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. RobbinL
    Dec 30, 2012
    9
    This truly is a masterpiece, one of the greatest games in existence! Wonderful atmosphere!
    If you´re at all into RPG's you need to play and experience this.
  2. eulogy
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Even plagued with crashes, glitches, poor AI, crap UI, and in some specific cases, sub-par graphics, this game is so immersive and compelling that it keeps me playing. It's not the best it could've been, but it's damned good. Some of the landscape is awe-inspiring and stunning. The different ways you can improve your character are really satisfying - instead of being exceptionallyEven plagued with crashes, glitches, poor AI, crap UI, and in some specific cases, sub-par graphics, this game is so immersive and compelling that it keeps me playing. It's not the best it could've been, but it's damned good. Some of the landscape is awe-inspiring and stunning. The different ways you can improve your character are really satisfying - instead of being exceptionally skilled at combat, you could instead have above-average gear from crafting to make up for it. Almost any mixture of skills you want to focus on can be made into a successful and strong character, even if you want to be a jack of all trades.

    Although the voice acting is superb, it feels like there's only one or two voices per sex that most NPCs use. It's easily overlooked because at least it's there, right?    … Expand
  3. 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
  4. xZippy
    Jan 5, 2013
    9
    I can't see a reason why any sane gamer could not like Skyrim. As of now, it's the mother of all RPG games. Once again, the Elder Scrolls gives us that great storytelling, character development and good combat. The AI gets some serious upgrades compared to Oblivion. The leveling up system no longer horribly sucks. The amount of things you can do in this game is unspeakable. Now onto theI can't see a reason why any sane gamer could not like Skyrim. As of now, it's the mother of all RPG games. Once again, the Elder Scrolls gives us that great storytelling, character development and good combat. The AI gets some serious upgrades compared to Oblivion. The leveling up system no longer horribly sucks. The amount of things you can do in this game is unspeakable. Now onto the downsides... The AI is better, but can still be pretty stupid at times. You can steal from shops just by placing buckets over people's heads. Enemies struck with arrows will say "It's just my imagination" after trying to find you for 8 seconds. The PC version is stuck with permanent vertical sync, so enjoy having your mouse movements delayed. Turning off vertical sync via graphics card options will break the game. Overall, this might be the best RPG game you'll ever play in your life.… Expand
  5. Wadeyboy
    Feb 1, 2012
    9
    This isn't only the best RPG I've ever played, it's one of the best games I've played per se! Bethesda have honed the gameplay since it's forerunner Oblivion and implemented loads of new ideas which have obviously been suggested by Oblivion players and fans of the series. Gameplay is riveting and eats away at your sleeping time; it's so hard to pull yourself away from, you won't want to goThis isn't only the best RPG I've ever played, it's one of the best games I've played per se! Bethesda have honed the gameplay since it's forerunner Oblivion and implemented loads of new ideas which have obviously been suggested by Oblivion players and fans of the series. Gameplay is riveting and eats away at your sleeping time; it's so hard to pull yourself away from, you won't want to go to bed! This game offers months of engrossing gameplay which is hard to fault. My only criticisms are cosmetic. It has console style graphics, although the PC version is much better to look at on high end machines. It would have been so much more stunning to look at if it had the graphics of something like Battlefield 3, but the graphics do still impress with it's weather effects like the snow as you get higher up mountains and in colder areas of the environment. The little touches like the rabbits, goats and other wildlife which run off as you and the various enemies approach them, really give the feel of a living and breathing world. Also, the characters faces, which are a big improvement over the ones seen in Oblivion, are still a long way off from those seen in the likes of LA Noir for example. Still, this is a must have game for anybody into video games and even if you don't normally like RPG's, this still won't fail to impress. A stunning achievement from Bethesda and I for one can't wait to see where they go from here. Although a sequel is a long way off, the DLC will be hotly anticipated and much sought after, as will the best of the many user made mods which have already started appearing.
    This game is an undoubted all time classic!    … Expand
  6. Ignatius_Reilly
    Mar 2, 2013
    9
    I had given this game a 5 previously, but upon revisiting it with a fresh perspective, I've really come to love it. The perk system is deceptively deep, the world design is magnificent and constantly demands that you push on and explore further, and the even the quests my biggest beef previously can be highly entertaining, and so I'm glad I spent that 60 dollars after all. Good job, Bethesda.
  7. Cosmicmeat
    Dec 12, 2011
    9
    I would give this game a 10, but I haven't found myself interested in it as much as I was a month ago.
    But don't let my words discourage you, Skyrim is one of the best games in a long time, get when you can.
  8. kranky
    May 6, 2012
    9
    Well, this game made with old buggy phisics engine, with old AI, have terrible gamepad-oriented interface and lots of buggy quests and scripts... But after installing plugin that adds huge boobs to every female NPC, Skyrim becomes on of the best RPGs ever! (after Morrowind ofcourse).
  9. EastonReviews
    Apr 8, 2012
    9
    Having a complete blast playing this on my new Alienware X51. Skyrim is the greatest gaming expirences of all time. Max out your specs, grab a mountain dew, and unleash the visual drug. If you're ready for it, it's ready for you.
  10. 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
  11. Necrotaur
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is amazing. The world is rich and expansive, the graphics are a huge improvement (especially the character's faces) and as is typical for a TES game, there is a lot to do. Throw eventual mods into the mix and your social life is pretty much gone. That being said I really wanted to give the game a 10/10 but there remain a few minor issues. There are some poor animations - I onceSkyrim is amazing. The world is rich and expansive, the graphics are a huge improvement (especially the character's faces) and as is typical for a TES game, there is a lot to do. Throw eventual mods into the mix and your social life is pretty much gone. That being said I really wanted to give the game a 10/10 but there remain a few minor issues. There are some poor animations - I once saw a guy sit down in mid air then slide sideways into a chair (lol)- and a some minor bugs. Skyrim has a few awesome voice actors while the rest are middling yet still far, far better than Oblivion, and the PC controls are also rather awkward. Bottom line though: Skyrim is great and will keep you entertained for hundreds of hours.… Expand
  12. socketwrench14
    Jun 18, 2013
    9
    I've spend houndreds of hours on this addicting game. One of the few times a PC version is better than the console versions and that is the way it SHOULD be. Steam workshop makes this game have tons of extra fun. But on its own the game is worth your while. If you like a good story or combat system that has tons of choices this is it.

    It does have some flaws, and with the steamworkshop    I've spend houndreds of hours on this addicting game. One of the few times a PC version is better than the console versions and that is the way it SHOULD be. Steam workshop makes this game have tons of extra fun. But on its own the game is worth your while. If you like a good story or combat system that has tons of choices this is it.

    It does have some flaws, and with the steamworkshop you can find other developers who agree with how you think the game should have been to fix what you think were poor balance choices. This makes for an almost ideal experience.

    Issues arise with strange glitches at times, however overall the sheer amount of things to do certainly outshines what annoyances you encounter.

    A must purchase for mature gamers with a sense of adventure.    … Expand
  13. fmelish
    Mar 22, 2013
    9
    Skyrim would have been a 10/10 but it was pretty buggy on release (though most of those have been cleaned up by this point). This is one of the best games on any platform of all time.
  14. mintlo
    Nov 15, 2013
    9
    This is my first time playing an Elder Scrolls game and I really enjoyed it...such a vast world to explore with lots of hidden nooks and crannies, interesting variability to the enemies present, a world filled with dragons, magic, and sexy sorceresses. I put a lot of time into this game exploring dungeons, searching for powerful masks, armor and weapons.
  15. 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
  16. Thyriel
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    It is a very nice game. It seems to have a lot of depth and detail. But it does carry over some quirks with the AI and at least on my machine I have at the launch of the game som weird audio problems with Surround. However in general it is one of the best elder scrolls and open world games in existence.
  17. evolve
    Dec 31, 2011
    9
    A large world with endless possibilities. One of the best RPG's to this date, but what sets Skyrim above the rest is the possibilities that modding give us. Having downloaded a number of graphical updates and with the CK just ahead i can see myself playing this for some time to come :)
  18. Seorl
    May 17, 2012
    9
    Skyrim is an amazing game that is true to its roots in the elder scrolls series. The game opens much like previous games with you being a prisoner and up for execution. From there the story opens up and you can literally do anything you want from then on out. The story is your very own. The graphics are amazing, the dragon fights are fun, the controls are exactly the same as before. ThereSkyrim is an amazing game that is true to its roots in the elder scrolls series. The game opens much like previous games with you being a prisoner and up for execution. From there the story opens up and you can literally do anything you want from then on out. The story is your very own. The graphics are amazing, the dragon fights are fun, the controls are exactly the same as before. There is a great diversity of skills, items, and locations to explore. You will get lost in this world.… Expand
  19. 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.
  20. FormerHuman
    Nov 28, 2011
    9
    I would normally hold off until completing a game before submitting a review, but there is the cold hard fact with Skyrim that I never will really complete this game - not because I will give up on playing it, but rather the exact opposite is true - like Oblivion, and to a slightly lesser extent also the two new Fallout games, this game goes on beyond what you expect by a degree that isI would normally hold off until completing a game before submitting a review, but there is the cold hard fact with Skyrim that I never will really complete this game - not because I will give up on playing it, but rather the exact opposite is true - like Oblivion, and to a slightly lesser extent also the two new Fallout games, this game goes on beyond what you expect by a degree that is hard to pinpoint. Speaking of pure out-of-the-box content alone, there is already so much to explore and experience that no other single player game out this year can compete in the sheer number of hours that can be poured into playing the game. Such a broad and ambitious game however comes at a price, and that price is technical issues - the game, on all platforms it would seem, has been somewhat fraught with them from release, and noticeably there are the predictable element of PC players who are so affronted by bugs (that are already being resolved) that they refuse to acknowledge the games' qualities at all - a juvenile response. Simply put, though I too had my share of issues getting the game running for a while, I have still managed to spend 62 hours in game so far since the day after release, with probably a record game-to-sleep/life ratio for myself at least. All this despite bugs - the fact remains, despite a few reactionary naysayers, this game has deservedly received universal praise for it's scope, ambition and downright playability from a gameplay perspective - first impressions reveal it to not have changed from Oblivion in any dramatic way, but after digging in some more it becomes very clear very quickly that there are many significant new developments, as well as a major revision of how magic works (with the peculiar removal of spell creation, however) in combat, with left and right handed weapons and spells providing a more reflex and exciting combat system than in any Elder Scrolls game to date. Part of the beauty of these games and the secret to their continued success and shelf-life is the expandability provided by third party mods, of which there are already numerous tweaks and minor alterations, and some less minor (the seemingly much maligned inventory system has already had one reinvention that presents your items and stats in a clear and accessible manner). The game is huge and it can only get bigger, and after the standard for official expansions was set so high with The Shivering Isles for Oblivion, we can likely expect some equally dramatic work from Bethesda themselves in the future. Like Oblivion, this game will be played for years to come, and rightly so.… Expand
  21. 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
  22. mynameisbone
    Nov 28, 2011
    9
    Once I boot this game after install it in my PC, I was mesmerize by the size of this world. It maybe have the same size as in the previous game but it has more content to explore, more dungeons and plus, dragons to fight. It have the same game mechanics as previous game but the developer have upgraded it to make this game more enjoyable. Leveling had been simplified with no classes andOnce I boot this game after install it in my PC, I was mesmerize by the size of this world. It maybe have the same size as in the previous game but it has more content to explore, more dungeons and plus, dragons to fight. It have the same game mechanics as previous game but the developer have upgraded it to make this game more enjoyable. Leveling had been simplified with no classes and jobs and this create more freedom for you to set you character with your personal skill set and perks. I'm impressed with it new graphic engine that packed with detail with vast landscape with long draw-distance. Perk system is new to the game and I really impressed with rich perks to choose when you level up so it add more depth to your character's skill. I play this game just to wander around, kill some dragons and loot at dungeons without really care all the quest I take. Still, it's not a perfect game but that not ruin the game experience itself. I found that this game really fulfill my wanderlust nature in free-roam games like this. Vast landscape waiting to be explored by players. I recommend to all Elder Scrolls and RPG games outside.… Expand
  23. Johnman
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    I've only played Morrowind and Oblivion before this, and I feel as if they know what I hated about them and fixed it. I've played ~40 hours of this game and it still feels like the first day, I want more (and I usually get bored rather quickly). The game world feels dynamic and the music and sound is just fantastic. The storyline is not award-winning, but it is certainly engaging, and theI've only played Morrowind and Oblivion before this, and I feel as if they know what I hated about them and fixed it. I've played ~40 hours of this game and it still feels like the first day, I want more (and I usually get bored rather quickly). The game world feels dynamic and the music and sound is just fantastic. The storyline is not award-winning, but it is certainly engaging, and the best of all is it just takes you in the way a book does. I don't know how to explain that better. The graphics are more than fitting, but I really don't care about those. There are bugs, but not as many as there have been other games released lately. Nothing serious. Regarding the user interface, it's obvious it's a compromise from a game that is intended for both consoles and PC, although nothing else has been compromised. The controls feel really good and load times are a breeze. If all "console ports" were like this I'd gladly buy them.… Expand
  24. kindzadza
    Jun 2, 2015
    9
    Truly remarkable experience...
    Some might complain about outdated combat, but...
    the 100+ hour of addictive gameplay with gorgeous graphics and right mods, and genuinely epic storyline, the cons (poor combat and buggy environment) are out-shadowed by pros. i mean really - if you don`t like something about game - there is always a mod to suite your needs. Really no brainer, Masterpiece    Truly remarkable experience...
    Some might complain about outdated combat, but...
    the 100+ hour of addictive gameplay with gorgeous graphics and right mods, and genuinely epic storyline, the cons (poor combat and buggy environment) are out-shadowed by pros.
    i mean really - if you don`t like something about game - there is always a mod to suite your needs.
    Really no brainer, Masterpiece of 2011. Bravo Bethesda, bravo!!!!    … Expand
  25. thenthomwaslike
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    the environments are incredible and truly organic, the characters... well they're better than the ones in oblivion hahaha but the gameplay is much more refined this time around, the weather effects are great and the world is massive and varied. i would recommend it to anyone
  26. Whiskey990
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    Okay, initial impressions were actually CRAP. The menus angered me, as I refuse to accept anything resembling a console setup. My mouse and aiming lagged to high heaven... But within an hour or two I had mastered the menus (even though I agree it is still a console setup and I wish it wasn't) and thanks to the wonderful world of .Ini files, fixed all my lag! Hell I even added more shadows,Okay, initial impressions were actually CRAP. The menus angered me, as I refuse to accept anything resembling a console setup. My mouse and aiming lagged to high heaven... But within an hour or two I had mastered the menus (even though I agree it is still a console setup and I wish it wasn't) and thanks to the wonderful world of .Ini files, fixed all my lag! Hell I even added more shadows, and sharper details :D

    This game looks beautiful. I keep looking at my screenshots, like "Wow, I was really playing that?!" The sounds make me want to crank up my surround system to hear the skeleton parts roll down the rock stairs, hear the chant as I level up...or even the bass upon startup! Side quests, and unique locations have taken 15 delightful hours of my time and I can't wait for more. (Am avoiding the main quest for now).

    OH and my breezehome is fully decked out and has tons of goodies in it...despite my housecarl being dead :(    … Expand
  27. dobserver
    Feb 2, 2012
    9
    This is a very in-depth game, that is very deep and very long. The world looks amazing and the conversations are very interesting. Gameplay is rather simple, in that you can choose to do whatever you want in the world of Skyrim. The game gets a little repetitive at times, but only after playing a good 20-30 hrs of it. There are occasional glitches that may annoy you, but overall it is aThis is a very in-depth game, that is very deep and very long. The world looks amazing and the conversations are very interesting. Gameplay is rather simple, in that you can choose to do whatever you want in the world of Skyrim. The game gets a little repetitive at times, but only after playing a good 20-30 hrs of it. There are occasional glitches that may annoy you, but overall it is a very good game. I've never played Oblivion or any of the other games in the series though. I tried playing morrowind but got sick of it after 10 minutes of playing. This game was much easier to get into.… Expand
  28. MasterT
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is another great addition to the serie. It is everything a fan would expect. The story is incredible, the lenght of the game is awesome, you have plenty side-missions and you are left with a lot of different ways to play the game. The 2 main problems why this game doesn't deserve a 10 are the fact that the graphics are way out-dated, they look just likeThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is another great addition to the serie. It is everything a fan would expect. The story is incredible, the lenght of the game is awesome, you have plenty side-missions and you are left with a lot of different ways to play the game. The 2 main problems why this game doesn't deserve a 10 are the fact that the graphics are way out-dated, they look just like Oblivion. It sucks that games nowadays are stuck having to develop with 5yo consoles. I think they should've done what bf3 did which is make the game on PC with ultra graphs possibilities and release an xbox/ps3 version which can run only at medium graphs. The second thing is the skill tree really isnt computer friendly, we can clearly see that it was made for console and it sucks. Of course there's also a few minor bugs, but nothing that will ruin your gaming experience. Overall this is a must buy for any rpg fans and even for people who never played any Elder Scrolls!… Expand
  29. anonVas
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    9/10: This game is definitely not a 10, but it is definitely not a 0 either (wtf, why must you people be like this?). Here is my honest review thus far! Skyrim is a major improvement over Oblivion. Magic and Archery got a much needed overhaul and the UI system looks much nicer. It is a great idea to be able to hotkey spells and weapons to favourites. The character animation is much9/10: This game is definitely not a 10, but it is definitely not a 0 either (wtf, why must you people be like this?). Here is my honest review thus far! Skyrim is a major improvement over Oblivion. Magic and Archery got a much needed overhaul and the UI system looks much nicer. It is a great idea to be able to hotkey spells and weapons to favourites. The character animation is much improved over Oblivion, HOWEVERmelee combat still feels 'floaty' (e.g. when you cut into flesh, it doesn't 'feel' like that, it's like you're cutting at air). Furthermore there are a few bugs that kind of detract from immersion (my face disappeared, a few non-important quests bugged out and my horse is floating lolol). However, nothing of game breaking proportions. FURTHERMORE, stealing is REALLY bugged in that I can place a pot/cauldron/basket over someones head and steal ANYTHING from them. It was pretty funny to do it initially, but now it's kind of making moments where I'm asked to steal something that should be difficult quite easy! The graphics on PC are good, but not the greatest. There is quite a difference between my PC settings (maxed with minimum 60FPS) and my friend's Xbox version, however the difference isn't as marked as BF3 PC-BF3 Console. The game install size is TINY and it is amazing that Bethesda has managed to improve their engines compression rate. I have sunk so many hours into this game so far and have not even made a dent in the main story line. While you wont find high fidelity in very minute environmental details, you will find a breathtaking scenery when looking out towards a snowy mountain (oh and the weather effects are AWESOME!), or even looking out across a lake as the sun begins to set. Truly what Bethesda has created is amazing. Yet for me, the game could never be a 10, the amount of bugs, floaty combat and the decent graphics for modern PC's all detract from the score I gave it. I hope you have enjoyed reading my review. Please do not trust the words of straight out 10/10 or 0/10 reviews, the game does have some problems, but it is a VAST improvement over Oblivion in all aspects. If you must know: Yes you can be a werewolf, the Dark Brotherhood quests are awesome and you can keep performing infinite kill contracts after you finish its main story and a few other things I want to tell you but shouldn't (I don't want to spoil it)!!. If you have money to purchase 1 game this summer, AND you love sandbox RPGs, this is a great game. Also, the MASSIVE strategy guide makes for awesome toilet reading material haha, fans of the Morrowind guide book will NOT be disappointed. 9/10. Thanks guys, enjoy!… Expand
  30. 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
  31. xploited
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Bought in on day 1 and I am sure I am gonna enjoy the hell out of it. :D Had a chance to launch it only one only, and the beginning and it already looks epic. The only downside is that I have to finish this game in 4 days before Assassin's Creed is out. xD
  32. thesmith_de
    Jan 12, 2012
    9
    I will try to review the different aspects of the game. Also i will show you my point of view to some points of critizism by others, especially the comparison to oblivion.

    Grafics and scenery: The graphics are allready very good. Max. resolutuion is 1920x 1080. The scenery is genuine and i have the impression, each part of the map is unique. I dont get the feeling its repeating.    I will try to review the different aspects of the game. Also i will show you my point of view to some points of critizism by others, especially the comparison to oblivion.

    Grafics and scenery: The graphics are allready very good. Max. resolutuion is 1920x 1080. The scenery is genuine and i have the impression, each part of the map is unique. I dont get the feeling its repeating. Especially the dungeons are very nice and u never know, what lurks behind the next corner Some ppl say its even inferior to Oblivion, well, i can defenitely say, its not. Storyline: Well the main story line is quite..., flat! There are tons of side quests, and i mean tons. So concerning the storIES (main and side) its up to your liking if you like it this way or if you would prefer a huge story with not so many, or at least LESS side than main questing! Personally i prefer a huge story with different ways of solving it, so to me this is a flaw. If you are more an adventurer, going through the world, to see what it has for you, well this is it! Questing in general: Well, some quests are really repeating: Kill boss in Cave A. Bring this to place B. But some quests are really interessting. But i have to admit, to me it seems, quests in Oblivion have been a little bit better. Not much, but its defenitely not a step forward. IMO with only little efforts, questing could have been highly improved, with the new characters and nicely created dungeons.

    NPC's: Their has been a lot of criticism "they are repeating", "characters are static", "they talk nonsense" and so on. To be honest: In some cases its true. But i nver saw a rpg so far, where the npc act like a real human and u cant see no difference no more. To me, its defenitely a step forward then to oblivion. The way they stand, sit or talk loks to ma at times quite real. You just cant demand, that this must be 100% during the entire game. Thats simply unrealistic. To me it creates a world with some depth. What i miss though, are more genuine or maybe crazy characters, that you dont forget anmyore and meet in different parts of the world.

    Fight system: Well, no big difference to oblivion. As a ranged attacker like i am, its even more difficult than before. Even animals dodge my fireballs! Even in close combat, its hard at times to hit the enemy, cause hes jumping from left to right and my companion walks into my flash. Do i complain about it? No! Does your opponent in real life sit and wait? Of course hes dodging. Ok, dodging animals is not okay afaic!

    Magic System & leveling: It has been changed alot, but its not completely different than before. Also this has been an aspect of alot of criticism, and i have to say: Again its about your likings! Most of the oblivion skills have been kept, but the character atributes are completely wiped out! Strength? What for. Intelligence? Who cares. THIS is really a step back IMO. Differences with effects on the skills are only from the race your playing, e.g. more magic, if your an elf. So all elfs know the same magic? All nords can carry the same load? Very bold thesis! The only atributes left are magic, life and endurance which you can push ONE for 10 points each levelup. So since there are no more attributes, it doenst matter anymore which skills you have to push (like in oblivion). You can skill all, if you want with the same speed. No more main skills. Probably this was the intention and you you are skilling to your playing style. Additionally they invented the perks, so you can boost some of your skills with those perks to get additional special skills, e.g. youre fire spells are stronger in general. And ADDITIONALLY you get the dragon shouts, special shouts, which are basically similar like the magic skills. In all this is a step forward in MY opinion. I allways used to play a thief fire mage, and finally i can (ok, i am an old school d&d player) So final conclusion: I kinda like the new system, but it couldve been better.

    Balancing: Yeah, there are some issues about it. Dragons should be harder. Why am i fighting the first dragon at level 6? Even a giant seems to be harder!

    Interface: It was written for game console, i read and it is indeed crappy! Thank god, the modders invented some mods, which makes it 100% better. Bethesda: That was CRAP!

    Bugs: It runs fine at my system. No crashes. Still a few left, but nothing that destroyes the game. Modding scene: Why should i take this into my review? Because its there AND it makes the game more interesting, especially in the aspect of long term motivation. If it was planned or not? I dont know, but the result is the same. The scene will give you alot of enhancements of the game in EVERY aspect!

    In total i still give it 9 points. Why? (I still criticized quite some things). Well, to me oblivion was a 10 so IT IS a step back. And the modders also were responsible for 2 points! But i dont know any better rpg on the market then TES. I would defenetely recommend this game!    … Expand
  33. Mashley
    Feb 25, 2012
    9
    Just fantastic... true, the individual moments of it are slightly lacking but it all plays so well together which makes it one of 2011's must-play games.
  34. Zherneboh
    Nov 23, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is a rich world filled to the brim with content to explore. At first I felt guilty to fast travel, walking around and checking out the sites was awesome. The graphics aren't over the top, but the atmosphere immerses you into a living, breathing world. The quests are enjoyable, I don't want to put down any potential spoilers, but I'm already deciding how I would like to play throughSkyrim is a rich world filled to the brim with content to explore. At first I felt guilty to fast travel, walking around and checking out the sites was awesome. The graphics aren't over the top, but the atmosphere immerses you into a living, breathing world. The quests are enjoyable, I don't want to put down any potential spoilers, but I'm already deciding how I would like to play through the next time I play through it.

    Now for the reasons I won't rate this game a 10. The menus feel uninspired, like they were designed to be more streamlined but it gets annoying to scroll through a list that can only be sorted alphabetically. There is much potential with companion AI, but as it stands it feels pretty outdated. Having some tactical options would be nice. There are a few game breaking bugs that are ridiculous. The worst one I've encountered is the shield perk "Quick Reflexes" would put the game into slow motion, but would never get back to normal speed, the only solution that worked for me was removing the perk with a console command. As big as Skyrim is, it's kind of a shame how shallow certain features are like cooking and home decorating. I know I'm not expecting Animal Crossing here, but it would be nice to choose what I want in my house instead of stuffing hundreds of dragon bones in an end table and my pile of un-enchanted weapons in a burlap sack. The crafting is alright. I kinda wish there was something you'd do other than click create to make things though. It also makes you feel unaccomplished crafting a few hundred iron daggers and getting smithing leveled to 100 for it, that's just too easy.

    The bugs, at least the major game breaking ones, will most likely be fixed rather soon. Unfortunately the other stuff is most likely left to the modders. Still, I think a game boils right down to how fun it is, and this surely does not disappoint.    … Expand
  35. Togue
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    After playing for about 4 hours I realized that this game was way over hyped. After getting out of the starting zone, I killed a chicken outside in this small town. After that, I entered the house which is kind of your starting home base. A man inside attacked me because I hit the chicken (which he didn't see). I fought back and killed him, his wife and then started fighting myAfter playing for about 4 hours I realized that this game was way over hyped. After getting out of the starting zone, I killed a chicken outside in this small town. After that, I entered the house which is kind of your starting home base. A man inside attacked me because I hit the chicken (which he didn't see). I fought back and killed him, his wife and then started fighting my companion. The companion went to zero health which forced him on his knees, I kept attacking him with my sword but he wouldn't die, he then stood up with full health and kept attacking me. After realizing that this guy is immortal I had to flee the village...

    A few negatives: even though the graphics look bad, my video card was still stressing and heated up to 75 degrees in certain areas. My card normally stays below 70 degrees even on much better looking games. The combat system is also a joke, doesn't feel like you're even hitting your opponents.    … Expand
  36. Astrel
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Yes Skyrim has bugs. Yes Skyrim isn't everything everyone wanted. Yes the textures are a bit low res. Hang on its Bethesda! Oblivion had bugs, Fallout 3 had bugs, they all had crashes galore. People need to know that Bethesda is known for this and they fix a lot of them, plus if you want higher res textures wait for the modding community to get a rollin'. God damn.

    Now. The game is great    Yes Skyrim has bugs. Yes Skyrim isn't everything everyone wanted. Yes the textures are a bit low res. Hang on its Bethesda! Oblivion had bugs, Fallout 3 had bugs, they all had crashes galore. People need to know that Bethesda is known for this and they fix a lot of them, plus if you want higher res textures wait for the modding community to get a rollin'. God damn.

    Now. The game is great I love it, it deserves a 9/10. Would give it a 10 but it keeps crashing and I keep loosing my saves ):    … Expand
  37. Daniellynet
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Great game, combat is much better than before, especially the magic system is a ton better compared to the earlier Elder Scrolls. Sounds are good so far and graphics are pretty good too. There are some minor bugs and small annoying things in the game, but nothing that cannot be fixed. I definitely recommend this game.
  38. Fakechrist
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Almost perfect free world (for this generation) even "consoliced"(certainly so much near perfection if not), but JUST THING IN THE MODS!!! You buy it, and you play the most complete game ever, finding new things to do or areas to explore even in the hundredth hour, or your tenth character.
  39. ebo974
    Apr 25, 2012
    9
    Ahhh Skyrim! Tons of hours playing it... The engine is fabulous, that game is deep and rich for exploration. There is lot of quests, even if lot of them are almost similar and not really interesting to do.
    The main story is classic, but cool. I hope we'll have some expantions packs. I think that game is a masterpiece in RPG/Action game. Everybody should try it :)
  40. ThaWiz77
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    The world of Skyrim is huge. The graphics are truly amazing. The gameplay is great. This is really worth your money if you love role playing games! I understand that some long-time Elder Scrolls fans might be a bit disappointed with some of the aspects of the game though. Its complexity has been somewhat scaled down to fit the console crowd and casual gamer better. But overall I'm notThe world of Skyrim is huge. The graphics are truly amazing. The gameplay is great. This is really worth your money if you love role playing games! I understand that some long-time Elder Scrolls fans might be a bit disappointed with some of the aspects of the game though. Its complexity has been somewhat scaled down to fit the console crowd and casual gamer better. But overall I'm not personally bothered with that. The game is still immersive and fun, and it's got all the bells and whistles a true role playing game should have. I have shaved one point off my score (from a 10 to a 9) simply because of the few but noticable bugs in the game. Don't worry though, they don't spoil the enjoyment of this fantastic game.… Expand
  41. StarC
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Deacz, you need to learn to use favorites (RTFM). I agree with the point that the game isn't the prettiest and especially the lack of facial expressions is a pitty. I like the fact that you can now only sell items to vendors that they also sell (no you cannot sell a bow to a fruit vendor). I'm off to play a bit more now. caio
  42. SirWallyWombat
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    This game is amazing, and nothing short of it. The gameplay (Combat) is far better then it was in previous Elder Scrolls games, but it seems like this game is a port TO PC not from it. The game isn't well optimized and graphics leave something to be wanted. Though Graphics may be less than a 'Crysis MEGA GWaFics' they are actually quite nice!
  43. slothosaurus
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    So i've played this game for the past 12 hours now. And i do have a good bit to say about it.
    1.) all these people **** about the intuitiveness of the controls do have a slightly valid point, the Q command on PC for switching between "favorites" does seem a bit awkward. however, it pauses the game, where before, quick swapping weapons did not. so it adds to the your available options of    So i've played this game for the past 12 hours now. And i do have a good bit to say about it.
    1.) all these people **** about the intuitiveness of the controls do have a slightly valid point, the Q command on PC for switching between "favorites" does seem a bit awkward. however, it pauses the game, where before, quick swapping weapons did not. so it adds to the your available options of combat tricks to move around and use. the menu is also a bit messed up - it needs some fixing. i wish that it had been slightly more convenient, though most people who play PC games play on generally high sensitivities, so unless you're on an m18x like i am where the screen is bigger than it should be, it's not a problem.
    2.) the other things people have **** about is AI, and the sharpness of textures - easy, fix your contrast. and for AI, i feel like the majority of people who have so far played this game do not understand that this game is NOT about combat. this game has combat thrown in to develop your character and make it slightly more interesting. this game is about story lines, and personal choices. i don't care if it plays like minecraft, because this game wasn't meant to be BF3 or MW3 (which is both like and have played extensively)
    3. so now that all your **** has been put aside and you 0-raters have been put in your place, we'll get to why this game get's a 9 in my book. A) the story line is perfect, as it introduces a level of depth that is accessible to all players of the spectrum in their willingness to see the world in which they live
    B) the game play is fun, entertaining, unique, and i have, actually, stopped to look at mountains and rivers, as well as waterfalls and even the bodies of dragons
    C) the game went back to religion having an actual element on the gameplay like it did in morrowind, which is nice and helps you see things. it also actually shows cultural perspectives based on races like they did in morrowind, and the levels are completely designed from scratch, which is one million times better than oblivion. As far as how this game compares to other games though? I'm still at a 9, because i do not believe that any game will ever deserve to be on the level of morrowind, even if i've played tf2 and MW3 for 10-15 hrs each this week, i thought morrowind was the beginning of everything games should be, and this was continued into skyrim, though not perfected, and thusly, i give it a 9.    … Expand
  44. 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
  45. Spacewolf
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    Being able to play this might be hard for some computers, and there are definitely some console port related issues to fix, but the game really is breathtaking when it works the way it is meant to.
  46. Demigodrick
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Where to start? I've clocked up about 15 hours, and like oblivion, will most likely go on to clock up over 350. I must point out though I've been using a 360 controller from the start, so have had no problems with the controls. Graphically, this game is a massive step up from oblivion. Other people seem to be comparing the graphics of Skyrim to those of a recently released fps. Maybe turn up your graphics, over clock your gpu or buy a better one? Some of the views are breathtaking, the draw distance is fantastic and I think I'm in love with the landscape. Bethesda games have never been known for their lifelike graphics, let's face it. But this is close enough for me to actually want to be there. The cities themselves are beautiful. From dwarves cities full of mechanics, to broken down castles and forts, each one feels unique. Gameplay wise, I'm slightly miffed about the dark brotherhood. And the thieves guild. Why are they in decline? They put it down to 'bad luck'. That feels like a cheap way of making a storyline. And from what I've played, not overly impressed. Listener straight away for TDB? And then she bosses you about? I'm pretty sure that has been my lowest moment in skyrim. Fighting dragons is cool. It's good they don't focus solely on the player and ignore NPR creatures. I had an epic fight where I teamed up with a troll and a wooly mammoth, only for the troll to turn on me because I may have accidentally killed his mammoth. Whoops. I'm also starting to see the radiant quest thing kick in, with bounties leading to unexplored caves etc. whether or not it's truly unlimited I don't know, but with modding, it may well be. As I said at the start, Im using a 360 controller. It was plugged in already (I use it for bf3, so a word for you kb/m elitists, you're wrong :) ) and recognised instantly, and is pretty awesome. Pc version has force feedback, so obviously a console rip there. My only downside is I can't pick stuff up. At least, I haven't figured it out yet. So no basket on the head stealing for me. A few people are saying its buggy - look at the size of the world. It will take years to find every bug, glitch, spelling mistake (I noticed one in the book about the events of oblivion) and if you thought its be releases bug free you obviously never played oblivion. I do have one bug (at least, I think it's a bug) where I'm one hit killed by a giant and thrown into space. But what Bethesda don't fix, modders will..

    Which leads onto modding. Being unique for pcs (which is why you should have the pc version), it probably adds another 300+ hours onto the play time. Looking at the quality of oblivious mods, I honestly can't wait for skyrim's mods. It'll be interesting to see how much Bethesda let modders tinker with, if it's all the way down to the radiant story thing. There'll be some epic quests then!

    All in all, I'm highly Impressed with what has been achieved, and can't wait to spend the next few years solidly exploring ever part of skyrim! It's definitely a must buy!    … Expand
  47. gamer2020
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    This game is magnificent, maybe one of the only games that actually worth the 60$ price.
    it is a well made sequel ,enough time has passed from the previous incarnation, which only make it more worthwhile (as opposed to an yearly product "updates" COD, Sports games sims and such).
    Its quite different from elder scrols 4, the surroundings are a bit more alive, more npcs interactions u    This game is magnificent, maybe one of the only games that actually worth the 60$ price.
    it is a well made sequel ,enough time has passed from the previous incarnation, which only make it more worthwhile (as opposed to an yearly product "updates" COD, Sports games sims and such).

    Its quite different from elder scrols 4, the surroundings are a bit more alive, more npcs interactions u can also use various tools to make ur own weapons and potions.
    This is one of the most realistic recreations of a fantasy world in a game(even more than the witcher) , and the combat is much friendlier to shooter fans (as opposed to witcher one button hit), witcher also have its qualities but its areas that are too small to explore ,alot of backtrackings and its unstablens and crashes hampers it more than anything.
    It does have it strong points though.

    well back to skyrim, this game is really recommended it seems to had so much soul poured into it. alot of the recent aaa highly marketed titles seem to lack this, they seem to have factory quality. COD Gears of war halo and the like are like a hollywod popcorn movie and no more.

    About the pc "port" the controls are ok a bit mixed up in the menu but ok. In comparison to an mmos this and the witcher and fallout (although i prefer skyrim) are on a league of their own mmos are strapping the rpg genre of all its merits (talking to u wow) in return give u endless grind with the worst social environment u can find.

    If u like rpgs and shooters this is for u, it also have magics and puzzles in it which makes it feel a bit like bioshock as well.

    it is also such a refreshement after all those titles that "walk u by the hand" (COD and sadly BF3 , one of the best multi shooters, shame on u for implemnting those "interactive" cutscenes, not everything needs interaction).

    Oh if u dont have alot of time dont even start it :) it is that good. if there ever going to be a virtual reality machine this is the first on the line for it. elder scrolls 10 Hologram Edition :).    … Expand
  48. nalrya
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    I really don't get why people would be disappointed by this game.

    I played Morrowind and Oblivion and I was kinda disappointed by Oblivion being all buggy, having an annoying user interface, non-comfortable quest-log the fights still being as stiff as in Morrowind and character animations so wooden. But I still loved it, for aside from the annoyances it still was an awesome game. Now I    I really don't get why people would be disappointed by this game.

    I played Morrowind and Oblivion and I was kinda disappointed by Oblivion being all buggy, having an annoying user interface, non-comfortable quest-log the fights still being as stiff as in Morrowind and character animations so wooden. But I still loved it, for aside from the annoyances it still was an awesome game.

    Now I bought Skyrim.

    My first impression after about 8 hours of play is: Bethesda seems to have really listened to many things players disliked about Oblivion. I'll point out a few of the improvements I noticed:

    + Combat is now made visually entertaining by cinematic use of the camera, which is a really HUGE factor to make the fights feel like real action. Also the finishing blow scenes are an amazing addition to feeling immersed as your character.

    + No more stupid minigame for influencing NPCs. (THANKS for that!)

    + A simple and easy to use quest-log with short descriptions of what's going on. Also you can show all of your quests as indicators ont he map if you want to, making it possible to set yourself a route in which to do a few quests in one journey.

    + Skill-system has been simplified by reducing the number of skills and at the same time got more interesting by adding talents/perks/whatever-you-want-to-call-it to each of the skills, which give actually gameplay changing benefits.

    + User interface and HUD design follow the "Form follows function" principle. I personally really love the simplicity of it. Especially for dialogues it really helps immersion that the corresponding interface is now a HUD that just appears in an appropriate position instead of a whole new screen with it's own interface like in the previous games.

    + The graphics are AMAZING on Ultra. I really don't get how people can say Oblivion or even Morrowind(!) looked better. Unless you're playing it on low or medium and then complain about the graphics not being top notch - really just /facepalm in that case.

    + Improved storytelling for sidequests and more depth-of-character for NPCs in general thanks to using a lot of mini-cutscenes when something important happens.

    For the long-term I can't say too much but after killing my first dragon I'm really excited about how the main-story will develop. Also in my about 8 hours of play I didn't encounter a single bug. Seems quite strange with so many people claiming it's as bug-filled as Oblivion was on release. I had 2 crashes but they were quick and non-reproducable so I really don't mind them at all.

    Also I really can't understand the people who claim questing and exploring gets boring in the long-term. If you feel like that for Skyrim (or have felt like that for Oblivion and/or Morrowind), then I dare to say it's probably a problem YOU have with open world games, not an issue of the game. All-in-all I feel that the immersion in this game is absolutely GREAT. I give a score of 9 simply because I would never ever give 10 overall (though the atmosphere/immersion would really deserve a 10 so far), because nothing's perfect :)    … Expand
  49. Invader-Nik
    Dec 16, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the best Elder Scrolls game by far. Before this game I never payed attention to the series, and then when I played the game I just loved it. The world is massive, full of cities, villages and other things. The graphics are simply amazing. And all the moves you can learn is also great. But the thing I love most about this game is the ability to turn into a werewolf. Really great work. Bethesda has done it again!… Expand
  50. 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
  51. SuriVuk
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    It's here! The Elder Scrolls are back, the dragons have returned, and it's time to take your sword and head into another captivating adventure of the Elder Scrolls series. Now, I won't claim this game is perfect. Far from it, actually. But what this game is... it is captivating, it is huge, it's utterly epic. Unfortunately, living up to the huge hype that followed this title seems to be anIt's here! The Elder Scrolls are back, the dragons have returned, and it's time to take your sword and head into another captivating adventure of the Elder Scrolls series. Now, I won't claim this game is perfect. Far from it, actually. But what this game is... it is captivating, it is huge, it's utterly epic. Unfortunately, living up to the huge hype that followed this title seems to be an impossible task to uphold. First of all, the menus and controls seem to be made for a joypad, rather than the mouse&keyboard combo, which is a shame, because in some situations, when you're facing a horde of enemies, it can be somewhat painful, if not fatal, to change between the various spells, weapons and abilities your character might come in possession of. Secondly, bugs and glitches are ever present, but seeing the scope and the size of the game, they feel petty and unimportant, but then we come across huge bugs that just frustrate you. Also, the small amount of space the game requires on the Hard Drive and its relatively small system requirements have taken a toll in form of low-res textures. Nevertheless, the game still looks gorgeous, even on Medium and High settings, but, also, while animations are better than Oblivions, there's still room for improvement. Animations, however, won't stop you from enjoying the rugged landscapes of Skyrim, as they are stunning and gorgeous, and exploration never gets boring, as there is always something to do, one more cave to explore, one more ruin to clear. Gameplay has undergone some improvements, but, also, one huge drawback: removal of attributes, still, the game is enjoyable, and has depth, as combat has been somewhat improved, the magic system is fantastic and the dragon shouts are useful tools. The crafting system is by far the best in any TES game, and brings memories to the crafting of the Gothic series. So, to conclude: Bethesda has delivered one of the best games of this year. Although it doesn't quite live up to the hype, this game is a very good piece of software, sure, it has its flaws, and many PC gamers may feel disappointed and disgruntled by some of them, but, for the rest of us, with a bit higher level of tolerance, TES 5 is an enjoyable, fun game to play, that will provide a great many hours of entertainment.… Expand
  52. ConallKeat
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    An amazing new installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The beginning of your adventure could be daunting, with an incredibly open world and a sub-par journal system. But when you start understanding how the game works, it is an awesome world you can explore as much or little as you'd like. If you've ever enjoyed open world fantasy games, this is definitely a game to really consider. Is itAn amazing new installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The beginning of your adventure could be daunting, with an incredibly open world and a sub-par journal system. But when you start understanding how the game works, it is an awesome world you can explore as much or little as you'd like. If you've ever enjoyed open world fantasy games, this is definitely a game to really consider. Is it worth $60+? That's up to you. But I'd say it'd be money well spent.… Expand
  53. BlutoothBaddy
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    The game is perfect by no means, but most of these scores ranging below 6 are mainly picking out very minor things and turning each of these into a game breaker. First off the bugs are nowhere near as bad as people have made them out to be. I have played a total of fourteen hours and have crashed twice, both cases happened at a loading screen so my progress was auto saved before, only aThe game is perfect by no means, but most of these scores ranging below 6 are mainly picking out very minor things and turning each of these into a game breaker. First off the bugs are nowhere near as bad as people have made them out to be. I have played a total of fourteen hours and have crashed twice, both cases happened at a loading screen so my progress was auto saved before, only a minor set back. Aside from that the little quirks go unnoticed and I continue to go about doing as I wish. Also, the combat isn't mind-blowing but it has improved tremendously since Oblivion and does a fine job at it. The visuals aren't the best but they aren't merely a "heavily modded Oblivion." Each quest has been completely unique and the dungeon layouts are fantastic. Somewhat cheesy story line but well worth it. I foresee many more moons of playing Skyrim.… Expand
  54. crispyrollz
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    OK being a huge rpg fan i really like skyrim its great looking compared to earlier elder scrolls games not as many glitches way to much stuff do third person is ok at best but there are some glitches when ever u try to duel wield it will only show one item on u when u put away your weapon which sucks and more often the not your finishing move will look awkward me personally i would haveOK being a huge rpg fan i really like skyrim its great looking compared to earlier elder scrolls games not as many glitches way to much stuff do third person is ok at best but there are some glitches when ever u try to duel wield it will only show one item on u when u put away your weapon which sucks and more often the not your finishing move will look awkward me personally i would have gave this a 11.5 out of ten but i have to look at it from a critics stand point but i suggest u pick it up it could easily b game of the year in my opinion… Expand
  55. Joeyy
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    This is a great game, as a previous mod developer for oblivion/heavy mod user, it does make me smile to see how much the developers listened to the community and Incorporated ideas and systems from mods. It feels like oblivion streamlined and made a lot better, and is a great game overall, i have enjoyed the storyline, although I am not done yet, and there is a huge amount of gameplayThis is a great game, as a previous mod developer for oblivion/heavy mod user, it does make me smile to see how much the developers listened to the community and Incorporated ideas and systems from mods. It feels like oblivion streamlined and made a lot better, and is a great game overall, i have enjoyed the storyline, although I am not done yet, and there is a huge amount of gameplay possibilities.


    The only thing that prevents me from giving this a ten is that the textures are too low rez for a gaming pc that runs bf3 on ultra, however it still looks nice and I don't doubt that a HD texture pack and perhaps even tools to increase view distance (before LOD kicks in) will be available in the foreseeable future. The freedom in TES titles is about mod-ability as much as vanilla gameplay choices.    … Expand
  56. Areiston
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    I've been playing for around 13 hours now. And I have to say it's a fantastic game. At first I was a little disappointed, but as I progressed I realised how much of a great game it is. I haven't encountered any problems except for 1 or 2 texture glitches. There are some similarities with Oblivion and Morrowind that some people may hate, but you can easily see past it. The game is huge stepI've been playing for around 13 hours now. And I have to say it's a fantastic game. At first I was a little disappointed, but as I progressed I realised how much of a great game it is. I haven't encountered any problems except for 1 or 2 texture glitches. There are some similarities with Oblivion and Morrowind that some people may hate, but you can easily see past it. The game is huge step forward from previous titles no matter what others say. I'm not going to go into any detail as many have already done that

    Instead of agreeing or disagreeing with peoples reviews, try the game for yourself. Rent it(on PS3 or Xbox 360) or play it in a friends house first, just in-case you have regrets buying it and wasting your money.    … Expand
  57. bheaze
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Ok so ive played about 40hrs now so i feel i am able to write a proper review on the game so far. the people that give the game less than 5 out of 10 have clearly not played more than 10hrs max in the game and that is no where near enough to even get a glimpse of the game. for the first few hours i was enjoying it but not that much, only when i dove deeper into the quests did i begin toOk so ive played about 40hrs now so i feel i am able to write a proper review on the game so far. the people that give the game less than 5 out of 10 have clearly not played more than 10hrs max in the game and that is no where near enough to even get a glimpse of the game. for the first few hours i was enjoying it but not that much, only when i dove deeper into the quests did i begin to really see how amazing this game really is. there are bugs of course but a game this size it was inevitable but the bugs dont affect with the gameplay that much. the UI is pretty **** on pc but its playable so everyone should stop exaggerating how **** it is and just focusing on that rather than the actual game. yes it crashes every now and again its done it to me twice but that doesnt take away from the actual cunning and innovative gameplay. the graphics arnt really good either even on ultra but definitely playable and as u go deeper into the province of skyrim ur eyes are enveloped by the stunning landscapes, hidden beauties, divine gradens and the amazing running water! u can really tell how much effort Bethesda has put into the game, its clearly evident. i have barely touched the main story, so far completed the dark brotherhood and companions as well as a number of very intriguing side quests. the dark brotherhood and companions factions story line was quite short but the story was well put together with a number of twists and turns that had me excited to see what happens and shocked in the end. even after finishing these factions there are an infinite number of other quests to be completed in the guilds that unfortuantly dont affect the story line of the guild but are still interesting. i would have liked the guilds to be longer!!!! but the side quests, well where do i begin, not to mention that it seems like everyone that u talk to has a quest u can do for them and i have had some very interesting quests. one involving a drinking game in which i blacked out and woke up in a trashed temple, i had to recap my night and found out some very interesting things had been done. the story writing is fantastic! there is no way u can write a review after just a few hrs gameplay, so those people that give negative reviews are missing out on the game of the year! keep playing and i guarantee u will love the game.… Expand
  58. Guitarclassic
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    Let me begin by saying that I love open-world games. I wasn't a huge fan of Oblivion though, I much prefer Gothic 2 and 3 and Risen. This is my first review, and I feel compelled to write it because in the span of two or three hours I became hooked by Skyrim. The experience began very weak in my opinion, partially because of the way it was delivered and partially because my NVidiaLet me begin by saying that I love open-world games. I wasn't a huge fan of Oblivion though, I much prefer Gothic 2 and 3 and Risen. This is my first review, and I feel compelled to write it because in the span of two or three hours I became hooked by Skyrim. The experience began very weak in my opinion, partially because of the way it was delivered and partially because my NVidia drivers weren't up to date so I was getting a strobe effect with sky shadows. Having resolved the graphics issue with the latest drivers and turning down my monitor contrast, I found a beautifully rendered world with many immersive atmospheric touches. I restarted the game from the beginning and chose this time to follow the convict/rebel out of the burning settlement... much more interesting path. Many WOW moments since then, largely to do with the world itself.

    Skyrim receives a 9 from me because the UI did take some time to get used to... since I'm left-handed, I remapped some keys and got stuck over-encumbered and unable to drop anything. That took a while to figure out... and just getting out of books and maps etc. seems counter-intuitive and I still occasionally get stumped. Graphically there are some ugly textures as many have mentioned but the overall effect is quite nice, particularly the water rendering. I have had no crashes in my eight hours of play. I'm only at level 4 (I like to take my time) so time will tell but I'm anything but bored at the moment. On the one hand I can't seem to get enough, yet part of me worries that this will eat into my real life. That fact alone tells me that this is a powerful game.    … Expand
  59. Leonarius
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    I simply wanted to address and issue on some of the bad reviews I've seen before I go back to play Skyrim, so here goes...

    If played on the Console or anything Lower than Ultra Detail I think it's unfair to judge Skyrim on graphics. The graphics are amazing, I mean a-m-a-z-i-n-g. It's something you can only experience if you have the hardware to run it and the screen in front of you. When    I simply wanted to address and issue on some of the bad reviews I've seen before I go back to play Skyrim, so here goes...

    If played on the Console or anything Lower than Ultra Detail I think it's unfair to judge Skyrim on graphics. The graphics are amazing, I mean a-m-a-z-i-n-g. It's something you can only experience if you have the hardware to run it and the screen in front of you. When bits a pieces are taken away from the layers of details that Bethesda has created, the graphics will decline rapidly. I also don't think Hardware cost should be included in the rating for a 60 dollar game to be run on max details. It's a next generation game, that uses next generation equipment with the option to dock down the layers of detail to be playable on older hardware. It simply looks better on Ultra at 35FPS+ with everything cranked up, it drives me nuts to see some of these reviews saying the graphics are horrid. You can't judge a book by it's cover while looking through broken glasses underwater. The recommended graphics for the game are for Normal to High - not Ultra with x8 Antialiasing, Anisotropic x16 and FXAA. Hit the Ultra Button, go to the second page and hit FXAA then run the game. If it runs at 5-15 FPS or less then your hardware is not up to par for a final review of Skyrims Graphics. I just wanted to address this issue that keeps showing up in some of the low reviews so don't let those complaints turn you away from the game. Skyrim turned into my new favorite game of all time and I'll admit a full review would end up being overly bias - so I'm happy I could at least address this issue which is indeed a proven fact. Computer Graphics>Current Console Graphics and Ultra >High>Medium>Low. I also gave it a 9 and not a 10 simply because there are a few small bugs in the game - nothing big but it would be unfair to give a 10 which is a perfect score. A few dead bodies are left standing up here and there and an a mammoth once jumped 100 feet in the air when it phased in. Either way, like many of you I probably just gave up a year of my life for this game...enjoy.    … Expand
  60. Ericius
    Jun 1, 2012
    9
    Great game. I enjoyed the immense world, all the story lines and freedom that the elder scroll games offer. I liked Skyrim better then Oblivion. The dragons are just amazing to see and battle. Story lines are great and the vast world of things to discover is just overwhelming. Played it now un till level 48 and still haven't covered half of the places in Skyrim.
  61. Ghjkl242
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    I'm really not entirely sure why this game is getting negative reviews. Some of them are negative due to lack of observation (ie. you CAN change the controls :p), others don't make much sense (the menu system works great with a mouse. I think they were looking for something that would work well on both console and pc), but some of them do have validity. In response to the graphics: theyI'm really not entirely sure why this game is getting negative reviews. Some of them are negative due to lack of observation (ie. you CAN change the controls :p), others don't make much sense (the menu system works great with a mouse. I think they were looking for something that would work well on both console and pc), but some of them do have validity. In response to the graphics: they aren't bad at all. It's not goddamned Crysis, but it's a humongous improvement over Oblivion, and a hell of a lot faster. It actually runs faster than Oblivion on my machine. In fact, considering how much landscape ends up on the screen at once, it looks really good. Even the indoor areas look good. In regards to "The story is bad", it's not just about the story given to you (which is pretty good in the first place), but the story that you create for yourself, so if the story sucks, you probably aren't playing the game as it was intended to be played. In response to "There are more voice actors, but not enough", are you serious? I think I've heard the same voice twice one or two times, and I've played the game quite a lot. In contrast to Oblivion, which had roughly 10 voice actors (not including Patrick Stewart and Sean Bean who only played one character each), although, according to Wikipedia there were only 6 total, Skyrim has more like 70 voice actors. Not to mention the quality of acting is much better. And what is this about the combat being bad? It may not be perfect, but it's loads better than Oblivion, and definitely better than Morrowind. The only downfalls of Skyrim I can find are the occasional glitches (which I personally see as comic relief), and no short-cut keys, which hopefully will be fixed in the next patch. If not, some modder will make it anyways. If you want to know the numerous good things about this game, just look at other positive reviews. Right now, I'm gonna go play Skyrim.… Expand
  62. tyler_james
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    An exceptional game. Period. The stand-out features of Skyrim are too many to name. What really hooked me, was the exceptional level of detail in the graphics, the excitingly tumultuous new-line adventure of terrorizing the populace as a werewolf, and the intense combos of a revamped melee system. As an avid Oblivion player, I really wanted something new to set Skyrim apart, and moreAn exceptional game. Period. The stand-out features of Skyrim are too many to name. What really hooked me, was the exceptional level of detail in the graphics, the excitingly tumultuous new-line adventure of terrorizing the populace as a werewolf, and the intense combos of a revamped melee system. As an avid Oblivion player, I really wanted something new to set Skyrim apart, and more importantly, to make the game worth the 60$ it cost me. Bethesda delivered. Unless you're running the game on a Pentium 3, the graphics are incredible with a refreshing style and user-friendly interface. Example: when your character looks at something really bright (like the sun) then looks into something darker (like a shadowed room) your screen actually mimics the experience of "your eyes becoming accustomed to the light/dark." NPC characters' eyes actually glitter in the dark sometimes. Incredible. As far as new content, how's being a werewolf? An exciting twist to the game, without the humdrum inconvenience of being a vampire in Oblivion, lycanthropy adds a ton of fun to the game without being overpowered and without causing the player undue tension with NPC's. And as far as combat goes, awesome. The end. Fallout style combat closers never get old. Critical strikes? I'm in. Dual wielding spells? as@hDb%as9dh!!! The only downside to Skyrim is the technical issues that need to be resolved (and I assume they will be in upcoming patches) that are mostly held to the player falling to death in silly, annoying ways, and the occasional quest bug. Also, the Dark Brotherhood isn't as cool in this one, but that's just my opinion. And, as usual with this style of game, I'm always conscious of the fact that I am completely and utterly alone. Some kind of multiplayer would make the engine truly groundbreaking. But apart from wishful thinking, and the occasional annoying bug, Skyrim is worth your money, and a whole lot more. 9/10… Expand
  63. 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
  64. Frokkels
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    I live RPG's. This makes me blind to the problems that most of them have. Games like the Gothic series(before the Arcania abomination), Morrowind and Oblivion. Risen etc... They all had problems. I still loved them. I think games are like works of art. Some are unique and others are just plain commercial. If you give people what they want then you are making a commercial game. When II live RPG's. This makes me blind to the problems that most of them have. Games like the Gothic series(before the Arcania abomination), Morrowind and Oblivion. Risen etc... They all had problems. I still loved them. I think games are like works of art. Some are unique and others are just plain commercial. If you give people what they want then you are making a commercial game. When I bought this game the salesperson asked me if I was aware of the system requirements as all good salespersons should do. Then right after he said that perhaps it was a stupid question as people that bought this game knows what it is about. Perhaps this says more about the game than anyone can. This game is an unique piece of art. So was most of the other RPG's I have mentioned. I don't compare this to any of the other RPG's. If did that then I would not have bought this. I bought this because I yearned for a new story. For a new adventure. Judging by how satisfied Morrowind and Oblivion left me feeling I knew that Bethesda would not disappoint. Trying to keep the masses happy with this game was a tough job that I think Bethesda did well. Not only do they have grand impossible and bloody combat against creatures much larger than the character but a lot of smaller more cerebral things to do. Creating a living world within the confines of a PC/Console that performs well and "lives" seems impossible given the limited resources available on all the platforms. It is a fresh outlook on Tamriel that seems very different to the other Elder Scrolls games. Six hours I can not account for when I fired it up and I am thinking of restarting because it seems to me that I made a mistake on one of my choices. The world to me now seems "wrong" and I must fix it. LOL Giving it a high score is only right. We did not get a perfect game. We did not get a well tested game. I don't think most Artists are happy with their final product anyway. That still does not make their masterpieces any less enjoyable. Most of the bugs in this game will probably be fixed. The nice thing about the PC version is that the community of players usually step up and try to get it close to perfection. The more Mods a game has the more I think people loved it. The only reason why I don't give a 10 is because I agree that perhaps there is no real sense of accomplishment in completing some of the faction story lines. That could also be that I have yet to explore everything in the game and have just not found out everything about the factions.… Expand
  65. frast
    Dec 19, 2011
    9
    The game really great. It reminds of old times rpg'ów with a huge world and a large number of races, monsters, enemies, weapons, equipment. For this wonderful cool climate and as far as storyline and nice graphics. Very good game but not perfect by me and are annoying bugs in it that u are not really players can occur frequently (for example, you can see videos on youtube.) MyThe game really great. It reminds of old times rpg'ów with a huge world and a large number of races, monsters, enemies, weapons, equipment. For this wonderful cool climate and as far as storyline and nice graphics. Very good game but not perfect by me and are annoying bugs in it that u are not really players can occur frequently (for example, you can see videos on youtube.) My rating -8.5 / 10… Expand
  66. HoosTrax
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    After feeling some disappointment with Oblivion, the previous installment in the Elder Scrolls series, I'm glad to see Skyrim return to what made Morrowind so memorable. While Oblivion had the open-ended gameplay that forms the core of TES, it lacked that magic of exploring an exotic setting, with its been-there-done-that high fantasy medieval setting. In Oblivion, you also could not helpAfter feeling some disappointment with Oblivion, the previous installment in the Elder Scrolls series, I'm glad to see Skyrim return to what made Morrowind so memorable. While Oblivion had the open-ended gameplay that forms the core of TES, it lacked that magic of exploring an exotic setting, with its been-there-done-that high fantasy medieval setting. In Oblivion, you also could not help but feel like you were playing second fiddle to the true star of the game, Martin Septim, to whom you served as an errand boy and supporting actor. Thankfully, Skyrim returns to the days where you take on the role of someone preordained by destiny to play a critical role in the fate of the world, and this is reflected by the unique abilities bestowed upon you during the course of the story.

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

    While in almost all other respects, Skyrim is a step forward in the TES franchise, the UI is a sore point and is effectively a regression from Morrowind's UI, which was vastly more usable. Other than the incredibly obtuse journal system in Morrowind, there was very little else that needed to be changed. One can only hope that Bethsoft takes heed of the complaints and does not continue the slide toward unnecessary consolation of things that should not be consolized in a PC version of a game.    … Expand
  67. lolfactor1000
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    First i would like to say that if you don't like this type of game don't play it. second don't say it looks worse then Morrowind, if you play on PC like you should and have it set to ultra this game makes everything else look like crap. now that i have the rambling out of the way lets get to the game itself. This game is amazing! I couldn't believe my eyes looking on the vast and beautifulFirst i would like to say that if you don't like this type of game don't play it. second don't say it looks worse then Morrowind, if you play on PC like you should and have it set to ultra this game makes everything else look like crap. now that i have the rambling out of the way lets get to the game itself. This game is amazing! I couldn't believe my eyes looking on the vast and beautiful of Skyrim. Everything has be greatly upgraded from Oblivion. The only reason i couldn't give this a 10 out of 10 was because of the poor scripting of the kill scenes. Half of the time your sword wouldn't even be touching the enemy. But besides that the game is perfect. can't wait to see what DLC comes out for it.… Expand
  68. Aekero
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Alright so I've actually never gotten into an Elder Scrolls game before, I'm going to date myself and say I actually bought Daggerfall. :p, and I also bought Morrowind...but I never actually _played_ either for more than a couple of hours, because of one reason:

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

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

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

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

    Graphics-

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

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

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

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

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

    All in all this is a solid game, coming from someone with really no previous bias/expectation. I had huge expectations for TW2, and the game fell a little short, but even then I'd say they're about as good. TW2 has better graphics, better combat, and better voice acting. Skyrim makes you feel like you're in the world much better, is more open, and does everything decently. I'm glad I picked this up, this was a very nice surprise.    … Expand
  69. 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.
  70. Waddles
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Its the next elder scrolls game. so what do you expect? does it feel like the others? gamplay wise yes, not a bad thing. Lore and setting no, its all feels fresh and new. and being set 200 years after TES 4 there are alot of nice lore tid bits for fans who got in to the story. The land of skyrim its self is massive, its what you expect from bethesda. the faction quests and man story arcsIts the next elder scrolls game. so what do you expect? does it feel like the others? gamplay wise yes, not a bad thing. Lore and setting no, its all feels fresh and new. and being set 200 years after TES 4 there are alot of nice lore tid bits for fans who got in to the story. The land of skyrim its self is massive, its what you expect from bethesda. the faction quests and man story arcs are tight and much more story driven that in previous Elder Scrolls games and the world is littered with dungons that promote exploration while on other tasks. if anything the content is overwhelming. the Npc's are simple but feel some what genuine. you realy feel these people are strong and vikeing like but not uniform in there personalities. The PC interface is clunky to say the least. while the "Q" quick change menu would work for a few things. there are to many things (even worse if you play a mage type) such as shouts, wepons, potions, etc. you want to use. And while you can key bind things for most of the game when gear or item rewards are failrly constent and ungrades frequent its more trouble than its worth. a breif text pop up out of sight at the top left of your screen is the only warning you get if your character is in realy harm from spells or effects. otherwise you need to constent cheek your "active effects" tab... in your magic tab... in your overall menu tab... by pressing tab. on the bright side inventory is still 'i'?

    then you have the famous bethesda launch bugs. Alot of people are dealing with memory leak issues that is causeing crash to desktop issues and vanishing textures. Bodies with floating eyes and teeth now haunt my dreams. and to play through a major event with one of the characters as a purple skinless mesh was a little sad.

    So why a 9? well.. 8.5 isn't posable. and if the launch bugs were fixed this game would be a solid 9 - 9.5 yes it has issues, but nothing that stops the game elements of this game from being the most fun and rewarding elder scrolls to date. and hopefully once a few of these issues are fixed it could deserve the 9.5 I would want to give it.    … Expand
  71. 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
  72. LeMort
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    There should have been an option to give 9.8.
    That's what the game deserves. It Ain't perfect, so a 10 is out a place, but 9 is to low. Know what I mean? No?
    Ok, I'm a sucker for non-linearity. This game IS non-linear. In all it's extend. I have 2 char's. One (18hours of play) that inbetween does a bit main-quest. And another character that just gives a sh*t about any main-quest, just    There should have been an option to give 9.8.
    That's what the game deserves. It Ain't perfect, so a 10 is out a place, but 9 is to low. Know what I mean? No?

    Ok, I'm a sucker for non-linearity. This game IS non-linear. In all it's extend. I have 2 char's. One (18hours of play) that inbetween does a bit main-quest.
    And another character that just gives a sh*t about any main-quest, just fooling around.

    That is the beauty of this game, I caught myself, yesterday, in playing for several hours not doing one single quest! I just ran around exploring, and had a hell of a time!

    Now that says something.

    To all those whiners that trolls any board around, get a grip will ya?
    This game is NOT bad, there is no way anyone can call it bad. Why? because it is freakin' good, and if you don't agree, well this wasn't a game for you.
    That's bad (especially for you, if you paid for this) but the game is not bad. No way.

    giving zero?
    You know what criteria lies down to give a zero? The game won't start. it doesn't exists. It fails to be released.
    If it has been released and starts, even just for a bit, it's worth more than 0.

    Just my two cents
    M:)    … Expand
  73. MattC
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Graphics: While some of the up close textures may be a tad blurry, and you might get some pop in; this game looks absolutely wonderful with a decent PC rig with all the settings on ultra. For a game with environments this vast you are going to see some hiccups, but overall the level of detail is remarkable.

    Sound: With some old ES favorites mixed into an original score, the music in    Graphics: While some of the up close textures may be a tad blurry, and you might get some pop in; this game looks absolutely wonderful with a decent PC rig with all the settings on ultra. For a game with environments this vast you are going to see some hiccups, but overall the level of detail is remarkable.

    Sound: With some old ES favorites mixed into an original score, the music in this game is top notch and comes to a crescendo during high action parts, yet drops off to a soothing melody as you walk around towns. The ambient sounds are also top notch and brings another level to this world when played through a surround sound system. Gameplay: In previous ES games I always found that the combat was rather lacking and got very stale after a while, especially melee characters. While Skyrim doesn't exactly implement a brand new combat system, they have however, refined their combat system into a much more enjoyable experience. It seems Bethesda has taken a page out of the Bioshock book, because in Skyrim your character now can dual wield weapons, magic, or in the case of my character one of each. Many magic spells can be combined to create a much more powerful version of which ever spell you are dual-wielding. Melee still feels a bit flat when compared to the dual casting magic system, but with the inclusion of gruesome finishing moves and the ability to wield two one-handed weapons, as well as a more effective sword and board style, melee combat feels much better than in previous iterations of the ES series.

    Leveling up in Skyrim has also been streamlined, (i know i know many construe streamlined as being "dumbed down", and I assure you it's not) which in my opinion was a very welcome addition. It still follows the "level up by doing" formula of previous games in the ES series. but instead of trying to divide 10 points into 50+ skills, you now choose to put points into Magic, Health, or Stamina every time you gain a level. In addition to choosing a base stat to boost, you also get a perk point every level, which you can than put into a specialty area, such as destruction/restoration/illusion if you use magic or one-hand/two-hand/shield for people who like to hit things. Menus/UI: While these are serviceable for PC users who use a mouse and keyboard, it is very evident that these were designed with controllers in mind. I also don't like that the ability to bind different keys is restricted. While I can still remap certain keys I can't assign my number keys to various potions, abilities, magic, etc. which is a bit of a let down. That being said, the menus themselves have a very slick look to them, especially the skills menu where you spend your points once you level.

    Playability/Re-playability: This area is where Skyrim really shines. The amount of quests in this game is absolutely staggering, and many are in places that you might not think to look. For example I was reading random books in a random dungeon, and one of the books gave me a quest to find an ancient sword. I'm not sure if that one book is the only way you can get the quest, but it goes to show that you should leave no stone unturned when it comes to exploring. Skyrim also continues the ES tradition that ensures that no player will experience Skyrim the exact same way as another. Now the main quests are the same, but the game leaves it up to you in how and in which order you want to tackle each one. Another interesting aspect of the Skyrim quest system is that it will continue to spawn random kill/search/rescue/deliver quests that will in theory keep you going forever.

    Bugs/Glitches: For any of you familiar with the ES or (new)Fallout series you know that these games can be full of bugs from something as simple as textures not loading to something as game-breaking as a corrupted save file. Skyrim seems for the most part to be game-breaking bug free, but still has a few annoyances such as NPCs caught in a loop, or wooly mammoths being launched hundreds of feet in the air. Luckily the auto save feature in Skyrim activates each time you enter or exit a new area, so if you are unfortunate enough to experience a major bug that requires a reset, hopefully it won't set you back to far. Another issue worth mentioning is that Skyrim can crash randomly, and while I haven't experienced it first hand, my roommate has had a few.

    Overall: Skyrim is the pinnacle of the ES series, it remedies many issues of the past games, and presents you with an open world experience unparallelled in the RPG realm. The quests are fun and engaging, the world feels alive as npc's walk around and do their day to day chores, the combat has been tightened up and feels much better, especially as a melee character. If you have never played an ES game before and are looking for an open world rpg than this game is for you, and if you are familiar with and enjoyed previous games in the ES series Skyrim will blow you away.    … Expand
  74. Bradmasi
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    The new addition to the The Elder Scrolls saga continues strong in Skyrim. Much of what makes the Elder Scrolls games what they are remains intact while enough innovation is included to assure you this is a growing series.

    The graphics for the first few areas may not seem like much of an improvement but the visually stunning vistas of the cloud-covered mountains and the snow billowing    The new addition to the The Elder Scrolls saga continues strong in Skyrim. Much of what makes the Elder Scrolls games what they are remains intact while enough innovation is included to assure you this is a growing series.

    The graphics for the first few areas may not seem like much of an improvement but the visually stunning vistas of the cloud-covered mountains and the snow billowing off the ice caps to the north truly waylays any ideas of out-dated graphics. While the voice acting does feel stilted and clunky at times the fact that NPC's do recognize more of your actions helps create a more believable world that in previous installments.

    The combat is more fleshed out this time around with the ability to actively block and shield bash if you're using heavy armor, or make the decision to wield multiple spell types at the same time as a caster via dual-casting abilities. While there are still balancing issues there are enough advancements here to keep you interested without much of the fatigue associated with repeated visits to dungeons in a single play session as found with Oblivion.

    This game is not without glaring flaws however. It seems the game was designed with a controller in mind. Keyboard and mouse is fine for combat and exploration but clicking items in your inventory or selecting dialogue options has often followed at best with a frustrated sigh and at worse with a cry of outrage as I accidentally select the wrong option and sent a companion back to town or angering a guard without meaning to.

    You have to be so precise with the mouse pointer that when at a vendor if you click slightly off the screen it closes the window and you have to reselect the vendor option. And while none of this is game-breaking I find myself avoiding interaction with other players due to the exasperation it can cause.

    All negativity aside though, this is a game that offers hundreds of hours of content with fresh vistas everywhere you go. The dungeons are more adequately designed and combat is a blast. If you like fantasy adventure and didn't get enough from Dark Souls this is one game to pick up.    … Expand
  75. SpiffyHarry
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Absolutely brilliant! Breath-taking visuals, a class system with unparalleled customization, engaging and genuinely fun combat, ridiculous amounts of replay value, crafting that's actually useful, beautiful music and sound effects, interesting side quests, smooth/greatly improved animations and a rich, vibrant world that comes alive with the amount of lore involved! :)

    I bought the PC    Absolutely brilliant! Breath-taking visuals, a class system with unparalleled customization, engaging and genuinely fun combat, ridiculous amounts of replay value, crafting that's actually useful, beautiful music and sound effects, interesting side quests, smooth/greatly improved animations and a rich, vibrant world that comes alive with the amount of lore involved! :)

    I bought the PC version, which isn't perfect, the menu system was clearly developed for the console and suffers because of it. Using your mouse to click on icons can cause you to be booted out of the menu, it's a little temperamental and clunky.

    Unfortunately, as with the previous Elder Scrolls, there's little to no character development, it feels very lonely, your companions follow you silently, rarely commenting on anything you do, on-top of being incredibly two dimensional with no back story. Some of the voice acting is reused too often and there are many bugs and glitches.

    Overall, a fantastic game that delivered on the majority of my expectations, but falls just barely short of being an all round master piece. I give it an 8.5/10.    … Expand
  76. iMaNeRD
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    This is an absolutely fantastic game. I have sunk 20 hours into it and barely scratched the main story line. There is so much to do. Bethesda have really improved the graphics and gameplay over oblivion. The character models and facial expressions are a huge improvement as are the voice acting and dialogue. The only thing so far I don't like about the game is the fact they got rid ofThis is an absolutely fantastic game. I have sunk 20 hours into it and barely scratched the main story line. There is so much to do. Bethesda have really improved the graphics and gameplay over oblivion. The character models and facial expressions are a huge improvement as are the voice acting and dialogue. The only thing so far I don't like about the game is the fact they got rid of durability and repairing on items. however this is really nit picking. Absolutely fantastic game, one you dont want to miss!… Expand
  77. SMKS
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    Such a brilliant game so much to explore. first played it weren't really into it but eventually you love it. The game lets you upgrade on so many things. you can travel to many destinations and constantly be impressed by the landscapes.

    Do not waste your money on MW3 because it has failed this year in terms of innovation it is the same thing as MW2. Skyrim have put the effort into this    Such a brilliant game so much to explore. first played it weren't really into it but eventually you love it. The game lets you upgrade on so many things. you can travel to many destinations and constantly be impressed by the landscapes.

    Do not waste your money on MW3 because it has failed this year in terms of innovation it is the same thing as MW2. Skyrim have put the effort into this game and I admire them for this.    … Expand
  78. TheGamer89
    Nov 30, 2011
    9
    Unbelievable good. Skyrim takes everything that was brilliant about previous Elder Scrolls titles and expands upon them tenfold. This game has pulled me away from all other games until I am happy I have "completed" it. There is no shortage of content and things to do, and 80 hours in I don't even feel like i'm near any sort of end.
  79. Speedhorn
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    In my opinion, this is the best game of the year. The game is massive, biggest Iv'e seen yet! Most reviews already cover the great bits, so I'll just mention the parts I don't like.(I am aware I have given it 10/10. But the problems I found were not huge). First problem is the shadows. They are pretty poor even on everything up on max. This can be fixed though by editing the shadowIn my opinion, this is the best game of the year. The game is massive, biggest Iv'e seen yet! Most reviews already cover the great bits, so I'll just mention the parts I don't like.(I am aware I have given it 10/10. But the problems I found were not huge). First problem is the shadows. They are pretty poor even on everything up on max. This can be fixed though by editing the shadow resolution in the skyrimpref file. Next was some of the animations. For example, I noticed that when some of the NPCs are eating, their mouth doesn't move at all which makes it look kinda silly. Last thing that I noticed was......skeletons bleed? Hmmm, I guess this doesn't bug me. I just noticed it and it made me a tad confused.… Expand
  80. WadeWilson
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    This game looks amazing. It's worth the money and I feel it has that replayability to it. There are lots of things to do in Skyrim. You can smith your own armor, enchant your weapons, train in magic AND use swords, axes, hammers, bows and more. I'm going to play this game til 2099.
  81. Rimpson
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Considering this game is a console port, i feel visually it was more than adequate to give you the sense of scale and beauty Bethesda have clearly worked very hard on in Skyrim. its never going to win graphics awards for its character models and imperfect field of view loading distances, but even after playing bf3 this month, at no time did i ever think less of this game based on itsConsidering this game is a console port, i feel visually it was more than adequate to give you the sense of scale and beauty Bethesda have clearly worked very hard on in Skyrim. its never going to win graphics awards for its character models and imperfect field of view loading distances, but even after playing bf3 this month, at no time did i ever think less of this game based on its visuals. the sheer scale of content visible, the impressive arctic landscape and beautiful skies more than make up for any imperfections down on an individual scale. The story telling is rich and holds lots of depth, i found quests stacked up very very fast almost to the point of confusion, but i'm holding this totally down to my want of exploring every area of the landscape before moving on rather than zig-zagging around Skyrim. the quests are mixed, ranging from the tedious collection of boring items to complex and skilled assassination or theft quests that almost make u reload and try them again from a different angle whether u complete them or not. the variety of voices is much improved from oblivion and tho not perfect as most of the guards speak the same and a even a few main characters share the same voice/accent i feel based on the sheer scale of different npc in this game they have added enough variety to be reasonable. With all RPG games there is a balance between stats level and player skill when it comes to combat. WOW has it based very heavily on the stats u have worked up rather than any players skill with a mouse and keyboard. elder scrolls have added in a requirement for a lot of mouse controlled skill. meaning u do at least stand a chance against an enemy who dwarfs you on stats. in skyrim this is no different although i never really noticed any change in damage based on the location you hit an enemy other than in the front or in the back. this was most apparant with bows, as aiming for a harder headshot didnt seem to reward you over hitting the enemy in the torso, even if they where wearing armour but had their head uncovered. however a hit with an arrow through the face was always satisfying, even if that character then proceeded to chase you down the mountain side with it handing from their cheek. Using melee weapons nearly always became a hack n slash affair unless you were in sneak and managed to get some very satisfying throat slit one hit kills. i do feel on the whole it could be greatly improved to benefit players skill with the improved stats helping you along, rather than weapon and armor stats being loosely aimed via mouse at the creature u wanted to try and kill.

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

    in conclusion, an awesomely visual and depthy game that gives you something to do for weeks and weeks. a few annoyances some may have with bugs are to be expected soon after launch and with a reasonable combat system, but one that sadly that lacks any real skill and has a horrible/lengthy weapon change system. the annoyances are more than made up for by the world and story in which you can immerse yourself    … Expand
  82. Mudget
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    I can't in good conscience rate Skyrim a perfect 10. I really believe 10's should be reserved for flawless, new-generation, absolutely unique games. The kind that set trends rather than follow them. While Skyrim is absolutely amazing, another gem from Bethesda for sure, it is not flawless, it is still using last-gen technology (most notably dx9), and although it's certainly a vast andI can't in good conscience rate Skyrim a perfect 10. I really believe 10's should be reserved for flawless, new-generation, absolutely unique games. The kind that set trends rather than follow them. While Skyrim is absolutely amazing, another gem from Bethesda for sure, it is not flawless, it is still using last-gen technology (most notably dx9), and although it's certainly a vast and unique Elder Scrolls world to explore, it really only incrementally ups the ante from Oblivion, not quite the Holy-Mother-of-God! reactions we're seeing from a lot of the mainstream press. You'll notice this within minutes of playing. On the flip-side, giving this game a 0 is ludicrous and makes absolutely no sense. Zeros should be reserved for bottom-of-the-barrel trash games thrown together in a few months, with a nice mix of horrendous graphics, game-breaking bugs, unplayable controls and unusable UI. If any of these things are so messed up for you that you honestly rated Skyrim a 0, then I might encourage you to update your computer, because on a top-of-the-line system, this game runs great, even with slightly goofy mouse-keyboard translations from the console port. The scope of the world alone would grant a game like this a 5 or 6 at the very least. Add in endless quests, overall great graphics, dialogue for every line in the game, a stellar soundtrack, a well-thought-out progression scheme, and improvements in almost every area over the correctly, universally-rated 9+ Oblivion, and anyone with any experience in gaming whatsoever would -have- to give Skyrim at least an 8. On the other hand, if you didn't care for the previous games in the series, you won't like this one, because it's more of the same, but better. Way more, and largely better. And for most of us, this is a very good thing.

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

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

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

    Bottom line, this is the very best of the current gen as far as RPGs go. It's not next-gen, I'm anxious for a future dx11 Elder Scrolls. But make no mistake, this game is WIN.    … Expand
  83. Jenial
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is the best AAA+ title of the year. The world and the amount of quests are so huge, which makes you think you will never be able to complete the game. The invention of Perks was a great idea, as this was the part which made Oblivion a little vague. The graphics did not seem to change, which is a little let down, though the huge mountains, the flora in the game, the trees and tallSkyrim is the best AAA+ title of the year. The world and the amount of quests are so huge, which makes you think you will never be able to complete the game. The invention of Perks was a great idea, as this was the part which made Oblivion a little vague. The graphics did not seem to change, which is a little let down, though the huge mountains, the flora in the game, the trees and tall enemies look incredible. The menus feel a little odd at first, though after about 2 hours of playing you will get the hang of it and it's all good. I gave the game a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 because you'll notice quite easily this game is a port of the consoles. The menus are not as smooth as Oblivion, and the performance on the PC is a big let down, though I believe Bethesda IS going to fix this issue. Also, the final blow with melee weapons is a bit overpowered, which makes the Archery and Magic classes a little useless compared to the Warrior class.… Expand
  84. SketchyGalore
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    I've noticed that a lot of negative reviews about Skyrim have mentioned a lack of a good story. This gave me pause since, when I think about it, if someone wrote everything I was doing in Skyrim down in a novel, it would suck. And indeed, there have been moments in the game where I look at what's happening around me and doubt the feasibility of my epic tale ("You really want me to takeI've noticed that a lot of negative reviews about Skyrim have mentioned a lack of a good story. This gave me pause since, when I think about it, if someone wrote everything I was doing in Skyrim down in a novel, it would suck. And indeed, there have been moments in the game where I look at what's happening around me and doubt the feasibility of my epic tale ("You really want me to take your dead friend's ashes? Uh... I just got into town..."). But then, it struck me. Skyrim isn't a story. Skyrim is a world. And that is absolutely perfect for an Elder Scrolls game.

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

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

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

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

    This is a game people will be playing until Elder Scrolls VI and beyond.    … Expand
  85. Nsan1ty
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    This game is definitly worth every penny they're asking for it. The graphics are stunning, even on my old ATI 4890. I've been playing for possibly over 30 hours by now, reached level 27 and spent most of my time on side quests while a friend of mine who's level 4 and spent less time than me on it has progressed further than me on the main quest. This shows how much content there is in thisThis game is definitly worth every penny they're asking for it. The graphics are stunning, even on my old ATI 4890. I've been playing for possibly over 30 hours by now, reached level 27 and spent most of my time on side quests while a friend of mine who's level 4 and spent less time than me on it has progressed further than me on the main quest. This shows how much content there is in this game.

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

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

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

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

    Overall, I'm far from disappointed with this game. In fact, I didn't feel interested as I am with Skyrim as I've been with any other recent games I've played and could even see myself starting over once I finish the game on my current character. That's how interesting this game is.    … Expand
  86. Voss
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    This latest addition to the Elder Scroll series brings a lot of new things to the table. One of them being the reworked Gamebryo graphics engine. I was completely disgusted upon hearing this was being developed with consoles as a main priority. I'll be honest, the graphics are not that great at times, sure, they look good at a distance(mountains, dragons, walls) but up close? God I can seeThis latest addition to the Elder Scroll series brings a lot of new things to the table. One of them being the reworked Gamebryo graphics engine. I was completely disgusted upon hearing this was being developed with consoles as a main priority. I'll be honest, the graphics are not that great at times, sure, they look good at a distance(mountains, dragons, walls) but up close? God I can see the pixels, they are ingrained in my head. It looks like Oblivion all over again. But since they made this game for consoles, it's kinda hard to get real close and check them out on consoles anyways. Getting past graphics, which by the way does not hurt this game AT ALL, I will say I have never, NEVER sat down and played a game non-stop for as long as I do with Skyrim. Everything from meeting new NPCs, exploring new dungeons, receiving new quest, and random dragon encounters could not be any more immersive.… Expand
  87. phoenixfire82
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Game of the year. I've played over 50 hours now and am nearing the soft cap of level 50 yet I just keep coming back for more. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of the game. There's just so much to do, it can feel daunting at times. The story is well done, not only the main line but many of the side quests have a life of their own. This beautifully rendered world pulls youGame of the year. I've played over 50 hours now and am nearing the soft cap of level 50 yet I just keep coming back for more. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of the game. There's just so much to do, it can feel daunting at times. The story is well done, not only the main line but many of the side quests have a life of their own. This beautifully rendered world pulls you in and doesn't let go. This is the title you want to soak up and savor, never rush or skip a dialogue or you'll be doing yourself a disservice. I rated Skyrim a 9/10 because it is a blatant console port with an awful PC interface to show for it; -0.5 points. The character models are unattractive and the game's textures close up leave something to be desired; -0.5 points. Do not be fooled though, the game as a whole is beautiful and can give my gtx 580 a workout on ultra settings. Sometimes I just stop and take in the scenery. Amazing game. If you get one single player game this year, get Skyrim.… Expand
  88. Gibl3ts
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    This game was the most anticipated RPG of the year, and there is no doubt it lived up to its name. There is more than one storyline, players are given much freedom, it looks graphically amazing and the list could go on. I would give it a 10 out of 10 if it wasn't for bugs, but no doubt this game is good to the point that i have played 70 hours and have only explored 5 holds. Thank you Bethesda!
  89. Nerogiant
    Nov 19, 2011
    9
    People writing, and giving, negative reviews /scores don't seems to understand that Skyrim is not another "Cowadooty" game. If you're not a fan of WRPG, then just don't play it and go trash another section.
    Too everyone who does admire and enjoy, especially TES fans, it's a must-have !!!
    Although it does have some minor flaws: the "inventory" thing doesn't quite give a good overview of    People writing, and giving, negative reviews /scores don't seems to understand that Skyrim is not another "Cowadooty" game. If you're not a fan of WRPG, then just don't play it and go trash another section.
    Too everyone who does admire and enjoy, especially TES fans, it's a must-have !!!
    Although it does have some minor flaws: the "inventory" thing doesn't quite give a good overview of your things (unlike in Oblivion), so I hope this will change with update or a mod. (but you know; nothing is perfect)
    40 hours through the game, and still not even close to mid.    … Expand
  90. Esturk
    Nov 19, 2011
    9
    Never have I played a game so immersive as Skyrim. Skyrim is full of life and personality and allows you the freedom of playing the way you want.

    I've played over 80 hours of mostly exploring and doing side quests. Even side quests are interesting stories that affect the world. I will easily put over 300 hours in one save. Then I'll start over and play again. I have a few complaints    Never have I played a game so immersive as Skyrim. Skyrim is full of life and personality and allows you the freedom of playing the way you want.

    I've played over 80 hours of mostly exploring and doing side quests. Even side quests are interesting stories that affect the world. I will easily put over 300 hours in one save. Then I'll start over and play again.

    I have a few complaints though. No 1-9 hotkeys for switching weapons, excessive loading while exploring the world and some NPCs are unkillable.    … Expand
  91. Wylie
    Nov 19, 2011
    9
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim far surpasses oblivion in my opinion. you can fight dragons, dual wield spells, and combine them for "super" spells, or have a one handed weapon in one hand and a spell in the other , you have shouts which are pretty much powerful spells,open world, wide selection of skills and talents.one very awsome game.
  92. Jamai36
    Nov 19, 2011
    9
    I've sunk about 35 hours into the game so far. I wanted to play it for quite awhile before I attempted a review so I could be at least somewhat accurate about my claims.

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

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

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

    Still, in the end I can't warrant anything less than a 9, as I've played this game more than most and it is still a truly magical experience in the end.
    -    … Expand
  93. hazy7687
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Skyrim blew me away. I had never played an Elder Scrolls game before Skyrim, and I wasn't particularly hyped for it by any means but in the week I've had it I've played over 80 hours. From a technical stand point Skyrim is very well done with only a few minor flaws, the graphics are very nice, and some of the best I've ever seen. The art design is really cool and more "serious" which ISkyrim blew me away. I had never played an Elder Scrolls game before Skyrim, and I wasn't particularly hyped for it by any means but in the week I've had it I've played over 80 hours. From a technical stand point Skyrim is very well done with only a few minor flaws, the graphics are very nice, and some of the best I've ever seen. The art design is really cool and more "serious" which I like. The controls are pretty standard but suffer a bit from the obvious porting from console. The menus are average at best and again suffer from their obvious console porting. The game world and story are where the game really shines, I was immediately sucked in. This game is going to be the new standard for fantasy open world RPGs. I love it and could go on about how awesome it is but truthfully I'm tired and need some sleep.… Expand
  94. BlackBird79
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Ok, I agree with all the positive reviews and i admit that i am very pleased with the game. It is a fresh air in the RPG genre for quite a long time, and especially after the flop DragonAge2 was.

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

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

    That's the only thing i think the game lacks. Maybe though i am too early in, do not know. I ll see what comes next.    … Expand
  95. soroth
    Jan 25, 2012
    9
    Although the game was released a little prematurely IMO, Skyrim has a great onset of adventure and escape to it. The restrictive feeling of faction intervention into the player's destiny seems to be jammed in there, so it's not what i expected as far as that goes, though that does lend to the feeling of escape i mentioned. Though glitches were expected with the first release, i got theAlthough the game was released a little prematurely IMO, Skyrim has a great onset of adventure and escape to it. The restrictive feeling of faction intervention into the player's destiny seems to be jammed in there, so it's not what i expected as far as that goes, though that does lend to the feeling of escape i mentioned. Though glitches were expected with the first release, i got the feeling that glitches only increased after the first patch. Add to that some game breaking elements and this game avoids getting a 10 for it's lack of relevant bug fixing. Without getting too "professional" et IGN who's sole purpose seems to be to shut out the community for which these games meet their demand, i can say that this game exceeds my expectations, especially if the Skyrim Creation Kit pulls through as expected or on par with Oblivion's Modding Tools. I can see where the frustration comes in when gameplay is mentioned, though it is innovative and fascinating to plow through combat. The main issue i have is that the game seems to be comping elements from other popular games. And while a sprint function is something TES needs IMO, i wouldn't rip off other elements of unreal's restrictive gameplay style by limiting the overall customization of the game (ending with skills being horrendously wittled down). Overall this game is great for it's par, but the engine could be used to a much better purpose than a restrictive and more beautiful version of oblivion. This is not to demean the developers in any way, but where Oblivion excelled was it's innovation and preservation of the things that made morrowind and the other games so great. Skyrim takes all of that and tries to run with the skeleton.… Expand
  96. EggrollShop
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    By far the best Elder Scrolls Game in the series. Many different innovations and despite the many glitches (check youtube if you want to see all of them) the game is amazing. Though killing dragons can get tedious as well as monotonous it is still a very enjoyable experience that I recommend for fans of fantasy style RPG's. It's a huge ever evolving world that requires lots of time andBy far the best Elder Scrolls Game in the series. Many different innovations and despite the many glitches (check youtube if you want to see all of them) the game is amazing. Though killing dragons can get tedious as well as monotonous it is still a very enjoyable experience that I recommend for fans of fantasy style RPG's. It's a huge ever evolving world that requires lots of time and patience but in the end you leave the experience with not only the sense of accomplishment but the urge to continue exploring different towns and trying different outcomes. If you like this game you will play it for days on end if not years to come.… Expand
  97. jshkorn
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Here is my opinion of Skyrim so far, I've logged 27 hours in so far. I am in love with this game. It combines my love for Real life Nordic people with the awesome Elder Scrolls lore. I was blown away with the opening scene, simply amazing. The gameplay is awesome. I really like how peoples heads track you when you move around them. As if they're real people. The AI is pretty good in myHere is my opinion of Skyrim so far, I've logged 27 hours in so far. I am in love with this game. It combines my love for Real life Nordic people with the awesome Elder Scrolls lore. I was blown away with the opening scene, simply amazing. The gameplay is awesome. I really like how peoples heads track you when you move around them. As if they're real people. The AI is pretty good in my opinion. I feel like I'm actually part of their world and they are not just there for me to talk to, or kill. The terrain is pretty accurate as well. beautiful pines, birches and aspens. beasts that actually look like real world beasts. The first time I seen a dog and a child, I was like, about time! Though there were dogs in TES:IV they looked rather bland. The dogs are very life like in this game. I love the crafting that they have brought into the game. you can make every piece of gear or kit you'll ever need in game. From armor to swords and potions to a salmon steak. Mining, skinning, chopping wood, fishing. All very awesome.

    Now on for my very small complaint. The IU is terrible, much rather have the oblivion or a hybrid of the Fallout UI than this one. As well as the mouse speed. Even on the fastest setting the mouse tracking is slow. Your arms and armor to not receive any damage, which I got a little disheartened about after seeing such amazing blacksmith set ups throughout the game. I was hoping that there would be a cross over from the Fallout series where you could use two of the same items to repair one and etc. As for leveling up and skills. This was kind of hard to figure out but after a few level ups I started to get the hang of it. As for combat, I'm getting rather tired of my followers getting in my way and taking a blow from my axe instead of my enemies. I hope there is a way I can fix this later on in game (a perk perhaps?) or someone makes a mod to fix the problem. Also, The only challenge I seem to get is by fighting giants and mammoths. Everyone else is usually dead in 2-4 hits without me getting less that 90% hp in damage. Well, this is my person opinion about this game. I have enjoy it very much so far and plan on having many more hours of fun with it, I'm not even 10% done with it as I've been exploring and taking in the wonder views. Amazing job Bethesda. I only wish that I could have afforded that $2,000 gaming PC I wanted for this game and the collectors edition.    … Expand
  98. Bixter
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Gorgeous game with a great assortment of things to do. I have put some hours into this and keep going back to it. Some of the physics are weak. Horse back riding on bridges are very dangerous! A multitude of side quests makes this game interesting as you can spend your time on one without even working on the main one. Just a fun game.
  99. sirtyman
    Jan 30, 2013
    9
    Great, great and ... great! Beautiful and diversified world, many amazing quest chains. Feeling free playing style is amazing. One of the greatest games I'm still returning to and always find something interesting to do. 1 point subtraction is for many glitches and poor console UI (that mods can repair). Also crafting could be better but who cares :)
  100. AeroAtlas
    Dec 6, 2011
    9
    A solid FPS RPG with a ton of exploration with alot of unique creatures and hilarious Bethesda bugs to keep you interested. Also alot of lore if your into that kinda stuff :) 9/10
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

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