. Bethesda has created a virtual space for us to explore, experiment with, and spend time in, and it excels at keeping us entertained. - [][] - The character advancement system is interesting to explore, and the perks you can obtain are very satisfying. This system allows you to craft a unique set of skills for your character, and prevents you from simply from becoming all-powerful. - [][] - The difficulty scaling is implemented far better than it was in Oblivion. Everywhere you go, you get a sense that there are real threats to your safety, which keeps you in a constant state of alert. The perks, on the other hand, still give you a satisfying feeling that your character is constantly progressing. As a result, there is absolutely no reason to feel the need to level grind. I recommend playing the game on the hardest difficulty for maximum satisfaction. It's kind of like Left 4 Dead in that regard... playing on anything less than Expert is just boring... - [][] - I would like to give Skyrim a higher rating, but its shortcomings are difficult to forgive, especially considering how long this game has been in development. A great game, yes, but I kind of feel like PC gamers got the shaft, big time. I will therefore give it an 8.… Expand
  63. russellsw
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    This game is a masterpiece, its the game that we have been waiting for in 2011, (Most titles this year have been bad to say the least) My total score for this game would be a 10
  64. C-BAT
    Nov 17, 2011
    8
    Skyrim stays in the wave of Oblivion.... and that makes a masterpiece that deserve his price. Graphics are good enough to be convice by the world . Some people says that textures aren't very beautiful for 2011 but for me the gameplay and the open word are more important in this kind of game, and these parts are a great success. You are free to do what you want....and that's the spirit !Skyrim stays in the wave of Oblivion.... and that makes a masterpiece that deserve his price. Graphics are good enough to be convice by the world . Some people says that textures aren't very beautiful for 2011 but for me the gameplay and the open word are more important in this kind of game, and these parts are a great success. You are free to do what you want....and that's the spirit ! It's a game with huge potential. I was just dissapointed about the interface at first but you get used to it.… Expand
  65. zon21
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    This game three times and expands the content of Oblivion or fallout. Immense and sublime ambience, I think is the best buy of the year. I give a 10 :)
  66. phoenixfire82
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Game of the year. I've played over 50 hours now and am nearing the soft cap of level 50 yet I just keep coming back for more. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of the game. There's just so much to do, it can feel daunting at times. The story is well done, not only the main line but many of the side quests have a life of their own. This beautifully rendered world pulls youGame of the year. I've played over 50 hours now and am nearing the soft cap of level 50 yet I just keep coming back for more. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of the game. There's just so much to do, it can feel daunting at times. The story is well done, not only the main line but many of the side quests have a life of their own. This beautifully rendered world pulls you in and doesn't let go. This is the title you want to soak up and savor, never rush or skip a dialogue or you'll be doing yourself a disservice. I rated Skyrim a 9/10 because it is a blatant console port with an awful PC interface to show for it; -0.5 points. The character models are unattractive and the game's textures close up leave something to be desired; -0.5 points. Do not be fooled though, the game as a whole is beautiful and can give my gtx 580 a workout on ultra settings. Sometimes I just stop and take in the scenery. Amazing game. If you get one single player game this year, get Skyrim.… Expand
  67. qwasm
    Nov 19, 2011
    8
    Great open world goodness with at least 100 hours of gameplay. My only complaints are:
    - Terrible UI. Its a shame to release a game in 2011 with such a **** UI.
    - Bad companion AI. They always get in your way and block the doors, or rush into dozens of enemies and die. You have almost zero control over them.
    - Spiders. I hate them.
  68. Charodei
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    TES - is a world, which create a ethernal hope in our souls. Soundtrack, gameplay - all of this - perfecetally, devotion thing! All of fans of TES - this is our game.
  69. dardalen
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    Thus far I have found this too be a great game that lives up too, even goes beyond what I expect from the Elder Scrolls. It is still the #1 single player rpg series out there.
  70. Jamai36
    Nov 19, 2011
    9
    I've sunk about 35 hours into the game so far. I wanted to play it for quite awhile before I attempted a review so I could be at least somewhat accurate about my claims.

    + Insane amount of content. + Though dated, the graphics are still awesome. I just love the skies but everything is a little nicer. + Addictive and fun as all Elder Scrolls, maybe even moreso in some regards. - I've    I've sunk about 35 hours into the game so far. I wanted to play it for quite awhile before I attempted a review so I could be at least somewhat accurate about my claims.

    + Insane amount of content.
    + Though dated, the graphics are still awesome. I just love the skies but everything is a little nicer.
    + Addictive and fun as all Elder Scrolls, maybe even moreso in some regards.

    - I've had 3 crashes, a few glitches that messed up saves and a couple of quests broke for unknown reasons in really strange ways.
    - Console port hurts a bit, traitors! There are some UI inefficiencies like you have to use a keyboard to press ESC but then click to select say quests. Also in alchemy you are forced to use the mouse a bit when you should be able to just press Enter as everything else uses the keyboard. Stuff like that.
    - In the end it's really just a modded oblivion.

    Still, in the end I can't warrant anything less than a 9, as I've played this game more than most and it is still a truly magical experience in the end.
    -    … Expand
  71. Paraphis
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    I only ever got to level 25 in Oblivion before I got bored, including the expansions. I've already far surpassed that and am still feeling as immersed as ever. It's absolutely stunning landscapes and diverse flora and fauna alone can leave you gasping in awe, wishing you could just stand there for hours and just watch. The quests are a colossal improvement on the last games; as well as theI only ever got to level 25 in Oblivion before I got bored, including the expansions. I've already far surpassed that and am still feeling as immersed as ever. It's absolutely stunning landscapes and diverse flora and fauna alone can leave you gasping in awe, wishing you could just stand there for hours and just watch. The quests are a colossal improvement on the last games; as well as the levelling up system; crafting; combat; main storyline; AI; just about everything. I have to say, having an open world with seemingly endless, different things to do popping up on a constant basis keeps you excited and enthralled. I could roll on for hours, what matters is that this is easily the best game I've ever played. My only complaint is how console-based the inventory is. 10/10, once they work out the bugs.… Expand
  72. TruthfulReview
    Dec 11, 2011
    9
    Firstly, I'm not going to lie and say this is the best game of all time, because it isn't. However, it is a bloody good one with its outstanding graphics and phenominal storyline. However it does have some of its issues like any other game.

    I first was encouraged by friends to buy this game, even though I was some-what against the game by it's previous game which I have not been a massive    Firstly, I'm not going to lie and say this is the best game of all time, because it isn't. However, it is a bloody good one with its outstanding graphics and phenominal storyline. However it does have some of its issues like any other game.

    I first was encouraged by friends to buy this game, even though I was some-what against the game by it's previous game which I have not been a massive fan of. However, I have to say that me buying this game was one of the best decisions I have made in quite a while. This game kept me entertained for a very long time and its phenominally high graphics just fuelled my lust for this game.

    The game has some of the most advanced graphics I have seen throughout my 7 years of gaming experience, from its small scale detail to the massive mountains in the background, which is not just a picture but an actual place you can go without it changing detail ( If you get what I mean ). The fighting, whether it be from the melee or magic side is simply magical. The detail, the sound, the movement, the characters, all add a realness to it and thus, I shall be playing this game for a very long time revealing all of its advantages and secrets there is to offer...but even then I would only dent but a fraction of what this game has to offer.

    You can choose different races, genders and types of characters with a wide range of choice, which is what I value in the game...choice. As you play through the game, every single decision you make will affect the game; by slaughtering a village to deciding which way you wish to go, it will have an impact on your gameplay, which therefore makes this game impossible to finish.

    On the other hand, with this game you have to be careful what you do, like if you kill a woman 'Hildy' for example, in the first village you encounter she will not respawn...she is dead for good ( to my knowledge ). However, some may argue that this is to add realism and many value this as a good aspect of gaming.

    Furthermore, the range of enemies you encounter is far more than the decisions you make! From giant spiders to enemies of all races, you can slay almost anyone - even your allies!

    To tell you the truth, this game is almost faultless and you gain a real achievement from completing the game which takes you hours, if not weeks to complete. Unlike other games, you are guaranteed what you pay for with this game. A very enjoyable experience indeed.    … Expand
  73. colin_jack
    Dec 15, 2011
    9
    Excellent and huge game. Sure its buggy, very very buggy, but given the size and scope the bugs aren't a big deal. I'm also hopeful that there'll be DLC for it, but even if there isn't there's more than enough content to keep you happy.
  74. Runic12
    Dec 12, 2011
    8
    A pretty solid game but I feel it was lacking somewhat when compared to Oblivion in a few respects, first of it seemed a lot less complex in regard to levelling, there were fewer skill trees with some of my favourites missing such as unarmed combat. This is probably due to Bethesda trying to market the game to a wider audience but it just feels a bit dumbed down. Otherwise the graphicsA pretty solid game but I feel it was lacking somewhat when compared to Oblivion in a few respects, first of it seemed a lot less complex in regard to levelling, there were fewer skill trees with some of my favourites missing such as unarmed combat. This is probably due to Bethesda trying to market the game to a wider audience but it just feels a bit dumbed down. Otherwise the graphics were a vast improvement and the horrible Bethesda face has finally been removed from speech. It has been made more accessible and streamlined and the world felt a lot bigger. There is a lot to do and find and the freedom is immense like every elder scrolls, I'm still eagerly awaiting the DLC.… Expand
  75. Skilvalance
    Dec 14, 2011
    10
    I don't usually leave a review on a game, but in Skyrim's case it just has to be said. I've been gaming for nearly 27 years and RPGs are my favored type of genre. Skyrim takes everything that was incredible from Morrowind and the beauty and vastness of Oblivion and put's it together to create the most compelling and captivating game that i have ever played in all my days(seriously). NearlyI don't usually leave a review on a game, but in Skyrim's case it just has to be said. I've been gaming for nearly 27 years and RPGs are my favored type of genre. Skyrim takes everything that was incredible from Morrowind and the beauty and vastness of Oblivion and put's it together to create the most compelling and captivating game that i have ever played in all my days(seriously). Nearly 130 hrs later and i am still putting off the main quest as Skyrim take's me all over the land to the gorgeous city's then down into the ancient dwemer strongholds!. Theirs more content in this game that even an MMO would would have problems keeping up with. I do understand that some people will give it a low score, but due to content alone, Skyrim is well worth your money. if you play this game for even 10 hrs then that's more than you can squeeze from any other game made this year. my point is time/money with any game and in this case £39.99 is a frickin bargain ! One last point to make. The shear attention to detail this game delivers is awesome! If every company made their games with this much love and commitment like Bethesda has achieved then everybody on the planet would be Gamers by now. keep up the good work Beth, i take my slightly dented helmet off to you ;)… Expand
  76. Hirorir
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is more or less, ridiculously fun. It is well worth the $60 I pre-ordered it with, and is a vast improvement over ES4:Oblivion. Taking the graphics side by side, Skyrim most definitely has a thousand times better and more beautiful picture.
    Although the game started out with some pretty weird bugs and issues, they are meant to be fixed, like any other game's issues. I have yet to    Skyrim is more or less, ridiculously fun. It is well worth the $60 I pre-ordered it with, and is a vast improvement over ES4:Oblivion. Taking the graphics side by side, Skyrim most definitely has a thousand times better and more beautiful picture.
    Although the game started out with some pretty weird bugs and issues, they are meant to be fixed, like any other game's issues. I have yet to wait for the hi-res textures and the crash fixes; but aside from so, the game is amazing.
    I would rate this a 9.5 (minus 1 point for unfixed bugs), round up 10 due to the ugly faces that Bethesda has decided to have the elves succumb to (the 0.5 pts).    … Expand
  77. rpmcritic
    Mar 4, 2012
    8
    Bethesda has done an incredible job at recreating the elder scrolls, the Havok game engine creates the huge and extraordinary world of which is Skyrim. The endless Items and beautiful graphics and textures gives the game an extraordinary feel. Improvements to the game could be an MMO on the PC version and patches on some glitches within the game. Overall a Great story line and plenty ofBethesda has done an incredible job at recreating the elder scrolls, the Havok game engine creates the huge and extraordinary world of which is Skyrim. The endless Items and beautiful graphics and textures gives the game an extraordinary feel. Improvements to the game could be an MMO on the PC version and patches on some glitches within the game. Overall a Great story line and plenty of creatures to battle. I'm happy to see that the developers have kept the same game play as the Fallout series, yet tweaked it a little to fit the medieval theme... I hope the developers make a sequel to this brilliant series.… Expand
  78. Rufsian
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    Great videogame. Small dislikes but overall a true videogame experience. Sit back and let Bethesda make you feel rewarded for the money you spent on it.
  79. Atraiyu47
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    The sheer scale of this game is overwhelming. The world is breath-taking and feels alive. My only complaint lies in a general lack of character development. But this game doesn't live and die purely on the quality of story telling like a Bioware game. The freedom to explore such a massive world with seemingly endless things to do is a welcome break from the railroading we get in nearlyThe sheer scale of this game is overwhelming. The world is breath-taking and feels alive. My only complaint lies in a general lack of character development. But this game doesn't live and die purely on the quality of story telling like a Bioware game. The freedom to explore such a massive world with seemingly endless things to do is a welcome break from the railroading we get in nearly every other title.… Expand
  80. ed103
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    Superb game. Huge world where you can do whatever you feel like. Great story and fun combat (could be a bit better here). Skills and the tie with leveling is pretty cool. This is one of those games where you start playing, look up thinking 20 minutes passed but 4 hours really did. Very immersive.
  81. CMASC
    Mar 7, 2012
    9
    Yet another great installment of the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim improves all the great things we loved about Oblivion but yet it doesn't come close to Morrowind in storytelling and narrative, the main quest is rather short but the side quests makes it up for it, they are quite detailed and sometimes more interesting than the main quest itself, exploration is one of the greatest thingYet another great installment of the Elder Scrolls series, Skyrim improves all the great things we loved about Oblivion but yet it doesn't come close to Morrowind in storytelling and narrative, the main quest is rather short but the side quests makes it up for it, they are quite detailed and sometimes more interesting than the main quest itself, exploration is one of the greatest thing about Skyrim, having breathtaking scenery and locations makes it one of the best looking game today without mentioning there are games with better textures and graphical details out there, the score is yet once again written by one of my favorites composers of all times Jeremy Soule, jumping to the gameplay section the combat is an improvement over oblivion, rpg elements are simplified but it has been added more depth with the perks, to end my review I have to say it's quite hard to find something wrong with Skyrim, Maybe the interface isn't really good at the PC platform but still... this is one game that benefits from community mods, if you're planning to buy this game don't stop to think it's worth every penny and you won't be disappointed.… Expand
  82. TheInquisitor
    Mar 8, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think when talking about Skyrim we need to temper expectations with the reality of the gaming industry today. Gone are the days where the ACTUAL goal of the industry was to make really good games. The purpose now is to make money, so if we happen to get a really great game along the way, we should take the opportunity with both hands and let the industry know that's what we like. I think we've missed an opportunity with Skyrim, but at the other end of the spectrum. Nowhere near enough effort was put into the PC version (if the choice were up to me, I'd shaft the console versions completely and develop future TES games SOLELY for PC), as is shown by the terrible menus. The SkyUI mod looks much better and as soon as I finish this review I'm installing it myself. The menus on the PC version wreak of console and as a PC gamer I am offended by the utter contempt shown towards me in the way the menu system was essentially ignored.

    The combat mechanisms I can't really compare to any other TES because Skyrim is the first TES game I've played. What I can say is that if every blow dealt to, and by, the character was felt and had proper impacts then combat would just be annoying because as soon as you get hit, that's another second or two you're staggered and against more than one opponent it would simply infuriate most gamers, I suspect. As for people saying it's boring and bland...unless you want turn based strategic combat I think hack-and-slash is the best you're ever going to get.

    The tech tree are a bit of a worry as well because there are some I would simply never use. The alchemy tree, for instance, has been utterly useless to me. As has the Speech tree. On the magic side of things I've only used the Destruction and Restoration trees, but the other magic trees (Conjuration and Illusion) aren't in my sphere of playing interest so I can't comment on them. But destruction is well fun and blowing stuff up with Fireball or wiping out waves of Skeletons with Ice Storm is rather enjoyable. But Pickpocket and Lockpicking just seem like a waste of time in terms of spending perks on them when lockpicking only requires patience and pickpocketing only has to be done ONCE as a mandatory part of any quest in the whole game (as far as I know). The combat-based trees are pretty good I think and most of the perks are quite useful (not triggering pressure plates is a godsend in long dungeon crawls). Smithing and Enchanting, however are a problem. They are by far the most boring and costly to level up because of the sheer amount of raw materials needed to get your smithing to a high level. And enchanting items even purely as a means of increasing your enchanting level is time consuming and tedious. They should've been rescaled to allow much faster leveling than what is currently in place.

    The HUD (above and beyond the menu system) feels sluggish and slightly unresponsive to mouse movements ESPECIALLY in the menus and the world map. At times you can be just as prone to selecting the wrong fast travel destination as to selling the wrong weapon and finding yourself without your prized legendary-level Daedric bow.

    The difficulty levels in Skyrim seem to matter less and less as your character's strength increases. Currently as I play through on Adept difficulty, I might as well be playing on easiest for all the difficulty Trolls and Dragons are in the face of my Destruction magic but in earlier levels it does make a real difference in terms of whether you land that extra, and final, blow or whether you yourself get taken down by a finishing blow.

    As for the quests, I personally thoroughly enjoyed the main questline. I thought it was original, interesting, engaging and exciting, especially in some of the ruins. The main side-quests are also pretty good and were (and are) a lot of fun for me. The Dark Brotherhood and Thieves' Guild both return and equivalents of the Fighters' and Mages' Guilds also feature extended questlines. The complaints about most quests being "go here and kill this thing" or "go there and retrieve that thing" are unreasonable simply because it's not feasible to make a game where every side quest has a fleshed out plotline to it, especially in a game the size and scope of Skyrim. As for the lack of puzzles, I must admit that even I, a supreme fail at puzzle solving found so few puzzles to solve in this game that I was a little disappointed. Not only that, but all the puzzles were of the same type (more or less). On the topic of quests being linear, what else can they be? If they were totally open slather, giving free reign to players on finishing in whatever way they wanted, how would the game handle all the possible variables? I think linear dungeons is the ONLY way to make the game work.    … Expand
  83. Krell
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Skyrim is a great game, whether you're enjoying the great story to go alongside the main quest line, doing original, non-repetitive side quests, or just exploring the vast and wonderful world of Bethesda's creation. Flaws are few and far between within this game, but not nonexistent. Travel can be rather tedious, longer trips taking a good few play sessions. For PC gamers, lag exists evenSkyrim is a great game, whether you're enjoying the great story to go alongside the main quest line, doing original, non-repetitive side quests, or just exploring the vast and wonderful world of Bethesda's creation. Flaws are few and far between within this game, but not nonexistent. Travel can be rather tedious, longer trips taking a good few play sessions. For PC gamers, lag exists even in the very lowest possible graphics settings. Now that the problems have been gotten through, I'll list off a few positive features; There is an extreme amount of things to do other than the main storyline. You can even get married. the multiple groups available to join have a vast amount of sidequests, followers, and more to play around with. All around, this is a great game.… Expand
  84. BengalsfanAZ
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    Absolutely amazing. This is the first game I have ever rated a 10 and it is justified. This game is everything you want and more. I am not even a fan of the whole fantasy genre but, having played Oblivion, I was completely sold once playing this game. First, the pure depth of the game is staggering. The map itself is massive and there are so many towns, caves, nooks and cranny's toAbsolutely amazing. This is the first game I have ever rated a 10 and it is justified. This game is everything you want and more. I am not even a fan of the whole fantasy genre but, having played Oblivion, I was completely sold once playing this game. First, the pure depth of the game is staggering. The map itself is massive and there are so many towns, caves, nooks and cranny's to enter it will take you forever to discover them all. My biggest complaint about Oblivion was the inventory interface and the combat and Bethesda addressed both of these issues in Skyrim. The inventory is much easier to use and the "favorites" option simplifies it even further. Combat is much improved, with blocking, striking and casting being much easier and more realistic.

    EVERYONE should play this game. It is amazing and all of the mods out there make it even more enticing. The only reason I rated it a 9 and not 10 was because my ultimate game would be set in space, not Skyrim...I know that is stupid but I will never rate a 10 unless it is that. Star Citizen has potential though...    … Expand
  85. sethdeath321
    Jun 11, 2012
    9
    In my opinion, skyrim is among the most remarkable open world games of the decade. The game provides a huge amount of creative content carefully produced over more than 5 years, and is certainly worth buying. Every aspect of this massive world is tailored to near perfection, and from deep valleys, to yawning, subterranean caves, to the shear mountain peaks, the game looks magnificent. InIn my opinion, skyrim is among the most remarkable open world games of the decade. The game provides a huge amount of creative content carefully produced over more than 5 years, and is certainly worth buying. Every aspect of this massive world is tailored to near perfection, and from deep valleys, to yawning, subterranean caves, to the shear mountain peaks, the game looks magnificent. In a game this large, there are going to be glitches, perhaps more so during the PC experience, but skyrim is just as immersive as any of the other TES games, if not more so. Even after hundreds of hours of play, i still found more quests and options, better even then the one before it. Perhaps even more enchanting than the actual game play was the achingly beautiful soundtrack that accompanied the quests. This and other sounds of skyrim, voices a noises, added a level of realism here-for unattained. Though the main quest line grew tiresome after a while, and was over before you knew it, there were many others to take its place, like the thieves guild quests, the companions quests, and the dark brotherhood quests, all of which take turns that keep you guessing. For me, however, the best part was seeing my character develop, to a warrior, mage, or thief. the game interface was, at times, clunky. when trying to change weapons rapidly, exiting to the menu took me out of the experience in an annoying way, and the favorite menu wasn't much of a help. However, the leveling system was excellent, and continued to give the rewards that were necessary to keep my interest. Whats more, you didn't have to make all your big choices at the beginning of the game; you could actively decide your characters path through your own play style and preference. I discovered early on that spells were not my forte, so i focused instead on leveling my archery abilities, and just didn't use spells. Skyrim grants more freedom than almost any other game, and if you have the money, spend it on Skyrim, because it is more than worth it. I don't want to give it a perfect 10, because there were some stale bits and bugs occasionally did interrupt game play, consider it a 9.5! Thank you for reading, don't hate, and have a nice day.… Expand
  86. jigme
    Jan 26, 2013
    10
    Why a 10? Clearly the game has faults (starting with the awkward animation, the even more awkward UI, and a fair share of bugs). Yet all of these are quickly forgotten. Even though I play lots of other games, Skyrim keeps pulling me back in. I think it is because I can do whatever I want. I am not chained to the path the developers arranged. I can make any kind of character, and doWhy a 10? Clearly the game has faults (starting with the awkward animation, the even more awkward UI, and a fair share of bugs). Yet all of these are quickly forgotten. Even though I play lots of other games, Skyrim keeps pulling me back in. I think it is because I can do whatever I want. I am not chained to the path the developers arranged. I can make any kind of character, and do anything at all with it. This is so refreshing and liberating, that Skyrim stands like a giant amongst hordes of others games that might have better graphics or features, but keep us in a box. Skyrim is what Dragonage should have been. Now let us see if Elder Scrolls Online can bring this same magic.… Expand
  87. Kyo
    Dec 17, 2012
    8
    Skyrim is a great game and my first of the elder scrolls series, but to me I feel like it was hyped more then it needed to be. My friends told me to get it that it was amazing, fun and just dumb not to own it. So I got it, at first I was very impressed but as I continued I found myself getting bored; after running into a dungeon for the millionth time it just lost my interest. I would findSkyrim is a great game and my first of the elder scrolls series, but to me I feel like it was hyped more then it needed to be. My friends told me to get it that it was amazing, fun and just dumb not to own it. So I got it, at first I was very impressed but as I continued I found myself getting bored; after running into a dungeon for the millionth time it just lost my interest. I would find myself just sitting there saying "Ill just finish this dungeon and go to bed" after forcing myself to pick it back up.

    Other then that that game is fun for the most part, the scenery and size of the world is amazing, the music is just beautiful and exciting, tons of quests, you can explore for hours and find new things and places it is worth the money.

    The combat is kind of lack luster it feels very clunky and awkward most of the time like when you try to slash at someone it doesn't feel like you hit them, yet the kill cams are pretty amazing if not funny at times. To me Skyrim is a great game that was over hyped by fans. I went in expecting to have so much fun and an exciting experience, but got an average one instead much like a fantastic disappointment that was enjoyable. I know that sounds like I hated it, but I did enjoy it, it's just not my favorite game.    … Expand
  88. LethalThreat
    Dec 29, 2012
    10
    Skyrim, I love this game. I only wish my computer would be able to run this on high settings so it isn't laggy, but I'm not lowering my score because I can't play on good settings. The quest, the atmosphere, the people.. everything is great I have nothing bad to say about this game I haven't even come across a bug yet. There is defiantly more than enough places to explore I don't evenSkyrim, I love this game. I only wish my computer would be able to run this on high settings so it isn't laggy, but I'm not lowering my score because I can't play on good settings. The quest, the atmosphere, the people.. everything is great I have nothing bad to say about this game I haven't even come across a bug yet. There is defiantly more than enough places to explore I don't even think I explored half of them, seriously. Mods also make this game better, even though there isn't much more to add to make it better!… Expand
  89. Flaka
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    Except the interface, rather adapted for console, the game is absolutely amazing. But don't worry, there is already a great addon to perfect it for PC (Bethesda is with the serie The Elders Scrolls, like Mojang is with Minecraft, very mind opened, allowing fans to design mods with a special API).
  90. Obogo
    Oct 29, 2012
    9
    This game is absolutely stunning, it is by far the greatest RPG I have ever played and probably is the best out there today. This game isn't dumbed down for the console or for the modern gamer but it takes its roots from a true RPG, the world is giant and the amount of items and story this game has is ridiculous, there are thousands of caves and dungeons to be explored here, so many questsThis game is absolutely stunning, it is by far the greatest RPG I have ever played and probably is the best out there today. This game isn't dumbed down for the console or for the modern gamer but it takes its roots from a true RPG, the world is giant and the amount of items and story this game has is ridiculous, there are thousands of caves and dungeons to be explored here, so many quests to be accomplished, so many enemies to kill. The combat from previous games have been improved so much it made me feel like I was in true combat, every hit affects your enemy in a different way, staggers them or if their blocking you will staggered and fall back allowing you enemy to swing at you. The story is also more vast with 2 main quest lines to follow, one of them is for your Dragonborn roots, the other is for the freedom of Skyrim, these 2 story lines aren't the greatest but they are better than most on the market, but that doesn't even matter because it is everything else Skyrim is that does, the story is deep through the entire game, there are thousands of books you can read, different story lines that last for hours and give you more bite. The graphics also look fantastic, even without the HD texture pack, this game looks great throughout even though bad code early on did make this game quite laggy. With the addition of mods this game becomes the greatest there ever was for me. The quick travel is also another great addition but has been around for many years in the Elder Scrolls series, so it is nice not to have to run all over this huge map.
    Hats off to Bethesda, they have made a great game that all RPGs should be measured against.    … Expand
  91. D4rkAByss
    Dec 24, 2012
    10
    Amazing game. I have played nearly all of Bethesda's free roam games, all of them with mods and all of them good. Skyrim alone (without mods) is an amazing game, always something to do, huge amounts of quests, and Bethesda has made it Modder friendly by releasing the Creation Kit, so now easy to make mods, with Steam Workshop, easy to upload and download mods. Overall, a game worthAmazing game. I have played nearly all of Bethesda's free roam games, all of them with mods and all of them good. Skyrim alone (without mods) is an amazing game, always something to do, huge amounts of quests, and Bethesda has made it Modder friendly by releasing the Creation Kit, so now easy to make mods, with Steam Workshop, easy to upload and download mods. Overall, a game worth getting, a game worth playing.… Expand
  92. Tripnip14
    Jul 3, 2013
    9
    my complaints are that absolutely broken stealth system and the face that it is too easy to get rich quick in the end I merely adjusted my gameplay and purposely made it financially harder for my self). The "Epic" battles are pitifully small, and the plots are rather short, other than that the game is pretty good, with solid gameplay and an immersive atmosphere that makes it easy to getmy complaints are that absolutely broken stealth system and the face that it is too easy to get rich quick in the end I merely adjusted my gameplay and purposely made it financially harder for my self). The "Epic" battles are pitifully small, and the plots are rather short, other than that the game is pretty good, with solid gameplay and an immersive atmosphere that makes it easy to get into. It gave me many hours of enjoyment.… Expand
  93. s1mo
    Jan 5, 2013
    10
    Best game That i have ever played. Perfect graphics, AI, Realism and very detailed items. I recommend to purchase also DLC Hearthfire and Dawnguard. With hearthfire you will be able to build a house and adopt a child. You will have minecraft-like skyrim.
  94. Wills661
    Jan 12, 2013
    10
    I agree. i have played all editions of this series and loved every minute of them.Oblivion,Morrowwind and now i am partway thru Skyrim. Skyrim has better graphics and characters in the world of Skyrim . I would recommend this game on all platforms,PC,XBox Buy an enjoy.
  95. Pureray
    Dec 5, 2013
    10
    This game is alot of fun and I'm a low spec pc gamer, so I never review by graphics, just by how the story is, sound, combat, etc. I haven't been getting any bugs that would break the game or that would make horses fly backwords lol, pretty sure it's there pc that's the problem, also my friend showed me a few neat glitches that you could do in the game.

    The combat is wonky, like could    This game is alot of fun and I'm a low spec pc gamer, so I never review by graphics, just by how the story is, sound, combat, etc. I haven't been getting any bugs that would break the game or that would make horses fly backwords lol, pretty sure it's there pc that's the problem, also my friend showed me a few neat glitches that you could do in the game.

    The combat is wonky, like could you display the hitbox and my range that my weapon would be able to make contact with the enemy like how you get from those mmorpg games, which i'm used to so I'm alright with it. The bows however were okay, the melee with it seemed to me to be not very effective like I'm expecting a stagger when I hit someone with it, it would sometimes work tho. Let's not forget about those finishing blows and kill cams which made the combat glories!

    I couldn't hear the sound very well since the volume was set on it's low default setting, the music however was unexpectedly great like I didn't go into the tavern just to hear a bard sing, later requesting more from him or her. Also when I started to fight a dragon I began to get all confused at first from the music like is there someone else there with me, it was badass tho once I realized it was just the music playing.

    When I first looked at the map I thought it was small, but later kept running into a bunch of quest and caves that would take hours to complete, so now I don't know if I'll ever get anywhere. Awesome exploration easy 10 out of 10 there.

    The story was ehh, straightforward. I just focus on what I'm going to around skyrim so I don't really look at the main quest so much.

    Gameplay is great, I get to lockpick, steal from people pockets, adopt, and I don't know what else. The races would have there own special talent and the npcs would address you as that race, well I have only done the argonian so I'm unsure about the others.

    The score is a 10! Now I may have been to quick to judge since I haven't gotten to far into the game, but this world is just so luminous and you're even able to use mods with would make the fun endless so this game deserves a 10 since this was able to even get my friends addicted.

    Knowledge: 2nd Elder Scroll Game (1st was ESO but for a short time) I just started to play the game, 35 hours in so far as an argonian archer w/ only a mod that removed that suffocating sound when emerging from the water.    … Expand
  96. kevinhooks
    Jan 19, 2013
    9
    The game is not perfect, by any means. Glitches and bugs exist all over the longer you play it. However, the graphical design of the game is amazing, especially in HD. The game play mechanics have improved greatly over it's predecessor, and the quests seem to be more engaging. That's enough to invest more than 200 hours sitting and playing on your sofa.
  97. hades6969
    Jan 20, 2013
    10
    TES V : skyrim is the most beautiful game I played for a long time.
    it's really a game that has a history and that we never get tired of playing. for me it really deserves the maximum mark
  98. MorganFreeman
    Jan 28, 2013
    10
    Exploring, crafting and challenging: These are the words i use to describe Skyrim. Last game of TES series; Skyrim, despite doesn't have an epic beginning it has incredibly long and exciting mid-game. About the end; well, literally it doesn't have an end! Above all, Skyrim has several main stories, not only one, besides optional missions. Maybe that's the best part of it. Because,Exploring, crafting and challenging: These are the words i use to describe Skyrim. Last game of TES series; Skyrim, despite doesn't have an epic beginning it has incredibly long and exciting mid-game. About the end; well, literally it doesn't have an end! Above all, Skyrim has several main stories, not only one, besides optional missions. Maybe that's the best part of it. Because, seriously how long do you play a video game? 5 hours? 10 hours? 20 hours? Mostly 40 hours? I have played Skyrim over 200 hours and with new mods coming out day by day, it never becomes boring. Yes! Mods are the second good part of it. With the mods, all atmosphere becomes real, almost comes alive. What makes a game perfect is only the players. And how much you are a good gamer, that much Skyrim is good. If you complain about Skyrim, no offence but you are a bad, impatient and obsessed gamer. If you don't know about the mods, you better learn them immediately. Because with them, a masterpiece of Bethesda, turns out masterpiece of yours. Probably that's what Bethesda wish: Give the chance to players for showing their imaginations. So, if you do have some imagination, you should definitely try Skyrim even though you didn't play previous TES games.… Expand
  99. skorzeny44
    Feb 16, 2013
    8
    good overall game but your player is a nobody throughout game a thane of all holds but no gratitude for saving world twice if your dragon blood shouldn't you have a new emperor quest. Post civil war there is no moot to name high king, plot holes everywhere dlc not so good should have been in original skyrim except for dragonborn so dragonborn should be the first dlc.
  100. fittuner
    Dec 31, 2013
    9
    Bethesda once again proves why it dominates western RPGs with the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The world of Skyrim is a beautiful place that makes it easy to get lost in and just dissolve into the world and events. Having played both the console and PC version to great extent, it is obvious that the PC version comes out on top. Not only does the PC version look and perform better, it alsoBethesda once again proves why it dominates western RPGs with the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The world of Skyrim is a beautiful place that makes it easy to get lost in and just dissolve into the world and events. Having played both the console and PC version to great extent, it is obvious that the PC version comes out on top. Not only does the PC version look and perform better, it also has a nigh endless amount of content due to mods that can change things as small as ropes or chains in the environment or as big as making your character a lightsaber-wielding, Elven-armored badass. But, like most Bethesda games, Skyrim has its fair share of bugs and glitches that can sometimes prevent quests from being completed. Overall, though, Skyrim is a must play for any PC gamer.… Expand
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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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