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. Look444
    Nov 13, 2015
    8
    This game has a lot of flaws that Bethesda games tend to have, being immersion the most notorious in my opinion. Magic system feels bland, most perks are boring, especialization tends to always be either sword and shield or sneak based. Combat is dull and difficulty is very artificial, and graphics weren't that good even for 2011.
    And despite having quite a lot of flaws, it's still a very    This game has a lot of flaws that Bethesda games tend to have, being immersion the most notorious in my opinion. Magic system feels bland, most perks are boring, especialization tends to always be either sword and shield or sneak based. Combat is dull and difficulty is very artificial, and graphics weren't that good even for 2011.
    And despite having quite a lot of flaws, it's still a very fun game, with hours and hours of gameplay and different stories. It's a must play if you like RPG's. Sadly Bethesda games don't age well and nowadays it remains fun if you mod it    … Expand
  2. Vamrem
    May 27, 2015
    8
    Skyrim is the hugest TES and Bethesda has continued improving its toolset making the Creation Kit the best of the whole saga, there are more than 30.000 mods to improve each single aspect so if you don't like the game, no problem, change it! and you will have the game of your dreams. I have only one gripe and is a big one: outdated graphics; it basically looks like Oblivion with mods...Skyrim is the hugest TES and Bethesda has continued improving its toolset making the Creation Kit the best of the whole saga, there are more than 30.000 mods to improve each single aspect so if you don't like the game, no problem, change it! and you will have the game of your dreams. I have only one gripe and is a big one: outdated graphics; it basically looks like Oblivion with mods...

    We know that mods can do everything but improve graphics is the hardest job, of course Skyrim has the best graphics enhancer mods but could be even better with a solid game-base. I really hope Fallout 4 and TES VI with, literally, outstanding graphics. Bethesda must understand that their sandboxes worth for modding, history is literally secondary and RPG system is just not solid, but when you start to feed it with mods... oh man... the game shines in each corner, I don't get tired to walk those gorgeous landscapes, fight better random encounters, make my own home, armor and weapons... Great game Bethesda, just keep in mind that if you provide us with a great graphic base, we can do the rest much easier with mods to have the game of our dreams.    … Expand
  3. falloutjerk
    Nov 10, 2015
    10
    Better graphics then Fallout 4 69/10 . a
  4. SirFatPants
    Nov 14, 2015
    10
    This game has its flaws, but gameplay, world design, quests, modding, etc. sends it right back up to a 10! It takes some time to get into it, but when you do, it's the best game ever. I have 650+ hrs logged, and it's my favorite game of all time!
  5. marcelism
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is an incredible game. It offers millions of choices in what you want to do, who you want your character to be, and where you want to go. Ive happily spent my first 5 hours breaking into many npc houses and stealing all their ware's. And ive been able to level up on just sneaking, lockpicking, and pick pocketing alone. It is very similar to oblivion in the sense that you get betterSkyrim is an incredible game. It offers millions of choices in what you want to do, who you want your character to be, and where you want to go. Ive happily spent my first 5 hours breaking into many npc houses and stealing all their ware's. And ive been able to level up on just sneaking, lockpicking, and pick pocketing alone. It is very similar to oblivion in the sense that you get better at what you want to do by doing it. You feel very in control of your character's strengths and weaknesses. No choosing a spec, if you want to be better at archery, then shoot some arrows at stuff. I have no problem whatsoever with the games visuals. Not quite witcher 2 but they look far better than oblivion did . Sure if i zoom in all the way i can see the textures are lowish. but as i move through the world the entire environment the grass, trees mountains and mist. the overall world is the most imersive and believable gaming world i have ever seen and runs at a steady 60fps. Skyrim was not a game i was really that excited for but it quickly became one of my favorite games ever.… Expand
  6. Extremo
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Just a beautiful, much more polished game than Oblivion. A joy to play that gives the feeling of great freedom. Really makes you want to explore everything and all the character possiblities. Magic is much more entertaining and appealing now. Thanks Bethesda for creating a timeless game once again. I can´t imagine how good it is going to be once the modders start doing their thing.
  7. xefmel
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Game plays well. Combat feels solid. A few minor animation glitches here and there but does nothing to harm the experience followers of the series have come to expect. The visuals are stunning and if you are playing on PC and have a high powered machine they are even better. The audio is well done and the voice acting is better than it was in Oblivion. The main storyline is engaging andGame plays well. Combat feels solid. A few minor animation glitches here and there but does nothing to harm the experience followers of the series have come to expect. The visuals are stunning and if you are playing on PC and have a high powered machine they are even better. The audio is well done and the voice acting is better than it was in Oblivion. The main storyline is engaging and there are a lot of side quests to do. Just like the previous entries in the series, Skyrim is more than a game, it is an immersive experience. It is impressive and the best game of its ilk since Oblivion.… Expand
  8. TellNoLies
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    Absolutely the best RPG in terms of technical achievement to date. Don't mind the haters - notice how on all the best YouTube videos, there are always a couple hundred dislikes? Those are the same morons who give Skyrim a bad review.
  9. Truesteel
    Dec 1, 2011
    10
    Incredible graphics, great story, fun combat, immersive environments, what can I say that you don't already know? It has its fair share of bugs and problems as any Bethesda game does (and really any game of this magnitude) but it more than makes up for it in creativity, depth, and the sheer amount of content included in in the game.
  10. Kabstract
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I don't know where the complaints are coming from. I'm playing on PC and it has been flawless for 6 hours. Weapon switching is fine. If you have a problem with it, you probably aren't using the favourites menu. There is so much to do in this game. Graphics are great, and perform great on my slowly aging once-awesome computer. NO MORE TOMATO-HEADS. I really don't see any signs of it being aI don't know where the complaints are coming from. I'm playing on PC and it has been flawless for 6 hours. Weapon switching is fine. If you have a problem with it, you probably aren't using the favourites menu. There is so much to do in this game. Graphics are great, and perform great on my slowly aging once-awesome computer. NO MORE TOMATO-HEADS. I really don't see any signs of it being a bad port. Controls are just fine. Some people just LIKE to complain I guess. Oh well, no one really gives a s___ about Metacritic community reviews. Everyone outside of this community know that you all complain about stupid things.… Expand
  11. MusAddict
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Simly put: the pros outweigh the cons. Biggest pro: Aesthetics. Biggest con: Magic Constrictions. Theres more if you're willing to read. I will start by saying my vote is based on a scale of 0-10, 0 meaning "unplayable", 5 equal to Oblivion (not inherently bad, just to compare Skyrim respectively), and 6+ is an overall improvement from Oblivion. Voice Acting (+1) has been greatly improvedSimly put: the pros outweigh the cons. Biggest pro: Aesthetics. Biggest con: Magic Constrictions. Theres more if you're willing to read. I will start by saying my vote is based on a scale of 0-10, 0 meaning "unplayable", 5 equal to Oblivion (not inherently bad, just to compare Skyrim respectively), and 6+ is an overall improvement from Oblivion. Voice Acting (+1) has been greatly improved from 12 to 70+ actors, meaning you can play longer before you are driven insane by the repetitive voice of Jauffre. Aesthetics (+2) are greatly improved over Oblivion. The map itself is slightly smaller than Oblivion, but it's designed to feel 4x bigger, and it does. Filled with flowing creeks, ice caps, mountains, snow, and A LOT more. Graphics (+1) are improved, not by much tho. It looks better, for sure, but that's thanks to the aesthetics. As for clarity and detail of models, it's only a slight, but noticeable improvement. Skills (+1) have a better setup. Many people like that the skills were directly related to your use of them like in Oblivion, but perks make the game feel more survival/strategic based. They're done nicely. Professions (+1) are a wonderful addition that are a tie between skills and aesthetics, but is prominent enought to be listed as its own plus. While the only real mechanical upside of professions relates to smithing, it's still wonderful to be able to chop wood, mine ores, smelt ores, and so on to improve your gear. Dragons (+0) are an interesting replacement to Oblivion Gates. That's exactly what they are, a replacement. While epic within the story line, and fun to battle with their random characteristics, they are also as repetitive as Oblivion Gates. No matter how epic they are, I find myself only wanting to kill them only for their souls, but after the first 10, it starts to get old. That's why it's a plus zero, cause they're epic, but repetitive. Number of Places (+1) have been increased by about double, and to top it off you never feel like you explore the same place twice, unlike Oblivion. Magic (-2) has been drastically reduced... I'm not sure the number of spells in either game, but I do know they REALLY trimmed magic. They completely did away with Mysticism, and got rid of the ability to craft spells. Bethesda combated the lack of spells with the ability to dual wield spells, but it's not enough... They dropped the ball on this one. User Interface (-1) has always been a core downside for Bethesda's most recent games, even on consoles. Now I have a gamepad, so this isn't a personal downside for me, but I will say that I only use the gamepad because I could not get used to the controls on my keyboard. So, to summarize, Oblivion is a 5 on the scale (not inherently bad, just to compare Skyrim respectively), and the improvements include Voice Acting +1 (6), Aesthetics +2 (8), Graphics +1 (9), Skills +1 (10), Professions +1 (11), Dragons +0 (11), Places +1 (12), and the downsides: Magic -2 (10), and UI -1 (9), so overall Skyrim is a +4 compared to Oblivion.… Expand
  12. deuxieme
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    *Foreword*: I must observe that those other User Reviews which are denigrating Skyrim mostly consist of complaints as to the game's supposed inoperability or bugginess: To those poorly-worded souls I wish a fortunate encounter with basic PC maintenance knowledge. / This game is an achievement in both richness of narrative and environmental ambience. The Elder Scrolls franchise comes*Foreword*: I must observe that those other User Reviews which are denigrating Skyrim mostly consist of complaints as to the game's supposed inoperability or bugginess: To those poorly-worded souls I wish a fortunate encounter with basic PC maintenance knowledge. / This game is an achievement in both richness of narrative and environmental ambience. The Elder Scrolls franchise comes complete with a 4 Era back-story, and Skyrim takes full advantage of it, providing a truly immersive first person experience. The story is fluid enough that a player can wander into sidequests freely, and yet with an engaging momentum which means you'll soon be back at it. Without giving too much away, the player is Dovahkiin, Dragonborne, with the special ability to weild The Voice of dragons. It feels exhaustive to repeat the praise that the Internet has been declaring for days now, so I'll let's move on to the tech. I've had the fortune to avoid any such problems with playing the game on my PC, except in its functionality with Steam-- Steam's screenshot function seems to crash the game during execution animations (which by the way, are quite lifelike). Even the XBOX 360 version, said to have lower resolution in-game textures, looks great. And all at a neat 5.5GB Harddrive space. I think I've stated my case, so I'll close in saying that if you want to play, you ought to pay. Cash, folks, Bethesda has earned yours.… Expand
  13. OzShinDig
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is brilliant. It improves on Oblivion in every way possible. I really like the new menus and while they may not be perfect, they're still unbelievably better than the ones in Oblivion. I've played 20 hours so far. Mostly the main story with a minimal amount of side quests and almost no exploring. The story so far (reckon I'm getting towards the end) is brilliant and even better thanSkyrim is brilliant. It improves on Oblivion in every way possible. I really like the new menus and while they may not be perfect, they're still unbelievably better than the ones in Oblivion. I've played 20 hours so far. Mostly the main story with a minimal amount of side quests and almost no exploring. The story so far (reckon I'm getting towards the end) is brilliant and even better than Oblivion's fantastic story. Gameplay is amazing, with the new spellcasting system seeing the largest improvement. Melee combat hasn't really changed or improved much but duel-wielding is a big plus. The new levelling and skills/perks system is fantastic. Classes and skills seem so pointless now and it makes far more sense to just naturally develop your character as you play. There are some bugs here and there but they're small and nothing really breaks the game. I've encountered about five crashes and a few instances where talking to an NPC to hand in or start a quest didn't work and I had to reload. These should get patched and they're not so bad. I'd say the only thing that really is sub-standard would be the graphics. Pete Hines of Bethesda said the PC graphics would "blow your mind" and they haven't at all. Bethesda also said that they author their textures really high res. The textures are terrible and are really the only downside to the game. Most of them aren't much better than Oblivion and look like a game from years ago. The snow textures on rock or stone are by far the worst and look like they're 100x100 pixels. The lighting in non-dynamic so interiors are lit by non-existant light sources. Object meshes are also pretty bad and look extremely dated and jaggy. On a positive note, the art design is absolutely fantastic. Everything about the world is immersing and the environmental effects are so damn good. The best environmental effects are the snow and fog. It makes you feel cold and the graphics of these effects are actually very very good even compared to other games. The engine doesn't perform very well and I have a suspicion that it doesn't support mutiple graphics cards. I have an i7 930, GTX 460 1Gb SLi and 6Gb DDR3 RAM and I couldn't run this game at maximum settings without some lag. I had to drop shadows down to high plus a few other things. Considering my computer can run Battlefield 3 on high/ultra at 1080p this is pretty badly optimised imo. People's faces are a huge improvement over Oblivion, but NPC running/combat animations can sometimes be terrible and their pathfinding and overall intelligence isn't very good. Despite all the bad things I've mentioned, it's the gameplay, and not the graphics, that count. It is in my opinion the best RPG made to date, partly because it's my style of RPG, but also because the story, gameplay and art/level design are so well done.… Expand
  14. Yatagan
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    This game is everything I thought it would be and then some. It has amazing gameplay, far improved from Oblivions hack and slash/rinse repeat tactics. Magic is actually fun now, the people no longer look cartoonish. The world feels so real and alive. Radiant story randomizes quests. Me and my friend discussed our travels to the same area, and we had very different experiences. WonderfulThis game is everything I thought it would be and then some. It has amazing gameplay, far improved from Oblivions hack and slash/rinse repeat tactics. Magic is actually fun now, the people no longer look cartoonish. The world feels so real and alive. Radiant story randomizes quests. Me and my friend discussed our travels to the same area, and we had very different experiences. Wonderful combat. Plenty of quests. Not the best graphics in the world, but definitely good enough to give some amazing looking landscapes. There are quite a few bugs, but BGS is kind of known for this. Luckily, they are also known for patching and fixing all of those bugs. Within a week, I see this game running smooth as butter. You can fish, smith armor, tan hides, cook, make potions and poisons, enchant things, help out random townspeople, catch butterflies, hunt game, and kill dragons. You can do anything. 10/10 Oblivion was my favorite game before this, and just as I expected this has blown past and is now in 1st by a long shot.… Expand
  15. goettel
    Nov 22, 2011
    10
    Looked at dispassionately, Skyrim offers a by-the-numbers fantasy experience: you're a questin' hero looking to pick fights with dragons, slaying bandits and randomly spawning beasts, casting spells, and wielding a range of medieval weapons, all while listening to reams of mildly interesting dialog. At first glance, it doesn't offer the highly imaginitive and truly otherworldly feelingLooked at dispassionately, Skyrim offers a by-the-numbers fantasy experience: you're a questin' hero looking to pick fights with dragons, slaying bandits and randomly spawning beasts, casting spells, and wielding a range of medieval weapons, all while listening to reams of mildly interesting dialog. At first glance, it doesn't offer the highly imaginitive and truly otherworldly feeling landscapes of Morrowind. Its console roots are evident. And, it being a Bethesda game, you were expecting some bugs. Right ?

    Even after the broad praise on release, I wasn't convinced Skyrim could topple Morrowind as my #1 RPG on the PC, and initially held off on buying it.

    Now, 30 hours play crammed into three days later, its obvious to me that Skyrim has raised the bar for PC RPG's well above the competition: this is a remarkable game. Not so much for its choices, but for how beautifully it implements those choices. The landscapes are truly remarkable, perhaps for the first time offering a world which feels real instead of like a semi-random patchwork of locations. This really is a small country in a box, and it is a remarkable achievement in itself. Idylic villages, huge and imposing castles, haunted burial mounds, standing stones and impromptu altars to various gods, dungeons big and small, dreary plains, towering mountains and narrow mountain passes: all of it great to look at, travel through and explore. The main quest so far has been solid and quite engaging, offering just the right mix of challenge and hero (you) worship. You feel important, but not overpowered.

    Character progression is great, focussing on (the use of) skills, not on simply leveling (even though you do level), and the number of available options is staggering, offering a talent tree on all the many skills and schools of magic which really gives you the option to craft a character to your tastes.

    Sound is top-notch, including the dynamic soundtrack.

    Sure, I have some criticisms: the GUI could stand a couple of major and minor improvements, although I don't find it quite as bad as others have made it out to be. The voice acting is mostly competent, even pretty good in places, but it's also tacky in others - and some NPC's I wouldn't mind murdering just to get rid of their repetitive and trite oneliners. There are some graphical glitches. I've had a couple of crashes to the desktop - nothing so bad as Fallout 3 / New Vegas, though - in fact, I find this to be the most stable Bethesda game to date. Also, character animation is far from perfect.

    So is Morrowing finally surpassed ? In a word: yes. Even though the world might appear less imaginative than Morrowind's, this one simply feels more real and offers a ton of rewards to the intrepid explorer. It's hard to get anything done, because it's so very easy to get distracted by any number of things found en route to a quest objective. Many of the quests have an adult theme, require an uncomfortable compromise, or simply offer irresistibly 'evil' choices with enjoyably disturbing consequences.

    Skyrim is Bethesda's best yet and easily takes a spot amongst the best RPG's ever.    … Expand
  16. Stormcrow666
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Fantastic~!!!! Great Graphics(ultra of course). Amazing story with an almost unlimited amount to do and see. I have been playing for a few days it just keeps getting better. The side quests are original and fun with twists and turns~! I am a die hard RPG guy and this might beat my favorite all time; Baldur's Gate, for the new best game title~! Well done Bethesda. Well done.
  17. Talos84
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    this game is so awesome. great improvements all around. yeah a few bugs but i am sure the bugs will be worked out. such an awesome game. love the new combat and crafting system
  18. dc42
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Most of the complaints people here are spouting out don't really seem to be justified (or accurate). Yes, Skyrim has some bugs but not nearly enough to take you out of the game experience. Due to the shear scope of games today, bugs are bound to happen but at least Bethesda will patch them and if not, the modding community is huge. It works perfectly on my PC and I've had very littleMost of the complaints people here are spouting out don't really seem to be justified (or accurate). Yes, Skyrim has some bugs but not nearly enough to take you out of the game experience. Due to the shear scope of games today, bugs are bound to happen but at least Bethesda will patch them and if not, the modding community is huge. It works perfectly on my PC and I've had very little issues in terms of game bugs. The graphics are good and the environment is great. After spending over 15 hours playing, I can safely say I spent my money wisely.… Expand
  19. Contemptible
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    Fantastic game. It deserves GOTY in my opinion. It does has some bugs and limited dialogue but everything else seems great to me. It is heaps better Morrowind and Oblivion which I didn't like at all. Give it a chance and it can be an addictive and highly enjoyable game.
  20. mattycakes13
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    In what other game could you be fighting off two polar bears on an ice cap in the far north only to be interrupted by a dragon which swoops down, picks up one polar bear, flies 100 feet in the air and drops it on the other and then attacks you but loses because you are Dovahkiin.

    That's what I thought
  21. Alcapwn
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Yes the game is buggy, has outdated graphics, and a pretty bad weapon/spell switching system that feels like it was designed completely for consoles with no thought of pc in mind.........The question is, does any of this matter when I'm running around dual wielding flames of death? Or turning into a werewolf and biting the heads off my foes? Does it matter when I'm running for my life fromYes the game is buggy, has outdated graphics, and a pretty bad weapon/spell switching system that feels like it was designed completely for consoles with no thought of pc in mind.........The question is, does any of this matter when I'm running around dual wielding flames of death? Or turning into a werewolf and biting the heads off my foes? Does it matter when I'm running for my life from a pack of wooly mammoths and the angry giant herders? Do you think a crappy interface matters when I call down a dragon to snatch up that very same giant and drop him from 500 feet in the air? Do you think the tiny bugs really matter when I'm exploring a huge underground area that has a town full of enemies and pretty glowing mushrooms? You still don't know????? WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU GO BUY THIS GAME.… Expand
  22. FreeAgents
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I am a long-time fan of the Elder Scrolls games, so I was naturally a little cautious about Skyrim since it was being developed primarily for a console. But, despite the obvious console bias in terms of UI and controls, I think this is an excellent game. The atmosphere and art direction coupled with the ambient sounds and music are used to great effect, really immersing you in this coldI am a long-time fan of the Elder Scrolls games, so I was naturally a little cautious about Skyrim since it was being developed primarily for a console. But, despite the obvious console bias in terms of UI and controls, I think this is an excellent game. The atmosphere and art direction coupled with the ambient sounds and music are used to great effect, really immersing you in this cold northern landscape full of beautiful vistas and .hidden dangers. Many game-play elements have been simplified and improved on, although I was kind of disapointed that spell crafting never made it into the game. Nevertheless, spell-casting feels more spontaneous and intuitive than before. The only bugs I've experienced were a little bit of unexplained lag and some trouble with dual-casting spells, but now everything is fine. Compared to Oblivion, Morrowind and Fallout 3, Skyrim really doesn't have many bugs at launch.
    Any of the so-called problems with the pc version can and mostly likely will be dealt with in the growing number of mods being released in the following weeks. What is already a great game at the core will just get better and better over time for pc users.

    Oh, and fighting a non-scripted dragon out in the plains on a dark night with the beautiful northern lights overhead is one of my best gaming moments of 2011. Thank you, Bethesda.    … Expand
  23. spinn72
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Skyrim improves on all the shortcomings of Oblivion -- the combat system feels a bit more involved, with melee combo's being a key focus, but the main improvement has been in the way magic plays out. The options are limitless and leaves the player with the ultimate choice of how they would like to play the game. Levelling system is a direct reflection of this too! This is a completelySkyrim improves on all the shortcomings of Oblivion -- the combat system feels a bit more involved, with melee combo's being a key focus, but the main improvement has been in the way magic plays out. The options are limitless and leaves the player with the ultimate choice of how they would like to play the game. Levelling system is a direct reflection of this too! This is a completely different game to the woeful Oblivion.… Expand
  24. CanadianBacon
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I just want to say that this game is head and shoulders above Oblivion. Part of the reason I love this game so much is the fact that I've died numerous times already. I started playing this game like I played Oblivion or Fallout 3, just charging through, trying to tank dragon's like I did Behemoths, and it's not working, it's forcing me to step it up! I feel ENORMOUS satisfaction afterI just want to say that this game is head and shoulders above Oblivion. Part of the reason I love this game so much is the fact that I've died numerous times already. I started playing this game like I played Oblivion or Fallout 3, just charging through, trying to tank dragon's like I did Behemoths, and it's not working, it's forcing me to step it up! I feel ENORMOUS satisfaction after taking down a dragon: definitively the highlight of my playthrough so far.

    I have only one problem with it. The PC version doesn't have enough tweaks to the graphics settings for my liking (I feel Fallout 3 and New Vegas had more.) I had to go into the .ini file itself to tweak it. I have to do this because I don't have that great of a graphics card, but even on these tweaked low settings, the game still looks and plays amazing!

    After the fiasco that Bethesda had with Id's RAGE, they certainly delivered big to keep up their own great reputation! I've also encountered far less bugs than in previous Gamebryo engined titles, so the Creation Engine rocks!
    Thank you Bethesda for delivering on your promises!    … Expand
  25. LMW
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    I never liked TES series (except Daggerfall). It seemed to me these games didn't have enough atmosphere, dynamics and storyline depth. I almost entirely skipped Oblivion - it wasn't "my" game, let's say. I was pretty sceptical about Skyrim - first-person orientated RPG from the same game developer in the same universe...bah. But everything dimmed when I dived into the depths of Skyrim. II never liked TES series (except Daggerfall). It seemed to me these games didn't have enough atmosphere, dynamics and storyline depth. I almost entirely skipped Oblivion - it wasn't "my" game, let's say. I was pretty sceptical about Skyrim - first-person orientated RPG from the same game developer in the same universe...bah. But everything dimmed when I dived into the depths of Skyrim. I was amazed from the very beginning by dynamical combat system, gorgeous and enormous world, full of events that happen regardless of player, marvelous dungeons and many, many other things. Doing one of the first quests I was told to go to the snowy mountains and investigate the dungeon. I took a horse (horses animation is great, by the way) and galloped to my destination point. When I was near, blizzard has started and it became harder to follow our path. It was quiet high up in the mountains and I was impressed how scary it was to look down. At the same time, it was magnificently spellbinding to watch so realistic and epic picture! What a marvelous view! Then I left my horse near the entrance and deepened into the dungeon...But that is another epic story! Once again, I was sceptical about this title from the very beginning. But don't let prejudice and stereotypes hold you from trying this masterpiece. Just try it and you would not regret it. It is worth every single $.… Expand
  26. DZ302
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    If you are an idiot who can't figure out how to shortcut hotkey items and spells in Skyrim, please refrain from rating this game, sell your PC and go buy an Xbox 360.
  27. KentuckyWindage
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    Hard to give anything other than a ten for a game I have already put over 40 hours into. The only grumble I have is with the UI which is console friendly but there will be mods released if they have not done so already to rectify this. Next time though Bethesda should make a little bit of effort to do a separate PC UI. Other than that Skyrim is utterly engrossing and to call the game bigHard to give anything other than a ten for a game I have already put over 40 hours into. The only grumble I have is with the UI which is console friendly but there will be mods released if they have not done so already to rectify this. Next time though Bethesda should make a little bit of effort to do a separate PC UI. Other than that Skyrim is utterly engrossing and to call the game big is a massive understatement. I have only scratched the surface and I have not even joined one of the guilds yet as I have yet to find them. If there is one game worth the money then this is definitely it. Literally hundreds of hours of game play is here so be prepared to say goodbye to the outside world.… Expand
  28. Welder
    Apr 26, 2015
    8
    With the Elder Scrolls series becoming more streamlined it got more shallow with the focus on questing and less about exploring and immersing yourself into the gaming world.
    Combined with mediocre writing and loaded with bugs the series had one redeeming quality that made it a great game well deserving of the praise it got.
    The modding community. With the community torn apart the    With the Elder Scrolls series becoming more streamlined it got more shallow with the focus on questing and less about exploring and immersing yourself into the gaming world.
    Combined with mediocre writing and loaded with bugs the series had one redeeming quality that made it a great game well deserving of the praise it got.
    The modding community.
    With the community torn apart the lifespan of this product will be way shorter than it's predecessors Morrowind and Oblivion to which you can still add freshly made content up to this day.    … Expand
  29. Stewker
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Stewker
    Nov 11, 2011
    10 Skyrim is the kind of game that really stands out. The attention to detail is mind blowing. People will be playing this for game for months. On the PC load times are nearly nonexistent, I have yet to have had the chance to really read or admire the load screens, which is both a good and bad thing as they are interactive and have lore bits. The graphics on ultra    Stewker
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is the kind of game that really stands out. The attention to detail is mind blowing. People will be playing this for game for months. On the PC load times are nearly nonexistent, I have yet to have had the chance to really read or admire the load screens, which is both a good and bad thing as they are interactive and have lore bits. The graphics on ultra running at 1920x1080 are flooring. This is truly a HUGE jump over Oblivion in regard to visual fidelity. Now granted I do have a NASA supercomputer for PC, well just about, but still... If you think the game looks no better than Oblivion, seriously, no joke I'm concerned for you, as you are blind but don't know it yet. Don't drive. Anyways, melee combat is also vastly improved and solid feeling, magic has a definite weight to it in Skyrim. Finally the amount of content... Like I said weeks of game play and huge re-playability. Quests, yes lot's of quests but all of the things on the side that you have in this game as well is truly mind blowing. I took a week off for this game and I know, after playing it for 12 hours now, that I won't be able to do everything I want to even if I played 18 hours a day, no way. The level up process is awesome as well. Love the perk system, when people think perks most think of Fallout 3, but the perk system in Skyrim is very much unique to itself. I was afraid they were dumbing down the level system but all they did is streamline it and give the user freedom to play exactly how they want to play, while keeping the core mechanic of leveling by what you do and adding in perks. I love that. If I had to choose one game to have the rest of my life and only one, it would be The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.    … Expand
  30. Nahrga
    Jul 26, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. *Review Deleted
    ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************    … Expand
  31. darkcerb
    Dec 5, 2011
    10
    66 hours played and there's still a mind boggling amount to do, this game has content, graphics and sound all AAA standard. If you like rpg's this is your game. Bethesda has created a huge open world chock full of quests and dungeons to explore populated with npc's that go about there daily lives reacting to the players achievements in game. I really can't recommend skyrim enough, run66 hours played and there's still a mind boggling amount to do, this game has content, graphics and sound all AAA standard. If you like rpg's this is your game. Bethesda has created a huge open world chock full of quests and dungeons to explore populated with npc's that go about there daily lives reacting to the players achievements in game. I really can't recommend skyrim enough, run don't walk to your nearest game shop or steam and buy this game.… Expand
  32. dosse91
    Nov 24, 2011
    9
    this game is great. i mean, don't get me wrong, it's far from perfection but it's great: the story is interesting, the graphics are good (most of the time) and it doesn't have many bugs (for bethesda's standards). exploring skyrim is simply fantastic, going through woods, finding caves, towns, side quests. simply amazing how HUGE this game is, it takes hours to explore the whole gamethis game is great. i mean, don't get me wrong, it's far from perfection but it's great: the story is interesting, the graphics are good (most of the time) and it doesn't have many bugs (for bethesda's standards). exploring skyrim is simply fantastic, going through woods, finding caves, towns, side quests. simply amazing how HUGE this game is, it takes hours to explore the whole game world. the soundtrack is also kick ass. fighting dragons is fun, and most fights provide a good challenge even on normal difficulty. i also love how they didn't use the usual point-and-click controls typical to rpgs like wow, dragon age, etc., IMHO, those are the worst controls ever. speaking of control, skyrim has a huge defect: it has no quick keys. seriously? even console ports like mass effect have them! it's a waste of time that i have to go through my whole inventory or favourite list just to use a potion or change weapon/spell! another drawback typical to most rpgs is that you can accept quests and start playing them with no clue that your character is not enough skilled to complete the quest: that's a real pain in the ass, you can literally go fight dragons with a level 1 character, and get killed in 2 microseconds. most of the times, of course you have no idea what you're gonna fight, it's like "can you get my sword back?", and then the cave has bears, trolls and giants in it.
    in conclusion, i'd give this game a 8.5, rounded up to a more realistic 9 because the good aspects of this game really compensate the bad ones    … Expand
  33. Olly
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    I've been playing this for about 14 hours, and I'm very, very addicted and immersed into the game world. Looking at the low scores, I can't be entirely sure what people were expecting. I suppose Bethesda showed screenshots that made the game look its best (this happens with every game I would add), as the graphics tend to favour rendering rocks and clouds into the distance over water andI've been playing this for about 14 hours, and I'm very, very addicted and immersed into the game world. Looking at the low scores, I can't be entirely sure what people were expecting. I suppose Bethesda showed screenshots that made the game look its best (this happens with every game I would add), as the graphics tend to favour rendering rocks and clouds into the distance over water and shadows, and as such looking at a vista gives you a jarring sense of beauty and dire ugliness at the same time. Not only that, character animations still are stiff albeit an improvement. In fact, let's get all the negative stuff out the way now; the controls for PC are awful, amazingly awful considering Bethesda's PC menu's have always been fine before now. It feels very much like they didn't think about making the interface work on PC (perhaps they ran out of time committing to 11/11/11), so expect your first few hours to be an exercise in getting used to then perfecting the controls as best you can.

    So what's good? Well, despite shading issues and water in the distance, the weather effects and mountains will frequently make you want to just stop and stare at a view, Bethesda have truly outdone themselves on that front, and it makes the graphical flaws more acceptable when you're playing. You will NEVER have a lack of quests after the first handful of hours, and as such you will have tons of reasons to go and explore all of Skyrim. And given the properly designed dungeons, they're well worth it. That is the major reason I feel this is such an improvement over Oblivion, where dungeons used to be boring and nigh on pointless, they're more focused experiences that genuinely will give you something worthwhile for plumbing its caverns/halls/chambers (and handily when you've got out of a major dungeon and looted it all, it will be marked as cleared on the map).

    But the big thing is that despite people's complaints about combat, Skyrim is a massive improvement on Oblivion. It could be even better for sure, but the slickness of dual-wielding spells and quickswitching to a bow and arrow, before delivering a cinematic finishing blow with your sword and shield will certainly leave you more impressed than you were with Oblivion. The levelling system is also infinitely easier to keep track of and improve your skills with.

    I think I've covered most of what I've thought so far while playing. This is an altogether more beautiful and slicker (apart from the controls) Oblivion, absolutely worth your time as long as you're ready to wrestle with the controls. If you're patient, it may well be worth your while to wait until various issues are fixed or some good mods have come out to try and improve them though (8.5).    … Expand
  34. Vauhn
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    Skyrim...An amazing open world non-linear dragon slaying NPC mudering bundle of enjoyment. This, is quite possibly the best elder scrolls game so far. Ruined only by the occasional bug or two which will most likely be patched and fixed. Great story, the dragon fights are amazing, and randomly scripted events. I had to muster allot of effort to rip myself away from it long enough to getSkyrim...An amazing open world non-linear dragon slaying NPC mudering bundle of enjoyment. This, is quite possibly the best elder scrolls game so far. Ruined only by the occasional bug or two which will most likely be patched and fixed. Great story, the dragon fights are amazing, and randomly scripted events. I had to muster allot of effort to rip myself away from it long enough to get some food. Buy it, Dovahkiin commands you!… Expand
  35. sinproducer
    Nov 11, 2011
    8
    I can't defend this game from not getting some decent updates in a couple areas , mainly UI but most of the negative complaints are simply untrue. The graphics are in fact great and the game runs really smooth on Ultra, but I'm sure if you have an older system you won't see it that way. If you played the game for an hour, you didn't see enough of it to get past the part where it's NOT justI can't defend this game from not getting some decent updates in a couple areas , mainly UI but most of the negative complaints are simply untrue. The graphics are in fact great and the game runs really smooth on Ultra, but I'm sure if you have an older system you won't see it that way. If you played the game for an hour, you didn't see enough of it to get past the part where it's NOT just Oblivion reskinned. You can in fact hotkey things directly from favorites and even choose which hand they are assigned to. I NEVER have to go into the menus unless I level up or switch gear out for something better/preferred. Game is completely stable and outside of a few wonky textures and the same logic problems I find in every single game, I'm enjoying myself. More of the same? Please let me know when you are playing a truly original game in this generation of games. Oh.. and another thing. All the people crying about this game being too console like will change their song in a few months when mods start coming out. Give it a year or more and the praise will be universal that PC is the way to go.… Expand
  36. belfastbiker
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Oh. My. god.

    Where do I start? Never played any other Bethesda game apart from Oblivion, which I loved. I really only play WoW these days, occasionally. I took 8 days off work to play this, and I'm so glad I did. I'm on PC, so there are issues - I don't like the consolisation, and with it's frustrating keybinding bugs, that took ages to get my head around, but it's fine now. Apart    Oh. My. god.

    Where do I start? Never played any other Bethesda game apart from Oblivion, which I loved. I really only play WoW these days, occasionally.

    I took 8 days off work to play this, and I'm so glad I did.

    I'm on PC, so there are issues - I don't like the consolisation, and with it's frustrating keybinding bugs, that took ages to get my head around, but it's fine now. Apart from that, it's never bugged out on me. Also, trying to manage three different characters is practically impossible - I deal with it by having three backup save folders, and I believe there is already a mod to help this.

    Those are the only downsides, everything, EVERYTHING else, is STUNNING.

    The music is incredible, the sound effects are dramatic, peaceful, war-like, creepy, depending on the context, and absolutely PERFECT.

    Graphics, are ASTONISHING.

    As for playability, I woke at 9am to play it yesterday, didn't get breakfast until 5:35PM, I was so engrossed.

    Loving the stories, the quests, the perks, the skills, the dungeons, the baddies, the NPC's, there's literally nothing that doesn't make me smile hugely. And if you check YOUTUBE anytime, you can see any number of fantastic videos, all AI, videos that would be scripted cut-scenes on other games.

    As for the dragons, I damn near crapped myself. :)

    Skyrim is a MASTERPIECE.    … Expand
  37. NoBodysGamer
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I'm not gunna lie, this game is amazing, brilliant, outstanding, a masterpiece. I'm only filling the rest up because i need one hundred and fifty characters.
  38. KnucklesKiss
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it.… Expand
  39. chado1980
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Although a little too familiar and a little unpolished, another great game from Bethesda.

    Second best RPG in the last month, but that's another conversation.

    Gonna be a good winter for gaming.
  40. ssjscottt
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    pure, beautiful, immersion with a solid, SMOOTH release from Bethesda. and the freaking sidequests... they feel significant enough to feel less like side-quests and more like it's just part of the main story. I've put in over 30 hours already, and i cant wait to put in more!
  41. TheBlackMachine
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    This game is fantastic but it is not without it's flaws. But I feel they do not affect the game too much, as a great deal of them are very minor and will probably be patched or mods from the fantastic community will come along in week one.

    This game improves alot of mechanics of Oblivion, combat generally feels the same, although slightly more fluid for some reason, probably due to the    This game is fantastic but it is not without it's flaws. But I feel they do not affect the game too much, as a great deal of them are very minor and will probably be patched or mods from the fantastic community will come along in week one.

    This game improves alot of mechanics of Oblivion, combat generally feels the same, although slightly more fluid for some reason, probably due to the fact that you now have killing blows, dual wielding and the ability to use your shield as a weapon.

    The favourites thing is a fantastic idea, but it feels awkward and poorly executed, but it generally works out once you get used to it.

    The voice acting is on a whole pretty damn good, but it is weak in some spots, but a far cry better than Oblivion, I got sick of hearing the same dozen voices all the time, now you have more than 4 dozen voices which is great. Soundtrack is fantastic, it just oozes epicness and has great rolling instrumentals and fantastic ambient music. Sound effects are also good, but nothing special.

    Textures are okay, hair isn't greatly detailed, amour details and reflections look great for the most part. But plants look like crap so I cannot wait for mods to clean them right up and make the environment ever more prettier than it already is. Animations are improved greatly over previous games, even NPC's have good idles, and they even perform duties which on a whole just bring the whole "live the world within the game" feel together.

    This game is also very stable, it's the first PC game I've bought in months that hasn't crashed every five minuets and just caused me hell, this game has only crashed on me once, but that was my Anti-Virus software that interfered with the game. But other than that no problems whatsoever, no slowdown or choppiness at all.

    My biggest gripe about this game is the menus, obviously designed for sticks, it is stupidly awkward and annoying. Trying to navigate the skill trees is tedious and just plain annoying. Also trying to pick dialogue options is annoying, Often I end up picking the wrong one and getting myself into trouble because of it, I often find myself using the arrow and enter keys. Also the default mapping of the menus is a little odd, and it takes a little time to get use to, but nothing too bad.

    Overall it a fantastic game with very small issues, but as I said these will be patched or the amazing modding scene will come to the rescue within weeks end and fix them right up. Probably one of the best RPG's I have played in a few good years. Recommended.    … Expand
  42. funkydoodycool
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Before I start I should note that I bought this game on the strength of Fallout 3 (which I loved) rather than Oblivion (which I didn't care for).

    That said, this game shares so much in common with both the aforementioned, taking everything Bethesda has learned and creating a near-perfect RPG experience. The game engine is fantastic, with even my 3-year-old Core 2 Quad/Nvidia 9800GTX+    Before I start I should note that I bought this game on the strength of Fallout 3 (which I loved) rather than Oblivion (which I didn't care for).

    That said, this game shares so much in common with both the aforementioned, taking everything Bethesda has learned and creating a near-perfect RPG experience.

    The game engine is fantastic, with even my 3-year-old Core 2 Quad/Nvidia 9800GTX+ computer pushing out Ultra graphics settings without too much difficulty. It's not as good as Rage, but it's certainly a contender for best graphics.

    There are complaints about the controls, but as I'm using an Xbox 360 pad I'm not really having any difficulty. Naturally, aiming your bow would be easier with a mouse, but this is a concession I'm willing to make for a generally more comfortable control method. The controls are mapped well to the Xbox pad, with the sticks doing their usual movement/camera thing, the triggers controlling the weapon/magic/shield in the respective hand, and the other face buttons mapped to various options.

    Combat is very visceral. You can now shield bash by holding up your shield and tapping the attack button, which knocks enemies back, affording you a little breathing space.

    The map is HUGE, with plenty of incidental details. I initially thought the world was quite sparsely populated, but having spent some hours wandering about, I've stumbled upon so many different villages and camps, some friendly others not so much.

    Quests are so far of the "go to this dungeon, kill everything and collect this item and bring it back to me" sort, which is fine by me. The dungeons are all interesting, and boss fights are variations on the standard enemies.

    This game is big enough, that at level 9 I've experienced things that friends who have more time to play (level 24+) have yet to see. And we've all had a lot of fun in Skyrim - strong contender for game of the year.    … Expand
  43. Darkstar01
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Cons: Initially the game had driver issues, but then Nvidia released new drivers and problems were solved.
    Cons: The only other problem which I see will be solved by mods at a later date is the fact that you cannot hot button anything.. While this may seem to make the game play slow, and at times it does, the fact that you can pause the game to switch to other spells does make it    Cons: Initially the game had driver issues, but then Nvidia released new drivers and problems were solved.
    Cons: The only other problem which I see will be solved by mods at a later date is the fact that you cannot hot button anything.. While this may seem to make the game play slow, and at times it does, the fact that you can pause the game to switch to other spells does make it easier.

    PROS: The most amazing graphics ever seen on a console or PC system. If you have a GTX 580 or higher you will be enjoying impressive micro details as well as impressive macro details of the game. Example Micro detail would be the veins on a leaf. Impressive Macro details would be snow generated according to the wind and piled up realistically. It actually makes you FEEL cold.. I turned on the heater..=D
    PROS: The physics in this game is so dead-on accurate that its scary... you drop a body into the water and watch it swirl down a river and eventually sink under the waves... You jump in the water yourself and you are pulled down stream by the rapids, I actually spent time just floating with the river and catching fish with my bare Argonian hands... :) Thank Talos for water breathing.
    PROS: So much good stuff I cannot write about it all    … Expand
  44. mjas
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    I'm 25 hours into Skyrim so far and I still enjoy it, now this game has a bit of everything in it and almost everything in Skyrim is nothing less than amazing. Now don't think that it's perfect because it's not there are some bugs but nobody / nothing is perfect! I do feel that the quests are a little short and you could feel a bit more important in this world a lot of things you do inI'm 25 hours into Skyrim so far and I still enjoy it, now this game has a bit of everything in it and almost everything in Skyrim is nothing less than amazing. Now don't think that it's perfect because it's not there are some bugs but nobody / nothing is perfect! I do feel that the quests are a little short and you could feel a bit more important in this world a lot of things you do in the end don't give a lot of "Yeahhh I'm a badass!!" kind of feeling. All in all I give it a 9/10 good job Bethesda! (Also I see a few people saying you can not key bind on the pc version! WRONG you can! 1-8 which can also be remapped with your mouse, simply put a spell or a item that you want key bound on your favorites list then open up the list (Q button) and highlight it with your cursor and press 1-8 tada keybinds! yes I know it's not the best ever but it works. =) )… Expand
  45. Shekky
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Excellent game only problem I have is the interface I absolutely do not like have to open up interface just to cast my restoration spell or some other spell then to have to bring out my swords again.
  46. thomish
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Ok....I've never written a review for a game but I was trolling around over Skyrim and felt compelled to throw in my 2 lousy cents after playing it about 20 hours. First off, a review of 0 is simply inaccurate. When I was in high school I turned in a paper on a book I read and the teacher didn't appreciate my position (I said Lenny from "Of Mice and Men" was an alien and tried to validateOk....I've never written a review for a game but I was trolling around over Skyrim and felt compelled to throw in my 2 lousy cents after playing it about 20 hours. First off, a review of 0 is simply inaccurate. When I was in high school I turned in a paper on a book I read and the teacher didn't appreciate my position (I said Lenny from "Of Mice and Men" was an alien and tried to validate it) I got a 0. I wrote a 3 page paper. I should of at least gotten a 1. A 0 implies NOTHING. It's like rating a game that never existed, like you opened the box and it was empty. I mean even a disc and a manual should warrant a 1. 0 means nothing mathematically so any game with any content deserves at least a 1. On to the game. The game is actually pretty damn fun, it has bugs but it's fricking huge so I imagine that things like that happen. It does have a few frustrating bugs at that. Every issue I've found so far though was easily mitigated with a few tweaks so I don't really care too much, but it's where I took a point away. Bethseda should do better on QC.

    I like the game, I like how there is sort of a quasi-historical feel to the Elder Scrolls games and I like how much of the world can be taken and made into something to use. The graphics weren't cutting edge but I don't think it's fair to say it looked anything like Oblivion, heavily modded or not. I'm glad I spent my money on Skyrim, it is fun and has a great playability for your buck.    … Expand
  47. Rems
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    Waited so long for this game, im happy to finaly have it. It looks too much like they made it out of fallout 3 but stil im glad to have it. Havent play much but im hoping for many hours of joy :)
  48. Narishma29
    Mar 1, 2012
    10
    Awesome, fun, beautiful game. Modding community will keep it interesting and fun for a long time as well. Also has a lot of re-playability due to the shear size of the game and very different playstyles of melee vs magic characters, good vs evil characters, and all the different factions to join or kill. Love it.
  49. GREW50ME
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    What can I say about Skyrim that has not already been said? If you have played the Elder Scrolls before, and thought, "Gee, I wish I could fight dragons and absorb their powers in a Viking-esque portion of the world of Tamriel", then this is your game.
    The grapics are stellar, but if you don't like them, you can mod them for higher textures, and that is where the greatness starts. This    What can I say about Skyrim that has not already been said? If you have played the Elder Scrolls before, and thought, "Gee, I wish I could fight dragons and absorb their powers in a Viking-esque portion of the world of Tamriel", then this is your game.
    The grapics are stellar, but if you don't like them, you can mod them for higher textures, and that is where the greatness starts. This game is fully moddable and changeable. If you had the controls, plug in a controller or download one of the control mods. Or, get up off your can and write one yourself.
    Want lightsabers? My little pony? Warcraft? Naked girls? You can put any or all of this in the game, and way, way more.
    Even the game mechanics themselves have mods that you can make or download.

    Underneath the layers and layers of customization, the game is the classic Elder Scrolls series, but with added streamlining learned from the creation of the Fallout games. Added are kill shot animations, and a much smoother looking interface. As in all Elder scrolls games, you can really craft the type of hero you want, and adventure in your own way. Want to be a simple wood cutter? A massive orc warrior? A sly rogue? A flower picker? A mass murderer? A powerful wizard? Decide as you go? You can do it all and more. It's this level of choice and freedom that makes Skyrim one of my favorite games of all time. Sure, there are some parts where the action is drab and the quests are predictable, and the game does have some bugs... but the sheer amount of AAA content and options in the game is so impressive that it more than compensates for the shortcomings. You can literally play this game for years and find new content every time and have a unique experience! STOP READING AND BUY IT NOW!!! I give Skyrim my highest recommendations!    … Expand
  50. UnkleBustakap
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    One of the most rich and entertaining RPG games of all time. Period. Third person combat is greatly improved as well as first person. There are minor tweaks that could be made to each, but the content more than makes up for it. As a mobile app developer, I only wish I could be part of something this incredible.
  51. midiankomidian
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    If you get past the graphics, the game is very very good, I would give it a 9.5/10. It is an intense adventure with lots of possibilities, open world, epic storyline, it has everything what I consider important in every RPG !
  52. Chaozzak
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Same engine like they use on Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. I dont care about this, graphics looks nice. Many locations, wpns, spells and great character customization. Good story (3 hours game time). Gameplay is really great, especially if you got spells in one hand and wpns in other one. Thats really fun. But what is the mind-blowing in Skyrim? I have to say that is a atmosphere. ISame engine like they use on Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. I dont care about this, graphics looks nice. Many locations, wpns, spells and great character customization. Good story (3 hours game time). Gameplay is really great, especially if you got spells in one hand and wpns in other one. Thats really fun. But what is the mind-blowing in Skyrim? I have to say that is a atmosphere. I didn't like Fallout 3 much, but there was this kind of catching atmosphere too. If you are in open world and just exploring land or when you find some dark cave and spend one hour there just with torch and one-hand sword. That's great. I want to give it 10, but i can't. Simply because it's a port of console and controls are not so good. You can "favorite" wpns/spells so you can quickly change them, but you can't just bind them to 1,2,3 etc. Last think - menu and abilities management is not "transparent", for me it is a little bit confusing. But that's just it, after all i really like this game and looking forward to see more.… Expand
  53. thatfool
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    This game has some obvious flaws. The UI that really only works well with a gamepad is the most glaring one. You can find blurry textures if you look for them, and I've no doubt you can find a number of other glitches if you try. My recommendation is that you don't look for errors, and instead enjoy the awesome experience this game has to offer. Skyrim can pull you in as easily as any TESThis game has some obvious flaws. The UI that really only works well with a gamepad is the most glaring one. You can find blurry textures if you look for them, and I've no doubt you can find a number of other glitches if you try. My recommendation is that you don't look for errors, and instead enjoy the awesome experience this game has to offer. Skyrim can pull you in as easily as any TES game, you can do a lot more than in previous titles, and its scenery is a lot more imaginative and detailed than Oblivion's.… Expand
  54. spoonfreak
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    What an achievement. A massive, stunning adventure in a rich, vast world filled with thousands of years of history. Gameplay is streamlined and varied at the same time. Exploration is endless, as are the quests and number of characters to meet and interact with. Visually, they've taken some slightly dated tech and cranked it up to 11, creating an atmosphere that draws you in and never letsWhat an achievement. A massive, stunning adventure in a rich, vast world filled with thousands of years of history. Gameplay is streamlined and varied at the same time. Exploration is endless, as are the quests and number of characters to meet and interact with. Visually, they've taken some slightly dated tech and cranked it up to 11, creating an atmosphere that draws you in and never lets you go. There's so much thought, care and artistry involved in every area of Skyrim, that you're more immersed than you are in the shiny Battlefields and Modern Warfares of the world. The Soundtrack is simply stunning, possibly the best game soundtrack I've ever come across. You have to admire the sheer audacity and ambition of a project like this and forgive the small glitches and problems that don't even come close to ruining the ultimate experience. A deserving 10.… Expand
  55. MaDaStar
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    While no game really deserves a perfect score, I can't give Skyrim a mere 9 out of 10. There are a couple of minor issues with the PC version, but the only one that even bothers me at all, is the interface. It could be much better. There are some minor graphical glitches here and there, but looking at the game in the big picture, the 5th chapter in The Elder Scrolls series is worthy of aWhile no game really deserves a perfect score, I can't give Skyrim a mere 9 out of 10. There are a couple of minor issues with the PC version, but the only one that even bothers me at all, is the interface. It could be much better. There are some minor graphical glitches here and there, but looking at the game in the big picture, the 5th chapter in The Elder Scrolls series is worthy of a score in the high 90 percentile. There is so much to see and do. So many ways to develop your character, weapons, spells etc. that it boggles the mind. At first I was like a kid in a candy store. I didn't know where to start. Should I get a good start on the main quest or do just a little and then seek out the guilds and join one. Should I limit my exploring to one small area of the map, or check out a few far sections and see what was out there. Am I a hero with unwavering scruples, or will I do anything for more gold? Once I settled in, I got lost in Skyrim. Not in the "What the hell am I doing?" type of lost, but the "I should really go to bed / feed the dog / get to work" kind of lost. My video recorder is rapidly filling with TV shows that I've been ignoring, and the only time my wife has seen me during the past week is when we have dinner and do the dishes. Yes, this game is that good. There are plenty of places to find details on the game and the type of quests you will face, but I encourage anyone looking to pick up Skyrim, to play it without spoilers and discover a world where you can be the hero, thief, murderer, and dragon-slayer. Be one, or be them all. If you hate that the price of PC games are now averaging $60 for AAA titles, fret not with Skyrim, as you get your money's worth and more.… Expand
  56. Arkveveen
    Jan 17, 2012
    8
    Skyrim is a good game, but something about it doesn't seem right to me. Maybe it's because I am extremely tired of fantasy adventure settings, wonder why open world games are so good, or maybe it's because Skyrim has the same exact gameplay as Oblivion or Morrowind. Just repackaged with better music, sounds, animations, and graphics. But, in all honesty, it is still an excellent game thatSkyrim is a good game, but something about it doesn't seem right to me. Maybe it's because I am extremely tired of fantasy adventure settings, wonder why open world games are so good, or maybe it's because Skyrim has the same exact gameplay as Oblivion or Morrowind. Just repackaged with better music, sounds, animations, and graphics. But, in all honesty, it is still an excellent game that DOES take awhile for me to enjoy it thoroughly. One of my favorite aspects is the perk system, which does not fail in allowing you to use WHATEVER you want. As a fan of warriors who uses two handed swords and matching armor, this game REALLY caters to me! Let's see World of Warcraft or ANY OTHER RPG do that, as they only encourage you to use "what's best". Anyway, Skyrim is stellar in every aspect, but tough for people like me to get into...… Expand
  57. Ansatsu83
    Nov 14, 2011
    8
    First and foremost I am giving this game a fair and opinionated accurate review. I am a Morrowind Fanatic, Oblivion was a let down to me in terms of everything but combat. Skyrim is acceptable, it is not as good in terms of world/storyline/etc as Morrowind. Keep in mind I have beaten the game and I will not provide spoilers but I will explain some things regarding the end of theFirst and foremost I am giving this game a fair and opinionated accurate review. I am a Morrowind Fanatic, Oblivion was a let down to me in terms of everything but combat. Skyrim is acceptable, it is not as good in terms of world/storyline/etc as Morrowind. Keep in mind I have beaten the game and I will not provide spoilers but I will explain some things regarding the end of the storyline.

    Skyrim has an amazing world, brilliantly created in many ways, a few anatomy related errors, mainly the horses and glitchy animations at times. The combat has been refined from oblivion quite a bit but the melee feels like a cross between oblivion and dark messiah. The bows are also a lot more balanced and spell casting is not bad at all.

    Here is the bad news (which is why it gets a lower than perfect rating). 1. lack of athletics and acrobatics skill, this is self explanatory and Bethesda should be ashamed of not adding it. 2. The storyline ends up feeling too much like Eragon the movie (not the books). 3. Anti-climatic end boss fights. 4. Main storyline quest is obviously someones bad acid trip (e.g. the dwarf underground area). 5. Melee combat still feels a little clunky. 6. There seems to be a lack of places to explore similar to oblivion or Morrowind, and even when you do find a ton of them they tend to be a lot smaller than the other two games. For an elder scrolls game, this is a problem. 7. About three epic moments earlier on in the game that make me feel pride or honor but after that, nothing at all. Game just becomes a bad mash-up of cliche and horribly predictable plot-lines. 8. End boss made me feel unfulfilled when I beat him, its common for games these days to make the second to last boss more difficult than the last one. I am not sure why, but as a fellow game developer this is offensive. 9. The sound volume is extremely low for any given game, I have to turn my speakers up to almost max to be able to hear anything, if I try to play music in the background all game sounds are canceled out and I just get a soundless game. 10. Console to pc port. This is a mistake that I simply cannot look past. Since the game uses steam for Authentication and its a console to pc port, I would be very surprised if they actually have a large mod community which any TES and Fallout series of game ends up relying on at some point, more so for the TES games, though.

    Now for the good:

    1. The enchanting system is well done, I personally like it better than oblivon and morrowind. 2. Crafting is a good thing, this was long overdue and its not done too poorly. 3. Dual wield 4. Better graphics (I do factor in graphics as part of a review, I use the system from the early 90s)

    Here is the end rating:

    Graphics 9 out of 10
    Sound 7 out of 10
    Gameplay: 8 out of 10
    Longevity: 9 out of 10 (compared to other games in todays market)
    Fun Factor: 8 out of 10

    What would I personally set a value for what the game is worth?: $40.00 (usd)

    This game gets an 8 out of 10, it has a lot of issues that can easily be worked out with patches, but there are just some things I cannot get past. Oddly while I prefer Morrowind more I end up giving it a lower rating based on the early 90s rating system due to the horrible graphics it had out of the box. BTW this rating is all out of the box and for the game before its patched, please keep this in mind.    … Expand
  58. czerro
    Nov 12, 2011
    8
    Game looks spectacular. It's not as rewarding as Oblivion or Morrowind. Every quest requires that you trek across the map to one point to progress...only to have to trek to the furthest point on the map from that position to get to the next quest point. This is annoying for two reasons: 1.) Blockades ala Fallout 3 prevent you from shortcutting. Mountains will block your progress atGame looks spectacular. It's not as rewarding as Oblivion or Morrowind. Every quest requires that you trek across the map to one point to progress...only to have to trek to the furthest point on the map from that position to get to the next quest point. This is annoying for two reasons: 1.) Blockades ala Fallout 3 prevent you from shortcutting. Mountains will block your progress at every turn. 2.) Anticipate a lot of boring walking and getting dead-ended by cliffs.

    Two other gripes. The writing is well below Morrowind and Oblivion. Oddly the books you will find are 10 times bigger...of 10x poorer writing. The voice acting is all over the place, and most of the characters talk in a very slow, ponderous style. It takes forever to get through these character's monologues....just to discover you have to trek all the way to the other side of skyrim to progress in the quest. The characters say almost nothing of interest. For instance asking the Greybeards about the dragonborn, results in an almost 3 minute monologue that ends with, "we don't really know why some are dragonborn, but they come in a time of need." Wow thanks! That was rewarding!

    The speech options are weird. Over half of them are sarcastic and off-putting. You can either ask questions, or give d-bag responses. Really messes with the atmosphere of the game.

    Game looks like a million bucks. Questing is harder than Oblivion and Morrowind, in that they are harder to stumble upon. NPC's will talk your ear off...with no pay off. While I like the fact the books have been expanded...the writing is very poor. Quests essentially work like this: Go to place that is furthest possible from quest giver. After completing some minor task, trek all the way to the furthest possible place from that point in the quest. Complete some minor task. It just seems like they are stretching the play hours.

    The game looks and runs great. It's not Oblivion or Morrowind. This may be good or bad depending on how you like these games. Expect to get your ear talked off about a lot of unimportant information. Expect to criss-cross the map for quests designed to lengthen the game experience. This game is probably much shorter than Oblivion or Morrowind. Also, as great as the game looks, Morrowind and Cyrodill had more interesting architecture and environments.    … Expand
  59. Enshia
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Seems that Bethesda has learned from the past especially with Oblivion and Morrowind. The game itself takes good points from both, removes the rather broken leveling system from Oblivion, and fixes the story. Adding the scale and scope from morrowind, and leaving you to do your own thing. Before I had started the main quest, I'd already picked up 10 other main quests and had nearly 30Seems that Bethesda has learned from the past especially with Oblivion and Morrowind. The game itself takes good points from both, removes the rather broken leveling system from Oblivion, and fixes the story. Adding the scale and scope from morrowind, and leaving you to do your own thing. Before I had started the main quest, I'd already picked up 10 other main quests and had nearly 30 misc quests in my log simply from meeting and exploring. Graphics on it's own, are breathtaking. The combat system has been changed, some may like it, others may hate it. That doesn't mean there aren't flaws. Some textures are low res, blood, overlays for snow, there's a few problems with FXAA, quest failures because it can't find voice files(rare), but can be fixed by extracting the BSA. The AI is smarter than in previous games, but will still do silly things. Like keep a ward up for a long period if you charge a spell. There are some curious bugs, like CTD's if you're using a higher sound output than 24bit@41k, and some people report TDR problems with nvidia cards. On ultra high, performance wise on a 965x4 w/evga 560, is very good. Lots of light sources can cause it to choke, so can shadows. Though the difference between high and ultra shadows is minimal. The UI is very consolish, hopefully some folks like DaRN will fix that soon. If I could give partial points I would. The game is more of an 8.2-8.75 than a 9.

    As it stands now I have nearly 60 hours in gameplay, and am still enjoying it.    … Expand
  60. Webwolf
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    This game is one of the best! its so much fun! i have played only 21 hours, and there is so much to do! there so much to explore, fight, lvl, and so much more. only one word to say MASTERPIECE!
  61. nopistons420
    Nov 12, 2011
    8
    like the game; a fresh direction for the elder scrolls series; there is some stuff i miss, allot is different but its a fresh change of pace, a fun single player experience and overall seems a good game;

    the engine is pretty impressive to me; and i enjoy the scenery and the role playing aspects of the game;
    in my mind its one of the best games to be released this year!
  62. Sussex_Man
    Dec 28, 2011
    8
    My ignorance might have won the day. I could have given this a 9 or even a 10 but I can't. Why? Because I've played the Witcher games and have discovered just how great an RPG really can be. Yes, Skyrim looks beautiful in those huge outdoor vistas. Just don't get too close to anything, though. Close-up details are not particularly good, even on the highest graphics settings.
    As for the    My ignorance might have won the day. I could have given this a 9 or even a 10 but I can't. Why? Because I've played the Witcher games and have discovered just how great an RPG really can be. Yes, Skyrim looks beautiful in those huge outdoor vistas. Just don't get too close to anything, though. Close-up details are not particularly good, even on the highest graphics settings.
    As for the main quest, I've been playing the game for about 10 hours and I'm really not getting engaged with the main plot at all. On the plus side it's because there are just so many side quests to do - this game is HUGE. On the minus side, the main quest is just not very interesting. Apparently the world might end. Really? In Oblivion it really felt that way. The hordes of the underworld had bled through and the ominous red glow in the sky was chilling and added a genuine feeling of peril. In this game I don't feel it at all. The world is full of dragons. They're pretty easy to kill, much easier than most dungeon bosses.
    Many of the side missions are retrieval quests - "I've lost X, go to Y and bring it back" - but they're fun for the most part, if not particularly challenging.
    The controls and combat are Ok but could be much better. A very obvious console port and not intuitive for mouse and keyboard but everything does run smoothly.
    Unfortunately there are tons of bugs - not too surprising for such a huge game and no real game-breakers. Just silly, laughable quirks like my horse becoming invisible at certain angles so it looks like I'm floating astride nothing. Sometimes dropped items don't land on the ground but sit three feet above my head, just floating there in space.
    I'm still enjoying it, hence the decent score, but it's just not engaging enough to give it full marks.    … Expand
  63. Sinloth
    Jan 5, 2012
    10
    Skyrim is truly awe inspiring. Firstly, I'd like to disregard all those trolls and fools, who bash the game down to grades bellow 5, because they obviously have no taste for RPGs or any ability to comprehend how vastly superior Skyrim is. I'll admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Oblivion and Morrowind came when I was still a little young for it, but Skyrim is a dream come true forSkyrim is truly awe inspiring. Firstly, I'd like to disregard all those trolls and fools, who bash the game down to grades bellow 5, because they obviously have no taste for RPGs or any ability to comprehend how vastly superior Skyrim is. I'll admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Oblivion and Morrowind came when I was still a little young for it, but Skyrim is a dream come true for anyone, who enjoys huge open fantasy worlds with a living, breathing society in it and dragons. Well, sure, there are some minor bugs, but in a game of this scale? It would have to be a miracle if there were none. So sometimes you'll ride your horse up a rocky mountain with some glitchy animations, sometimes some finishing move won't be nearly as glorious and neat as it should be, but who cares? Who could mind silly little things like this when there's a beautiful-beyond-tell world opening for them, where no dungeons look the same, where every step your horse takes through the vale of a night is an adventure on its own. Quests are rich, intriguing and entertaining, albeit the civil war wasn't as amazing as I had hoped. I've spent quite some time with the game already, up to the level 45 so far and I still love it, I still sometimes just stand still on a cliff at night, looking up to the starry sky with northern lights and gasp. One of the most immersive and probably the best RPG ever.… Expand
  64. Coflash
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    My GOTY no doubt. PC version. The only thing I didn't like in comparison to the previous two titles was the environment. I know it's Skyrim but I miss the vibrant landscapes in Oblivion.
  65. capiti
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    This game, like any other bethesda games, just suck!

    I try hard to understand HOW this game can have all this hype. I mean, take a look at the game. Just doesn't go with the flow. I think 90% of the players like just because most like it. It cant be good because ITS NOT. Its all broken, physics sux, textures, graphics, story... all extremely bad! I feel like Im playing a 1997 PC game    This game, like any other bethesda games, just suck!

    I try hard to understand HOW this game can have all this hype. I mean, take a look at the game. Just doesn't go with the flow. I think 90% of the players like just because most like it. It cant be good because ITS NOT. Its all broken, physics sux, textures, graphics, story... all extremely bad!

    I feel like Im playing a 1997 PC game from a bad game maker. If I could, I would give -10. I dont give this bad score unless the game REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY deserves. Congratulations Skyrim!    … Expand
  66. Maningreen92
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    This is an amazing game, that's all it really takes to explain it. If you're not used to the story-based RPG genre, you will more than likely not enjoy this game. It, like the others in the series, is slower moving and more involved than what most ADD FPS Point-and-Click players can handle. And that's what I think most of the negative reviews are about. People like to point out theThis is an amazing game, that's all it really takes to explain it. If you're not used to the story-based RPG genre, you will more than likely not enjoy this game. It, like the others in the series, is slower moving and more involved than what most ADD FPS Point-and-Click players can handle. And that's what I think most of the negative reviews are about. People like to point out the smallest flaws and drastically reduce their rating because they were expecting a perfect, seamless game on release date. It doesn't happen, there is no such thing as a flawless game.

    Basically, this game requires patience. It is a massive world and it takes more than a few minutes to get from town to town, there's gonna be a few glitches and inconsistencies. Give'em a break. See a bug? Let Bethesda know.    … Expand
  67. Bitercup
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Every game gets me bored after 2-3 days but not Skyrim, and with all that mods i will play it forever.
    And for those who care only about graphic, play some other game, in Skyrim graphic is not that important.
    This game must be GOTY (Game Of The Year).
  68. E_K_H
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Overall the best game I have ever played. Great game-play, very beautiful graphics, and a good solid storyline. The guys at Bethesda has really outdone them self this time. However I have experienced a few bugs in the game, mainly game crashes. I have played around 25 hours, and the game has crashed approximately 10 times. Not a big problem, but annoying.
  69. Arvelayne
    Nov 14, 2011
    8
    For reference I've played 22 hours this weekend, and am level 17.

    Graphics In some ways they are better then Oblivion (although I haven't finished my little comparison screenshot project yet), but I side with those who say that Bethseda have slacked here. I think the modelling is better, but the textures are somewhat lacking. I also think the spell effects look cracking. Sound    For reference I've played 22 hours this weekend, and am level 17.

    Graphics In some ways they are better then Oblivion (although I haven't finished my little comparison screenshot project yet), but I side with those who say that Bethseda have slacked here. I think the modelling is better, but the textures are somewhat lacking.

    I also think the spell effects look cracking.

    Sound and Music

    Because sound is so important in a game like this, I deliberately went out and bought myself new speakers (a set of Creative T10s). This is was a damn good move, and it made a huge difference.

    The music I've heard so far is good. There are, however, some issues with characters talking over one another during conversations.

    The voice acting is fine, although some accents are a bit comical. Because of the scale of the game it is impossible to have every single character individually voiced, but it's certainly a lot better than Oblivion.

    Interface

    I actually like the new system. It's certainly a lot more usable than Oblivion, although very buggy. Container crash anyone? I like the favourites system, but I still haven't worked on number key bindings yet. Bethseda have slacked and should have opened up keymapping so that people could go the whole hog though.

    One thing I would also like to see is the ability to create sets of items, which could be named and accessed from favourites.

    Levelling, Skills and Perks

    I like the new system for levelling. I tried playing Oblivion three times (yes THREE), always got lost trying to min/max my stats. Simple is better in this case.

    The perks system is straightforward, and the reduction in the number of skills helps.

    Combat

    Again better than Oblivion, although I do get lost easily in close melee. Strafing is god where you can get space, as is line of sight, especially against hard/multiple opponents. I agree that it feels a bit detached at times though.

    Some mobs are ridiculously OP in melee, and can one or two shot you no matter what you try. It means that you have to adjust your play style, and run away or sneak more. It's just annoying to have to bounce back to the last save.

    In the end if you really want to kill something that's hard, turn the difficulty down.

    Magic

    The magic system is the same sort of thing as before, a tried an tested formula, although I disagree that a lack of custom spells is a bad thing. It makes you think about what you're doing, rather than power levelling (see later).

    I haven't gotten to the more complex spells so it does all seem a little samey right now, but I suspect things will improve.

    Also someone complained about the simplicity of the spells in another review. What were you expecting? Magic rabbits firing rainbows at unicorns? Or a Summon Bridge spell? Crafting/Enchanting

    Seems like a good system, although I haven't had much experience of it. I like that you have to destroy items to get enchants, which is fairer than the spellcasting based Oblivion system.

    Quests

    In general it's the normal type of thing. You're usually sent to the far side of the map from where you are (at least for main quests), but then that just allows you more reason to explore. I haven't had any experience of the new random quest system yet, but in general no complaints.

    Exploring and Dungeons

    Lots to see, and I like the placing of stuff just in sight of something else (at least if you have a long view distance), so you're always running off to check something. Someone complained about the lack of mobs between places, but to be honest there are some that are just OP in melee (see above), so I'm glad of the rest. Dungeons are generally fine, and I like that you seemingly have to wait 30 days for them to respawn rather than 3, which is much more sensible than the 3 days in Oblivion. Summary and Fixes This is a good game. It's not perfect, and it needs some work to make it brilliant. Bethseda need to get the really big Bug Squasher (tm) out quickly to make sure that their audience gets the attention it deserves. Patch 1.2 had better be out by the end of the month at the very latest if they don't want to alienate people. That also goes for the graphics as well, although at least part of the blame should lie with AMD, who have slacked on getting Crossfire and performance drivers out. One up for NVidia, and a pity I don't have NVidia graphics cards. DLC is coming, but I don't know when. Right now I think Bethseda have at least till Xmas before people start to get gnarly, although you'll always have the hardcore that finish it in days. But then you could release new content every other day and they'd still be complaining about it not being fast enough. I believe that the overall score at present (8.5) is fair, as it would all kind of balance out. It would increase to a 9 or so if all the actually bad bits were fixed, or at least alleviated.    … Expand
  70. btotheizzle
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After sinking 42 hours in to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim it's a proper time to finally time to give it the review it does. I will be the first to say that I love Bethesda Softworks games, the big worlds the stories, and I hold Fallout 3 being one of the best RPG of this era. That probably has to do with some things I am about to say.

    The Good:

    Fist off I am running the game on near max settings, and the game looks fabulous when compared to the Fallout series, it's lovely to see Bethesda step up the look of the game. It gives me faith that they will continue on that path. Rocks look like rocks, trees look like trees, the castle stone looks fantastic. The character modeling and weather effects are also excellent. After spending a few days playing BF3 maxed out I still felt like Skyrim was up to par graphically.

    They did some really good things when it comes to dialog to make it feel more natural, often times NPCs will speak without you actually having to talk to them. It's a little thing but it really worked.

    The voice acting is pretty good, I never felt like the lines where too cheesy or poorly done. You often run in to multiple characters having a conversation with each other which is nice to see.

    At least early in the game it feels like a thriller being attacked by a giant dragon and running for your life. The trill of learning the game was fun while it lasted.

    Many unique looking locations, from small towns to sprawling castle complexes. Architecture can differ so it doesn't feel like it's more of the same.

    You can learn some of the more advanced things in the games from NPCs, like for example smithing a weapon.

    A vast array of categories or attributes to build your character around. You can take basically any character and fit them to exactly how you want to play, which feels a lot more dynamic than Fallout.

    The Bad:

    If you never played a Bethesda RPG type game I'd expect you to be lost when you first start playing, I know I was a little at first. The menu system is a little clunky IMHO but I did get past that fairly quickly.

    Companions are utterly ridiculous. They will often times lag behind, get lost, block doorways, fall down holes, and yes die. There is no decent way to control them, even basically like in Fallout where you could tell them to use close range weapons or long range weapons, or to stay close or back off, or tell them to passive or aggressive. So as soon as an enemy appears your companions / conjured creatures will attack them even if you keep moving and try to run away from them. And if you keep running? Yep the just seem to get lost half the time. If I wasn't playing a conjuring type character I would have killed my companion and went on my way.

    There is no way, at least not from what I have found, to change weapon sets. It would have been a nice feature to be able to configure different sets to adjust to different enemies.

    Dungeons or caves, they are basically one in the same, and get extremely repetitive quickly. That's not to say they are all carbon copies of each of there, because they aren't, however they all follow the same basic principals. Generally small zig zagging corridors, leading to larger areas where combat takes place, and finishing in a final main chamber where you typically fight some sort of boss character and collect some nice loot. These make up the bulk of the quests in the game, or so it feels.

    I had no idea when I completed the main story line. You defeat the bad guy, and you get to go on your way. I like the fact that you can continue to play the game, but I kept playing aggressively because it didn't feel very anti-climatic and there where still dragons everywhere so I figured there was something else that needed to be done. It was just recently I ran out of mostly interesting quests and looked online for the main quest order to my dismay.

    Speaking of dismay, bugs. I found the game crashed on PC quite often and forced me to save early and save often otherwise I'd easily wipe out 20 min worth of work at a crack. The "Battle For Windhelm" quest was particularly painful. Also the quest "The Foresworn Conspiracy" also bugged out leading me to not be able to finish the quest. It should almost be expected these days that when games come out they are not truly done, but it's a very poor way to do business IMHO.

    Dragons, honestly just become a huge nuisance after a while, and I often times do not have the choice to fight them. They will block your fast travel from a wide area.

    In Closing:

    Bethesda has set the bar high in the recent years. Unfortunately Skyrim has a fairly boring story, poor game mechanics, and glitches that really kill the feel of an otherwise good game that looks fantastic. One day I hope to come back and re-evaluate it. I'm sure there will be DLC.    … Expand
  71. Stimpy
    Nov 25, 2011
    9
    Like Morrowind and Oblivion before it, a damn good game. I could rave about all the things I love about this game, but will focus on the interface.

    It is an adjustment from the old way, and for the first day or two I thought it was a sacrifice to benefit the console players, but I have adapted and appreciated the change. One thing I appreciate, is that the E key not only picks up items,    Like Morrowind and Oblivion before it, a damn good game. I could rave about all the things I love about this game, but will focus on the interface.

    It is an adjustment from the old way, and for the first day or two I thought it was a sacrifice to benefit the console players, but I have adapted and appreciated the change. One thing I appreciate, is that the E key not only picks up items, but you hold down the button, to hold the item, a simple improvement. And the duel weapon/spell system is a great new idea, although I would like it a bit more polished, sometimes I need to go into my inventory to equip two of the same weapon and other minor issues. Hopefully that will change in a patch. Otherwise, no complaints.    … Expand
  72. Sevvy88
    Nov 28, 2011
    8
    To put it short: brilliant game. I have been using every spare moment of my time since the game released to play it. I honestly can't remember being this immersed in a game since I first played World of Warcraft back in 2006 or so. That's really saying something considering most games do not impress me at all these days.

    Having never been a fan of the Elder Scrolls series before this    To put it short: brilliant game. I have been using every spare moment of my time since the game released to play it. I honestly can't remember being this immersed in a game since I first played World of Warcraft back in 2006 or so. That's really saying something considering most games do not impress me at all these days.

    Having never been a fan of the Elder Scrolls series before this game, perhaps my opinions is a little skewed. For me, this has been an entirely new experience that I thought may have only existed in MMO's, a market that is completely saturated at this current time. I was beyond surprised and pleased when I began my journeys through the harsh, beautiful, and vast world of Skyrim. The voice overs are good, only becoming cheesy or poor from time to time, the combat system is fun and feels rewarding br leveling your character up in real time by actually performing an action, and perks you receive from leveling up definitely make your character feel like more of a hero. That heavy armor may take up alot of your bag space, but trust me, once you fill out your perks, it's worth it! Other skills are improved upon in a similar, rewarding way. The game isn't without it problems. The game has several glitches, and many people have even run into game breaking bugs. If you play on PC, there seems to be a constant "crash to desktop" error as well that can be pretty infuriating when you are engrossed in the game. Having to constantly save due to a game's instability is unacceptable. Overall, the game is gorgeous and rewarding, though at times the bugs can cause you to want to rip your hair out. Given the massive size of this world and the adventures that take place in it though, most players will be willing to forgive them. The good far, far outweighs the bad. A game I will certainly never forget.    … Expand
  73. Egomaniacal
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    The very best feature in Skyrim is ignoring what you're supposed to do. It's a compelling feature and one that also signifies shortcomings in different areas. It's an issue when the most fun you have is pointing your character in one direction and simply walking. Not because this isn't enjoyable -- it's mind blowing -- it's because it says that the main narrative isn't compelling enough toThe very best feature in Skyrim is ignoring what you're supposed to do. It's a compelling feature and one that also signifies shortcomings in different areas. It's an issue when the most fun you have is pointing your character in one direction and simply walking. Not because this isn't enjoyable -- it's mind blowing -- it's because it says that the main narrative isn't compelling enough to see through. There is more fun in exploring a random cave you stumbled upon and finding a new shout than it is exploring the civil conflict that is plaguing Skyrim. That said, doing whatever you want to do in a great setting is easily enough to sink triple digit hours into. In one playthrough I decided to head East for the majority of my questing and while many of the caves started to look the same, the little stories you find tucked away were unique. The game handles as one would expect of an Elder Scrolls title and in that it feels a little weak. Press a button and press it again and again and again and again. Once you're strong enough you simple charge up and smack things in one hit. Casting has a bit more variation but once you learn to summon certain companions the challenge evaporates here as well. Some of the skill trees are utterly worthless and should have been folded into others, but the game is still worth playing and getting lost it.… Expand
  74. Krovak
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played. I played it 3 times so far and spent there almost 200 hours. I´m looking forward to play some mods as well. It´s not perfect game but certainly best game of the year.
  75. CheeZ_Girl
    Feb 27, 2012
    10
    AMAZING! A lot better on PC than Xbox 360. It's especially better if you have it on steam since there you can download great mods. It's just a beautiful fun game!!!!!!!
  76. Zarzunabas
    Nov 23, 2014
    10
    There are 2 kinds of people in this world.
    1. People, who life their life without purpose, just to die one day without achieving anything.
    2. People, who dont achieve anything either. but played skyrim. As a member of the second variant of people i proudly announce that after 632 hours (thanks steam for creating this record) i finally found some time to write this review: One of    There are 2 kinds of people in this world.
    1. People, who life their life without purpose, just to die one day without achieving anything.

    2. People, who dont achieve anything either. but played skyrim.

    As a member of the second variant of people i proudly announce that after 632 hours (thanks steam for creating this record) i finally found some time to write this review:

    One of the best games i´ve ever played.

    Thank you for your time and if you would excuse me: I NEED TO SAVE THE WORLD OF TAMRIEL JUST ONE MORE TIME X)

    *is starting the skyrim.exe*    … Expand
  77. fifty2pickup
    Nov 24, 2014
    10
    This review is from the perspective of someone with a decent gaming PC and enough know-how to safely install/manage mods for the game.

    On a decent gaming PC with mods, there is no other gaming experience like Skyrim. According to Steam, I recently passed the 5000 hours mark and still playing. I probably spent 25% of my play time checking and updating mods and 75% actually playing the    This review is from the perspective of someone with a decent gaming PC and enough know-how to safely install/manage mods for the game.

    On a decent gaming PC with mods, there is no other gaming experience like Skyrim. According to Steam, I recently passed the 5000 hours mark and still playing. I probably spent 25% of my play time checking and updating mods and 75% actually playing the game.

    After 2 years of modding, I now run just under 200 mods and have reached a stable configuration for a script intensive, visually enhanced game with ENB post processor. All aspects of the game has been overhauled. I haven't done the normal start in 2 years. My character is sensitive to temperature/rain/snow/wetness, must eat and sleep, gets diseases. Enemies are smarter, there's more of them, can use magic and potions, equipped with enhance/tempered weapons, and even loot dead bodies. Weapons and armors for everyone degrades and can get destroyed during combat. I have to feed my followers. All NPC's responds to weather conditions by equipping proper gear or goes home. There are holidays that will caused NPC's that would normally be confined to some interior cells to come out to common area to celebrate. There are new lands, locations, new NPC's to meet, and new quests to do. If you want your game to really be rated M (or way beyond), there are mods for that, too.

    The based game has its problems and I can see why some people gave it low ratings. However, Bethesda gave PC gamers the Creation Kit. Creation Kit + awesome (international) modding community = one of the best sand box game to date. If you have good PC and haven't tried this yet, pick up the Legendary Edition at the next Steam sale and head on over nexusmods. Prepare for a gaming experience like no other.    … Expand
  78. Marco_AGJ
    Feb 3, 2015
    10
    Bethesda has taken the world exploration of The Elder Scrolls series to a whole new level with Skyrim. The world seems smaller than Oblivion's but a lot more consistent. Most of Oblivion plains felt sterile, more and more of the same copy and paste. Skyrim on the other hand seeks to make each corner memorable, it's easy to notice differences in vegetation and clime.

    As always the main    Bethesda has taken the world exploration of The Elder Scrolls series to a whole new level with Skyrim. The world seems smaller than Oblivion's but a lot more consistent. Most of Oblivion plains felt sterile, more and more of the same copy and paste. Skyrim on the other hand seeks to make each corner memorable, it's easy to notice differences in vegetation and clime.

    As always the main story is there but it's not the main focus, what's really important are the side quests. The main story is much better told than Oblivion and lasts a considerable longer time as well. Side-quests will really be the soul here often requiring extreme exploration in some of the hundreds of locales scattered around its colossal world.

    If I had to point out what I disled about this game would be the fact that caverns seems a lot simpler and less obscure than Oblivion's—even though they're much more fun to explore—, a mix of both world would be perfect. Also, even though side-quests are absolutely everywhere, the "infinite quests" system did not do it for me. A game this big shouldn't be infinite, and they could have exchanged the infinite system with more finite quests so we could actually reach an end for it.

    All in all, this came's scope is massive and easily one of the most immersive experiences I've ever had. Though I might not have agreed with all Bethesda's choices I can certainly see benefits in them. Still, a massive game deserves a massive score.    … Expand
  79. Bboygamer
    Dec 28, 2014
    10
    Arguably the best RPG ever made in recent years. It perfects its music, weather, scenery and filters to craft a splendid immersion, allowing you to trek through the large gameplay area without ever feeling a dull moment. After playing for a few hours you start to feel the character is really you. In addition the world is so organic that the player has complete freedom to be as creative asArguably the best RPG ever made in recent years. It perfects its music, weather, scenery and filters to craft a splendid immersion, allowing you to trek through the large gameplay area without ever feeling a dull moment. After playing for a few hours you start to feel the character is really you. In addition the world is so organic that the player has complete freedom to be as creative as possible with the objects and abilities around. This allows for variety and makes the gameworld feel real.

    Amazed by the smooth graphics as well when I first played 10/10. With mods 20/10    … Expand
  80. Bolt55545
    Jan 1, 2015
    10
    Skyrim is a big hit for Bethesda. To me this is one of the best elder scrolls games out of all. and yea i have played the previous two game Oblivion and Morrowind and I still think Skyrim is better. While I agree that the inventory is more designed at console gamers and the AI seemed to act bad sometimes this game is still one my top 5 with so much to do this game is one of the best.
  81. HazardPrime
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Played the game for four hours, release night and I was blown away. The graphics of Skyrim are beautiful and Vibrant, well not the best looking PC game it could have been Bethesda did a great job none the less. The story is looking interesting and the world is just huge with so much to do. During my play through I've only experience one CTD in four hours making this the most stablePlayed the game for four hours, release night and I was blown away. The graphics of Skyrim are beautiful and Vibrant, well not the best looking PC game it could have been Bethesda did a great job none the less. The story is looking interesting and the world is just huge with so much to do. During my play through I've only experience one CTD in four hours making this the most stable Bethesda game release I've played. Despite how amazing of an RPG I think Skyrim is it still has its share of problems. It's no secret that for the first time Bethesda has made an Elder Scrolls game with console as its main focus of the games development. Put simply the've might have "simplified" Skyrim a little to much. The interface has been dumb down to a very simple items menu that lacks any RPG feel and sorting options. Bethesda has chosen to ignore the number keys and can't switch weapons/spells on the go instead having to pause the game and go into the menu breaking the immersion. Well not game breaking changes these are still annoyances that bother me and unfortunately I'm sure to find more of these.… Expand
  82. Valleymsx
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I started to play videogames 27 years ago. The RPG was my favourite type of games... In 1997 my life was chenged when i played The legend of Zelda - Ocarina of time. 11 / 11 / 11 today is another most important day in my life. I playing in the BEST video game on history. SKYRIM, is awesome. 100% recomended. If you have Windows updated, and "normal" graphics card with updated drivers...I started to play videogames 27 years ago. The RPG was my favourite type of games... In 1997 my life was chenged when i played The legend of Zelda - Ocarina of time. 11 / 11 / 11 today is another most important day in my life. I playing in the BEST video game on history. SKYRIM, is awesome. 100% recomended. If you have Windows updated, and "normal" graphics card with updated drivers... don't read bad opinions, this game is on of the best game in the history.... [10/10]… Expand
  83. Chupwn
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Pure awesomeness. Wish the dragons put up more of a fight though. The graphics are a big improvement over Oblivion, and the game is running crash free on my Intel/AMD PC.
  84. CaptainChaos
    Dec 17, 2011
    10
    Ok, after 110 hours I am prepared to change my review from an 8 to a 10. I gave it an 8 originally because (1) I was cheesed off that Bethesda still largely blew off the PC community with its interface design and limit for 2GB for memory (2) and also there were a number of things that really should have been better since Oblivion, and some were and others not so much. All that said, lookOk, after 110 hours I am prepared to change my review from an 8 to a 10. I gave it an 8 originally because (1) I was cheesed off that Bethesda still largely blew off the PC community with its interface design and limit for 2GB for memory (2) and also there were a number of things that really should have been better since Oblivion, and some were and others not so much. All that said, look - Bethy makes its games totally open source and supports PC people mucking around, so of course, the modding community fixed everything, Bethy is trying harder to make good in some ways for PC users after the fact, and finally - look, I spent 110 hours in the game, and it's not perfect but it STILL SURPRISES me, which I thought impossible. It could always be better and it should be slightly better, but maybe there is no way to make a game this big, that responsive to so many diff players. I mean, I've only finished 20% of the game, so what's that going to be? 1,000 hours? and 3 years from now, I will play it as a diff character with 100 mods. If that's not a 10 what is? Thanks Bethy.… Expand
  85. Metalsand
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Like every TES game, Skyrim comes back again, takes a good look at it's predesessor, and vastly improves upon it. Everything is pretty, combat mechanics are MUCH better than Oblivion, and the 70+ voice actors compared to Oblivion's 12 is astounding. I couldn't have asked for more from Bethesda.
  86. Monte28
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Stop busting their balls about the graphics! The game has low texture quality but everything else is awesome. Even though my game crashed twice now...its still crazy good. The graphics are only bad wehen you walk really close to the object, and because its optimized fights can range from you and one enemy, to you, 10 companions, and 20 enemies! Hell even higher but i havent seen it yet.Stop busting their balls about the graphics! The game has low texture quality but everything else is awesome. Even though my game crashed twice now...its still crazy good. The graphics are only bad wehen you walk really close to the object, and because its optimized fights can range from you and one enemy, to you, 10 companions, and 20 enemies! Hell even higher but i havent seen it yet. All in all the game is an instant classic and to not buy it or say it sucks cuz the graphics arent the greatest its just wrong. The content is slowly fed to you. There is alot there, you just wont see it all at once. Every hour i find something new and unique. But the story is kind of boring. Overall it has GOTY written all over it!… Expand
  87. Ursadorable
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    While the interface suffers some console dumbing down, this game easily jockeys itself to "Game of the Year" status. I hear some people complaining the graphics aren't as stellar as Witcher 2, but to me the scope of the game far outweighs said criticism. I look forward to all the mods that will be available on the PC version in the future. Kudos Bethesda on a worth successor in theWhile the interface suffers some console dumbing down, this game easily jockeys itself to "Game of the Year" status. I hear some people complaining the graphics aren't as stellar as Witcher 2, but to me the scope of the game far outweighs said criticism. I look forward to all the mods that will be available on the PC version in the future. Kudos Bethesda on a worth successor in the Elder Scrolls franchise.… Expand
  88. Half-lifeer
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    What can i say... This is the best Rpg game i have ever played and probably the Best in Gaming history.

    Buy it, you wont regret it, and if you do, your not sane.
  89. ysmir
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    This game truly is amazing it deserves game of the year. There are flaws just as in any game but its no reason to give it a score of 0, because your a troll. I can't wait to see what modders are able to do with the new engine, then it will be the best game ever.
  90. Rakka
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    To all the negative critics: THIS IS WHAT AN ACTUAL RPG SHOULD BE! I find it saddening that people are crying about idiot things such as "I can't kill everyone" or "I get no hollywood story with choices", because they seem to rate a brilliant game as it should be some sort of FPS or dating-sim. Skyrim is RPGs at it's best, amazing, well detailed world, truly free gameplay, and mind-blowingTo all the negative critics: THIS IS WHAT AN ACTUAL RPG SHOULD BE! I find it saddening that people are crying about idiot things such as "I can't kill everyone" or "I get no hollywood story with choices", because they seem to rate a brilliant game as it should be some sort of FPS or dating-sim. Skyrim is RPGs at it's best, amazing, well detailed world, truly free gameplay, and mind-blowing atmosphere. Will likely spend hundreds of hours with it. Good job Bethesda!… Expand
  91. Travie
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    For the gameplay alone I'd say this is a leap forward. We haven't seen this mix-and-match system outside of Bioshock games and Clive Barker's Undying, and it really deserves more time in the sun. ...but its the detail of the world that sucks you in, I just spent 3 hours scouring mines for ore and making armors, sometimes picking flowers and catching butterflies for alchemy on the way... IFor the gameplay alone I'd say this is a leap forward. We haven't seen this mix-and-match system outside of Bioshock games and Clive Barker's Undying, and it really deserves more time in the sun. ...but its the detail of the world that sucks you in, I just spent 3 hours scouring mines for ore and making armors, sometimes picking flowers and catching butterflies for alchemy on the way... I can't remember having this much fun with the 'little things' in an RPG for a very long time. Its hard to express the feeling when a game lives up to all the expectations you've put on it. I am awed at this game. Sure, there are some flaws on the PC version with controls and the UI, but the patches are forthcoming in a day or two. I haven't even started any real questline and its already obvious that this will suck 100s of hours of my time. Well done Bethesda. 10/10, and I don't give that score lightly.… Expand
  92. Starblind
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Awesome. I have noticed few bugs or crashes for this stable game. For those that forgot all pc games have minor bugs I'm sorry you forgot. I haven't even seen a minor bug yet anyway... oh yeah an NPC bumped into a wall for a second. OMG THE GAME IS BROKEN!!! nah It's super stable. And a dream to play. The controls are simple and you can be any character you want by equiping whateverAwesome. I have noticed few bugs or crashes for this stable game. For those that forgot all pc games have minor bugs I'm sorry you forgot. I haven't even seen a minor bug yet anyway... oh yeah an NPC bumped into a wall for a second. OMG THE GAME IS BROKEN!!! nah It's super stable. And a dream to play. The controls are simple and you can be any character you want by equiping whatever you want. Oh and for the people that think this is impossible and clunky it's called the "favorite" function of the game where you can fast equip spells, bows, swords, etc. This game is a dream and everything I have been dreaming a game would be for the past 10 years. Finally a game worth a perfect score.… Expand
  93. HardCoreGamer15
    Nov 15, 2011
    8
    This game was entertaining for up to about a total of 5 to 6 hours but then after that it just didn't feel the same so I ended up getting bored of it and just started playing other games instead. If your gonna make a massive environment then make sure the Gameplay is really ADDICTING because if if gets boring then you've just gone an annoyed heaps of people who were expecting so much more
  94. c0m4ndo45
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    I fail to understand the negative reviews here. There are flaws, yes. No game i played had no flaws - specially near release. A bug or two do not affect my rating however, and that is all the bad i've found so far. The graphics are good, for god's sake! why does it seem like every game must look like crysis or something to have good graphics! The sound is good, the atmosphere is perfect,I fail to understand the negative reviews here. There are flaws, yes. No game i played had no flaws - specially near release. A bug or two do not affect my rating however, and that is all the bad i've found so far. The graphics are good, for god's sake! why does it seem like every game must look like crysis or something to have good graphics! The sound is good, the atmosphere is perfect, the story is epic...

    I may be more favorable than i should because i share such nostalgia and love for oblivion and this game was just what i have been waiting for since i stopped with oblivion, but this game is for those who have loved oblivion and the series and like this kind of game for what it is overall, and i value the fact that bethesda did what their fans wanted. If you find this game boring, go play something else, it is not for you.

    If yet you come here to rate this game down, knowing that it is not really your kind of game or just blaming graphics or something like that, know that your name will be in my prayers for Sithis...    … Expand
  95. FozzyTheForger
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Yes, there are some serious issues with this game on PC. Quite obviously, the new take on controls was created with primarily (console) gamepads in mind, not the classic PC keyboard & mouse combo. In the first 40 hours of gameplay, the game crashed three times and glitched out on me two times - but, compared to, say, Fallout 3, that means there was obviously some sweat and tears andYes, there are some serious issues with this game on PC. Quite obviously, the new take on controls was created with primarily (console) gamepads in mind, not the classic PC keyboard & mouse combo. In the first 40 hours of gameplay, the game crashed three times and glitched out on me two times - but, compared to, say, Fallout 3, that means there was obviously some sweat and tears and brainmatter involved in updating the engine and bring it to modern times, I'd say they've done a great job. Seeing as graphics cards meanwhile feature five to ten times as much video memory on average and systems (not just dedicated gaming rigs) are generally much more capable than 2006, when the predecessor Oblivion was released, I have to say I am amazed at how well this game scales to different sets of hardware. Sure, the console roots show, and some bits of the controls just feel clunky, unwieldy and not too clever, but since this is the first real RPG offering in quite a while (Dragon Age 2 wasn't really a keeper, or even a proper RPG, mind you), I was eagerly looking forward to get my hands on this one. I personally think that the PC version looks and feels best, and the levelling system, which at first seemed to be pretty confusing, random and annoying started looking rather beautiful and well thought out at around level 30. While I intended to visit the world of Skyrim as a rogue, my player character has turned out to be a sneaking, lock-picking, dual-wielding master of destruction and conjuration, and while I never liked the ocd-grade professions in World of Warcraft, being able to create and improve equipment actually feels good in Skyrim. I still hope there will be a comeback, a modern incarnation of the "classic" fantasy role-playing game, but Skyrim is a neat and wonderful trip. At times, the limitations of the engine do show, but compared to the many, many hours of exploring, sneaking, battling, setting things and creatures on fire and trapping their souls for later use, I would say Skyrim is a remarkable title and a job well done. Yes, after having watched some amazingly perplexing online video footage of people playing the game, I can imagine that Skyrim is, to a significant extent a very individual if not downright unique journey, but for the veteran role-playing gamer who does not like World of Warcraft and despises Dragon Age 2 and given time and understanding spouses, this should be considered a must-buy, must-have, must-play.… Expand
  96. Bazah
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Although the graphical capabilities of the engine used in the game are quite lacklustre especially in in terms of certain textures, the feel and atmosphere of the game is spot on. So much detail has gone into the game, and the quests feel handcrafted to me for the majority. I can't think of any other games which have more handcrafted quests. Of course the randomly generated kill banditAlthough the graphical capabilities of the engine used in the game are quite lacklustre especially in in terms of certain textures, the feel and atmosphere of the game is spot on. So much detail has gone into the game, and the quests feel handcrafted to me for the majority. I can't think of any other games which have more handcrafted quests. Of course the randomly generated kill bandit leader ones are quite bland. The music is absolute top standard, and the game is very stable. Just about every single one of my steam friends is playing this game, and I'm hearing of a small number of crashes but that is it. I'm thinking some of the people facing graphical issues probably haven't updated their drivers. I'm happy to for people to have different opinions to me regarding this game but some of the people giving low ratings are absolute morons. The game does have a console feel to it at times, but one person complained that you can't assign numbers to items. This is absolute bullcrap as I have all my number key assigns to weapons and spells, and it's pretty sad that people are rating the game lower just because they are a bloody dumbarse that can't even work out the controls!… Expand
  97. Rime
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    If you're whining about this game not running or working on your PC, your computer is garbage. Go out and buy a decent computer before you downgrade this game and criticize it. I play it on full ultra, at 1920x1080, and it runs smooth like butter. Perhaps if you can't play this game you should go buy a console, instead of downgrading the metascore? I know you are frustrated and sad, butIf you're whining about this game not running or working on your PC, your computer is garbage. Go out and buy a decent computer before you downgrade this game and criticize it. I play it on full ultra, at 1920x1080, and it runs smooth like butter. Perhaps if you can't play this game you should go buy a console, instead of downgrading the metascore? I know you are frustrated and sad, but please, leave the REAL gaming to us people who can afford to play a game meant to be played on a real rig, not your crappy $400 Best Buy PC.

    For real, guys, quit down-rating it because it has graphical glitches. If your computer could handle it, you'd not see them. It's your own fault for buying a junk computer.    … Expand
  98. Slightshadow
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    0s, 1s and 2s, lol, you guys are high. 0! Wow, you must have some incredibly high expectations for a game experience. I've been playing since release and am loving every minute of it so far. The control scheme takes a bit to get use to, but what new game doesn't. The graphics aren't stellar high res, but fantastic eye candy nonetheless. The story is fantastic! The combat is decent0s, 1s and 2s, lol, you guys are high. 0! Wow, you must have some incredibly high expectations for a game experience. I've been playing since release and am loving every minute of it so far. The control scheme takes a bit to get use to, but what new game doesn't. The graphics aren't stellar high res, but fantastic eye candy nonetheless. The story is fantastic! The combat is decent and entertaining. The sheer amount of things to do is over the top. I've had 0 issues with the game, not one crash, flicker or freeze. If you dig a deep, well crafted RPG that will keep you busy for longer than you care to play, this one will definitely satisfy.… Expand
  99. Rupture
    Dec 12, 2011
    10
    Whilst it's true the game still has quite a few bugs, for me they are isolated to quest bugs only as I haven't encountered anything else in the way of bugs and I've now played 120+ hours. These bugs at times are infuriating but for Skyrim's sake they don't detract from the experience at all and I still feel this game is definitely a 9.5-10. The sheer size of playable area, coupled with theWhilst it's true the game still has quite a few bugs, for me they are isolated to quest bugs only as I haven't encountered anything else in the way of bugs and I've now played 120+ hours. These bugs at times are infuriating but for Skyrim's sake they don't detract from the experience at all and I still feel this game is definitely a 9.5-10. The sheer size of playable area, coupled with the amount of content to do is overwhelming at times but it's just so good! At any one time, your log is likely to have 20-30+ quests. Sheer quantity does not always translate to quality but Skyrim never transcends into the mundane thankfully. With a slew of quest bug fixes due sometime in the next month, this game is only going to get better with age, oh and as for the graphics...stunning, it's actually mindboggling how good everything can look whilst still rendering smoothly on such sheer scale. If you don't have this game and enjoy RPG's, you really shouldn't be on here, you should be playing the game!… Expand
  100. Lowzar
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    The ingame menus stop me giving this a 10, they are just a lazy effort from the devs.
    Other than that, its an awesome addition to the Elders Scrolls saga.
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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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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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