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. darkballz_pl
    Aug 18, 2012
    4
    After lots of hours in game, i've changed my mind and gave it generously 4. This game was made for console lemmings and pokemons. Fallout-like perk system makes Skyrim far too easy. It has nothing to do with an RPG, except sharing Elder Scrolls name. Playing as Adept in Skyrim is like playing as Novice in Oblivion, no fun at all. Buggy and glitchy textures, dumb and weak opponents, poorAfter lots of hours in game, i've changed my mind and gave it generously 4. This game was made for console lemmings and pokemons. Fallout-like perk system makes Skyrim far too easy. It has nothing to do with an RPG, except sharing Elder Scrolls name. Playing as Adept in Skyrim is like playing as Novice in Oblivion, no fun at all. Buggy and glitchy textures, dumb and weak opponents, poor and short story, boring and repetitious side quests. Shame on you Bethesda, take this lazy mix of great Morrowind and very good Oblivion with you and don't you dare to come back, ever.… Expand
  2. Thiefy
    Aug 15, 2012
    9
    This game is more than worth the money. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a game with a lot of possibilities in character-personalization (looks and skill-setup) and what to do in-game. Also Skyrim is beautiful. It has very convincing ambiance in all its areas, be it 'mountainscapes', dungeons or whatever.

    I also specifically want to highlight the thief/assassin game-play. It is    This game is more than worth the money. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a game with a lot of possibilities in character-personalization (looks and skill-setup) and what to do in-game. Also Skyrim is beautiful. It has very convincing ambiance in all its areas, be it 'mountainscapes', dungeons or whatever.

    I also specifically want to highlight the thief/assassin game-play. It is truly amazing and unique.    … Expand
  3. OverdueReview
    Aug 14, 2012
    7
    Bethesda are known for their
  4. Ravul
    Aug 13, 2012
    10
    This game is really amazing - this opened, big world, soundtrack, fighting and spells system, beautiful landscapes and locations, great quests... something wonderful! Maybe there are too many facilitates and interface for PC version is uncomfortable players (however there are still mods), but it doesn't change fact that this game is almost perfect and deserves high score ;)
  5. GameReviews
    Aug 13, 2012
    9
    Skyrim It's amazing, no doubt, and I only played the PC version. Now, PC version haves It's own flaws. It haves some annoying issues, but the game doesn't lose the magic. The gameplay is extremely fun, the visuals are top notch, and It's, obviously, the best RPG game I've ever played. 95 out of 100
  6. Dazaras
    Aug 12, 2012
    9
    A great improvement over previous Elder Scrolls games. The faces weren't creepy, and the dungeons felt suitably different. The enormous world has a lot of fun things no matter where you start looking, and the level system makes it possible to build a large variety of characters without the risk of making an inept character that existed in previous games. The main reason why this didn'tA great improvement over previous Elder Scrolls games. The faces weren't creepy, and the dungeons felt suitably different. The enormous world has a lot of fun things no matter where you start looking, and the level system makes it possible to build a large variety of characters without the risk of making an inept character that existed in previous games. The main reason why this didn't get a 10 from me was because of the bugs. It was almost impossible for me to complete all but the most simple questlines without encountering one or several. A lesser reason, although one which I hear far more people complaining about, was the huge number of NPCs that were considered "important" and therefore could not be killed. There were many situations in which an annoying or outright evil NPC could not be killed, at least until a certain point in a questline. This may just be an instance of a larger problem, as there are a large number of points in the game where the player is forced into a single course of action, or an event is triggered regardless of how you attempt to avoid it. This was annoying, but did not prevent me from enjoying the game.… Expand
  7. neroSieben
    Aug 9, 2012
    6
    I can't say that i didn't enjoy this game as i played it more than 100 hours, yet i have to say that it didnt live up to my expectations. first of all i liked about this game, that you can go anywhere and there is alot to explore and steal from houses ( ;) ), just like every other TES part, and apart from average textures it still has good looks that create a good vibe when exploring
    the    I can't say that i didn't enjoy this game as i played it more than 100 hours, yet i have to say that it didnt live up to my expectations. first of all i liked about this game, that you can go anywhere and there is alot to explore and steal from houses ( ;) ), just like every other TES part, and apart from average textures it still has good looks that create a good vibe when exploring
    the dungeons are fun at first but they grow old after you have seen a few of the same type (especially ancient nord ruins!). when you figured them out you don't feel the urge to enter unless you have to, alltough sometimes they have somethings special (a story of failed expedition, a quest to seek someone upon entering, a unique spot and boss other than another random named dead guy etc) which can be refreshing. as a result i would say they did an average to good job on them regarding that there are so many and i visited alot of them until it became annoying, but i wished they used more kinds of different dungeon types.
    the combat system is great at first as you can have 2 one handed weapons, a shield and a one handed weapon, a bow, a spell and a one handed weapon, two different spells, twice the same spell for more power or a two handed weapon. especially the magic system is something different and i liked it. after some alltough time it annoyed me to change weapons (if you will) to cast. i realy had to put shield and weapon away to cast a spell, with a menu that was clearly designed for a console, and re-equip them to continue fighting. as a pc gamer this realy pissed me off because there was no effort put in to make this work on pc (the same applies for the item menu, which is just dumb for pc). this is the first thing that realy annoyed me, because as an honest pc customer and fan of tes since morrowind i feel cheated. also: items were ok, after somepoint you just had the best and there could have been more variety or special items but its ok all in all.
    this takes me right to the guilds, which have a mixed quality in my opinion. the good guilds in my opinion were the dark brotherhood and the thiefs guild. i enjoyed the questlines far more than the main questline! they were realy well done in my opinion. the mage guild was just ok, nothing special and i missed more locations as there were in tes3 and 4. its almost all about that stupid sphere you find in the first quest, there are some side quests (old orc says get my books ;) ) but not that many, and its realy not that surprising: find sphere, learn its dangerous and powerful, elves steal it, you kill elves + misterious yet meaningless psijic guys who dont have any use more than taking it away in the end. i missed that there was nothing special they taught you or invited you to join (as the nightingales for example) they just appeared and were gone. end of story. in my opinion a lot potential was wasted here, but the quest themselves were fun and so all in all as said the guild is ok. now the companions: the questline was short, it had one nice twist in it with the werewolf thing and its nice you could choose how it would contine. in my opinion also a lot wasted here: do 1-2 quests and they just make you a werewolf. why not make you discover the dark secret? it could have been better, all in all just ok, yet as said too short in my opinion. the civil war factions and questline were the worst in my opinion. it was no fun at all just a big pain in the ass. the quests were dull and repetitive and the result was: no matter what its all the same in red or blue. the worst thing was it werent real factions to begin with and they only matttered in very few things and only for this short war period after which nothing you did seemed to matter at all...this was realy disappointing as it was well introduced in the beginning of the story. also all in all the guild master status didn't realy matter. i tried one quest and after that i never returned, as i also couldnt realy do anything else. further more i missed how every city had a fighters or whatever guild house and different quests for different status in the guild.
    the sidequestlines also had mixed quality but all in all they did a great job keeping the game fun, especially the daedric ones as they were realy unique! also some quests to become thane turned out to be fun. the rest realy had mixed quality as there were investigations in cities that were fun or the usual get something out of a dungeon, which wasnt that great most of the time. the main quest was not too bad but as said two guild questlines outshined it and it didnt feel all that important as it could have.
    further i missed the arena from oblivion the magnitude you had in morrowind/oblivion but i also had alot of fun being the explorakhin in this world. for me it is a 6/10 regarding especially the poor pc version, the civil war, a lack of an average guild in cities, the dungeons for people who love playing the game for a long long time.    … Expand
  8. camcom
    Aug 9, 2012
    8
    This is a great example of a AAA game living up mostly to its potential. This is a very immersive RPG, and has a fantastic storyline. Everyone should be familiar with Bethesda's style of games by now, and this one doesn't stray to far away from the style of previous games made by them. One thing that has changed is the lack of bugs. (at least on PC) People can complain about graphics ifThis is a great example of a AAA game living up mostly to its potential. This is a very immersive RPG, and has a fantastic storyline. Everyone should be familiar with Bethesda's style of games by now, and this one doesn't stray to far away from the style of previous games made by them. One thing that has changed is the lack of bugs. (at least on PC) People can complain about graphics if they want (if you have a multi-thousand dollar rig then you may exceed the maximum performance needed for max settings, but i think it looks pretty at console settings). This game is surprisingly bug-less. Granted, there still are the minor glitches here and there, but i never came across any game-breaking bugs in my 55 hours with it. I would recommend this game to everyone who wants a great RPG experience without the need for grinding and a great story.… Expand
  9. thesmallprint
    Aug 9, 2012
    6
    Beautiful and fun, but oh so ronery. You see, I really like sandbox, open-world games, and I like Norse mythology, a bit of violence, some magic, some cool stuff, and Skyrim delivers on all of that, not to mention graphics that even look pretty on my 256MB GPU (except for horrible shadows on the characters, but that can be tweaked). The trouble is, it's more of an action/exploration gameBeautiful and fun, but oh so ronery. You see, I really like sandbox, open-world games, and I like Norse mythology, a bit of violence, some magic, some cool stuff, and Skyrim delivers on all of that, not to mention graphics that even look pretty on my 256MB GPU (except for horrible shadows on the characters, but that can be tweaked). The trouble is, it's more of an action/exploration game than an RPG. Your character can be male or female, any race, and look how you like (provided you like the weather-beaten, gaunt look. Mods mods mods), but beyond that you're not really a character. You have no personality, and neither really does anyone else. I didn't feel attached to *any* of the characters in the game, including my own. Dialogue options were limited and uninspired, and followers seemed to have one set of options to ask them about, which were mostly about the mechanics of having a follower or what their job was.

    The secondary plotline, whilst undeniably gritty and shade-of-grey did not give you any really morally satisfying options: side with the racist, nationalist stormcloaks, or the corrupt, domineering farce of an Empire whose soldiers decided to cut off your head for no better reason than just liking to do that kind of thing.

    Quests felt hollow, for the most part. Go fetch thing from some caves and kill a loads of people/things on the way, and overload your packs with junk. I liked the nordic/ germanic voice acting, but it was still a bit bland and they were clearly speaking American, even if they were doing it in their own accents "Gotta lay low for a while, still got a ways to go" etc. They also picked some really distinctive voices and used them on a load of characters, without trying to vary their lines, delivery or intonation at all. So the shopkeeper in Riverwood is the shopkeeper in Whiterun is the King of the Forsworn etc.

    Now, none of this would be a problem if it was multiplayer, because you could RP with real people and/or just go on dungeon raids and have fun times, but it's not. So, if you like epic storylines and atmosphere, great scripts and genuinely likable characters, go get Dragon Age (1, not 2). And if you want a fun blast with fast-paced violent action, get left 4 dead 2. Skyrim makes a great initial impression, but after a while you just feel like you're still sitting in the bath long after the water's gone cold.    … Expand
  10. Indomidable
    Aug 8, 2012
    10
    Unmodded I'd call it a 8/10... Without Sky UI this wasn't a PC release just a console port.... I have a lot of fun playing this game. Particularly modding it. I find it interesting with some of these people reviewing a sandbox RPG... like it was a purely story driven one... It's open ended you don't have to do the quest lines an any particular order. Adding in the radiant AI (quest on theUnmodded I'd call it a 8/10... Without Sky UI this wasn't a PC release just a console port.... I have a lot of fun playing this game. Particularly modding it. I find it interesting with some of these people reviewing a sandbox RPG... like it was a purely story driven one... It's open ended you don't have to do the quest lines an any particular order. Adding in the radiant AI (quest on the fly) it's very well done!… Expand
  11. kemutsemu
    Aug 8, 2012
    4
    I've spent probably about one thousand or so hours playing this game's predecessors. Unfortunately, this game failed to have that sort of drawing power for me-- I could only manage about thirty hours on this one before being completely bored.

    Graphics: To give you an idea of how well these graphics appealed/will appear to PC gamers, the first time I saw a certain snow texture (on the    I've spent probably about one thousand or so hours playing this game's predecessors. Unfortunately, this game failed to have that sort of drawing power for me-- I could only manage about thirty hours on this one before being completely bored.

    Graphics: To give you an idea of how well these graphics appealed/will appear to PC gamers, the first time I saw a certain snow texture (on the roof of that broken down fortress inhabited by bandits) I thought my game had glitched and that the snow hadn't fully rendered. To my surprise, that texture had loaded properly-- it was just intended to look completely flat and without any sort of real detail. Bethesda games have never really been known for high quality graphics or animation and I care more about gameplay than graphics, so this isn't that much of a detractor for me; but there's still a certain level of quality that you'd expect from a massive release such as this.

    Audio: The only complaint I have about the game's audio is that the soundtrack paled in comparison to its predecessors. The game's trailer probably had the best song related/in the game.

    Gameplay: Oh boy, here's where it all goes downhill. The combat has absolutely no depth-- what you do in one fight is what you'll be doing in every fight for the rest of the game.

    You'll use your strongest spell against every enemy because, save for one quest, elemental resistances are negligible-- not to mention that the spells in the destruction skill tree don't scale enough to keep them competitive with the melee trees or the conjured weapons.

    You'll use power attacks rather than normal attacks because there's no real consequence for using them when you're almost out of stamina, and you also won't be terribly active in combat-- you can't properly dodge attacks, so there's little reason to do anything other than standing in place, spamming power attacks.

    That being said, ranged combat works, although not as well as one would expect in a game made so recently-- there's no location-based damage. A headshot is as effective as a body shot, period.

    It also doesn't help that the game's iconic enemies (dragons) are severely outclassed by the game's most basic enemies (bandits) once you get to a certain level. Thanks to Skyrim's level-scaling, you'll eventually encounter bandits outfitted in daedric gear who will pose a greater threat to you than the big bads in this game. Certain enemies will also simply be damage sponges that you'll just have to whittle away at until they succumb to their tiny wounds.

    Then there's the world. It's largely empty, the towns are incredibly small (Skyrim's capital city only has eleven buildings), and all of the dungeons within the game are insanely streamlined-- more so than Oblivion's dungeons, which were already incredibly straightforward.

    Also, there's an insane amount of quest-breaking/game-breaking glitches in the game-- just one look at the Elderscrolls wiki will make you realize how lucky you are to have gotten so far without the game collapsing in on itself.

    In all, I'd give it an "at least jumping off of the throat of the world is fun" out of ten.    … Expand
  12. Cubixreviews
    Aug 8, 2012
    9
    I rate this game 10 out of 10, but something is wrong with Metacritic forcing me to rate this awesome game 9 out of 10. With Skyrim you can have the best gaming experience you have ever had. Skyrim It's outstandingly fun, and It haves a really good written story. This is how a RPG need to be. And the world of Skyrim is really huge, where you an explore the unknown.
  13. Gabcd
    Aug 6, 2012
    8
    4/5 (Good, but the potential is there to got to an easy 5) For some reason, Skyrim does everything better than its predecessors. For some other reason, I have played ridiculous amounts of it. BUT: I don't feel as attached to this game as I was with Oblivion. In Skyrim, I have not felt the need to play another character beyond the first. Maybe it's just me because it really looks like it's4/5 (Good, but the potential is there to got to an easy 5) For some reason, Skyrim does everything better than its predecessors. For some other reason, I have played ridiculous amounts of it. BUT: I don't feel as attached to this game as I was with Oblivion. In Skyrim, I have not felt the need to play another character beyond the first. Maybe it's just me because it really looks like it's got everything it needs.

    Try it, it's good.    … Expand
  14. Zero99i
    Aug 5, 2012
    0
    I don't like TES, i dont like Morrowind, I dont like Oblivion and I dont like Skyrim. I dont like the engine, the animations are awful, the german version has awful voice acting.
  15. MintyChris
    Aug 5, 2012
    8
    Very good game. Massive in size and content. Visually amazing in parts.

    Lacks depth. Lack of connection to enviroment and its people. Completing tasks has no real impact on the lanscape and its contents.

    Close but falls short of being a great game.
  16. zombieXgun
    Aug 3, 2012
    10
    I love this game. The battles, the victories, the adventures and the whole experience of this wonderful game just amazes me. The graphics are truly astounding, the detail of pretty much every single object and being in the game is fantastic! One of the best games of 2011, I recommend this game to all those who loved the previous elder scrolls, particularly Oblivion. Skyrim is such anI love this game. The battles, the victories, the adventures and the whole experience of this wonderful game just amazes me. The graphics are truly astounding, the detail of pretty much every single object and being in the game is fantastic! One of the best games of 2011, I recommend this game to all those who loved the previous elder scrolls, particularly Oblivion. Skyrim is such an improvement and I also recommend it to anyone who loves adventurous games such as Minecraft. This game gives you the sense of building your own self. Abilities, Strengths, Weaknesses and your future. I love this game and I have no doubt that the rest of the gaming world/community does too.… Expand
  17. Ageoffan
    Jul 31, 2012
    5
    The game at face value is an 8. A fairly good story, and a very vast and explorable world, when they said "if you see that mountain, you can scale it" they meant it. The addition of mods to the game also continue to add new life to it. However, this game whens played for about 1hr + becomes very boring. This game is just a hack n slash, granted all elder scrolls games are, but it is doneThe game at face value is an 8. A fairly good story, and a very vast and explorable world, when they said "if you see that mountain, you can scale it" they meant it. The addition of mods to the game also continue to add new life to it. However, this game whens played for about 1hr + becomes very boring. This game is just a hack n slash, granted all elder scrolls games are, but it is done in such a boring fashion that it is just sad, not to mention that after you are done with the main quest, it is hard to force yourself to reroll another toon. The character development, imho, could have been more developed (maybe adding a voice to him would be nice) it honestly feels as though everything you have done is pointless, and although the marriage option is nice, it feels like it was a last minute addition. Great, i can get married, anything else other than a cash source? nope.

    So if you really like exploring and finding random stuff, this game could be for you, but if you want a game with good replay value/ or a feeling that your character is actually changing as you go, do not touch this game. Combat sucks, visuals are nice, character progression is pathetic, alot of your choices or thing that happen to you (ex: becoming a vampire) is no where near as eventful as it was in previous games.    … Expand
  18. Anti-Jarhead
    Jul 31, 2012
    0
    Just another poorly ported console turd served as delicious meal to depressingly dumbed down "current gen. gamers" by accountants and corporate puppets. I have some suggestions for next TES game;

    - Self-regenerating health - Only two skills (who needs complications...); one for melee/ranged combat and second, I don't know... magical farts? - Make ALL quest random generated (no    Just another poorly ported console turd served as delicious meal to depressingly dumbed down "current gen. gamers" by accountants and corporate puppets. I have some suggestions for next TES game;

    - Self-regenerating health

    - Only two skills (who needs complications...); one for melee/ranged combat and second, I don't know... magical farts?

    - Make ALL quest random generated (no one cares about story-telling qualities anyway) - Make ALL npc voiced by the same actor (They'll save up some money so Todd can get that well deserved raise)

    - Start the "story" from new, magically created isle, lets call it "Great Imbecylia Island". Beings from this newly emerged land will invade whole Continent of Tamriel and unite it under name empire of "United Imbecyls". "Imbecylians" will slaughter almost all native life forms in Tamriel and then desire to detach themselves from their island relatives. They will set laws that will guarantee them freedom and indpendence from Imbecylia Island, yet (of course) they will keep slaves. Then they'll attack morrowind, 'couse its land of dark-skinned, other-religion obsessed people and has a lot of resources...

    Action will be placed ONLY in ashlands (of course) of Vvardenfell. Your mission will be stealing gold-er... I mean ebony and oil-er... I mean that "bloat" that those strange plants in Morrowind produce. Of course You'll be forced to kill some of them brown-er... I mean dark people in the process. But it's the right thing to do. And it is a great game. It must be. So many can't be wrong.    … Expand
  19. EMPulse
    Jul 31, 2012
    10
    An INCREDIBLE game! After Morrowind I didn't know how Bethesda would top it, Then came Oblivion which was a masterpiece, so then I didn't think they'd be able to top that, along comes Skyrim. After the first three minutes I was hooked and 300 hours later I'm STILL playing. I would recommend this game and it's predecessors to anyone who has ever played anything. You will not regret it.
  20. hollowfication
    Jul 30, 2012
    10
    i love skyrim so much xbox had bugs in it i heard the pc version has none so i got it played with it but stop playing with it

    but still 10 out of 10
  21. Mike_Morhaime
    Jul 30, 2012
    0
    I simply cannot understand all the Hype with this game and Oblivion and similar games like Mass effect 1+2.. The story is so boring and there are so many side stuff that u simply get lost past the 4-5 hours of playing it.

    It's games like this that i really wanna play when i see the trailers, and then get terribly disappointed, Thank god for piratebay! Heavily Overrated boring Game
  22. linkdude
    Jul 28, 2012
    7
    this game is good plain and simple that's how i'm going to put it i REALLY loved this game when it came out but then after about a week of playing everything gets meshed together and you already have the best armour and weapons. characters i feel need more depth i murdered everyone i could in whiterun and didn't really care about them i was just like "meh" and a bunch more glitches andthis game is good plain and simple that's how i'm going to put it i REALLY loved this game when it came out but then after about a week of playing everything gets meshed together and you already have the best armour and weapons. characters i feel need more depth i murdered everyone i could in whiterun and didn't really care about them i was just like "meh" and a bunch more glitches and bugs from falling through the world to the quality being pixilated to the max but the worst of all is the loading screen i've spent about 2 hours of loading screen on the first 2 weeks of playing. but don't think i hate this game
    the people you meet can sometime give special missions to you which is why you talk to everyone. the dragon battles are intense the first few times around you can become a werewolf and vampire and the map is EXTREMLY huge if you're looking for a game that has some flaws but is an overall fun expierence then i recommend that you pick up this game if you havn't already    … Expand
  23. Dakoda
    Jul 25, 2012
    9
    This game is definitely a great game, hands down. I played this game both on PC and Xbox 360, but I enjoyed it so much more on the PC. I think I enjoyed it more on the PC, just because of Steams Workshop, and all the mods I installed into the game. I'm sure from other reviews you know, this game is an all around amazing RPG game. If you have the choice, between Xbox and PC, but it for PC.
  24. hellcat5
    Jul 25, 2012
    8
    I look forward to the day when Bethesda releases, from any of it's studios, maybe I should group Zenimax with that too, a crash free game. So many games exist out there that run smoothly, without any issues. When Skyrim first came out, it would crash every few hours. I think they have that mostly fixed, but many people still report crashes. So, something with the framework isn'tI look forward to the day when Bethesda releases, from any of it's studios, maybe I should group Zenimax with that too, a crash free game. So many games exist out there that run smoothly, without any issues. When Skyrim first came out, it would crash every few hours. I think they have that mostly fixed, but many people still report crashes. So, something with the framework isn't stable. So, I don't give it a 9 or better because of the crashes. But, it is a fun game, and I don't have many issues with it now. The experience with this doesn't leave me going, "OMG! I must have more!" so the upcoming add-ons don't carry much force for me. Get those framework issues fixed, then release a nice solid game. This has a great replay value as long as it stays running for you.… Expand
  25. Tattoedsailor
    Jul 25, 2012
    7
    **Spoiler Free** Let me start with: if your into "sandbox RPG's" your going love it. This game follows the typical Bethesda design of their previous games (Elder Scrolls, Fallout). You have a lot freedom in this game. The graphics are top notch especially with high rez pack. Game play and animations are excellent. The sound through 7.1 is incredible. I beat the game with your**Spoiler Free** Let me start with: if your into "sandbox RPG's" your going love it. This game follows the typical Bethesda design of their previous games (Elder Scrolls, Fallout). You have a lot freedom in this game. The graphics are top notch especially with high rez pack. Game play and animations are excellent. The sound through 7.1 is incredible. I beat the game with your typical warrior (Board / Sword) . A lot of fun! On the PC version it allows you install mods. Which makes the game play endless. So why the 7.0 and not a 10 you ask? Where the game fell short was the horrible amount glitches and bugs. Some of which were very easy to fix through the console command. Others required a ton of research and trial and error. The companion quest line had a lot glitchs in particular The problem with glitchs is you get them in middle quest line which doesn't allow you progress in the game. Bethesda really needs to come out with a patch update to address this issue. My advice to someone playing through the game for first time is make sure you have multiple save files @ different times. This game would have gotten a 9.0, but because of tech probs I can only give it 7.0.… Expand
  26. dovahkiin1987
    Jul 25, 2012
    10
    I enjoyed Morrowind, Oblivion and SKYRIM equally. Those are my fav games of all time. In comparison with older Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim have some pros and cons. I will not go in details, just want to say that all 3 games are brilliant.
  27. RatingnHating
    Jul 23, 2012
    6
    I figured I'd take the time to write an actually decent review since most of them seem to be love/hate reviews, so I figured I'd do a simple pro/con list.
    Pro
    - great graphics - perk system is amazing - player customization is unparalleled - the world is awesome - Epic enemies Cons - Leveling system is restrictive in the sense that once you have all the skills you want, you can't    I figured I'd take the time to write an actually decent review since most of them seem to be love/hate reviews, so I figured I'd do a simple pro/con list.
    Pro
    - great graphics
    - perk system is amazing
    - player customization is unparalleled - the world is awesome
    - Epic enemies
    Cons
    - Leveling system is restrictive in the sense that once you have all the skills you want, you can't really level anymore
    - Not a lot of depth, not many choices other than empire/ stormcloacks, and nothing you do matters. No-where near the depth of a game like Fallout: New Vegas
    - Some areas just destroy your tactics (like stealth characters are screwed in dragon fights) almost like those deus ex human revolution boss fights.

    All in all I'd say skyrim is a pretty good game, as you can see my review says the pros outweigh the cons as saying it was a bad game would be a less than 5 score. Some of the flaws can be rather aggravating, but ultimately it is a good game. Also if you think I am saying it is a bad game by giving it that score think of my numbering this way, greater than 5 is good, less than is bad.    … Expand
  28. Greg_Heavy
    Jul 23, 2012
    7
    It's ok, until the next TES game comes out. Then it will be forgotten (I like to call it the "need for speed effect") by everyone. Shallow story and characters, nothing really interesting apart from the graphics.
  29. Kataholic
    Jul 22, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This review is coming from a major fan of Bethesda games, including the Elder Scrolls series. Let's get to the point: this game is just not as compelling as previous titles in the series. The visuals and the techno-candy are impressive, but the fun begins to fade after about 15 or so hours. The main problem is the storyline. You're just not drawn into it like you are in, say, Oblivion or Fallout. The side quests become overwhelmingly repetitive, and after a while you just don't care about the characters, including your own. We all know that to a certain extent RPGs will always based on quest formats that require obtaining items to complete goals. In the case of Skyrim, it takes this time-honored formula almost to the point of ludicrousness. After a while I completely avoided engaging in any dialog with town citizens, for fear that it might add yet another pointless "obtain item x" to my miscellaneous quest list. It's also a lot more difficult to develop a themed character, since you are certain to be bombarded with quests that don't fit your character type: you''ll be asked to join the Thieves' Guild, The Companions, The Legion (Empire), The Stormcloaks (Rebellion), the Mages' Guild, etc etc whether or not they fit your gameplay style. It's then up to you to ignore these tasks in your ever-growing encyclopedia of quests if they don't apply to your character. In sum, Skyrim is one massive hodgepodge of item-seeking errands that might be great for someone with OCD, but for those of us who like RPGs and actual character development, it's too one-dimensional. C'mon Bethesda, hire some writers to add that richness and depth that characterizes your other games. 50 hours in, I just don't care why the dragons have come back, and this is the crux of the entire game. Consequently, this is the first Bethesda game that I probably won't finish. I really wanted to love this game, and it looked like it might deliver, but an irreversible boredom has set in.… Expand
  30. MrOtter
    Jul 22, 2012
    3
    Why pay £35 for a program that crashes you to the desktop. Just use alt tab and save your cash :D

    Unfinished trite, could have been a good game if it wasn't released, un polished and buggy and getting worse by more bugs introduced in every patch. 8 months to patch a game to a working standard and as for Steam Workshop .... don't get me started there.
  31. sterlingwriter
    Jul 21, 2012
    7
    I have played Skyrim for 182 hours, and I'm probably finished with it for awhile. I never actually beat the main plot, because there's so much to do, I ended up being distracted by all the side quests and exploration, which seemed a lot more interesting to me than the main plot, and now I think I'm burned out on the game. Like all recent Bethesda games (like the Fallout series) the NPCsI have played Skyrim for 182 hours, and I'm probably finished with it for awhile. I never actually beat the main plot, because there's so much to do, I ended up being distracted by all the side quests and exploration, which seemed a lot more interesting to me than the main plot, and now I think I'm burned out on the game. Like all recent Bethesda games (like the Fallout series) the NPCs are horrible in this game -- they talk too much, get in the way too much, get killed too much, and are all the same unless you use mods. There are other annoying bugs in the game, but none were so terrible that my experience was ruined, I just wish they'd QA these things out before the game actually goes retail. The UI was a bit clunky, too, since things didn't always sort properly. What I enjoyed about Skyrim, was finally, the opportunity to play a ranged character without always having to kite or tank monsters. A stealth-archer can often crit one shot and/or kill things before they get into melee range, which is awesome. All the side quests, and the sheer amount of cool stuff you can find when exploring was my favorite part of the game. I was having tons of fun finding new towns, treasure in remote locations, and pursuing the artifact quests (without using any wikis, I got most of them). The graphics are amazing, and with the high-res texture pack, one of the best looking western RPGs I've ever played. The soundtrack is also amazing, but unfortunately the voice acting is terrible most of the time, due to overuse of certain voices, and the bards... well, let's just say I tended to interrupt them when they'd start singing, it was that bad. As far as crafting goes, Blacksmithing and Enchanting were fun, but Alchemy was a chore because of the way the vanilla game sorts potions, and the sheer number of different potions you can make (most of them being useless, so what's the point of having them). Overall, a fun game with room to improve. If you still don't have it, I recommend that you wait for a 50% off (or more) sale on Steam.… Expand
  32. Halcyon10
    Jul 20, 2012
    1
    Skyrim is truly an awful game, there's no reward for anything you do, it's just countless repetitive **** stacked one after another, quest after quest, fight after fight. Skyrim has no direction what soever, the game throws you into a world where all you can do is put 100's of hours into it and get hideously overpowered for no beneficial reason at all. It's a game for children, not aSkyrim is truly an awful game, there's no reward for anything you do, it's just countless repetitive **** stacked one after another, quest after quest, fight after fight. Skyrim has no direction what soever, the game throws you into a world where all you can do is put 100's of hours into it and get hideously overpowered for no beneficial reason at all. It's a game for children, not a professionally made PC game. Period.… Expand
  33. Enigmaz
    Jul 20, 2012
    9
    I agree that skyrim has flaws. But i am tired of all these **** who write a review and never look at it again. Modded oblivion? Not hardly. And this is not a game that you can judge until you have truly gone through everything. Personally i have several characters that all use different skills in the world. Also the PC controls are better than most games i have played. You can't bag on theI agree that skyrim has flaws. But i am tired of all these **** who write a review and never look at it again. Modded oblivion? Not hardly. And this is not a game that you can judge until you have truly gone through everything. Personally i have several characters that all use different skills in the world. Also the PC controls are better than most games i have played. You can't bag on the graphics to much either because they are better by far than any games i have ever played. However unlike most i can play on max settings without a single hiccup. Also many people don't seem to understand that you can change the difficulty. The default is adept. In my opinion killing 3 bandits master level difficulty is more difficult than getting a killstreak of 75 on call of duty (which i have done) against real people. But my point is these reviews were made before anyone other than testers truly played the game. My main point is, don't judge until you know the ins and outs of the game world, controls, and overall story. Thank you for your time. And everyone who says its broken on the PC, they gave you the goddamn console commands, so use them to fix it.… Expand
  34. fitscotgaymer
    Jul 20, 2012
    10
    I am so glad that Bethesda took their time with the development of Skyrim, and it really shows. The game is excellent in almost every way, one of the few games in recent memory it actually really deserve a 10 out of 10 rating.
    Skyrim reigns trumphant over the gaming industry the now in that it has outsold just about every other franchise that isn't Call of Duty and it shows once and for    I am so glad that Bethesda took their time with the development of Skyrim, and it really shows. The game is excellent in almost every way, one of the few games in recent memory it actually really deserve a 10 out of 10 rating.
    Skyrim reigns trumphant over the gaming industry the now in that it has outsold just about every other franchise that isn't Call of Duty and it shows once and for all that there IS a market for games that are different from the "norm".
    And it completely deserves every accolade it has got.

    Sure, it has bugs. And it's usual Bethesda related problems but compared to previous titles this game runs like a dream.
    And no one but no one can't tell me that they didn't have fun cackling like a mad man playing with the Sparks spell and thinking "Woo! Force Lightning!"

    I normally don't gush over games but I just can't stop playing Skyrim, even after all this time it's still getting regular play from me.    … Expand
  35. Ghost_Scope
    Jul 19, 2012
    10
    Im a bit of an Elders Scrolls fan but I found some of the missions a bit tedious and boring and some of the missions buggy im still stuck with one but all in all I still cant stop playing!!
  36. jonnyvice
    Jul 18, 2012
    9
    Skyrim is a fantastic game. It's easy to get into, the plot is engaging, the combat system is fun and it has hours and hours of gameplay.

    I started playing RPG games during the late 90s so while my favorite combat system isn't the action oriented system in this game, it doesn't mean it's not fun or unenjoyable. I felt a real sense of accomplishment walking through the vast world and    Skyrim is a fantastic game. It's easy to get into, the plot is engaging, the combat system is fun and it has hours and hours of gameplay.

    I started playing RPG games during the late 90s so while my favorite combat system isn't the action oriented system in this game, it doesn't mean it's not fun or unenjoyable. I felt a real sense of accomplishment walking through the vast world and piecing together the plot instance by instance.

    Different from other RPGs, I find I don't have to "get in the mood" to play this game. I can pick it up, play it for 5 minutes or 5 hours and put it down and be completely satisfied. One of the best games I've played lately, it gets a solid 9.    … Expand
  37. HenryBukowski
    Jul 18, 2012
    8
    For all the breathtaking aesthetic beauty of Bethesda games, I feel they could really take a lesson from Bioware in storytelling and making people come to life. I say this as a huge fan of Bethesda, with Fallout 3 and Morrowind being some of my favourite games of all time. But in games like Knights of the old republic, mass effect, neverwinter nights, Bioware do so much more to enthrallFor all the breathtaking aesthetic beauty of Bethesda games, I feel they could really take a lesson from Bioware in storytelling and making people come to life. I say this as a huge fan of Bethesda, with Fallout 3 and Morrowind being some of my favourite games of all time. But in games like Knights of the old republic, mass effect, neverwinter nights, Bioware do so much more to enthrall you with a storyline, to develop relationships and make you care. The main problem for me in Skyrim is this storyline. Dragons! 15 year old boys may find the idea of battling dragons awesome, but Bethesda can do so much more than this. There's a fine line between generic fantasy games and the more impressive and stylized ones, and I worry that by importing the fantastic trope that is dragons into your game you really only de-value your own concept. Hoist by one's own Petard, as they say. Couple of other things: dungeons. In Oblivion and Morrowind there was variety in what you could find within. In skyrim, you always know it's going to be a sh*t load of Draugr, and if you're bloody lucky, a couple of frostbite spiders. Where did that variety go!? Quests: There are some really fantastic ones, but at times I feel there's a lack of invention. The go get me this item approach to quests only carries you so far. Bethesda needs to innovate rather than play it safe. Combat: Mods are a must for this, but only available to pc users. I really can't see that the combat has improved since oblivion, just evolved in a parallel direction. Still no inbuilt parry system or anything, a shame. But I'm saying these things as someone who loves the elder scrolls, and believes in it. Beautiful game, with loving attention given to its 'Nordic' Lore. What I'm trying to say though is that Bethesda has set its sights on making the ultimate 'immersive' experience; a game where you can do anything, go anywhere, be anyone. But for that to have been truly realised, more attention would have been needed to the depth of the 'being', the 'doing' and so forth. Just because I can go anywhere and do anything, does not mean I will want to if there's inadequate depth to those in-game acts. For me, the answer is making us care more about characters, relationships, be more shocked and gripped by plot. Skyrim calls out for this if only to do justice to the huge effort put into crafting its glorious world.… Expand
  38. kirov13
    Jul 18, 2012
    5
    With all the hype and the great experience with Fallout 3, I was expecting a lot more from this title. It is not a bad game, but rather has many flaws that keep it from being a great game. As mentioned by others, the menu system was obviously designed for console games, making it tedious to navigate with a mouse. Also, even when your mouse is over the menu item you want, it oftenWith all the hype and the great experience with Fallout 3, I was expecting a lot more from this title. It is not a bad game, but rather has many flaws that keep it from being a great game. As mentioned by others, the menu system was obviously designed for console games, making it tedious to navigate with a mouse. Also, even when your mouse is over the menu item you want, it often selects the one above or below it, or even the last item selected. So be prepared to hear the same dialogue again from an NPC after the game misinterprets your mouse click (you can skip, but still annoying).

    There are some common bugs, such hearing NPCs talk who have since left the room...seeing a mamoth flying 200 feet up into the sky...some animals falling through the map.

    I also do not feel the leveling up really makes your character any stronger...there are many skills to spend your level up points in, but I feel there are too many and you can never really develop many of them... Magic feels week no matter how high you level up and where are the shortcut keys to switch weapons and spells? Very tiring to go back to the menu each time you want to change weapons or spells.

    That being said, it is a wide open world with decent graphics and interesting life. Wait for it to drop to $20 or below.

    While the crafting of items in fallout 3 was largely ancillary to the overall game play (as you can get through the game without too much difficulty without making much), I feel it is more of a requirement in Skyrim. This is a pain the the rear, as I feel the need to constantly be looking for crap in the world for crafting, rather than

    The number of items for use in crafting, especially for potions is numerous, nearing obsuridty    … Expand
  39. IcoNat20
    Jul 17, 2012
    9
    All the great expansive game of Morrowind, and the artistic direction of oblivion, but... better? Every place is like a photo, or a work of art on a canvas. I shall not go into further detail.

    Downside, quests are short.
  40. lode07
    Jul 16, 2012
    4
    I would have rated this game 10/10 had it not been released with so many bugs!

    story so far, I played for many hours getting my character to level 29, only to find that a patch that was supposed to fix the game, instead corrupted my saved games. Finally, I managed to get back into my save game after trying numerous suggested fixes on forums. I continued playing for a couple of days    I would have rated this game 10/10 had it not been released with so many bugs!

    story so far, I played for many hours getting my character to level 29, only to find that a patch that was supposed to fix the game, instead corrupted my saved games. Finally, I managed to get back into my save game after trying numerous suggested fixes on forums. I continued playing for a couple of days until all of a sudden I could no longer talk to NPCs, mine or use switches. Refusing to start a new game, I left the game for a couple of months and logged back in recently. After logging in, I received an error message that appeared on starting a new game or logging into a saved game. I went off in search of a fix and after reading numerous forum articles each with a different solution I decided to give up. After a brief period of time spent swearing at my PC, I did find a solution and finally managed to get into my save game. However, the fleeting moment of joy was replaced with yet more misery. The graphics were glitched, the game world looked like the brightness had been turned up to full and the color palette had been replaced with monochrome. After checking all my drivers were up to date and verifying the game cache, I tried logging into the game the next evening only to find it kept bombing out before reaching the main menu....

    I have never had so many issues trying to play a game before and I really do want to rate it higher! However, due to the fact that I have not been able to play it for a good few months plus I have spent countless hours trying to troubleshoot issues, wasting away my life..... i can't give it more than 4/10.    … Expand
  41. Mortensus
    Jul 15, 2012
    9
    I found the previous elder scolls games pretty impressive, but Skyrim for me beat them everywhere. I will not talk about graphics and gameplay, etc , which are flawless for me, they are exactly what I expect of good games in 2011-2012, nothing really revolutionary, but a true atmosphere.

    Where the game becomes really amazing, it's when we go on the meat of the game, the rpg aspect. It's    I found the previous elder scolls games pretty impressive, but Skyrim for me beat them everywhere. I will not talk about graphics and gameplay, etc , which are flawless for me, they are exactly what I expect of good games in 2011-2012, nothing really revolutionary, but a true atmosphere.

    Where the game becomes really amazing, it's when we go on the meat of the game, the rpg aspect. It's one of the first time (in my experience at least) on a video game that even if there is a main quest, the universe is so rich and the quests so well written, so many little details, stories in the stories, that you almost forget about this "main" quest! There are so many things to do... you are just from time to time remembered of the main quest when suddenly out of nowhere a dragon is flying over you, shouting, and landing right in your back... Well, the feeling is unique.

    Another important thing, is the modding community, bethesta seem to love the moders contrary to so many big recent releases, and there are so many good mods...

    And last but not least, they are not selling you countless useless dlc even before the release. You pay a good game, you get it the first time!

    If you love a good rpg, this game is definitely a must have.    … Expand
  42. GREW50ME
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    What can I say about Skyrim that has not already been said? If you have played the Elder Scrolls before, and thought, "Gee, I wish I could fight dragons and absorb their powers in a Viking-esque portion of the world of Tamriel", then this is your game.
    The grapics are stellar, but if you don't like them, you can mod them for higher textures, and that is where the greatness starts. This    What can I say about Skyrim that has not already been said? If you have played the Elder Scrolls before, and thought, "Gee, I wish I could fight dragons and absorb their powers in a Viking-esque portion of the world of Tamriel", then this is your game.
    The grapics are stellar, but if you don't like them, you can mod them for higher textures, and that is where the greatness starts. This game is fully moddable and changeable. If you had the controls, plug in a controller or download one of the control mods. Or, get up off your can and write one yourself.
    Want lightsabers? My little pony? Warcraft? Naked girls? You can put any or all of this in the game, and way, way more.
    Even the game mechanics themselves have mods that you can make or download.

    Underneath the layers and layers of customization, the game is the classic Elder Scrolls series, but with added streamlining learned from the creation of the Fallout games. Added are kill shot animations, and a much smoother looking interface. As in all Elder scrolls games, you can really craft the type of hero you want, and adventure in your own way. Want to be a simple wood cutter? A massive orc warrior? A sly rogue? A flower picker? A mass murderer? A powerful wizard? Decide as you go? You can do it all and more. It's this level of choice and freedom that makes Skyrim one of my favorite games of all time. Sure, there are some parts where the action is drab and the quests are predictable, and the game does have some bugs... but the sheer amount of AAA content and options in the game is so impressive that it more than compensates for the shortcomings. You can literally play this game for years and find new content every time and have a unique experience! STOP READING AND BUY IT NOW!!! I give Skyrim my highest recommendations!    … Expand
  43. Bloodthirsty
    Jul 15, 2012
    9
    awsum game,the graphics of this game is outstanding,thestory has a good begining along with a good ending,the gameplay modes are nice,good options are there
  44. CoolDadTx
    Jul 14, 2012
    7
    Skyrim lives up to the expectations of the Elder Scrolls series, for the most part. The main story itself is uninteresting. I didn't even get past the halfway point until I was forced to in order to get the remaining side quests. The whole civil war thing seems really tacked on to me. I eventually chose sides and started taking over cities as part of the war quests but then switchedSkyrim lives up to the expectations of the Elder Scrolls series, for the most part. The main story itself is uninteresting. I didn't even get past the halfway point until I was forced to in order to get the remaining side quests. The whole civil war thing seems really tacked on to me. I eventually chose sides and started taking over cities as part of the war quests but then switched back to the MQ to finish up. It seemed that neither side had notice that I had picked a side. Both acted the same way. This really broken the realism for me. Bethesda generally doesn't make these types of mistakes.

    The dragons (which people have been asking for forever) really don't add anything to the game. They are just another creature with loads of health. Fighting them becomes canned as they go through the same motions. The first encounter was interesting. The rest were boring. Even worse is the fact that they randomly appear out of nowhere (a feature Bethesda bragged about). The problem is that if you teleport somewhere to follow a quest you might suddenly have to fight one of these stupid dragons. Because of their large health it can take several minutes. I got to the point where I would just run away because fighting them wasn't worth anything. I hope that dragons don't make an appearance in future ES games.

    I've never been a fan of the leveling system of ES. Skyrim tried the Fallout approach of perks and it might have worked if the perks were actually that useful. For the most part they are useless. I much prefer the Oblivion skill system. But even then I should get rewarded for finding new areas. Make me want to spend time in this world Bethesda!! Instead my reward was generally yet another dragon battle I didn't want. You'd figure with all these dragons flying around that they would just take over the world.

    Some of the early enemies are, again, overpowering. Spellcasters and higher level bandits appear at frightening frequency even early on making melee attacks deadly. Once you've acquired a certain shield (after a side quest) though they become trivial. By midway through the game there was no enemy that was even a remote challenge to my character. Bethesda really needs to work on a better balanced system.

    Overall Skyrim was fun but I was honestly bored by the end of it. I wasn't interested in finishing the lackluster main quest nor searching the world for anything (because I gained nothing by doing so). I just ran through the final main quests as fast as I could. I see they now have DLC for the game but I doubt I'll get it. Nothing they throw at me wouuld be challenging (unless they take all your equipment - which is a popular pasttime) and it would probably have more dragons. Unless they come out with an expansion on the level of Shivering Isles I'll have to say goodbye to Skyrim until the next ES game comes along.    … Expand
  45. Ewoko
    Jul 14, 2012
    4
    I was severely disappointed with this game, as much as I hate to say it. I bought this game hoping for an entirely new experience, a great story and game-play, but it was stunted by quite a few things. Firstly, the story was very linear and boring in terms of quests. Things like, "Go to cave X to find a clue about the whereabouts of Y." When you then go to the cave, there are a fewI was severely disappointed with this game, as much as I hate to say it. I bought this game hoping for an entirely new experience, a great story and game-play, but it was stunted by quite a few things. Firstly, the story was very linear and boring in terms of quests. Things like, "Go to cave X to find a clue about the whereabouts of Y." When you then go to the cave, there are a few monsters and a straight path to the end, as well as some recurring puzzles that you see in almost every major cave. The side quests are even worse, and are often just fetch quests and, "Go kill X," quests. You can join groups like the dark brotherhood, but the result is the same, boring, linear quest pattern. As for combat, most of the time is spent in the inventory switching spells, drinking potions, switching weapons, while there is little focus on the actual combat. It's no kind of fighting we haven't seen before, just make your character face the enemy, select from your wide variety of weapons, and hit the attack button. Done. Have I mentioned that the game is very slow paced? Outside of dungeons, you barely fight anything other than a bandit here and there, and on rare occasions, you will encounter a dragon. The game-play is mostly looking at your inventory and traversing large spans of land. I've never really cared much about graphics in game, but if you do, these are sub par for how much hype they received pre-release. Overall, I was very disappointed. I'll stick with BIT.TRIP and The Binding. Much more satisfying on every level.… Expand
  46. lexzor
    Jul 13, 2012
    4
    At first, I was blown away with the enviroments and the detail they've put into everything. You can climb the highest mountain, travel to anywhere you like. While you're doing this you can spot little details everywhere you look, like salmon swimming upriver or plants and flowers you can pick to make potions from. You have absolute freedom in this game. The storytelling or the way you getAt first, I was blown away with the enviroments and the detail they've put into everything. You can climb the highest mountain, travel to anywhere you like. While you're doing this you can spot little details everywhere you look, like salmon swimming upriver or plants and flowers you can pick to make potions from. You have absolute freedom in this game. The storytelling or the way you get from one quest into the next is also well done. You try to do a simple task and suddenly you find yourself in alot of trouble. However the moment you get over the great enviroment in Skyrim you see the tradeskills are way too shallow. You can mine ore with 3 swings which mines a vein the size of a room. You can't fish, which is a shame considering the great mountain enviroments. There aren't enough usable items. At lvl 20 I've only changed gear once. But the most annoying part is the companion who always attacks your targets frontally. Which means it's either always in your way, or it's not and it steals your kill so you don't get XP. And don't forget the poor controls. They went for minimal HUD and controls, which means you have to pause the combat every single time you need a different weapon or spell. Alot of the time this gets you killed as you pause right before the enemy strikes you. You run around with a bag full of bows swords shields and spells and you can't bind them to hotkeys ? How very console is that !
    Then there is the horse, which tries to defend you and dies half the time trying. I lost count how many times I had to reload because of that.
    My conclusion is, they've fixed alot of what was wrong in oblivion but there are still so many things wrong with skyrim. This game has 2 strong points. The enviroment and the close-combat, if the companion isn't in the way that is. The tradeskills are rubbish and should have been done in much more depth.    … Expand
  47. VoragoGaming
    Jul 13, 2012
    9
    One of the Epic Greats of Gaming History. A true offspring of the Elder Scrolls universe becaues it is a work of gaming art that continues a legacy. Ignore the people who say this game is short, any game is short to a "grinder" type. This game hours of fun, adventure, combat, quests and damn well thought out sub plots and main plot. You NEED to be asking yourself one question: "Why do IOne of the Epic Greats of Gaming History. A true offspring of the Elder Scrolls universe becaues it is a work of gaming art that continues a legacy. Ignore the people who say this game is short, any game is short to a "grinder" type. This game hours of fun, adventure, combat, quests and damn well thought out sub plots and main plot. You NEED to be asking yourself one question: "Why do I not have this yet?".… Expand
  48. Hadrian
    Jul 13, 2012
    10
    I love the game. I have been a huge TES fan for a while. I liked Oblivion better but would have to say that this game is very, very good. Pick it up for sure!
  49. Suspect1001
    Jul 9, 2012
    4
    This game was great for a bit then it just becomes boring and tedious. I tried to push myself to keep playing it, but I can't. I thought it was going to be a good game and kill 40+ hours, but I was wrong. It is buggy as all hell and it seems like it is just put together and released way to fast. Compare it to Oblivion and you will be disappointed. This game is not worth your time or moneyThis game was great for a bit then it just becomes boring and tedious. I tried to push myself to keep playing it, but I can't. I thought it was going to be a good game and kill 40+ hours, but I was wrong. It is buggy as all hell and it seems like it is just put together and released way to fast. Compare it to Oblivion and you will be disappointed. This game is not worth your time or money in my opinion.… Expand
  50. Sythian
    Jul 7, 2012
    10
    Excellent game, beautiful graphics, epic game play, well put storyline, and immersive world. The skill base system allows one to completely tailor a character to the players style. Lots of items to loot, find, purchase or craft. Player Housing and storage. Companions, Mercs and the like to aid you on your quests. And the best of all for me, is the ability to mod the game adding to itExcellent game, beautiful graphics, epic game play, well put storyline, and immersive world. The skill base system allows one to completely tailor a character to the players style. Lots of items to loot, find, purchase or craft. Player Housing and storage. Companions, Mercs and the like to aid you on your quests. And the best of all for me, is the ability to mod the game adding to it exactly what I would like to see in the game or remove that of which I do not. Try it for yourself, I bet you will be hook instantly.… Expand
  51. Puuugu
    Jul 7, 2012
    6
    This game could have been the greatest game ever, but it simply is a hollow shell at this point. It has very shallow characters and quests. It is horribly repetitive and gets very boring after 60 hours. The combat is lacking, loot is horrible and voice acting still consists of ~8 people. It also gets very easy.

    Finally, this game has no charm; it does not wow players or makes them feel    This game could have been the greatest game ever, but it simply is a hollow shell at this point. It has very shallow characters and quests. It is horribly repetitive and gets very boring after 60 hours. The combat is lacking, loot is horrible and voice acting still consists of ~8 people. It also gets very easy.

    Finally, this game has no charm; it does not wow players or makes them feel immersed. This game is a single player MMO, nothing more, nothing less.    … Expand
  52. Chris_DK
    Jul 7, 2012
    10
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an amazing game you shouldn't miss out on. It has a huge openworld with so many places to go and so many things to do. You are the chosen Dragonborn that is destined to fight the dragon Alduin, also known as The World Eater. In this game you can create your own character from different kinds of races with each their special abilities. In the game you set outThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an amazing game you shouldn't miss out on. It has a huge openworld with so many places to go and so many things to do. You are the chosen Dragonborn that is destined to fight the dragon Alduin, also known as The World Eater. In this game you can create your own character from different kinds of races with each their special abilities. In the game you set out to master the dragon language to become strong enough to defeat Alduin. The storyline is good and the game will consume a lot of your time.… Expand
  53. zahpp
    Jul 7, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i don`t like this game ,it is just fallout in medieval time,it have allot of bugs and the graphics is not that good (age of conan have much better graphics and that is an mmorpg) overall it is annoying to play with all the static npc messing the same ting over and over… Expand
  54. Zerasad
    Jul 7, 2012
    6
    I think this game went for quantity over quality and it really hurt it. I'm not really an Elder Scrolls fan I've always liked the Fallout series better, but I have to say that Skyrim was the first Elder Scrolls title I cared to play through. My experience is varied. The graphics are better than what we've seen before from Bethesda, but nothing special. The sound quality was pretty good andI think this game went for quantity over quality and it really hurt it. I'm not really an Elder Scrolls fan I've always liked the Fallout series better, but I have to say that Skyrim was the first Elder Scrolls title I cared to play through. My experience is varied. The graphics are better than what we've seen before from Bethesda, but nothing special. The sound quality was pretty good and the music was the same. The story line was avarage, nothing too big. But now let's go to the things, that I didn't like. The side quests for example. There were a lot of side quests in these game I can give it that, but aside from a couple they didn't really feel intresting. The same goes with companions. There were like a million of them, but they didn't have the slightest bit of character. I'd much rather have 7 unique companions with backstories and own quest lines like in Fallout, than 10 million of them that only differ in looks, and will eventually end up as moving chests that carry your stuff around. The armors and weapons are not balanced whatsoever. The spells get really weak later on, and if u don't dual wield you're basically not playing the game right. I can't count the times I got killed by a bandit wearing leather armor and an iron knife, while I had my Dragon armor, and ebony hammer on. Just because I wasn't dual wielding. The "skill trees" in this game are pretty dumb too. Some of them has no use. For instance lockpicking is pretty useless, since it just makes it easier to open locks, but you don't really need it since it's not really hard anyways, and you can open the lock after 2 or 3 triest most of the time. Blacksmithing is ridiclously imbalanced on the other hand. First of all since every item you craft increases your skill by the same amount to get it to max you'll end up making thousands of Iron Daggers. The gear you can make with blacksmithing is also often two or three times stronger than the one you can find. Dragons are pretty intresting, but after killing 3 or 4 them you'll have enough dragon bones and scale, so meeting them will be an annoyance instead of a cool thing. The interface is a buggy pile of steaming poop. Even if you point at the right thing you'll often end up clicking on something else. The inventory screen is a complete disaster. The gane was obviously made with consoles in mind. All in all this game wanted too much, and ended up as shallow non-polished disappointment.… Expand
  55. sohoguy
    Jul 6, 2012
    10
    This game is true masterpiece. Story, graphics, sound, open world. Also what makes any already great game even better - mods!
    Often you will just stop and look around, be it night or day, contemplating gorgeous landscapes. There is no need to hurry and do main storyline, you can just relax and explore. Not many games offer that. And most of them are not of THIS quality.
    P.S. And many    This game is true masterpiece. Story, graphics, sound, open world. Also what makes any already great game even better - mods!
    Often you will just stop and look around, be it night or day, contemplating gorgeous landscapes. There is no need to hurry and do main storyline, you can just relax and explore. Not many games offer that. And most of them are not of THIS quality.
    P.S. And many thanks for hiring Max von Sydow! :)    … Expand
  56. Bishop7
    Jul 4, 2012
    10
    This is well within the rights of being called the best game ever made.. After over 20 years of hardcore gaming, I think I have a pretty good idea of the genre. This game doesn't just beat everything else, it annihilates it..
    It so thoroughly explores so many facets of gaming and interfaces, that putting any other game next to it, is insulting to every other developer.. Bethesda didn't    This is well within the rights of being called the best game ever made.. After over 20 years of hardcore gaming, I think I have a pretty good idea of the genre. This game doesn't just beat everything else, it annihilates it..
    It so thoroughly explores so many facets of gaming and interfaces, that putting any other game next to it, is insulting to every other developer.. Bethesda didn't raise the bar this time.. They broke it over the head of every other game maker in the world..    … Expand
  57. Phix105
    Jul 1, 2012
    9
    The best game I've ever played. If it wasn't for having to patch it before it was mostly playable i would have given it a 10. The graphics are awesome and the quests are very entertaining. I wish more games like this were made but its seems only Bethesda does it right. I have so many hours in this game and I still can't get enough of it.
  58. GRANIT_Salvo
    Jun 30, 2012
    7
    "It was a dark and stormy night; I had taken a creative writing course...." OK, if you can ignore the shallow dialogue, you can enjoy this game. Even with all the bugs and holes in the game, it's still pretty fun to play. I myself am surprised by how many hours I have given it. BUY THIS GAME IF: -You love sandbox RPGs. -You have a NEXUS account -You can spend hours digging through mods"It was a dark and stormy night; I had taken a creative writing course...." OK, if you can ignore the shallow dialogue, you can enjoy this game. Even with all the bugs and holes in the game, it's still pretty fun to play. I myself am surprised by how many hours I have given it. BUY THIS GAME IF: -You love sandbox RPGs. -You have a NEXUS account -You can spend hours digging through mods and testing your personal brew to get the game right. AVOID THIS GAME IF: -You are diagnosed with ADD (I dare you to stick with one character past 30) -You are a perfectionist or completionist -You have a family dependent upon you. OVERALL: I don't agree with relying upon the modding community to polish a game, but you SHOULD mod it, and if you can put in the time you can make this a great escape.… Expand
  59. Beararam
    Jun 30, 2012
    10
    First off, I'm new to The Elder Scrolls. I bought Oblivion a while back off of Steam when it was on sale, and really didn't enjoy it, probably because it was quite a few years old and shared a lot of the same sounds and features of Fallout 3, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had a lot of fun in Skyrim. It piqued my interest in the series quite a bit, and have since read (not played, I know)First off, I'm new to The Elder Scrolls. I bought Oblivion a while back off of Steam when it was on sale, and really didn't enjoy it, probably because it was quite a few years old and shared a lot of the same sounds and features of Fallout 3, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had a lot of fun in Skyrim. It piqued my interest in the series quite a bit, and have since read (not played, I know) the synopsis of all the other Elder Scrolls games. It's not perfect, no game is, but just a lot of fun. I think it deserves a higher score than an 8.… Expand
  60. Zonerider
    Jun 29, 2012
    6
    Skyrim is a good RPG, but a bad Elder Scrolls. Sure the graphic is okay, but the perk and level system are only a ruin. as sample: Train your armor craft level to build a armor and a weapon, when you have all of them, the armor craft tree is useless, all points wastet because you cant repair things. another sample: only the smal and boring dungeons respawns, but the big and avesomeSkyrim is a good RPG, but a bad Elder Scrolls. Sure the graphic is okay, but the perk and level system are only a ruin. as sample: Train your armor craft level to build a armor and a weapon, when you have all of them, the armor craft tree is useless, all points wastet because you cant repair things. another sample: only the smal and boring dungeons respawns, but the big and avesome dungeons are wiped out forever. So you walk over the map, find a dwemer ruin and you think: Only another empty hole. Many wasted potential. Skyrim can never beat oblivion... maybe with massiv user mods they correct the broken play system.… Expand
  61. Pootah
    Jun 26, 2012
    7
    Certainly a step up from a Oblivion; Skyrim fixes a lot of the problems of its predecessor. Menus and other UI elements have been streamlined; stats have been removed and replaced with perks, allowing for greater control over your character's progression. Level scaling has been reduced to be more like Fallout 3's, so levelling up is actually useful, where in Oblivion it only made the gameCertainly a step up from a Oblivion; Skyrim fixes a lot of the problems of its predecessor. Menus and other UI elements have been streamlined; stats have been removed and replaced with perks, allowing for greater control over your character's progression. Level scaling has been reduced to be more like Fallout 3's, so levelling up is actually useful, where in Oblivion it only made the game harder. Graphics are inevitably superior, although remain mediocre comparative to other games of recent years. As with every Bethesda game, Skyrim can be lot of fun so long as you don't think about it too hard; after a while you start wondering those niggling little questions like "how are these torches still burning when this dungeon has apparently remained untouched for thousands of years?" Or "how can I make a 30-pound suit of armour out of 5 1-pound metal ingots?" or "How the hell did so many bugs slip past QA? Seriously, there's a pile of rubble just floating 2 feet off the floor there." Skyrim's map is also slightly larger than Oblivion's, but it suffers from exactly the same problems: while the scale of the game may be impressive, quality is more important than quantity. I don't care about having virtually infinite quests to complete spread across more dungeons than you can count when nearly all of them are boring fetch quests or similar and every dungeon is just copy+paste of one of four other dungeons. Having dozens of towns sounds impressive, up until you realise that the alleged capital of Skyrim literally only has 9 houses in it. The most disappointing failure of scale is the characters: there must be thousands of them, but there's not one personality between them (and only maybe 20 VAs as well). The main narrative is unimaginably bland; centreing around a civil war in the eponymous province. Predictably, the player can choose which faction to join, but joining either side results in identical quests with the names switched round. Combat is similarly broken: since increasing your magic skill only reduces the amount of mana used (and you can't make your own spells any more), fights consist of either one-shotting enemies with sneak attacks with a bow or mashing the attack button in melee until the red bar is empty (the block skill is even more worthless than it was in Oblivion). As previously mentioned, even after a slew of official patches, bugs are a constant feature, whether it's quests failing to activate or merely items falling through the shelves they've been placed on, leaving modders to actually complete the game.… Expand
  62. Bobbo
    Jun 21, 2012
    7
    I never knew black and white video games existed until I played Skyrim. My eyes hunger for color. I was more interested in improving the AI from Oblivion, but that didn't happen.
  63. dan12345108
    Jun 21, 2012
    9
    This game is the bomb.Some times there are frame drops and bugs from here to there but skyrim is a perfect example of what bethesda can do when they focus.i will give it a 9 because of the bugs.keep up the good work bethesda
  64. TheStolken
    Jun 20, 2012
    9
    I would not feel bad by saying this, but the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the best game in the franchise. It combined the epic story that Morrowind had, with the fantastic and fast paced gameplay and combat of Oblivion. The game have beautiful graphics that load quickly and make it possible to immerse yourself into the game so easily. The new engine, while similar to the old ones, is a vastI would not feel bad by saying this, but the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the best game in the franchise. It combined the epic story that Morrowind had, with the fantastic and fast paced gameplay and combat of Oblivion. The game have beautiful graphics that load quickly and make it possible to immerse yourself into the game so easily. The new engine, while similar to the old ones, is a vast improvement to the game. This game deserves the awards and praise it has. Well, it might deserve a little less because it sure does have a lot of bugs. Maybe wait a while to get this game so that it gets some patches, and when it does, buy it outright.… Expand
  65. TheCommander
    Jun 20, 2012
    7
    First of all, just because I gave the game a 7 doesn't mean that Skyrim is a bad game, in fact, it is quite fun. However I just don't think it is nearly the masterpiece that Fallout 3 or Morrowind was. The mechanics are pretty poor and revolve around a "favorite" system where my bulky fingers often press the wrong buttons and I use stuff I didn't want to, this system also stops combatFirst of all, just because I gave the game a 7 doesn't mean that Skyrim is a bad game, in fact, it is quite fun. However I just don't think it is nearly the masterpiece that Fallout 3 or Morrowind was. The mechanics are pretty poor and revolve around a "favorite" system where my bulky fingers often press the wrong buttons and I use stuff I didn't want to, this system also stops combat which kills the fluidness of the game. I wish that Bethesda had used the hotkey system they did in Morrowind. In this game I saw a lot of rehashing of things that Bethesda used in Fallout 3 and Morrowind, including items, references, and soundtracks which made me laugh. I was also disappointed in how unbalanced the classes were in this game. Warriors are horrible and pretty much useless while mages with fire magic kill just about anything hard, be it spriggans or trolls. Some enemies like the cavebear are just plain overpowered. I think perhaps the most disappointing thing in the game is that you find items according to your level. You can't just walk into a cave at level 1 and stumble upon a daedric longsword like you could in Morrowind. To me this takes away from the fun in the game. I would also like to say that this is the most buggy game I think Bethesda has ever released which was another disappointment. I did however think Skyrim was a big improvement over Oblivion as far as surroundings and storyline, but It just doesn't have the mechanics, fluidness, mystery and fun factor that Morrowind had.… Expand
  66. ZeroNegative
    Jun 20, 2012
    9
    The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is an epic game, and It's even a beautiful game. Technically is great, and It's so original. An outstanding RPG that grows on you fast, and that is, of course revolutionary. But, the friendly AI is not even necessary, because It is so confusing and kind of stupid. (Im not saying for the personality)
  67. alexil
    Jun 19, 2012
    10
    This is trulythe most beautiful game I ever played. I'm relishing every moment of exploring amazing world of Skyrim. Everything is just perfect to my liking: dynamics of combat, cutscenes, storylines.
    Some say that game is dumbed down when compared to Oblivion, but I found it more fun when you don't need to jump stupidly from town to town just to get your points for acrobatics-dexterity    This is trulythe most beautiful game I ever played. I'm relishing every moment of exploring amazing world of Skyrim. Everything is just perfect to my liking: dynamics of combat, cutscenes, storylines.
    Some say that game is dumbed down when compared to Oblivion, but I found it more fun when you don't need to jump stupidly from town to town just to get your points for acrobatics-dexterity stat. (Though I liked Oblivion very much too). The only flaw that I can name is somewhat akward inventory/skill/spell system. I would take one point of for this, but I won't. Because this game deserves 10.    … Expand
  68. NoSugarTonight
    Jun 18, 2012
    4
    To be generous, the first 4-5 hours as the game started I enjoyed immensely. I would have given a 9 if the rest of the game remained consistently fun. But it isn't so. I've never really like the floaty combat system in other TES games, but on this entry it's more obnoxious than ever because enemies hardly ever react to you attacks. They added "kill animations" to spice up the fightingTo be generous, the first 4-5 hours as the game started I enjoyed immensely. I would have given a 9 if the rest of the game remained consistently fun. But it isn't so. I've never really like the floaty combat system in other TES games, but on this entry it's more obnoxious than ever because enemies hardly ever react to you attacks. They added "kill animations" to spice up the fighting aspect, but they are just cutscenes of your character pulling off some cool move. You're not fighting the enemy anymore, you're just watching your character fight essentially. The first town you arrive at is a welcome beginning. You believe every character has a personality, unique voice & their own special problems that you can help fix. Until you go on to the next village or city and realize that almost all of the same voice actors were recycled for everybody else. Every smith has the same voice, every bard is a blonde womanizer with the annoying voice actor from Tak and the Power of Juju, almost every shopkeeper has the same male/female voice & they all think that "they have the finest goods in Skyrim" and "some people may call this junk, but me I call them treasure." Also every single guard in the entire game has the same male/femal voice, and my god do they sound mental. From the very beginning, the graphics made me very wary. The far scenery is sometimes beautiful, but when taking a closer look, textures & character animations can be worse than Morrowind ( which was made almost a decade ago!). There certainly is massive amounts of content, which I tried to explore over the time of about 80 hours of gameplay. But over half of the content is recycled "fetch this/kill that" quests with no depth or sense of urgency or accomplishment. The smithing & enchanting system is ridiculously broken, allowing you to become wholly overpowered within 5 hours of spamming iron daggers and enchanting them. This also makes exploring & adventuring obselete, because you will never find anything better than what you've already smithed and enchanted at level 10. Some cities/holds are massive & beautiful, but only inhabit about 20-25 NPC's. So it feels like a glorious ghost town, and you can't even engage with some of them; so it just feels like their taking up space. And nobody besides those involved in the main quest seem to be concerned that fearsome, deathly dragons are terrorizing Skyrim. And even when you finish the main questline or a certain guild, no one remembers you for it. Guards & NPC's will still harrass & criticize you even after saving skyrim from total destruction. So you also feel like your character is taking up space, because you make no visible impact upon the world. The only quest line I somewhat enjoyed was the Theives Guild, but it was still short and required a lot of tedious extra jobs to do in between. All of the dungeons, caves, and castles are only slightly varied from the next and really give no incentive to explore because you will encounter the same enemies and the same worthless loot. There certainly is no character development, because for some reason, you're only given 1-3 dialouge choices. It doesn't matter what you choose to say, the conversation will always end the same. They also made the quest system too easy, essentially holding your hand throughout the entire game because there is an arrow that tells you exactly what to do & where to go. There is no mystery or real challenge. The game really just degenerated to a virtual walk in a park (literally & metaphorically). The only thing I enjoyed in the end was the scenery.… Expand
  69. rush905
    Jun 17, 2012
    10
    An all amazing game. If I could give it higher than 10 points I would. If you are looking for an RPG with exploration involved along with extensive character customization, this is the game for you.
  70. addie_ho
    Jun 16, 2012
    8
    I can only give 8 to this game because it has so many bugs; i played it on pc. The main story is too short, i hope it could be longer. The faction quests are very interesting; i had a lot of fun during Dark Brotherhood quests. After i discover most of the dungeon and finished most of the quests, i do not know what i can do to get to highest level for both character level and skill level.I can only give 8 to this game because it has so many bugs; i played it on pc. The main story is too short, i hope it could be longer. The faction quests are very interesting; i had a lot of fun during Dark Brotherhood quests. After i discover most of the dungeon and finished most of the quests, i do not know what i can do to get to highest level for both character level and skill level. Maybe they do not want people to get all skills to lv100 on the a single character. Dual-cast destruction magic is too convinient, it breaks any enemies' attack. lol… Expand
  71. Darkmark
    Jun 16, 2012
    9
    Very nice game with a good story and epic gameplay. I really liked how you can choose to help either the Stormcloacks or the Empire and how you're also able to change sides throughout the game. It's also nice with other storylines that are optional to complete, like the Theifs Guild and The Companions. But even though the game has lots of different choices to make both in customization ofVery nice game with a good story and epic gameplay. I really liked how you can choose to help either the Stormcloacks or the Empire and how you're also able to change sides throughout the game. It's also nice with other storylines that are optional to complete, like the Theifs Guild and The Companions. But even though the game has lots of different choices to make both in customization of your character and what missions to complete i still think the game might be missing some replayabillity. Nevertheless it is still a great game and if you like a good RPG, you should definetly buy it.… Expand
  72. TJD2
    Jun 15, 2012
    5
    meh, this wasn't a bad game, but the D A M N LOAD SCREENS took all the fun out of it. Seriously, when I'm exploring the vast lands of skyrim, I don't want to wait 30 seconds to 1 minute to enter a building....plus all the framerate and graphic glitches kept me from rating it higher. All this contributed to me getting bored of the game after a week and a half or so of playing it.
  73. AlfaCorax
    Jun 15, 2012
    5
    I will describe Skyrim as "a world full of nothing".
    I love the landscape and I like the artistic direction of the "game", but it kind of stops there.
    After many many hours in the world of Skyrim I have given up. I have realized that it will not get more meaningful further on. Everything I do in the game feels pointless and effects the world almost nothing. That the game shipped as a    I will describe Skyrim as "a world full of nothing".
    I love the landscape and I like the artistic direction of the "game", but it kind of stops there.
    After many many hours in the world of Skyrim I have given up. I have realized that it will not get more meaningful further on. Everything I do in the game feels pointless and effects the world almost nothing. That the game shipped as a console port with all the limitations that brings is one thing that have been made better with mods, but even that cannot change the empty feeling I get from this extremely shallow game.    … Expand
  74. Zoso
    Jun 15, 2012
    6
    Skyrim is not a bad game, to be sure. Some elements (Lockpicking, Archery) feel very natural - although archery is not perfect as you sometimes can't shoot through narrow openings you could shoot through in real life and arrows suddenly drop at long range. The scenery is impressive, but the character models are seriously lacking, human and non-human alike. And there numerous nice stories,Skyrim is not a bad game, to be sure. Some elements (Lockpicking, Archery) feel very natural - although archery is not perfect as you sometimes can't shoot through narrow openings you could shoot through in real life and arrows suddenly drop at long range. The scenery is impressive, but the character models are seriously lacking, human and non-human alike. And there numerous nice stories, but there not *TOLD*. I know, this an open world RPG, so telling stories can get quite complicated. But with Skyrim, there's so much to discover, but everything stays somehow flat, sterile, and unresponsive, though vast. It feels like every commoner now has a name, but it doesn't matter, they're still commoner 1 - 1000.… Expand
  75. KillJoyKJ
    Jun 13, 2012
    10
    I absolutely, hands-down love this game. I am new to the Elder Scrolls series, so I cannot comment to any improvements (or lack thereof) compared to previous games in the series. However, I can say that this is a completely engrossing game, well worth the $60. The shear volume of content, quests, side-quests, character customization and massive world make this game worthwhile. DecisionsI absolutely, hands-down love this game. I am new to the Elder Scrolls series, so I cannot comment to any improvements (or lack thereof) compared to previous games in the series. However, I can say that this is a completely engrossing game, well worth the $60. The shear volume of content, quests, side-quests, character customization and massive world make this game worthwhile. Decisions made early on can affect the outcome of later gameplay and your interaction with the world of Skyrim. Many previous reviewers have complained that there are too many bugs, and I can only assume that they purchased this game immediately after release. I purchased mine retail at GameStop, activated on Steam, and with the frequent patches and updates, I have not experienced any glitches or bugs what-so-ever.

    There are also mods you can add to the game (extra animals, nature sounds, weapons, anything) that can provide an enhanced experience. Overall, I really enjoy this game... I also purchased Diablo3 since then, and I find myself returning to play Skyrim more often as I can easily get immersed in this epic environment. (Get a good videocard for the best experience, it's worth it!)    … Expand
  76. Lontra
    Jun 13, 2012
    0
    Obviously made for the XBox and ported to PS3 and PC the graphics on this game are sub par at best, PC controls are nearly unplayable, Filled with bugs, and offers virtually no challenge to a seasoned gamer. All Bethesda seems to do with these game is pile as many little side quests in it as possible so you can feel like you are getting a lot from your money. The truth is you're gettingObviously made for the XBox and ported to PS3 and PC the graphics on this game are sub par at best, PC controls are nearly unplayable, Filled with bugs, and offers virtually no challenge to a seasoned gamer. All Bethesda seems to do with these game is pile as many little side quests in it as possible so you can feel like you are getting a lot from your money. The truth is you're getting an over rated, under developed game instead.… Expand
  77. lerotz
    Jun 12, 2012
    10
    Ok just want to say for the record that anyone who rated this game less than a 8 on PC is DUMB. I can understand if RPG isn't your genre, but the deep immersion into the world of Tamriel makes this the best looking entry into the Elder Scrolls series. Although the game world is not as big as Daggerfall you may actually be glad that it is not because you will never get laid as all you willOk just want to say for the record that anyone who rated this game less than a 8 on PC is DUMB. I can understand if RPG isn't your genre, but the deep immersion into the world of Tamriel makes this the best looking entry into the Elder Scrolls series. Although the game world is not as big as Daggerfall you may actually be glad that it is not because you will never get laid as all you will want to do is play this game if it were. I, to this day, have absolutely no problem dumping 6-8 hour sessions into this game. The story isn't fantastic, but it is more than sufficient enough to bring you back to it to obtain the special skills and weapons that it provides, but everyone knows that isn't why you play Skyrim. You play Skyrim for exploring the massive world, and it certainly doesn't fail to deliver on that. With all the patches that have been released the few issues remaining with the game are more than likely coming with all the mods that you have installed that can make this beautiful game look even better, or add even more deep gameplay. Congratulations Skyrim you have made it onto my top 3 games of all time list.… Expand
  78. sethdeath321
    Jun 11, 2012
    9
    In my opinion, skyrim is among the most remarkable open world games of the decade. The game provides a huge amount of creative content carefully produced over more than 5 years, and is certainly worth buying. Every aspect of this massive world is tailored to near perfection, and from deep valleys, to yawning, subterranean caves, to the shear mountain peaks, the game looks magnificent. InIn my opinion, skyrim is among the most remarkable open world games of the decade. The game provides a huge amount of creative content carefully produced over more than 5 years, and is certainly worth buying. Every aspect of this massive world is tailored to near perfection, and from deep valleys, to yawning, subterranean caves, to the shear mountain peaks, the game looks magnificent. In a game this large, there are going to be glitches, perhaps more so during the PC experience, but skyrim is just as immersive as any of the other TES games, if not more so. Even after hundreds of hours of play, i still found more quests and options, better even then the one before it. Perhaps even more enchanting than the actual game play was the achingly beautiful soundtrack that accompanied the quests. This and other sounds of skyrim, voices a noises, added a level of realism here-for unattained. Though the main quest line grew tiresome after a while, and was over before you knew it, there were many others to take its place, like the thieves guild quests, the companions quests, and the dark brotherhood quests, all of which take turns that keep you guessing. For me, however, the best part was seeing my character develop, to a warrior, mage, or thief. the game interface was, at times, clunky. when trying to change weapons rapidly, exiting to the menu took me out of the experience in an annoying way, and the favorite menu wasn't much of a help. However, the leveling system was excellent, and continued to give the rewards that were necessary to keep my interest. Whats more, you didn't have to make all your big choices at the beginning of the game; you could actively decide your characters path through your own play style and preference. I discovered early on that spells were not my forte, so i focused instead on leveling my archery abilities, and just didn't use spells. Skyrim grants more freedom than almost any other game, and if you have the money, spend it on Skyrim, because it is more than worth it. I don't want to give it a perfect 10, because there were some stale bits and bugs occasionally did interrupt game play, consider it a 9.5! Thank you for reading, don't hate, and have a nice day.… Expand
  79. sifis172
    Jun 11, 2012
    0
    I wish i could be more lenient about skyrim, but there isn't room to do so. It's a great game,
    with a stunning world to explore, and it's lore is magnificent. I'm an old morrowind player,
    and oblivion. With over 600 hours on morrowind plus all the expansions. But after seing the fallout, and fallout:Vegas i knew i had to let the developers fix the game and free it form the crashes and    I wish i could be more lenient about skyrim, but there isn't room to do so. It's a great game,
    with a stunning world to explore, and it's lore is magnificent. I'm an old morrowind player,
    and oblivion. With over 600 hours on morrowind plus all the expansions. But after seing
    the fallout, and fallout:Vegas i knew i had to let the developers fix the game and free it form the
    crashes and feezes.It's my first review on metacritic, and i wouldn't even think to post a review if iwasn't
    so enfuriated.I bought it the first week it was released, and didn't touch it since the previous two weeks.
    The game is simply unplayable, i have a fairly new computer with no problem in other games. After three
    oor four days the unthinkable happened the game freezed. And all this after the game reached v.1.6.Tried every available fix i found on the internet, spending hours and hours of searching. The freezes persisted, then i applied as beta-tester to the last patch.It was my last hope, but it was in vain.
    That's the last time i'll ever buy a game from bethesda.    … Expand
  80. Urillusion
    Jun 7, 2012
    9
    RPG? Check! Filled with countless tales of lore in the world of Tamriel. Sandbox? Check! There is no linearity unless you want to experience a particular story line from start to end. It is a visual and auditory masterpiece! The UI is different than past TES games, but I can not call the new leveling system or the UI sub-par compared to its older siblings. Add the thousands of Mods outRPG? Check! Filled with countless tales of lore in the world of Tamriel. Sandbox? Check! There is no linearity unless you want to experience a particular story line from start to end. It is a visual and auditory masterpiece! The UI is different than past TES games, but I can not call the new leveling system or the UI sub-par compared to its older siblings. Add the thousands of Mods out there capable of making your Skyrim experience that much more immersive, and you have a champion! The only reason I do not give Skyrim a perfect score, is because of a fair amount of bugs, many of which are comical. Also, the game may not be friendly to some PC hardware, but it will still play on any system.… Expand
  81. kellyi
    Jun 7, 2012
    0
    Sorry I didn't rate the game previously as I was so pissed with it. New to Metacritic and didn't notice the rating bar in so big a hurry to vent my spleen. Here's my score.
  82. Shardstride
    Jun 6, 2012
    10
    This is one of my personal favorites of the year; Even if the game is not set for Optimal settings, The graphics effect's with a 3-d Driver are outstanding! Be careful with the setting's & tweak guides; They vary for different P.C.'s. And make sure you have secure setting's,& low RSS feeds ; Or they will break a mods Synchronization, & Crash you to desktop!
  83. neowiz73
    Jun 6, 2012
    10
    They just keep getting better and better... Best true RPG of all time. Full out freedom to do what you want as you want to do it. No need to follow some hand fed story and just holds your hand the whole time through that has no replay value. This game has tons of content and things to do that sometimes you even may forget what the main story is about until a dragon swoops in and startsThey just keep getting better and better... Best true RPG of all time. Full out freedom to do what you want as you want to do it. No need to follow some hand fed story and just holds your hand the whole time through that has no replay value. This game has tons of content and things to do that sometimes you even may forget what the main story is about until a dragon swoops in and starts killing people while hunting after you. The gameplay keeps getting better with each new game. The new character development is fun and engaging. Don't really understand why they got rid of the stats but overall I guess it wasn't that important to begin with. Considering it is mostly all skill based anyway. Tons of replay value especially with fun community made content. Can't really get much better than this series.… Expand
  84. Theguyoffire
    Jun 6, 2012
    5
    Mediocre.
  85. gamertens
    Jun 6, 2012
    10
    Worth the wait after oblivion.I loved oblivion and wanted an enhanced version of it in the next title and so i got. Advantages:- Unending gameplay ,an open world to admire,quests like none other,excitement of finding a new weapon or even improving it.Better game for those who like to be the mage.Good storyline but lacks choices,great graphics,many tough foes(tougher than the dragons)Worth the wait after oblivion.I loved oblivion and wanted an enhanced version of it in the next title and so i got. Advantages:- Unending gameplay ,an open world to admire,quests like none other,excitement of finding a new weapon or even improving it.Better game for those who like to be the mage.Good storyline but lacks choices,great graphics,many tough foes(tougher than the dragons) and their looks. Disadvantages:- Desperately requires a previous used weapon key,takes time with keyboard and a mouse when scrolling through your inventory and thus it requires a whole makeover of inventory menu for pc. Though you can connect a xbox controller to solve most of the problems, real fun is in keyboard and mouse.… Expand
  86. CorruptCamel
    Jun 5, 2012
    10
    There are so many different ways to play this game and it takes well over 100 hours to explore all of Skyrim. The attention to detail is unbelievable. Bethesda has created an incredible world to get lost in, so do yourself a favor and get lost.
  87. hwanin
    Jun 4, 2012
    10
    This is my very first Elder Scrolls game. Though I like RPG games, I simply have not enough time to play most of them, so I don't even try them. I received this game as Xmas gift, but installed it in middle April, this year.
    The current version is about 1.5.29 or something like that, so there were HUGE changes, since the street date.
    The current version has only very small bugs and/or    This is my very first Elder Scrolls game. Though I like RPG games, I simply have not enough time to play most of them, so I don't even try them. I received this game as Xmas gift, but installed it in middle April, this year.
    The current version is about 1.5.29 or something like that, so there were HUGE changes, since the street date.

    The current version has only very small bugs and/or design mistakes: a) The opponents, loots and most of the items re-spawn after a certain time and I hate this gamedesign element. b) The graphics are incredibly beautiful for an RPG game (just climb a hill and look around and you will get my point), but graphics bugs is all around, where the developers didn't think you would go in the game!! Let me explain: hills cannot be climbed in many times, but with a small trick (continuously jump during steering and walking forward in the same time xD ), you can climb almost everywhere, where is the rampage has about less than 50-55% angle. I have seen beyond walls with this trick, I have seen floating trees... etc. I do exploring, because it's an RPG and you can take advantage from looking around from the tops of the Skyrim world frequently. c) There are small quest-bugs that the patches didn't solve yet :/ Thank God, these bugs have no affect on the gameplay. d) You cannot mark more than 1 location at the map. Why...? e) Sometimes (in daytime) the sellers/merchants act like you would "visit" them at night and they call for guards... f) The dialogs cannot be subtitled :( ------- Summary: I think everything else is fine. Graphics is stunning, very entertaining details (you can chop woods, mine ore, go and catch fishes, steal, ride horses, kill-get-caught-and-go-to-jail, try to escape from prison, kill all witnesses and get away from being caught). Some enemies and friendly NPCs appear randomly, which makes the game incalculable/unpredictible. Though I just received this game as a gift, I honestly say: it is a game that worths every penny! And responding to a rreview writer who told, there is no story.... dumb person, who cannot read. You can find books in the game. If you read just 1/3 of them, you will know almost everything about the world of this game. 9.5/10    … Expand
  88. jim109109
    Jun 3, 2012
    9
    The ambition for this game is huge. In terms of quests, content, places to explore, and pure sheer things to do, this game is one of the most epic I have ever played. The gameplay is incredible and fun. The level of quality is awesome. The detail and the fun of exploring the huge world, doing quests without restraint is incredibly satisfying. This game definitely deserves the game of theThe ambition for this game is huge. In terms of quests, content, places to explore, and pure sheer things to do, this game is one of the most epic I have ever played. The gameplay is incredible and fun. The level of quality is awesome. The detail and the fun of exploring the huge world, doing quests without restraint is incredibly satisfying. This game definitely deserves the game of the year title. But I am still disappointed in it, because it is not to me a game which has been properly balanced. Yes, such a huge game is very difficult to make perfect. So how does the balance hurt the game? The potions are completely useless since you don't need them to win fights, and because they don't give a good enough advantage. Compared to games like The Witcher where potions changed the outcome of the battle, their implementation here is completely retarded. They will just clog up your inventory space and be useless. Second balance issue, the actual fighting. There are some tactics to kill even the hardest bosses, you just have to sneak and use cheesy strategies. Thirdly, the difficulty. This is the least significant balance issue as it is not that bad but eventually things will just be too EASY. Fourthly, item upgrades, similarly to potions, they have a less than worth it impact on fights. To make every part of the huge game count, every type of upgrade and potion should have a big effect on the scaling of battle. That way it would give an incentive to actually use them. It's also insulting that a company like Bethesda would make such a bad console port with **** interfaces and controls when they could have used the full potential of mouse. Alright well, the reason these flaws are so maddening to me is that the game is so close to perfection that it's frustrating that it isn't. It really makes me mad. Because instead of playing this games 150 hours, I have played 30 hours, and am now done. Still, worthy of a 9.… Expand
  89. DrugInduced
    Jun 1, 2012
    9
    Awesome game, my favorite of all time. Graphics are stunning and game play is top notch. I love the fact that you can control almost every aspect of the game. The game still has a few bugs even 7 months after release, but they are minor in my opinion.
  90. 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.
  91. Shechu
    Jun 1, 2012
    9
    After having finished the game I can say that this is one of the best game ever. Excellent graphics, compelling story, unlimited freedom and the best, really amazing landscapes. It's a unique game, you could played over and over and it will surprise you like the first time. All in all amazing and REALISTIC.
  92. isthatabigknife
    Jun 1, 2012
    9
    i'm still playing this EPIC game since the date of release... and i got to say.... this game is simply EPIC. the history is great, graphics are very good, and you can do anything! Also, is way better than ps3 and xbox360 because of mods! actually there are a LOT of mods to install, items, missions, etc. for me, its a bit better than oblivion. First time, the game has a bunch of annoyingi'm still playing this EPIC game since the date of release... and i got to say.... this game is simply EPIC. the history is great, graphics are very good, and you can do anything! Also, is way better than ps3 and xbox360 because of mods! actually there are a LOT of mods to install, items, missions, etc. for me, its a bit better than oblivion. First time, the game has a bunch of annoying bugs that made the game very hard to play, but now the great BETHESDA are releasing patches, and now the game is almost perfect!!. Simply a masterpiece. waiting for dlc!… Expand
  93. Lulgrim
    May 31, 2012
    6
    Massively overrated sandbox game with poor combat mechanics, clunky UI, bad story, uninteresting characters etc. I already knew the deal from previous TES games and was prepared for lots of modding to make it playable, but it was still too boring for me to finish.
  94. BigScreen
    May 30, 2012
    4
    The most overrated game in RPG history. The world is grey, the combat boils down to hit the right trigger over and over , an the story is just dull. Sure the graphics are amazing but the game just lacked anything engaging . The dragons lacked the doing feel of the oblivion gates in Oblivion, and overall the characters where forgettable . Worst of all they dumbed down the skill system againThe most overrated game in RPG history. The world is grey, the combat boils down to hit the right trigger over and over , an the story is just dull. Sure the graphics are amazing but the game just lacked anything engaging . The dragons lacked the doing feel of the oblivion gates in Oblivion, and overall the characters where forgettable . Worst of all they dumbed down the skill system again making character creation only effect your appearance in the long run. For me skyrim was a backwards step for the elder scrolls series in every department.… Expand
  95. Tick
    May 29, 2012
    10
    I have to break this review into two parts. #1 Pre-modding, and #2 Post Modding. (be sure to read the post-modding part!!)

    Pre-modding: 6/10 Cons: 1) The interface was crap for the PC. 2) The item naming was poorly done 3) There were MANY poorly done textures, models of both the 2-D and 3-D. 4) Many models which were supposed to be 3-D were made 2-D etc. etc. 5) DRAGONS... My biggest    I have to break this review into two parts. #1 Pre-modding, and #2 Post Modding. (be sure to read the post-modding part!!)

    Pre-modding: 6/10
    Cons:
    1) The interface was crap for the PC. 2) The item naming was poorly done 3) There were MANY poorly done textures, models of both the 2-D and 3-D. 4) Many models which were supposed to be 3-D were made 2-D etc. etc. 5) DRAGONS... My biggest PEVE!!! They were weak flying lizards that I once beat to death with my bare fists!!!! This was almost a deal-breaker for me! 6) MANY errors in skills, items, game-play etc. 7) many details you wish were in the game but knew they'd just be wishes weren't in the game. 7) decent, but not over-the-top voice acting. They could have used a few more actors in this department.. especially in the common interactions.

    Pros: 1) Great music 2) Great Story 3) Awesome Lore depth 4) Respect for the consumer 5) timely updates 6) High level of pre-mod character customization 7) Plenty to explore and open-ended... and the ultimate thing 8) the ability to make your own changes or to use other people's changes MODDING!!!!

    Modding leads me into the next part: POST-MODDING

    POST MODDING - 10/10!!! every negative in the previous section has been fixed by the players!

    Pros: OMG! with everyone out there solving every bug, glitch, error, fixing every plot hole, graphical error, improving textures, models... Making dragons powerful... I cannot say with enough emphasis that the modidng has made this game beyond EPIC. The pure level of customization you can choose is amazing!! New User-interface, new item naming, people add houses, dungeons, animals, fish, fishing, horses, seals on ingots, new hair, better animations, more or less blood, improve all graphics from apples to trees, to the whole world itself, change the lighting to make it more real, new weapons, more food, new spells, better bookshelves.... If you found something/anything irritating, or had a wish for something someone else has had it and made the mod for it, or you can request it. Or by browsing the mods you will find stuff and think... OMG That's an AWESOME IDEA!!! download it and using Nexus it's in the game! Nexus Mod Manager is to this game what Chocolate is to Peanut Butter. I will be playing this game for ages. I put this game as a VERY CLOSE SECOND when compared to my all-time favorite game Ultima 7 parts 1 and 2. You simply cannot go wrong with this game. Modders are already making Castle-Defense, tower Defense mini-games inside the actual game! This game has re-defined the RPG genre    … Expand
  96. RamboRomulous
    May 29, 2012
    10
    Although this game is great period, the PC version is by far the best. Great graphics, great storytelling, great game mechanics, extream replay value, first person RPG at its best. Easily one of the best games of all time.
  97. Ancient
    May 29, 2012
    3
    Storytelling and quests in this game are insult to intelligence! I don' understand how people can not see this? Only thing that is big in this game is map!
  98. Plamotaku
    May 27, 2012
    9
    Brief: 93% score from Plamotaku.
    A brilliant game that provided 144 hours, and probably more, of enjoyment. Through lush and beautiful graphics, you set out to carve your way as the Dragonborn, a special blooded human that has the power to control, command, and outright kill dragons. Enjoy this healthily saturated RPG, full of deeply packed content, quests, and a boastable stats system    Brief: 93% score from Plamotaku.
    A brilliant game that provided 144 hours, and probably more, of enjoyment. Through lush and beautiful graphics, you set out to carve your way as the Dragonborn, a special blooded human that has the power to control, command, and outright kill dragons. Enjoy this healthily saturated RPG, full of deeply packed content, quests, and a boastable stats system that makes playing this game an addicting treat.
    There is not much to complain about in Skyrim, except for occasional spouts of minor lag and terrain clipping issues.    … Expand
  99. 23dutch45man
    May 26, 2012
    5
    After playing this game for 100+ hours and having Oblivion played more than 300 hours, i am disappointed about this game. Sure, the first 10, 30, 50 or even 100 hours feel good when playing the game, but as soon that feeling begins to fade, the flaws in this game will influence how you feel about it and you will mods to cover the flaws and to add some extra hours of gameplay.

    If I should    After playing this game for 100+ hours and having Oblivion played more than 300 hours, i am disappointed about this game. Sure, the first 10, 30, 50 or even 100 hours feel good when playing the game, but as soon that feeling begins to fade, the flaws in this game will influence how you feel about it and you will mods to cover the flaws and to add some extra hours of gameplay.

    If I should compare the previous game in the Elder Scrolls series, Oblivion with Skyrim, My conclusion will be this:
    Skyrim has better graphics, better music, more enemy diversity, a slightly better main quest, the almost same clunky combat system and animations still look a bit stiff. The game has some decent characters, but mostly you will meet many uninspired characters. And many characters don't spread rumours. And you can't control the behavior of your followers and know at which skills they are good and at which they don't.
    But Skyrim is robbed of any feeling of accomplishment towards completing quest series,depth when it comes to character creation and leveling and the battle between the Stormcloaks and Imperials, which could have been an interesting quest series, is watered down towards hack&slash quests with a slight flavour of fetch questing.

    Quest Series
    For example when ending the Companions serie, you become the leader. But you don't get a little extra or the feeling that you have some degree of control and confirmation that you are truly the Companions leader, because you can't make any control over the faction which you are supposed to lead.

    Character creation
    They reduced the number of attributes from 8 to 3, the birthsigns are no longer permanent and the skill perk trees have many perks like improving damage with 20% or to reduce the casting Magicka from certain class spells of 1 of the 5 spell school by a half. There are interesting perks, but before you being able to pick them, you need to invest in perks which you may not need at all.

    I hope they will take The Elder Scrolls VI more complex with more detailed characters.
    The reason why i gave it a 5 is because the game will certainly entertain for some time, but it has many flaws


    Note: I am not a native speaker of the English language    … Expand
  100. Deific
    May 25, 2012
    9
    Bethesda have created a fantastic game, an immersive and expansive world, and a strong piece of fantasy fiction storytelling. More importantly though, they've created a near-perfect base for endless customisation and creation by the gaming community. I simply can't put into words how much of a success this game is in terms of appeasing the modding community and creating both an epicBethesda have created a fantastic game, an immersive and expansive world, and a strong piece of fantasy fiction storytelling. More importantly though, they've created a near-perfect base for endless customisation and creation by the gaming community. I simply can't put into words how much of a success this game is in terms of appeasing the modding community and creating both an epic vanilla game and a highly versatile experience for any gamer. Will keep me busy for a very long time indeed. (and I was someone highly dissapointed by Oblivion - so no fanboy).… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

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