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. AlexBugella
    Jan 1, 2012
    10
    So ive played the game for 43.3 hours, according to steam, and i still haven't finished the thieves guild, dark brotherhood, champions and winterhold college quest lines (Im leaving out a lot of other quest lines) and i know that there is still at least another 40 hours in the game that i don't even know about. the game has the same combat system from Oblivion with a few changes and newSo ive played the game for 43.3 hours, according to steam, and i still haven't finished the thieves guild, dark brotherhood, champions and winterhold college quest lines (Im leaving out a lot of other quest lines) and i know that there is still at least another 40 hours in the game that i don't even know about. the game has the same combat system from Oblivion with a few changes and new executions to perform on the various enemies. The main quest line is very fun and once your about 10 quest from completing, you will not want to exit the game until you've completed it. The different guilds are much more fun now since there's a story instead of just climbing the ranks. The skill system is the same, use the skill to level it and level enough skills, you level up overall. Now there's perks to the skills, which i thought was going to be like the perks in Fallout (which i really didn't like) but they're pretty good, they're really about making that ability more powerful/useful. Now the dragons. They're all around Skyrim and they're really menacing no matter your level and extremely satisfying to take down. Also the new shouts are a good addition to the game. find a word wall, learn part of a shout, find a dragon, kill the dragon, absorb the soul, use it to unlock the word and use your shouts. I can keep going, this is my game of the year, and you should experience it.… Expand
  2. calla
    Dec 31, 2011
    9
    Just a warning: I have never played any of the previous Elder Scrolls games, so this is coming from an ES noob. That being said, I loved this game. I enjoy these types of games so it didn't come as a big surprise to me when I spent almost an entire month playing it. The reason why this is getting an 9 instead of a glorious 10 is because of the main story, and the many bugs I encounteredJust a warning: I have never played any of the previous Elder Scrolls games, so this is coming from an ES noob. That being said, I loved this game. I enjoy these types of games so it didn't come as a big surprise to me when I spent almost an entire month playing it. The reason why this is getting an 9 instead of a glorious 10 is because of the main story, and the many bugs I encountered during several playthroughs. I really enjoyed the story, but it felt like some of the guild quests lasted longer than the main quest line. I felt a bit... disappointed at how they ended it, and was grateful I spent the majority of my time exploring the world, finishing all guild quest chains, and 200+ miscellaneous quests before deciding to finish the main story. There were several bugs that I encountered during my time playing Skyrim. I had thought it was a user error, but many of my friends had problems with their playthrough as well. It's not difficult to ignore, but it certainly is a nuisance to deal with. The environments were amazing, and the OST for this game was so good I didn't turn off the in-game music for my own. The controls weren't bad enough for me to lower the score even more. It was actually very easy to get used to and in the end, felt very comfortable to use. All things considered, this game was very enjoyable to play, and for a game as huge as this, I wasn't expecting it to be flaw-free, but that doesn't mean I should give it a free 10 either. If you enjoy RPG's, get this game. It's definitely a contender for GOTY, I don't care what anyone says. Also, Pro-tip: Even if you find yourself stressing for cash I advise against using any NPC/Profession exploiting. Most of them are game breaking, and I found it was much more enjoyable to play it out instead of cheating the system. :)… Expand
  3. horseloverfat
    Dec 31, 2011
    6
    The sense of wonder when the intro starts is unparalleled. In 2012 we gotta get our fix fast and often, so there's no time to waste on making a game a new experience for the sod that shells out and buys it at console prices. Morrowind was metaphorically Daggerfall with breath of life and imagination on the order of Myst. Oblivion was essentially Morrowind with more atmosphere and lessThe sense of wonder when the intro starts is unparalleled. In 2012 we gotta get our fix fast and often, so there's no time to waste on making a game a new experience for the sod that shells out and buys it at console prices. Morrowind was metaphorically Daggerfall with breath of life and imagination on the order of Myst. Oblivion was essentially Morrowind with more atmosphere and less wonder. Skyrim is literally Oblivion with dragons. I tried both sides and several classes, but you'll know what you bought by the time the intro finishes. You bought stock that won't pay dividends unless creativity prevails over greed.… Expand
  4. evolve
    Dec 31, 2011
    9
    A large world with endless possibilities. One of the best RPG's to this date, but what sets Skyrim above the rest is the possibilities that modding give us. Having downloaded a number of graphical updates and with the CK just ahead i can see myself playing this for some time to come :)
  5. Artomoz
    Dec 31, 2011
    8
    While The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim does not revolutionize the RPG genre it sure does bring fresh new content to the table. From epic scenery to ferocious dragon battles. The world of Skyrim left more to desire though, wishing for a more ambient and interactive world to explore. Don't get me wrong the world itself and detail of design of this game is amongst the best I've ever seen theseWhile The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim does not revolutionize the RPG genre it sure does bring fresh new content to the table. From epic scenery to ferocious dragon battles. The world of Skyrim left more to desire though, wishing for a more ambient and interactive world to explore. Don't get me wrong the world itself and detail of design of this game is amongst the best I've ever seen these past years. That's the main reason why I did not give this game a 10/10. Lost 1 point for lack of ambiance amongst the world. Exploring the world itself can take time and not to mention playing on "Master" difficulty will add plenty of hours to main quests and side quests. Whilst playing on anything below "Master" will definitely leave you wanting for more since the main quest is a bit short but can be elongated if the difficulty setting is changed. Then again, there are plenty of other quests the game provides you that will keep you busy through months, that is if you're the perfectionist or adventurer type. There are plenty of crafts to master from smithing to enchanting weaponry. I took another point off due to the basic level up system Skyrim has, while there are a variety of options there's not enough to say it is a true RPG leveling system. It follows more of the likes of Dragon Age, which is simplistic and does not really leave room to create unique characters from pures to hybrids. The giants are stronger than dragons debate I can say it is the difficulty level you're playing and the dragon you're fighting. A regular dragon is amongst the easiest, whilst a frost dragon can 1 hit KO the character. Most of these people complaining about the length obviously didn't take the time to change the difficulty setting of the game and just basically rushed through the main story instead of allowing themselves to enjoy this game. There's tons of books scattered around to collect that provide knowledge of certain areas, characters, history, organizations, and ect that can keep you busy reading if you're the person who enjoys expanding you're knowledge about Skyrim. I have to agree with some people stating some side quests left more to desire and that's another reason why I'm not giving this game a 10/10. About glitches and bugs found in Skyrim, we have to understand this is an open world sand box game so expect plenty of bugs and glitches. There's really nothing game breaking other than some words cannot be learned due to a bug on the game but does not necessarily impair you from completing quests.Overall this game is worth the $60.00 for players who are RPG fans. Many people claim this game is repetitive but which game isn't? FPS games = shoot/mission over/ cinematic/ infiltrate shoot/ mission over/ cinematic. That debate loses plenty of credibility fast as this game provides plenty of other options to keep yourself busy and away from monotonous dungeon clearing.… Expand
  6. scabbycakes
    Dec 30, 2011
    10
    Ohhhhh Skyrim, you effing beautiful game, you.

    This is without reservation my new favourite game of all time. The best part of the game is that you can go anywhere and do anything you want to do and be anything you want to be, and still do it all in a way to achieve a whole bunch of great storylines and one grand plot. Because the world is so free to interact with and do whatever suits    Ohhhhh Skyrim, you effing beautiful game, you.

    This is without reservation my new favourite game of all time. The best part of the game is that you can go anywhere and do anything you want to do and be anything you want to be, and still do it all in a way to achieve a whole bunch of great storylines and one grand plot. Because the world is so free to interact with and do whatever suits you, I'm surprised there are any complaints at all by anyone, I wonder what sort of mental issues someone could have if they give this a bad review. Even the mundane generated quests are varied and unique and worthwhile. Some of the quest choices I had to make made me full of regret and remorse after I made them, and heck, I'm a coldhearted gamer and never really care about doing evil things in a game! One choice I had to make in particular really made me feel genuinely bad ... what other games out there that can instill genuine *feeling*? Even when my dumb companion would die, I felt a bit attached and would have to restore the latest save and try again so they wouldn't be gone forever. Weird.

    On top of that, the graphics are beautiful, the dungeons are never a chore like they became sometimes in Fallout, Oblivion and Morrowind, and there's a huge, full world that you're not going to finish exploring anytime soon. I'm actually surprised they fit all of this into a few gigabytes. The only mentionable point of suckage is the voice acting....they should have hired a bunch more regular sounding people that don't sound like cheap Romanian porn stars to do more of the dialog, but not a big deal. There are also a few bugs here and there but not enough to discourage me in any way.

    All in all, I spent 120 hours to finish the main quest and most of the side story arcs, but there's still lots of loose ends and one major class storyline left to do and a hell of a pile of unexplored map, so I got a ton of value out of it so far. Plus in a few months they'll be releasing modding tools and hopefully some expansion packs to breathe even more life into is because I really don't want it to end.    … Expand
  7. tototototo
    Dec 30, 2011
    6
    Gameplay is fun but broken as **** with multiple ways of exploiting it o become a god, such as free-casting, alchemy-enhanced smithing, stun/paralysis locking, ect.

    Storywise it is alright but lacking when compared to Oblivion or Morrowind.
  8. Zxp
    Dec 30, 2011
    9
    As much as I love Skyrim, I felt a 10 just was not deserving,Compare this game to Oblivion and Morrowind and you will see the guilds/factions on this game do not go in depth near as much as they do in its predecessors,I did not like the fact like 2 quests into a certain faction I instantly become one of the major roles in it and are now super important in that said faction,bad pointsAs much as I love Skyrim, I felt a 10 just was not deserving,Compare this game to Oblivion and Morrowind and you will see the guilds/factions on this game do not go in depth near as much as they do in its predecessors,I did not like the fact like 2 quests into a certain faction I instantly become one of the major roles in it and are now super important in that said faction,bad points aside...

    This is a great RPG that will give you hours upon hours of gameplay and it seems there is never nothing to do,thanks to Bethesda's Radiant AI system.    … Expand
  9. liho1eye
    Dec 30, 2011
    5
    Another vast sandbox game. I sunk about 250 hours in it, which should tell you something about value for the buck. Still it has plenty of issues, which is to be expected from a Gamebryo game. Interface (as Critical Miss cleverly noted) is made by and for the crab people. Camera control is bad. Physics are bad. AI isn't even bad, it is borderline malicious. Quest and other scripted eventsAnother vast sandbox game. I sunk about 250 hours in it, which should tell you something about value for the buck. Still it has plenty of issues, which is to be expected from a Gamebryo game. Interface (as Critical Miss cleverly noted) is made by and for the crab people. Camera control is bad. Physics are bad. AI isn't even bad, it is borderline malicious. Quest and other scripted events often break and wont progress without manual intervention via console. Game challenge scales very poorly with level and crafting skills make it worse. Does the content make up for it? Possibly. Still the game could've bee 10 times better if only Bethesda moved on to a game engine that isn't 10+ years old.… Expand
  10. zerosum
    Dec 30, 2011
    3
    The game gets boring really fast. Most quests are very linear and many side quests are simple fetch quests. The dungeons are repetitive and the broken crafting system and lack of equipment variety makes exploration pointless. Leveling is also pointless because everything levels with you. Dragon fights are quite underwhelming and often you'll meet common bandits which are stronger thanThe game gets boring really fast. Most quests are very linear and many side quests are simple fetch quests. The dungeons are repetitive and the broken crafting system and lack of equipment variety makes exploration pointless. Leveling is also pointless because everything levels with you. Dragon fights are quite underwhelming and often you'll meet common bandits which are stronger than Dragons (Because of the poorly implemented level scaling). AI is as good as in Oblivion, and by that I mean its terrible. Animations are still bad by modern days standards. Combat is a complete mess, probably because of the ridiculous physics in the game or maybe are the weird animations, but often when you hit people with heavy weapons they just moan and keep swinging their weapons like nothing is happening. Also, the finishing moves are weird and there is a lot of clipping issues. Like most modern games Skyrim also suffers with developers trying to appeal to a "wider audence" by removing features from the game (like attributes, skills, armor pieces, etc), that makes the game quite shallow and makes difficult for you to make "builds" that actually plays differently (most characters will just be a mage-warrior-thief hybrid).

    The soundtrack is somewhat good, but not very original because several musics are taken from Morrowind. Most sound effects sounds like they were taken from a bad movie from the 80s.    … Expand
  11. Sorrowmoon
    Dec 30, 2011
    10
    They put a lot of time and effort into this game and you really get your money's worth out of it. Played this game for over 200 hours and still haven't been through all the content. I hate games that I can finish in under 10 hours. The graphics are awesome and playing the game on master difficulty definitely keeps things interesting to say the least. This is easily one of the best gamesThey put a lot of time and effort into this game and you really get your money's worth out of it. Played this game for over 200 hours and still haven't been through all the content. I hate games that I can finish in under 10 hours. The graphics are awesome and playing the game on master difficulty definitely keeps things interesting to say the least. This is easily one of the best games I've ever played. I really enjoyed the archery combat it's very well designed and It's hard to find a game that does the style justice.… Expand
  12. paladinjedi
    Dec 30, 2011
    6
    (sigh)... A total letdown of a game that had the great Morrowind and Oblivion as predecessors.

    Skyrim SHOULD HAVE been much more than Oblivion. Instead, it's much more less. People expect more from a modern game, something to significantly improve the quality of time spent into virtual realities over older games: good visuals, deep story, logical overall interactions etc. Unfortunately,    (sigh)... A total letdown of a game that had the great Morrowind and Oblivion as predecessors.

    Skyrim SHOULD HAVE been much more than Oblivion. Instead, it's much more less.

    People expect more from a modern game, something to significantly improve the quality of time spent into virtual realities over older games: good visuals, deep story, logical overall interactions etc.

    Unfortunately, Skyrim doesn't provide those, here's why:

    .................

    1. Graphics/Visuals

    This is one of the very few areas where Skyrim shines a bit. There are nice landscapes and the wide open world is cute enough to invite for roaming. Yes, many games could do with such freedom of exploration.

    But again nothing extraordinary. No high jump from Oblivion.

    Some textures are not where they should be, in other areas contrasts are broken and bleak.

    Some pixels are just trembling for no reason and human faces are hardly distinguishable.

    I simply do not understand how playing as a native nord makes my skin suntanned. The logic of it...
    ...................

    2. Gameplay/Mechanics

    No voiced (optional) main char, no animations in dialogue... (ever considered at least comparing to Mass Effect?...)

    Controls are good, combat is satisfactory. But the idea of stamina bar is just annoying.

    What happened to acrobatics, athletics and other skills?

    THE WORST PART is the leveling system. For the life of me, I chose to play warrior and rely on weapons but couldn't get weapons to 100. Instead, I could max speech and enchant quite fast. Playing as mage? Same thing. Bah...

    This leveling system, based by skills is bad, bad, bad. Beside the non-logic of being all-in one: warrior, thief, mage etc., it's time consuming and tedious.

    I wanna level and use my blade well, but in order to get tougher I must find mobs to cut, and where if there are no fast respawning mobs?? But I can train in speech and smithing faster, instead. So much for the "freedom of playing style"...

    .............................

    3. Story/Choices

    Bad. The only "moral choices" with actual impact you are allowed to make are supporting the rebellion or the empire.

    I supported rebellion and guess what? The previously shy and anonymous now fresh established Whiterun Jarl (who, without my efforts would have ever remained a runt) tells me something as "You are not as dumb as you look". You're welcome, your "grace"...

    The rebellion titles Ulfric and his generals throw upon you are senseless and plain stupid. "Snowhammer" my ars... and when the rebellion succeeds, what about somebody granting me a Jarl title or at least a fort as a fief? No way, instead I have a pretty long, boring and useless "thane" agenda...

    Ok, let's become an Archmage then. The college of mages probably being the only sensible and more realistic implemented faction.

    After a no-dialogue, no dispute of ideas, lifeless final battle with Ancano, I am granted the high honor. But...
    Just when I thought I am somebody now at least, a mere court wizardling in a dull city speaks with me like I'm his boots keeper. Same in other courts. I can even recall some replies hinted to my narrow comprehension of magic arts... To me, the Archmage!!! ......................... 4. AI (artificial intelligence) Oh, my... Nothing more to be said here, except when dragons keep attacking the cities (they keep attacking forever, so kiss goodbye the fact you can be a real hero and vanquish them for good), some peasants dare provoke them in direct honorable combat with... bare hands!!! Such inspired logic deserves the bow of the day.... ......................... The game deserves a 6 only because it is better than many other present games and for its pretty open world. But once you played the story, its doubtful you'll ever replay it, considering other better games start growing on the horizon...    … Expand
  13. Panisher99
    Dec 29, 2011
    10
    It is one of the best games in which I played! Skirim simply bomb in series The elder scrolls! World research gives unknown pleasure, the world lives! Certainly there are some bugs, but with patches they are gradually corrected! Manually fulfilled vaults, a drawing, all in this game is ideal. Magnificence Skirim can be compared only to magnificence Oblivion in due time!!
  14. JEgroeg
    Dec 29, 2011
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Where do you begin with a game like Skyrim? At first I was thrilled, but by the point I had beat all the guilds, mainquest, civil war, Deadric quests, and most the miscellaneous, I realized this was the pinnacle of the complete devolution of the Elder Scrolls as a series. The guilds lack depth and have no purpose. A hack and slash barbarian can lead the College of Winterhold by fighting through a few linear dungeons. The Dark Brotherhood is shorter than Oblivion and lacks the dark humor and unique kills. Most assassinations are simply, go here and kill this guy with a marker over his head. The Companions are equally short and devoid of challenge. Every guild treats you like an outsider then after three quests blindly trust you to be the next leader. Once you become guild leader the random filler quests generated are so repetitious you will be burned out quickly. The Thieves Guild is extremely guilty of this. The random thievery quests are so unoriginal and for a game the prides itself in its AI the people basically let you rob them blind. If they detect you don't worry, they won't call the guards and you can walk back in an hour latter and rob them again. Then there is the fact that there are no actual consequences to your actions as almost all the characters even slightly related to a quest are made unkillable. For a game that prides itself in character choice, why do I have no choice in this matter? The perks are poorly implemented and completely unbalance the game. They will leave you one shotting any enemy with a bow, enchanting armor to cast entire magic schools with no cost, and other outrageous feats that remove all challenge from the game. In just three hours you can craft a god-tier suit of armor and kill everything (except half the NPCs with immortality) in the game. The crafting system has no depth and isn't even related to you respective skills. Why can a character with 15 in smithing craft an item at every attempt? Let me see anyone inexperienced in smithing create a dagger at every attempt. And did I mention weapons don't decay after use, hardly the pinnacle of realism or even providing adequate challenge. I mean if weapons don't decay why even have magicka deplete with spells cast? The civil war quest line is a joke, both sides are mirrors of each other and don't even use different tactics in battle. The main quest is predictable with a typical enemy that has no real motives other than destroy everything. At least Dagoth Ur had motives. He wanted to unify Morrowind against the Empire's invasion at any cost. Skyrim's main enemy is a dragon that wants to destroy the world, how original. Then there is the matter of the new AI system which the developers clearly banked on generating worthwhile and memorable quests. Quite simply it completely fails to generate quests with any degree of complexity. Furthermore, the Norse culture and lore seems like a secondhand rehash of established fantasy clichés. Overall this game hardly even qualifies as an RPG. So much has been streamlined since Morrowind and Oblivion. Even custom spell creation is gone. Nearly every quests has only one way to complete it and it usually involves killing/finding an item that has a magic arrow over its head leading you directly to it. Sure the graphics and environments are nice, but they're nothing amazing compared to the current crop of PC games. Justify this games greatness with the rave reviews, record sales, or mountains of cash it has generated but time will be its ultimate judge. This is just another example of a studio catering to the masses to maximize profit and everyone is eating it up. So this concludes my review of The Elder Scrolls: Call of Duty… Expand
  15. mikaelh
    Dec 29, 2011
    8
    This game is a bit broken because it is made for consoles. But if you download tens of mods (including graphics and optimizing mods) the game will be a very satisfying experience. 6 of 10 without mods, 8,5 of 10 with mods. Now I'm just waiting for Skyrim Steam Workship so I can handle my mods easily in Steam.
  16. Holo_Benkai
    Dec 29, 2011
    10
    My second Elder Scroll game since Oblivion. I loved Oblivion but it's like they read my mind & put everything in Skyrim that Oblivion lacked. It's such an awesome game. I can't be @rsed to say why, I'm too busy playing it and have clocked up 150 hours so far!
  17. LordSeferoth
    Dec 29, 2011
    0
    Horrible and disapointing game. Skyrim is everything Elder Scrolls fans did not want. Its smaller,stripped,mainstreamed,buggy and ugly game. If this is the new direction of Elder Scrolls then this serie is dead for me. It certainly won my FOTY(Fail of the year) award this year.
  18. Kriv
    Dec 28, 2011
    10
    The gameplay is similar to fallout but definitely look sharper graphics.. Love the big open world with endless side quest. The only thing I miss is the XP reward by killing the enemy. To level up you have to upgrades yours skills. Example if you want to level up you have to use your two hand skill constantly, that means just slash with yours big sword everything! Definitely hour andThe gameplay is similar to fallout but definitely look sharper graphics.. Love the big open world with endless side quest. The only thing I miss is the XP reward by killing the enemy. To level up you have to upgrades yours skills. Example if you want to level up you have to use your two hand skill constantly, that means just slash with yours big sword everything! Definitely hour and hours of pure magical fun.… Expand
  19. Amstaad
    Dec 28, 2011
    9
    This game provides an excellent sand box experience and on the PC the addition of mods turns the game from an eight to a nine. The game also provides a lot of single player value which is rare in most modern games. By modern standards the game is excellent. However the story telling is not going to blow you away, the AI is crappy and it can be buggy (like pretty much all of Bethesda'sThis game provides an excellent sand box experience and on the PC the addition of mods turns the game from an eight to a nine. The game also provides a lot of single player value which is rare in most modern games. By modern standards the game is excellent. However the story telling is not going to blow you away, the AI is crappy and it can be buggy (like pretty much all of Bethesda's games). Despite it's flaws Skyrim is still far and away one of the best games I've purchased and well worth a buy.… Expand
  20. BigJimmy1234
    Dec 28, 2011
    0
    So very poor for an Elder Scrolls Game.

    It has almost no progression in terms of the game world or gameplay. Besides dual spells and weapons, the game has not improved at all over 5 years. -The world is still filled with static carts and stupid AI bleating garbage at you. The game world is as immersive as a town of Lego sadly. -The graphics are damn right ugly and terrible for current    So very poor for an Elder Scrolls Game.

    It has almost no progression in terms of the game world or gameplay. Besides dual spells and weapons, the game has not improved at all over 5 years.
    -The world is still filled with static carts and stupid AI bleating garbage at you. The game world is as immersive as a town of Lego sadly.
    -The graphics are damn right ugly and terrible for current PC's.
    -PC support is beyond a joke and why I gave this such a low score - the fps is cpu capped! Yes, seriously! How stupid and absurd could things be for a game?! The game is clearly not built for computers and is another cheap console port.
    -The memory usage is also capped at 1GB so I hope you don't like mods otherwise the game will crash to desktop every few minutes    … Expand
  21. netpk
    Dec 28, 2011
    10
    The year 2011 was one of the best for games, and was consecrated Skyrim the best game this year, with a history rich in fables and stories, lots of possibilities with characters, epic soundtrack, and a massive popularity!
  22. Sussex_Man
    Dec 28, 2011
    8
    My ignorance might have won the day. I could have given this a 9 or even a 10 but I can't. Why? Because I've played the Witcher games and have discovered just how great an RPG really can be. Yes, Skyrim looks beautiful in those huge outdoor vistas. Just don't get too close to anything, though. Close-up details are not particularly good, even on the highest graphics settings.
    As for the    My ignorance might have won the day. I could have given this a 9 or even a 10 but I can't. Why? Because I've played the Witcher games and have discovered just how great an RPG really can be. Yes, Skyrim looks beautiful in those huge outdoor vistas. Just don't get too close to anything, though. Close-up details are not particularly good, even on the highest graphics settings.
    As for the main quest, I've been playing the game for about 10 hours and I'm really not getting engaged with the main plot at all. On the plus side it's because there are just so many side quests to do - this game is HUGE. On the minus side, the main quest is just not very interesting. Apparently the world might end. Really? In Oblivion it really felt that way. The hordes of the underworld had bled through and the ominous red glow in the sky was chilling and added a genuine feeling of peril. In this game I don't feel it at all. The world is full of dragons. They're pretty easy to kill, much easier than most dungeon bosses.
    Many of the side missions are retrieval quests - "I've lost X, go to Y and bring it back" - but they're fun for the most part, if not particularly challenging.
    The controls and combat are Ok but could be much better. A very obvious console port and not intuitive for mouse and keyboard but everything does run smoothly.
    Unfortunately there are tons of bugs - not too surprising for such a huge game and no real game-breakers. Just silly, laughable quirks like my horse becoming invisible at certain angles so it looks like I'm floating astride nothing. Sometimes dropped items don't land on the ground but sit three feet above my head, just floating there in space.
    I'm still enjoying it, hence the decent score, but it's just not engaging enough to give it full marks.    … Expand
  23. cchmie
    Dec 28, 2011
    10
    Beutiful Graphics,Awesome Fighting,Very Hard. This Game Could Kick Oblivion's Ass In A Sword Fight It Will Automaticly Win GOTY **** All Hater's Just Relax And Have A Action Packed Adventure

    10 Game Of The Year
  24. ShadowSaber
    Dec 28, 2011
    10
    Bethesda really, really outdid themselves on this game and I'm glad they put so much effort in this, especially after collecting so many fans of the TES series. After the fantastic Morrowind and Oblivion, I seriously didn't expect something extremely new or special about this game, and feared that it might be ruined like all the other newer games.
    Instead, they surprised me with a    Bethesda really, really outdid themselves on this game and I'm glad they put so much effort in this, especially after collecting so many fans of the TES series. After the fantastic Morrowind and Oblivion, I seriously didn't expect something extremely new or special about this game, and feared that it might be ruined like all the other newer games.
    Instead, they surprised me with a completely fresh title. The beginning of the game was slightly confusing, but I guess it's kinda standard for the TES games to begin with you being some kind of a unlucky prisoner, freed by an unexpected event soon after. The engine seems to be polished and upgraded to it's best, during nearly 60 hours of game-play I haven't noticed a single bug or an unusual thing that hindered my further progress. The only thing that CAN get annoying from time to time is the battle music that tends to get stuck here and there, requiring a complete restart of the game in order to be cleared up.

    The graphics are completely solid and acceptable for this kind of a game, tho I must admit I was a little disappointed on how it all looks. I was expecting Bethesda to be more serious and step out of the "make a game for Xbox360, port it to PC quickly" pattern, but that wasn't the case here. The graphics are just slightly improved in comparison to the console versions, but I don't understand why the devs simply didn't put more effort in this masterpiece and made graphics better, more appealing and up-to-date with all the things graphic cards can render these days. This automatically draws the question concerning system specifications..they do seem pretty strange, especially the requirements for Ultra settings. Six years old graphics just shouldn't lag on high end computers.
    One more disappointing thing, which I've hoped to be gone in the PC version, is the useless, weird inventory, which is completely out of place since we don't get to compare items without scrolling all the way down, then all the way up to the second item. At least they put in the Favorites quick menu.

    Game-play is vastly improved, especially the leveling part which was pulled off horribly in the previous TES game, which required you to level only the main professions/skills you picked, in order to progress in-game. This time, we get leveling for each skill equally, allowing us to both level and choose various perks and "talents" which help us further our favorite skills and have additional bonuses when performing those.

    I don't want to type anymore, because the text so far pretty much explains why you should at least try this epic title. It might seem a bit expensive for now, but I'd say it's definitely worth your money and time.    … Expand
  25. sc0TTi
    Dec 27, 2011
    8
    some great stuff, but not polished. dragon fights are terrible, and that includes boss fights. not enough tough single enemies to really get into a technical duel with. graphics are 360 level. great quests though, and great npcs
  26. TheBank
    Dec 27, 2011
    8
    This game has so much inside of it. You get your money's worth. My only grief is that out of (apparently) no where the game will lag to an unplayable level. This can be fixed the first time by fast travelling to another location (or going to a load screen). After the first time it becomes more frequent until you have to restart the game. Apparently this issue has been recognized byThis game has so much inside of it. You get your money's worth. My only grief is that out of (apparently) no where the game will lag to an unplayable level. This can be fixed the first time by fast travelling to another location (or going to a load screen). After the first time it becomes more frequent until you have to restart the game. Apparently this issue has been recognized by bethesda and they are working on it. Setting my graphics lower increases the amount of time it takes for this glitch to appear again. I would recommend waiting to buy this game until it's on sale (I got it on a steam holiday sale). When everything is smooth I will enjoy this game all the more. I am very pleased with this game, I would recommend getting the nexus mod manager and getting some of the top mods for this notably "acceleration layer." Check out skyrim nexus for more details.… Expand
  27. Crimsonking58
    Dec 26, 2011
    5
    Ah Skyrim. Outside of the CoD series, I have never heard so many people going insane over a game before it's launch. Sadly, if you ever played Oblivion, you've already played this game. There are literally only 4 changes; Graphics (slight improvement), UI (Which I loved but for some reason the majority of the PC community despises), Dragons (Which are interesting enough but not gameAh Skyrim. Outside of the CoD series, I have never heard so many people going insane over a game before it's launch. Sadly, if you ever played Oblivion, you've already played this game. There are literally only 4 changes; Graphics (slight improvement), UI (Which I loved but for some reason the majority of the PC community despises), Dragons (Which are interesting enough but not game making), and the leveling system. Oh the leveling system... The use of perks is the most game-breaking aspect in my opinion. In Oblivion, if you maxed out every single skill, every single skill was at its maximum ability. In this game, however, only the 3-4 choice skills that you decide to put your perks into are actually worth a damn at the end of the game. I couldn't just toss on some robes, ready some spells, and deal massive damage even with 100 skill like I could in Oblivion, because all of my perks were in melee skills. But, if you don't put perks into a few choice skills, you're stuck with a bunch of mediocre abilities. This kept me from playing once I reached level 50 (when leveling slows drastically). At that point, I stopped caring about my character, felt no compulsion to complete the sea of mostly identical quests, and just wrapped up the main plot and never touched it again. But what about the experience of getting to 50 in the first place? As I said, if you've played Oblivion, you've played this. There really is nothing different here except dragons, and in the end the whole game just feels like a collection of mods for Oblivion. In the end, I liked the UI, and the game was fun while it lasted, but in the long term it doesn't hold up as well as Oblivion did, especially if you've already put 100+ hours into Oblivion. If it's your first Elder Scrolls experience, however, I'm sure you'll have a blast for the time being. It just didn't hold up for me.… Expand
  28. Kootness
    Dec 26, 2011
    9
    What's amazing about Skyrim: exploration (beautiful and well-crafted world, great dungeons), new perks, new smithing system, better combat mechanics, towns and people seem real (but its still a video game, guys), shouts add a really fun character advancement mechanic that encourages dungeon exploration. Companions work well in this game

    What's not great about Skyrim: In some ways, feels    What's amazing about Skyrim: exploration (beautiful and well-crafted world, great dungeons), new perks, new smithing system, better combat mechanics, towns and people seem real (but its still a video game, guys), shouts add a really fun character advancement mechanic that encourages dungeon exploration. Companions work well in this game

    What's not great about Skyrim: In some ways, feels more wide than deep- main storyline not incredibly intriguing (its a Bethesda game, people), and faction quests, while fun, don't deliver as well on story as they did in Oblivion. Game offers little choice, in comparison to say, Fallout or Dragon Age; most "choice" comes from character development. A lot of side quests lack creativity, made up for in part by varied and interesting dungeons (many side quests are: go to said dungeon, kill this guy/grab this thing). Interface is wonky, mods help.

    In the end, this is still an amazing, open-world fantasy RPG. If you want an RPG with an intense story and thought-provoking moral choices, look elsewhere. But I think most people know what they're getting with this game- A beautiful and interesting world with great character development and decent combat.    … Expand
  29. Vilquar
    Dec 26, 2011
    9
    Bethesda is certainly going in a right direction with bringing us games which could truly be defined as free-roam, spacious open world of Skyrim takes the explorations to the next level, because lately I look for that kind of "freedom" in RPGs, I was thrilled to see it in Skyrim. I won't go much into things such as bugs or platform layout design which I didn't dislike too much anyway.Bethesda is certainly going in a right direction with bringing us games which could truly be defined as free-roam, spacious open world of Skyrim takes the explorations to the next level, because lately I look for that kind of "freedom" in RPGs, I was thrilled to see it in Skyrim. I won't go much into things such as bugs or platform layout design which I didn't dislike too much anyway. Major Quest Chains were also nicely done and quite interesting.… Expand
  30. LadiesMan217
    Dec 26, 2011
    10
    If this game doesn't get Game of the Year, I'll be shocked and amazed. I've never played a video game with more variety, freedom, and character models. Unless you love the hell outta dragons, or hate sandbox games(Normally I am hesitant with the sandbox format) you should buy this game. The system is smooth, balanced and fair. Also, rather awe-inspiring. I just spent about 60 bux for aIf this game doesn't get Game of the Year, I'll be shocked and amazed. I've never played a video game with more variety, freedom, and character models. Unless you love the hell outta dragons, or hate sandbox games(Normally I am hesitant with the sandbox format) you should buy this game. The system is smooth, balanced and fair. Also, rather awe-inspiring. I just spent about 60 bux for a blissful 60 hours of catering to my ADD and love of games. You should do the same.

    This is a fun time to be a PC gamer.    … Expand
  31. R_O360
    Dec 26, 2011
    10
    Amid the myriad of dissapointing hyped up games being released in the past couple years, Skyrim is a game that has surpassed all expectations and matched all hype. It is truly a masterfully crafted entertainment experience that is a QUALITY video game. Everyone should play this wonderful game.
  32. PrincessSunny
    Dec 26, 2011
    6
    As somebody who didn't really play Oblivion, this game started out as very impressive. However, after having put a lot of time into the game, the flaws start to build up. The graphics are indeed very impressive and detailed. Facial expressions are somewhat limited but this is more than made up by the beautiful scenery. Voice acting is relatively high quality though not in abundance - itsAs somebody who didn't really play Oblivion, this game started out as very impressive. However, after having put a lot of time into the game, the flaws start to build up. The graphics are indeed very impressive and detailed. Facial expressions are somewhat limited but this is more than made up by the beautiful scenery. Voice acting is relatively high quality though not in abundance - its kind of annoying talking to someone with the exact same voice as somebody in the last town. Combat is fun though it doesn't have much depth. I enjoyed it as far as hack-and-slack goes but due to the 2-ability only gameplay, and the clunky way to change your active abilities, I found that spells and strategy became a bit pointless. Additionally, the game is relatively easy and no strategy other than 'hit them hard' was really needed. In any of the more difficult fights you simply paused the game and spammed healing potions... While the game was immersive graphically-wise and the storyline is fine in most places, the quests are typically boring. I found the thieves guild extremely fun, but otherwise I found that you just went somewhere to kill someone or get an item from the back of a cannon-fodder filled cave (with exceptions of course). I did not find the atmosphere or characters to be deep, comparing it with games like Dragon Age, the characters were often very NPC-like with little back story or personality. While big cities were usually fine the smaller ones lacked characters and for example, there is virtually no one in the smaller inns except a bard and an innkeeper. Lastly, there are, as stated often, quite a few bugs with the game. Throughout my whole playthrough I found myself without a companion because my first one had bugged and nobody else would join me because the game seemed to think I still had my first one. Not that most games are without their bugs, all of these issues seem to ring loudly because of how over-hyped the game has been. While this review does seem critical, the game is definately fairly good and gave me a lot of hours of gameplay.… Expand
  33. Gwelyan
    Dec 26, 2011
    8
    I had alot of expectations going into this game as I am sure alot of people did after playing oblivion. I felt most of the storylines was immersive and very nicely polished. The downside to this were that they were not long enough. After playing oblivion, my first thing I wanted to do was join the thieves and the assassins guild. The thieves guild lived up to my expectations and theI had alot of expectations going into this game as I am sure alot of people did after playing oblivion. I felt most of the storylines was immersive and very nicely polished. The downside to this were that they were not long enough. After playing oblivion, my first thing I wanted to do was join the thieves and the assassins guild. The thieves guild lived up to my expectations and the storyline was definitely one of the better ones. The assassins storyline on the other hand was very short and didn't feel very immersive at all. The combat next and again a big let down on what I was expecting, it got very repetitive very quick and was just basically a hack and slash for me with who emptied ones health bar first won. There is no real tactics for combat and is one of the biggest let downs in the game. Overall I must say that I enjoyed the game for the amount of time I put into it and would definitely recommend this game to anyone that loves the RPG fantasy genre.… Expand
  34. Stewartale
    Dec 26, 2011
    5
    Oh, where to begin... Well, I'm a long-standing Elder Scrolls fan, who fell absolutely in love with Morrowind, and spent hundreds and hundreds of hours on Oblivion,also. I found both games had amazing replay value, for me at least, and I know neither of those games met some criteria for some people, but most of those were fans of other genres. If you like fantasy/RPG games, you playOh, where to begin... Well, I'm a long-standing Elder Scrolls fan, who fell absolutely in love with Morrowind, and spent hundreds and hundreds of hours on Oblivion,also. I found both games had amazing replay value, for me at least, and I know neither of those games met some criteria for some people, but most of those were fans of other genres. If you like fantasy/RPG games, you play fantasy/RPG games, right? Well, simply put, with all of the attention Skyrim was getting, I was expecting it to be absolutely amazing. Full of lore, adventure, replay value, sophisticated puzzles, warring factions in which you chose a side, but no. Sadly, they decided to make it one faction warring with another unplayable one, that you can join, play through to the end, and gave absolutely no choice in what you did. To say the least, I was disappointed. Now, that is forgivable, especially since Oblivion was the same, but that was still a great game, right? Ah, well... I played through, did most of the main quest lines, and then... became very bored. Who wants to do dungeons you've seen a thousand times before? It gets quite boring, I assure you. And that's actually all there is to do. Sure there's side quests, but they almost always involve going through dungeons. Even the Daedric Shrine quests follow that pattern, in general. The puzzles are meek, the game is almost entirely hack and slash, which is good in some games, but in those games you generally have a specific skill set for whatever class you have, and in this, if you're any form of melee, it's the same thing over and over again. A child could play this game quite easily. Oh, and the game-breaking bugs... I won't bore you with the details, but I've had to restart three times now. I'm sure there's plenty of people complaining about that. Basically, my main annoyance is the lack of replay value. It's slim to none. Once you've done the quest lines, you're through. I'm disappointed in this game, mostly for not living up to it's predecessors. Hopefully next time they'll revive the Elder Scrolls for what it was originally.… Expand
  35. StavrosDim
    Dec 26, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is a sequel to Oblivion which was a very nice game.
    In comparison to Oblivion,Skyrim manages to upgrade many features but completely misses some other.
    Skyrim has better lighting effects,nice death cutscenes,and the biggest improvement is the dungeon design. Skyrim's dungeons feel more unique in their design than Oblivion which makes exploring them more interesting.What are not so    Skyrim is a sequel to Oblivion which was a very nice game.
    In comparison to Oblivion,Skyrim manages to upgrade many features but completely misses some other.
    Skyrim has better lighting effects,nice death cutscenes,and the biggest improvement is the dungeon design. Skyrim's dungeons feel more unique in their design than Oblivion which makes exploring them more interesting.What are not so interesting though are side-quests.The majority of Skyrim's quests follow a pattern that gets recognizable very quickly,and the pattern is (person X sends you to dungeon Y to retrieve item A,and in return he gives you item B or Gold).There is not much variation in them like in Oblivion where there were quests like Paranoia where you had to speak and reason with people without moving to a dungeon at all,and thus side-quests in Skyrim get dull and boring relatavely fast. Overall the game is somewhat simplified and feels more like an action-adventure and less like a classic RPG derived from pen and paper Dungeons and Dragons.That might be a good point or a bad one regarding your taste.Technically wise Skyrim is the most stable game from Bethesda I have played,but still has a number of bugs and glitches.My hasn't crashed even once unlike Oblivion and Fallout 3 that crashed very often,but there are times in Skyrim where an important npc doesn't allow you to enter his house and complete a quest,or a horse flies in the air awkwardly and vanishes through the rocks of a mountain.. But these are not happening so often so it's not that damage.What we can criticize for the PC version of the game is that it has a very bad UI that is almost unplayable with keyboard and mouse.The game is obviously made to be played with a xbox360 controller and thus if you don't have one the experience you will get if you try to play Skyrim traditionally with Keyboard and Mouse will be worse than playing with a controller.Another bad thing on the list is Skyrim's engine or to put it more right how it is pre-setted. I couldn't imagine playing the game without tweaking the ini files of the game and some basic mods.. Some options that are considered basic are only changable through the ini files while they should be on the menus of the game,and a player shouldn't be bothered with the chore to search the web to find out the right ini tweaks and then do all that tweaking himself..Another thing that needed more work is balancing difficulty and variety.Difficulty is unbalanced if I die from random mages within seconds and I have to loose about 5-6 lives or more to beat them,and at the same time I can beat the Final Boss of the game in a single try without loosing any life at all.Variety-wise while Skyrim has more unique creatures and armors/weaponry than Oblivion,they are set to appear in such way that the game feels it has less. That is because many of the creatures only appear as parts of quests and thus exploring dungeons randomly most of the time you will only meet about 3 different enemy types.(draugr,spiders,bandits). But while Skyrim has all of these negative points the huge modding community that supports the game make up for them.The Elder Scrolls series has the largest modding community and that means that in time all balance and gameplay issues will be fixed,graphics will be updated to modern standards,and new content like cool armours and weapons will be in huge variety for free.Taking in mind that Skyrim has the chance to become anyone's dream game with the appropriate mods I will overlook some of its current problems and give it a better rating.I would give this game a 7 if there weren't mods,but with all the possibilites this game can turn through modding I will give it a 9.    … Expand
  36. NickOrd
    Dec 26, 2011
    0
    Its still not working and no reply from the game producers. It is **** crap. This is going to the social networks now.
    And you can remove this as many times as you like. Yours is NOT the only plaform.
  37. stopdroplol
    Dec 25, 2011
    7
    I've been playing the series since Morrowind and I know it sounds elitist and unoriginal to say, but the games have been going downhill ever since. This latest game is by far the most repetitive and unoriginal game by far. The story really doesn't even feel TES, it's lacking on all fronts and is what I expect of a low budget Hollywood movie. The geography is almost universally the sameI've been playing the series since Morrowind and I know it sounds elitist and unoriginal to say, but the games have been going downhill ever since. This latest game is by far the most repetitive and unoriginal game by far. The story really doesn't even feel TES, it's lacking on all fronts and is what I expect of a low budget Hollywood movie. The geography is almost universally the same climate, i'd say a good 90% is covered in snow, 6% forest, 3% swamp, 1% badlands. Every city seems to be the same. The player really never gets a reason to feel sorry for the Stormcloaks yet it seems to be forced on us from the very beginging that they're the good guys. Dragons? Well they start off kinda ok, then you kill your first 5 and you think, "well they're nothing special." And by the time you kill the 12th or so you think, "Why'd they even put them in the game." Seriously, for a world in which dragons are suppose to be these ultimate beings, exceptionally rare, and rightfully feared by everyone, why does it only take 6 city guardsman to kill one? Why are do you seem to find one every 500 yards? Why do they rinse and repeat the same scripted attack patterns over and over? So why did I give it a 7? Well if its your first time playing an Elder Scrolls game you're gonna love it. But if you're a veteran of the series you probably couldn't play more than 30 hours before you had to give it up in boredom.… Expand
  38. RuSSiANHeRo150
    Dec 25, 2011
    10
    just amazing!!!i love every second i play this game plus for what your playing there is virtually no o.s requirements. i still enjoy every second of play time.
  39. Cavissi
    Dec 25, 2011
    6
    A pretty decent game, ruined by level and item scaling. Had I reviewed this game when I first started playing, it would be a solid 8 out of 10. While the quests and writing all seemed rather lazy, adventuring and crafting was keeping me really entertained. However, because of item and level scaling, all of the dungeons start to feel the same. Even some treasure equivalent to Fallout 3'sA pretty decent game, ruined by level and item scaling. Had I reviewed this game when I first started playing, it would be a solid 8 out of 10. While the quests and writing all seemed rather lazy, adventuring and crafting was keeping me really entertained. However, because of item and level scaling, all of the dungeons start to feel the same. Even some treasure equivalent to Fallout 3's bobble heads would have made it worth exploring but when every dungeon is full of the same enemies and weapons, the game quickly loses its flare. While most complaints can be fixed by mods, I cannot count that as part of the rating.… Expand
  40. Lolipop
    Dec 25, 2011
    10
    This game is BEAUTIFUL ! No , it's a masterpiece and is probably one of the best games I have ever played .Bethesda really outdid themselves , THANK YOU GUYS!
  41. Kelu
    Dec 25, 2011
    5
    Tremendous fun at first, but the game's charm wears off quickly. Each subsequent installment of TES series removes more of the RPG elements, and Skyrim is pretty much just a FPP hack'n'slash. The main plot is a cookie-cutter sub-par heroic fantasy dragon slaying "adventure" and side quests are rather disappointing too - kill, exterminate, assassinate, murder and fetch. Playing a warriorTremendous fun at first, but the game's charm wears off quickly. Each subsequent installment of TES series removes more of the RPG elements, and Skyrim is pretty much just a FPP hack'n'slash. The main plot is a cookie-cutter sub-par heroic fantasy dragon slaying "adventure" and side quests are rather disappointing too - kill, exterminate, assassinate, murder and fetch. Playing a warrior archetype will get you bored to death, sneaky rogues and mage might fare better though. The world is big, but compared to, for example, Morrowind, it's bland, default north of the default fantasy setting. Exploration isn't really worth the effort, random dungeons litter the landscape, filled with random baddies to murder, bearing random, level-scaled loot. There's barely anyone to talk to outside of main cities - not saying that's a bad thing, since the dialogues are quite badly written and uninteresting, voiced by about 10 actors at that. Not to mention the interface, which was designed for consoles and is agonizingly annoying to use on the PC, and the outdated graphics. This game jest needs mods to be decent, and without them it's a solid 4/10. Skyrim made me look more favourably on Oblivion.… Expand
  42. DjJorg1
    Dec 25, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After 250 hours i still want to play! I love the elders scrolls series and i will continue to play Skyrim! There was problems with some bugs in the start but that is getting fixed. After you are finished with the main quest, Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, College of Winterhold there is still insane much to do... GAME OF THE YEAR!… Expand
  43. Jingo
    Dec 25, 2011
    9
    Well, I got bored with Oblivion fairly quickly, but liked Fallout 3 so thought Bethesda might get it right. And they did. Sure, it has various bugs and doesn't deliver on absolutely everything - but it comes really close. Closer than everything else I've tried. Loads of fun. Reading the wiki on how to level quickly by doing unrealistic things has decreased my enjoyment a little (lessWell, I got bored with Oblivion fairly quickly, but liked Fallout 3 so thought Bethesda might get it right. And they did. Sure, it has various bugs and doesn't deliver on absolutely everything - but it comes really close. Closer than everything else I've tried. Loads of fun. Reading the wiki on how to level quickly by doing unrealistic things has decreased my enjoyment a little (less immersion), so I'd personally advise you don't. So, Bethesda, when is The Elder Scrolls VI coming out? Can't wait. Yeah yeah, I'll play through Skyrim a few times first...… Expand
  44. FruitDealer171
    Dec 24, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Insanely addictive. The animations are somewhat jittery from time to time and the shadows act strange sometimes, but it hardly detracts from the experience. I'm running this game at medium graphics settings but I am still amazed at the visuals and the performance I get with them. The open world given to you is enormous and the small things you will come across really make the game. The non-ending quests and the excitement of getting attacked by a dragon make for a game with a very long life. Being able to buy your own house and marry is interesting as well. I'd recommend NOT using the fast traveling tool (except if you are trying to get from Markath to Riften or something like that) , because when you go on foot you will always come across something interesting. This game kind of just clicked for me. It is perfect in almost every way. Before you know it you're clocking in another day of playing time. Be sure to say goodbye to your loved ones and to eat a rather large last meal before you pop it into your computer (or disk drive on the Xbox 360/PS3), as this game is so unbelievably addictive. I have loved Bethesda's past games (excluding Fallout: New Vegas. That game was terrible), and this is no exception. This is not just a game, but art, and a masterpiece at that.… Expand
  45. Personal_Jambi
    Dec 24, 2011
    10
    I'd like to give this game an 8/10 but I can't help but see that an amazing number of users are giving this a 0/10 simply to offset the good scores. This game isn't perfect as the critics rave, but it is still amazing. I could go on and repeat everything that has already been said, but it would just feel too redundant. The Elder Scrolls franchise defines single-player RPG's, and Skyrim isI'd like to give this game an 8/10 but I can't help but see that an amazing number of users are giving this a 0/10 simply to offset the good scores. This game isn't perfect as the critics rave, but it is still amazing. I could go on and repeat everything that has already been said, but it would just feel too redundant. The Elder Scrolls franchise defines single-player RPG's, and Skyrim is no exception. Huge world, many play-styles, beautiful scenery, and entertaining quests are among a few of the high points for this game. Sure, there are bugs, but that is to be expected from a Bethesda game. Mods for PC users fix most problems and will improve the game. While this may be the closest thing to a console port in TES's history, it doesn't make this a bad game. Anyone with sense will know that while this game may have it's flaws, it is still a fantastic experience.… Expand
  46. gyrate
    Dec 23, 2011
    10
    This is the best game that I've ever played. I've never gotten into MMORPG because I don't like paying a subscription fee. The graphics are great and the content is overwhelming . On the PC version there are hundreds of mods to answer most critics. I honestly can't believe how deep this game is. It has its flaws as there are some bugs but nothing I've run into is game breaking. You couldThis is the best game that I've ever played. I've never gotten into MMORPG because I don't like paying a subscription fee. The graphics are great and the content is overwhelming . On the PC version there are hundreds of mods to answer most critics. I honestly can't believe how deep this game is. It has its flaws as there are some bugs but nothing I've run into is game breaking. You could read material in this game for what seems like ever. I'm not sure how an entire library of literature about this imaginary world possibly came about. Everything about seems brilliant to me but I had not payed any attention to this genre in gaming before. I've not played Morrow or any of the previous Elder Scrolls. To me this is not a 10 its a perfect 100.… Expand
  47. Omnius
    Dec 23, 2011
    7
    An overall solid game that unfortunately still suffers from many of the problems of its immediate predecessor. Skyrim is executed with a reasonable degree of competency, but a few issues in particular stick out after just a few hours of gameplay. The first being the all-too-small voicecast for such an expansive digital world. Nothing breaks immersion quite like talking to a shopkeeper,An overall solid game that unfortunately still suffers from many of the problems of its immediate predecessor. Skyrim is executed with a reasonable degree of competency, but a few issues in particular stick out after just a few hours of gameplay. The first being the all-too-small voicecast for such an expansive digital world. Nothing breaks immersion quite like talking to a shopkeeper, walking out the door, and hearing the EXACT same voice come from another NPC not 10 feet away. While most of the dialogue is delivered well, the repetition of voices really begins to grate before long. The other main complaint would be the repetition of environments, especially the infamous "dark and mossy cave" over and over again. While the game's named side-quests generally do a good job of mixing up locations every now and then, the "radiant" quests became a repetitive and copy-pasted chore after only a few runthroughs. Despite these complaints, however, I find Skyrim to be a vast improvement over Oblivion, both in terms of graphical quality and overall gameplay. In the end, Bethesda has yet to reattain the lofty heights of game design that it once visited in Morrowind, but Skyrim does show that they are trying their best to get on the right track. It's not perfect, but Skyrim is definitely worth at least a glance if you find yourself wanting for a new single-player RPG experience to fill your time.… Expand
  48. locustgrove
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    Better then oblivion if you ask me,only reason its not a ten for me is i just dont like how they did magic in this one other then that everything else is nearly flawless great game.
  49. IbUyGaMeS
    Dec 23, 2011
    10
    Game of this year for me. All my childhood dreams how a game should look like were fulfilled here. Unless you are a strong personality with decent social life, you should not play this. There is a fair risk, you will love this world more then normal one:).
  50. kamryu
    Dec 23, 2011
    7
    3 out of 3 for story the number of quests and extra's will keep you going for a long time
    2 out of 3 for graphics one or two issues even on ultra such
    2 out of 3 gameplay the variety of weapons and spells saves this basic point and click 0 out of 1 for replay value the differences between quests which will alter storyline are so minor ultimately you know going stormcloak or leagion its    3 out of 3 for story the number of quests and extra's will keep you going for a long time
    2 out of 3 for graphics one or two issues even on ultra such
    2 out of 3 gameplay the variety of weapons and spells saves this basic point and click
    0 out of 1 for replay value the differences between quests which will alter storyline are so minor ultimately you know going stormcloak or leagion its going to be the same story only your attacking the other guy now instead this being said if your doing everything you ll get well over 100 hours plus in a single play through so replay not a big deal.

    The shere scale of Skyrim is its biggest quality you ve got so many sub quests and storylines to follow you ll be very easily distracted I mean it is possible to complete the "main" story in a few hours but honestly anyone doing that is completely missing the point of the elder scrolls franchise. Bethesda has not made a game with a story they have made a country with inhabitants who need help and thats exactly what it feels like its not just a do this quest game you will find yourself at times very easily distracted between what quest to do next if like myself you might even spend forever trying to collect an entire book series (god I spent so long tracking down the wolf queen volume 6, I refused to google its location) and decorating your house, Diciding what way your going to play your character also is a nice feature at the start you decide your race and image thats it you don't go ohh I am going ot be a melee specialist oh I am going to be an archer and so on no no you decide that once your playing you want to be an archer pick up a bow and start using it you want to be a melee then pick up a sword and shield. The characters spreadsheet for leveling and so on is a lot more simplified than its predecessor Oblivion some might feel this a step back some might feel it an improvement, its down to personal choice. The biggest thing with skyrim as I stated is its scale you are in Skyrim the country your not just following a story that has always been the elder scrolls advantage the storylines might not be of the best quality when you break them down but the shere number of them you have more than makes up for it.    … Expand
  51. thefinn
    Dec 22, 2011
    8
    Let me start out by saying - this game is easily the best of its' genre.

    However, it does have some problems that many people will probably overlook. The re-playability of the game is really good, but the re-telling of the story isn't so great. The story in itself is ok, but totally takes away from your immersion in the world. There are some spurious reasons behind making your character    Let me start out by saying - this game is easily the best of its' genre.

    However, it does have some problems that many people will probably overlook. The re-playability of the game is really good, but the re-telling of the story isn't so great.

    The story in itself is ok, but totally takes away from your immersion in the world. There are some spurious reasons behind making your character the protagonist in many occasions. After a while you get used to being the man who becomes king because everyone else around just says "Hey yeah, totally good idea, because like... you're THAT good".

    I'm really mostly looking forward to the creation kit and seeing what people come up with on their own. Bethesda have done an awe inspiring job of graphics and game-engine building, but a god awful job of creating an immersive storyline and some of the voice acting is sub-par at best - others are great, like Esbern.

    The follower they give you at the start has a lot of AI issues and really annoying habits, I'm not totally sure why they did this, however the AI programming and follower control needs some overhaul in my opinion.    … Expand
  52. warpriest812
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    I started the Elder Scrolls series with Morrowind. I have to say they keep getting better. Skyrim is leaps and bounds better than Oblivion, and that is saying much. The game runs smoother, combat is more fluid, and the graphics are very pleasing to the eyes. As always, the world & story are the best parts. If you like this genre, Skyrim is a must have.
  53. lucipher
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Ignore the butthurt misanthropes who cry about every Bethesda game because it does not include the baby Jesus or something.

    Game of the year. Incredible immersive, runs on fairly low-end hardware. Voice acting quality really improved - uncanny valley of plastic people also mostly gone..feels really fleshed out and wondrous.

    Buy it! You will not be disappointed.
  54. YassirX
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Very good game, everything has been said. Its immersive has outstanding graphics and a very good story. If you like sandbox game than this game definatly is a must buy.
  55. trublmaker
    Dec 22, 2011
    5
    Pros: Large open world, Strong modding community, An abundance of quest/game information available online. Cons: UI leaves much to be desired, Females are butt-ugly without mods, Washed out textures, Fails to hold interest.
  56. Krovak
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played. I played it 3 times so far and spent there almost 200 hours. I´m looking forward to play some mods as well. It´s not perfect game but certainly best game of the year.
  57. EtaYorius
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    The best damn RPG i have ever played! there are things that could have been better like the animations... they are extremely wacky when dual wielding/casting, also they promised DX11 support and the game barely uses 4 Cores.

    They also cut character creation options by half, but i guess the good side of this is they improve the faces by a great margin. Skyrim is a must if you love    The best damn RPG i have ever played! there are things that could have been better like the animations... they are extremely wacky when dual wielding/casting, also they promised DX11 support and the game barely uses 4 Cores.

    They also cut character creation options by half, but i guess the good side of this is they improve the faces by a great margin.

    Skyrim is a must if you love RPG´s or if you are a TES fan.    … Expand
  58. FatherOfTreason
    Dec 21, 2011
    7
    An impressive game whose strength lies in its sweeping, detailed world, the exploration of which, can consume hour upon hour of your time without you even knowing. There is always some new jaw-dropping vista to discover, some new silhouette in the distance, enticing you through a driving blizzard or some errand to take you out to some far-flung reach of the map. The world itself is worthAn impressive game whose strength lies in its sweeping, detailed world, the exploration of which, can consume hour upon hour of your time without you even knowing. There is always some new jaw-dropping vista to discover, some new silhouette in the distance, enticing you through a driving blizzard or some errand to take you out to some far-flung reach of the map. The world itself is worth the price of admission. However, the game still leaves much to be desired.

    Skyrim is simply chock full of bugs, broken quests and poorly implemented design. But I suppose poorly implemented might be preferable to simply not implemented at all, which as how many aspects of the game feel. Going through some of the lowlights:

    The UI is abysmal. The menu system seems designed to confound rather than assist you. This is probably sue to it being created for a controller rather than a mouse and keyboard, so everything you do with it feels like it's taking three extra steps whereas one would have sufficed. Equipping gear is a chore since you are limited to just eight hotkeys, which is very little for the number of spells, weapons, shouts, potions and scrolls you might need available at a moment's notice. Often times, you will find the need to pause the game and go hunting though the menus to find what you need. Poisons are a good example of this. Since poison on a weapon usually will only last for a single hit, characters who rely on them will find themselves pausing several time every fight to reapply it. This serves to really pull the player out of the game since the action is stopped continuously.

    Companions are pretty dumb. This is hardly unexpected and is a common complaint for any game that actually includes AI controlled companions. Skyrim is no exception. The pathfinding is awful and you will spend much of your time trying to find alternate routes to get to where you want to go because your companion will get stuck on an ankle high piece of scenery and get left behind, you will drop down off a knee-high elevatin change and they will be unable to follow. On the other hand, sometimes they will. This forces you to babysit them across all uneven terrain (there is a lot of it in Skyrim) by always watching behind you to ensure they are following. You can also elect to just leave them behind and hope they will catch up with you later. Sometimes they do. Other times they just disappear. Fast traveling can be used to "pull" a wayward companion with you, but sometimes when they get lost, they also get dead, and no amount of fast traveling will remedy it.

    Another problem with companions is that you have little control over their development, have no way of knowing what skills they are best at (without looking up the entry on the Wiki) and sometimes, can only suggest what armor and weapons they should equip. Sometimes they just wear what the want, no matter how inexplicable it is. Just give them what you want them to have and cross your fingers. The bright spot about companions is that they do make good mules for carrying around the masses of loot your are bound to find.

    Mounts have barely been implemented at all. Yes, you can buy and ride horses, even having several at one time. Unfortunately, the speed increase they give you is marginal, you can't use them for additional storage in the field, you can fight from the saddle, your companions can't ride at all so if you bring a friend along with you, you'll often leave them behind due to differences in travel speed, and finally, horses love to jump into combat with you. Although that may sound like a bonus, it's not, since they also tend to die horrible deaths rather quickly. With a 1000g price tag each time you need to replace one, you will soon learn that they are not something you want to bring with you on the road, which pretty much makes them absolutely useless in all respects.

    Game textures are pretty low-grade as well. At a distance, it's not something you notice, but once you get up close to the scenery, the stripped down console-based textures become horribly apparent. Luckily, these are easy to mod up to snuff for PC users. This includes new textures for everything from running water to character appearance, which really needed some work. Bethesda, it appears, decided that all characters, particularly female, would be better received by gamers if they were as ugly and unattractive as possible. The community begged to differ and, at the time of this writing, the most popular mod on Skyrim Nexus (among hundreds of truly excellent ones), is a mod to beautify the women of Skyrim. It may seem trite to some, but those ladies desperately needed a major league makeover.

    And despite these complaints, I still have to give Skyrim high marks. The bugs will be fixed, the textures will be improved and the mechanics will be overhauled. But most importantly, Skyrim is a world you can easily lose yourself in.    … Expand
  59. TooOldtoGame
    Dec 21, 2011
    9
    Some very well done things in this game that should become part of the rpg genre. The only reason why I'm going with a 9 is the UI is poor and it was very buggy at launch. Otherwise, the scope and scale of this game was very entertaining and well worth the money. A must have if you like the RPG gaming world.
  60. requiamer
    Dec 21, 2011
    9
    Great game, the best rpg of these last years for sure. I enjoy every second i'm playing it, my kids that are too small to play it beg me to sit on my knees when i play, and ask me to go play it when i don't. I gave it a 9 only because there is no multiplayer possibilities. I know the solo aspect probably is what make this game what it is, but still, a modern game should have a multiplayerGreat game, the best rpg of these last years for sure. I enjoy every second i'm playing it, my kids that are too small to play it beg me to sit on my knees when i play, and ask me to go play it when i don't. I gave it a 9 only because there is no multiplayer possibilities. I know the solo aspect probably is what make this game what it is, but still, a modern game should have a multiplayer mode, i think it a must today.… Expand
  61. Mortec
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Since I played Oblivion for 3 years straight, I got bored with this game quickly, as the actual gameplay for obvious reason stayed the same and needs to, I take it. But what they have done to this game and its features is still unmatched to any game I have ever seen. Bravo! This is by far THE best game up to date. While it may require a rather stronger performance pc, this game WILLSince I played Oblivion for 3 years straight, I got bored with this game quickly, as the actual gameplay for obvious reason stayed the same and needs to, I take it. But what they have done to this game and its features is still unmatched to any game I have ever seen. Bravo! This is by far THE best game up to date. While it may require a rather stronger performance pc, this game WILL justify your new graphics card expense, and it all becomes totally worth it. I am not at all a fan of the new quick button layout and functions, but even that can be forgiven once you get lost in all the possibilities In-game. With all this, I can not see myself deducting anything from this game as I guarantee those who like these type of games, WILL play Skyrim for a looooong time. Only other thing I would have loved is perhaps a multi player version, even if only available on a cloud. Steam- wink wink...… Expand
  62. moifoi
    Dec 21, 2011
    5
    They built a huge world with great voice acting and tons to do yet once again forgot about the gameplay which sucked hard. The combat is just so basic and sluggish it has not evolved since the first ones.
    The main story was also horrible, this same company keeps making games with horrible main storys, some of the side quests were better then the main one.
  63. HellzYeah
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I started out playing this game with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. However, as I kept playing I started to notice that it was becoming increasingly harder to come back to the game, especially after I had beaten the main questline. The RPG elements are oversimplified, crafting is easy when you can buy most of your supplies at the vendors. Its a good game, while you canI started out playing this game with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. However, as I kept playing I started to notice that it was becoming increasingly harder to come back to the game, especially after I had beaten the main questline. The RPG elements are oversimplified, crafting is easy when you can buy most of your supplies at the vendors. Its a good game, while you can enjoy it. It does however get very repetitive and boring super quickly though. It does take a long time to notice the little things that make you get bored but I think that's a point for the developers on that subject.… Expand
  64. syrik
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    Bethesda today released LAA (Large Address Aware, 4gb support) support for the PC version, which at least makes the game playable without using a 3rd party program. Since that is finally true (nearly 6 weeks after launch) this will be my final review. The score is a 4, a low meh. That score is based on vanilla Skyrim, no mods with the software as the developers intended it. I can onlyBethesda today released LAA (Large Address Aware, 4gb support) support for the PC version, which at least makes the game playable without using a 3rd party program. Since that is finally true (nearly 6 weeks after launch) this will be my final review. The score is a 4, a low meh. That score is based on vanilla Skyrim, no mods with the software as the developers intended it. I can only assume this is how they intended it being so far after launch, 3 patches later and this is what it is. The game is still plagued by compatibility issues. Some systems and hardware simply can not use the game settings to run correctly. In my case Anti Aliasing (AA) and Anisotropic Filtering (AF) is broken. Using these settings in the game simply does not work, causes major FPS loss and texture problems. Forcing these setting (on max) externally through my video card the game runs well. The menus and keybinding issues that have been widely spoken about persist and Bethesda has done nothing at all about them. Shadows, regardless of setting (low to ultra) are blocky, twitchy, badly behaved abominations all over the game world. There are hundreds of quest bugs and other minor issues that remain untouched as well. Perhaps most troubling is some of the things that DID make it into previous patch notes, supposedly being fixed, were NOT fix and still persist in game. All of these things bring my score for this game down and that score is solely because Bethesda did not take the time to polish their game. Now, all that being said....Skyrim is one of the best games of all time. Just not by default. If you (and I encourage you to do so) visit one of the modding sites (nexus) and see what the fan base of this game is doing, not only to fix Bethesda's laziness but also their broken programming your jaw will constantly drop as the hours tick away in the wonderful world that is Skyrim. There are mods to make the game run better, mods to make the textures in the world look better, mods to fix the broken inventories and terrible UI in the game. There are mods to make your character look different and mods that bring Skyrim to life. The modding community for this game is EXTREMELY active (all current mods have been made even without the help of an SDK) and helpful. Bethesda built the foundation and for releasing a flawed game get a low score. The modders finished Skyrim, polished it and made it one of, if not THE, best games of all time.… Expand
  65. D_Money
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is likely the most beautiful world ever expressed by a video game. The $60 title will probably end up costing me six grand, as I've a sudden urge to vacation north of the Arctic Circle to see the aurora.

    I'm 130 hours in, and I feel like I've probably experienced 60-70% of the content. What a masterpiece! The only things I can criticize are overuse of a few voice actors and    Skyrim is likely the most beautiful world ever expressed by a video game. The $60 title will probably end up costing me six grand, as I've a sudden urge to vacation north of the Arctic Circle to see the aurora.

    I'm 130 hours in, and I feel like I've probably experienced 60-70% of the content. What a masterpiece! The only things I can criticize are overuse of a few voice actors and occasional Bethesda-flavored bugs and crashes (for instance, getting tangled up in a handcart and dying to repeated impacts. Unfortunate, but hilarious.) With complete stealth, magic, melee, archery and assassination mechanics- along with guilds and quests catered to each - this title feels like it already has three or four expansions built in.    … Expand
  66. Sloul
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    Just another good action-rpg.
    The balance but no perfect, the dialogues are sometimes repetitive/incoherent/retarded.
    But overall its still a good game with a huge potential of playability thanks to the mod community (nexus).
  67. Quickfire
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    Dehydrated review

    What an RPG should be. Takes best of past games and improves on it. Very few bugs, smooth gameplay, massive open world, one of the best modern games out there to play. This is a definite buy.
  68. zakarum
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    Bethesda sells this game as a RPG, yet it's a adventure game. Three stats, blande forge system, buy 1000 daggers to do a greatsword? really? Lot's of fetch quests, dungeons look the same. Bad voice acting sounding the same over and over, uninteresting writing in the main quest.
    Basically, if you sell it like a RPG, it should be a RPG.
  69. Schnapps
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    Beautiful, immersive game with an enormous landscape to explore. Heaps of sidequests and extra activities if you want to deviate away from the main story, great lore and story, and a sturdy battle system. Simply magnificent.
  70. Egomaniacal
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    The very best feature in Skyrim is ignoring what you're supposed to do. It's a compelling feature and one that also signifies shortcomings in different areas. It's an issue when the most fun you have is pointing your character in one direction and simply walking. Not because this isn't enjoyable -- it's mind blowing -- it's because it says that the main narrative isn't compelling enough toThe very best feature in Skyrim is ignoring what you're supposed to do. It's a compelling feature and one that also signifies shortcomings in different areas. It's an issue when the most fun you have is pointing your character in one direction and simply walking. Not because this isn't enjoyable -- it's mind blowing -- it's because it says that the main narrative isn't compelling enough to see through. There is more fun in exploring a random cave you stumbled upon and finding a new shout than it is exploring the civil conflict that is plaguing Skyrim. That said, doing whatever you want to do in a great setting is easily enough to sink triple digit hours into. In one playthrough I decided to head East for the majority of my questing and while many of the caves started to look the same, the little stories you find tucked away were unique. The game handles as one would expect of an Elder Scrolls title and in that it feels a little weak. Press a button and press it again and again and again and again. Once you're strong enough you simple charge up and smack things in one hit. Casting has a bit more variation but once you learn to summon certain companions the challenge evaporates here as well. Some of the skill trees are utterly worthless and should have been folded into others, but the game is still worth playing and getting lost it.… Expand
  71. CoreDave
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is an excellent game there is no doubt about that, I am generally a little concerned about the direction of travel the series is going in. I think the streamlining has gone a little too far, I understand where some, indeed many, of the changes may have been for the better over the last couple of games but it feels like the series is losing something in the quest to appeal to theSkyrim is an excellent game there is no doubt about that, I am generally a little concerned about the direction of travel the series is going in. I think the streamlining has gone a little too far, I understand where some, indeed many, of the changes may have been for the better over the last couple of games but it feels like the series is losing something in the quest to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Mods will hopefully be Skyrims savior much as they where Oblivions. I just urge Beth to think a little longer and harder about what how to achieve fun accessible gameplay without throwing out more and more complexity.… Expand
  72. Zennousha
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    The greatest challenge. Not making a full blown essay concerning The Elder Scrolls. Being a fan of TES since 96 with my first entry by Daggerfall, I have grown attached to each of the games for varying reasons. Daggerfall had unparalleled depth and customization with challenging dungeons paired with an atmospheric score. Morrowind had a truly engaging story and unique, interesting varietyThe greatest challenge. Not making a full blown essay concerning The Elder Scrolls. Being a fan of TES since 96 with my first entry by Daggerfall, I have grown attached to each of the games for varying reasons. Daggerfall had unparalleled depth and customization with challenging dungeons paired with an atmospheric score. Morrowind had a truly engaging story and unique, interesting variety of landscape. Oblivion had worked on the ARTS combat that Morrowind had failed to achieve, and gave us a look at next generation open world visuals.

    Now Skyrim comes along and takes a lot of the things I enjoy from each, and blends them together. While the product may be rather simplified, perhaps too many "ingredients" at this point may overflow the already heavy cup. That being said, I feel a lot of the steps are taken in the right direction despite my love for extreme complexity and depth. Skyrim somehow manages to make it work, and still attempt to please me with concepts of old, re-imagined through various systems, like the perk trees.

    Magic while a bit more skewed has really drawn the appropriate feeling of power, and combat while still a bit simple, feels far more refined and physical from Oblivion. Exploration feels varied, especially after Oblivion. The scenery is also truly gorgeous. I can hardly tell it's a DX9 game and multiplatform title at times, and it runs buttery smooth on my rig. Voice acting is a step up. Not quite there yet, but a considerable improvement from previous. The focus and attention to detail for all the little things is there, but remain subtle. Some things you might not even notice the first time around. It fleshes things out a bit more, and makes them feel more organic to the virtual world. Animations are also improved from previous titles. The score is outstanding as per usual, ranging from a powerful, sweeping choir to a soft, atmospheric melody. Then there's the Dragons. Their behaviour, their established language, their combat, their animations, etc. I could go on, but I digress.

    The game is not without its flaws however. A few CTDs here, a few minor bugs there (I have been fortunate in my play time, but it is hard to ignore the fact that issues do exist for others), and some things feel a bit lacking in content. However, it's not enough to detract from the gameplay in my case.

    Will it take place as my favourite TES game of all time? I still think Daggerfall may keep that place. Skyrim however takes a close second. Only time will tell how Bethesda will manage to one up Skyrim though. But until then, I await to see what the community will improve.    … Expand
  73. Hirorir
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is more or less, ridiculously fun. It is well worth the $60 I pre-ordered it with, and is a vast improvement over ES4:Oblivion. Taking the graphics side by side, Skyrim most definitely has a thousand times better and more beautiful picture.
    Although the game started out with some pretty weird bugs and issues, they are meant to be fixed, like any other game's issues. I have yet to    Skyrim is more or less, ridiculously fun. It is well worth the $60 I pre-ordered it with, and is a vast improvement over ES4:Oblivion. Taking the graphics side by side, Skyrim most definitely has a thousand times better and more beautiful picture.
    Although the game started out with some pretty weird bugs and issues, they are meant to be fixed, like any other game's issues. I have yet to wait for the hi-res textures and the crash fixes; but aside from so, the game is amazing.
    I would rate this a 9.5 (minus 1 point for unfixed bugs), round up 10 due to the ugly faces that Bethesda has decided to have the elves succumb to (the 0.5 pts).    … Expand
  74. Kelemvor
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is a good game, but by no means the game it could have been.
    The graphics are improved, the music is fantastic, and the nordic atmosphere is captured quite well.
    The problems however make the game less fun on the long run, compared to the older installments. Attributes have been removed completely, the magic system has been gutted, to a mere handful of effects left, the spellmaker    Skyrim is a good game, but by no means the game it could have been.
    The graphics are improved, the music is fantastic, and the nordic atmosphere is captured quite well.

    The problems however make the game less fun on the long run, compared to the older installments.
    Attributes have been removed completely, the magic system has been gutted, to a mere handful of effects left, the spellmaker is gone, there are very few good quests, most of them are kill&Collect quests, the guild quest series are mostly very short and unimaginative, and the main story, while better as in Oblivion is also average at best.
    But there are a number of improvements too. The graphics have been updated, you can cook and smith now, buy multiple houses, and marry someone. The perk system which is introduced works quite well, but can in no way compensate for the loss of attributes, spellmaker and magic effects.
    There is more wildlife now, and the cities are denser populated, making the world more "alive". The dungeons are handmade now, and have a shortcut at the end, so one does not have to run through the entire dungeon to get to the exit. Unfortunately the variety of the enemies is extremely limited. There are bandits, trolls, Rogue magic users/vampires and Draugrs(Most of the time), that's it, that's all you will ever encounter in dungeons. All in all a good game, which lacks the complexity and replay-value of its predecessors, and gets boring more quickly. While i played more than 500h in Oblivion(with the extraordinary OOO-Mod), Skyrim gets tedious after less than half of that time.

    Despite that, i see a concerning development on the horizon. The dumbing down of games has reached TES. No spellmaker, no attributes, less skills, gutted magic system, imaginative quest replaced by boring grind quests. If this continues, Skyrim is the last TES-installment i will buy. I played all of the TES games, and never was this trend so obvious as in Skyrim.    … Expand
  75. TheFPSage
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    I thoroughly enjoyed the game, despite any flaws it has. The biggest problems were the lack of diversity when playing as different races (ie, Altmer not treated any differently than an Orc, other than being called "Orc" rather than "Elf" by NPCs). Another problem was the repetition in the questions, which seemed to be mostly made up of Got to X Cave, retrieve/slay Y. Additionally, the mainI thoroughly enjoyed the game, despite any flaws it has. The biggest problems were the lack of diversity when playing as different races (ie, Altmer not treated any differently than an Orc, other than being called "Orc" rather than "Elf" by NPCs). Another problem was the repetition in the questions, which seemed to be mostly made up of Got to X Cave, retrieve/slay Y. Additionally, the main quest seems to be halfarsed towards the end and you will be disappointed by the ending. By this point in the series, I expect this sort of stuff, though it would have been nice if they had gone a bit beyond.… Expand
  76. grom358
    Dec 19, 2011
    0
    Giving this game a 0 to offset all the 10/10 reviews because it is way overhyped. Its a decent and average game. I quickly started to find this game dull. The combat is really lacking. No dodge, no parry, no positional attacks, etc. Its boring and dull. The map is large but for me it felt I would run for ages only coming across the occasional enemy to fight. There may be hours and hours ofGiving this game a 0 to offset all the 10/10 reviews because it is way overhyped. Its a decent and average game. I quickly started to find this game dull. The combat is really lacking. No dodge, no parry, no positional attacks, etc. Its boring and dull. The map is large but for me it felt I would run for ages only coming across the occasional enemy to fight. There may be hours and hours of quests but majority of them are outright boring and remind me of the quests from a grindfest MMO. On the positive the game has a nice amount of freedom and is open world environment. But for me personally it is all rather pointless and uninteresting. Also there a number of noticeable bugs with this game. And I have had the occasional crash to desktop.… Expand
  77. frast
    Dec 19, 2011
    9
    The game really great. It reminds of old times rpg'ów with a huge world and a large number of races, monsters, enemies, weapons, equipment. For this wonderful cool climate and as far as storyline and nice graphics. Very good game but not perfect by me and are annoying bugs in it that u are not really players can occur frequently (for example, you can see videos on youtube.) MyThe game really great. It reminds of old times rpg'ów with a huge world and a large number of races, monsters, enemies, weapons, equipment. For this wonderful cool climate and as far as storyline and nice graphics. Very good game but not perfect by me and are annoying bugs in it that u are not really players can occur frequently (for example, you can see videos on youtube.) My rating -8.5 / 10… Expand
  78. tazzon22
    Dec 19, 2011
    10
    Fantastic game, im about 200hrs into it and still exploring. The crafting stytems are rich the world is captivating and story lines intriguing. NPC choices are not at the level of BioWares yet, and your choices dont dramatically effect the world interaction as much as one would expect in a pure rpg.The leveling system and spellcrafting from Oblivion has been dummed down, probably due toFantastic game, im about 200hrs into it and still exploring. The crafting stytems are rich the world is captivating and story lines intriguing. NPC choices are not at the level of BioWares yet, and your choices dont dramatically effect the world interaction as much as one would expect in a pure rpg.The leveling system and spellcrafting from Oblivion has been dummed down, probably due to the fact of the crossplatform induced slide in difficulty.Although unlike Biowares turd DA2 and a disgrace to DAO,again to the lower standards of cross platform, Skyrim is a gem.… Expand
  79. graze
    Dec 19, 2011
    9
    This RPG has pulled me in like no other in the last few years, I've put in about 30 hours so far. To me, the graphics are amazing. I see so many negative comments on the graphics and just don't really see why. OK, so the graphics engine isn't the latest, most cutting edge, but it is well done nonetheless. I'm awe-struck by the sheer amount of content and non-linear explorationThis RPG has pulled me in like no other in the last few years, I've put in about 30 hours so far. To me, the graphics are amazing. I see so many negative comments on the graphics and just don't really see why. OK, so the graphics engine isn't the latest, most cutting edge, but it is well done nonetheless. I'm awe-struck by the sheer amount of content and non-linear exploration available. The combat is fun. Maybe the UI isn't the greatest, but I've actually kind of started to like it. I do agree that more available hotkeys would be nice. So there are some bugs. I don't see how this cannot be expected in a virtual world of this magnitude. The amount of programming behind this project has to be absolutely staggering, when you consider all of the objects, interactions, and possibilities. So I'm going to let some bugs slide here, as none of them I've come across are game breaking.

    I also wanted to respond to someone complaining that he now hates the game after putting 180 hours into it. Seems you had the revelation that real life trumps video games, good for you! yes, video games should be taken in moderation. But to lambast this game because you hit the 180 hour mark and are now bored of it seems downright silly. Surely somewhere within that 180 hours you got some fun out of it and was of some value as far as a video game can go? 180 hours alludes to an incredible amount of content...shoot I'll be more than satisfied if I get half the play time out of this before I'm bored...    … Expand
  80. shotterken
    Dec 19, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is an awesome game, everybody must go buy it! I love the fighting in the game. It's just so much fun playing it. The only thing I don't like is the landscape, because I don't like maps with many mountains (that's my taste). Because a game can't be perfect I'll give it a 9
  81. Herpedus
    Dec 19, 2011
    10
    After 100 hours of Skyrim I have to say that Bethesda Softworks has made a big leap with Skyrim. It has ALOT of content ingame. There's alot of things to do. You can explore dungeons, do quests, join guilds, master your skills and even try to kill everyone in the world.
    The sidequests are good, but guild quests aren't so good. (Possible spoiler alert!!) Like in Mage guild, there wasn't    After 100 hours of Skyrim I have to say that Bethesda Softworks has made a big leap with Skyrim. It has ALOT of content ingame. There's alot of things to do. You can explore dungeons, do quests, join guilds, master your skills and even try to kill everyone in the world.
    The sidequests are good, but guild quests aren't so good. (Possible spoiler alert!!) Like in Mage guild, there wasn't much time as a pupil. In oblivion you had to do quests to gain ranks and when you were high ranked enough, the "main" part of the questline starts. In Skyrim, you sign up as a pupil to the guild, but after 2 quests you're already on way to become the archmage. There isn't a feeling of progress, it's pretty disappointing.
    The holds (cities) are very interesting. Maybe the first hold you'll see is Whiterun. The first time I got there, I was amazed by the views, there's great mountains close by and they're veeery nice looking. Sometimes you just go somewhere just to see the nice scenery of Skyrim.
    Even though Skyrim has glitches, I haven't encountered glitches that would ruin my game experience. All the glitches that I encountered were rather funny! Like a mammoth dropping from the sky or giant hitting you to the skies.
    The combat is alot better than Oblivions. They could have done it better, but it doesn't care so much.
    So I have played Skyrim for 100 hours now and there's still pretty much to do. Just gotta do quests before the Construction Set (the same program that dev's used to make Skyrim) comes out, which means that everyone can make their own mods easily.
    Overall Skyrim is a great game! I have always loved Elder Scrolls and always will. If you have PC and console, buy it on PC. PC has mods, consoles doesn't.    … Expand
  82. breslin
    Dec 19, 2011
    5
    "Freedom without Purpose": I was seriously disappointed by Skyrim; I choked on insignificant options, undirected freedom followed by quick deaths, the confusing UI, the confusing map, and poor combat mechanics. But I have read that if you play it in a certain way it's more enjoyable:

    http://www.oxm.co.uk/36533/features/skyrim-nine-ways-to-make-it-the-worst-game-ever/ I suspect that this    "Freedom without Purpose": I was seriously disappointed by Skyrim; I choked on insignificant options, undirected freedom followed by quick deaths, the confusing UI, the confusing map, and poor combat mechanics. But I have read that if you play it in a certain way it's more enjoyable:

    http://www.oxm.co.uk/36533/features/skyrim-nine-ways-to-make-it-the-worst-game-ever/

    I suspect that this writer is correct, but it's a shame that you ruin the game unless you do X, Y, and Z, particularly if the game presents itself as a "free play"/sandbox game. Again, undirected freedom isn't a good thing in and of itself, particularly if it's achieved by simply removing the signposts.

    I think Skyrim's success has to do with all the fancy graphics and media hype.    … Expand
  83. LynchSimon
    Dec 18, 2011
    10
    The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is simply one of the greatest single player games of all time! The graphics are absolutely astounding in every aspect. The gameplay is incredible. You really do feel like your apart of the story and that it's up to you to make the decision at the right times. There are some very minor flaws with this game but i stress only minor, plus what game is perfect?The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is simply one of the greatest single player games of all time! The graphics are absolutely astounding in every aspect. The gameplay is incredible. You really do feel like your apart of the story and that it's up to you to make the decision at the right times. There are some very minor flaws with this game but i stress only minor, plus what game is perfect? Some of the very few flaws with this game, and other Bethesda games is the Save system. The seem to follow the old school save system where the "auto save" feature for this game is very scarce and you must remember to save the game manually before entering specific areas or you'll find yourself 30 minutes behind should you be slane. Another old school errer which they make is the invisible barrier. Personally I thought that this feature would have been made obsolete. Clearly not the case but it does exist within the game. Moving onto positives tho, the thought of fighting a dragon 1 vs 1 would generally frighten people, but in Skyrim you really do crave the opportunity battling with them and also giants with their humerous "pet Mammoths" as I like to call them. There is so much to do in Skyrim I wot spoil anything for you now but if ther is ANY game that you buy this year, i emplore you, PLEASE buy Skyrim, you will not be disappointed!… Expand
  84. roboticsun
    Dec 18, 2011
    8
    After 50 hours log into to this game, I still found this game is an empty and hollow game. Skyrim has hardly any immersion. The story is bland. You can tell they created the bells and whistles THEN created the storyline around it. Which is sad. As an RPG, it should be more concerned with the story. Then the bells and whistles pull you in even further. Bethesda is losing track on what madeAfter 50 hours log into to this game, I still found this game is an empty and hollow game. Skyrim has hardly any immersion. The story is bland. You can tell they created the bells and whistles THEN created the storyline around it. Which is sad. As an RPG, it should be more concerned with the story. Then the bells and whistles pull you in even further. Bethesda is losing track on what made morrowind so enjoyable. To go from Morrowind to Oblivion then to Skyrim are huge steps backwards. This game was released with lots of bugs and even broken on PS3, Bethesda clearly choose quantity over quality. They do not even bother to polish the game. I'd say Don't buy it right now. Wait for the price to come down to $20.… Expand
  85. AlGore
    Dec 18, 2011
    10
    The environment in this game is beautiful. You can tell that it hasn't been tarnished by years of pollution and abuse by its inhabitants. The water is crystal clear and the mountain air so fresh, so much unlike our own. There are no factories to speak of. Nothing to pollute the surroundings and no detectable ozone pollution. Dragons, animals now extinct in our own world due pollution andThe environment in this game is beautiful. You can tell that it hasn't been tarnished by years of pollution and abuse by its inhabitants. The water is crystal clear and the mountain air so fresh, so much unlike our own. There are no factories to speak of. Nothing to pollute the surroundings and no detectable ozone pollution. Dragons, animals now extinct in our own world due pollution and habitat loss, roam the lands of Skyrim freely, a beautiful sight. All in all I must say this game is a masterpiece that depicts what our world could have been without the pollution so ever-present in our environment. First Prize!… Expand
  86. mikhaila
    Dec 18, 2011
    6
    I enjoyed the game and completed a lot of quests but it just lost that great feeling after about 3 hours. I will still play it and enjoy it for many weeks to come but it's just not the same anymore and seems to be worse then Fallout 3. I think Fallout 3 was better.
  87. CaptainChaos
    Dec 17, 2011
    10
    Ok, after 110 hours I am prepared to change my review from an 8 to a 10. I gave it an 8 originally because (1) I was cheesed off that Bethesda still largely blew off the PC community with its interface design and limit for 2GB for memory (2) and also there were a number of things that really should have been better since Oblivion, and some were and others not so much. All that said, lookOk, after 110 hours I am prepared to change my review from an 8 to a 10. I gave it an 8 originally because (1) I was cheesed off that Bethesda still largely blew off the PC community with its interface design and limit for 2GB for memory (2) and also there were a number of things that really should have been better since Oblivion, and some were and others not so much. All that said, look - Bethy makes its games totally open source and supports PC people mucking around, so of course, the modding community fixed everything, Bethy is trying harder to make good in some ways for PC users after the fact, and finally - look, I spent 110 hours in the game, and it's not perfect but it STILL SURPRISES me, which I thought impossible. It could always be better and it should be slightly better, but maybe there is no way to make a game this big, that responsive to so many diff players. I mean, I've only finished 20% of the game, so what's that going to be? 1,000 hours? and 3 years from now, I will play it as a diff character with 100 mods. If that's not a 10 what is? Thanks Bethy.… Expand
  88. Blackcompany
    Dec 17, 2011
    4
    Skyrim is a terrible role playing game. By now we all know about the horrid user interface, the relatively poor combat and magic systems, the disastrous implementation of dual wielding (that makes it, essentially, useless.) We know about buckets on heads and backward-flying Dragons. So I won't even take them into consideration, except to say Bethesda could have doneSkyrim is a terrible role playing game. By now we all know about the horrid user interface, the relatively poor combat and magic systems, the disastrous implementation of dual wielding (that makes it, essentially, useless.) We know about buckets on heads and backward-flying Dragons. So I won't even take them into consideration, except to say Bethesda could have done better....................And that is the overarching theme of Skyrim: Could have been better.................................................................................I came into this game not expecting much. It is, after all, a Bethesda game. And I am happy for that, because I didn't get much. No moral choices. No consequences for my character's actions. Speech skill isn't even something you can use. It just lowers prices at merchants. Loot is thrown at you constantly, level-ups are handed out like candy at a parade. There is no challenge, no feeling of accomplishment to completing tasks......................................Questing is, if anything, worse than in Oblivion. Literally everyone in the world has something they lost or need found, but no initiative to go and find it. This game is essentially one big fetch quest after another. Its sickening and disheartening..............................Still, as an action game based loosely on a narrative, with some role playing aspects, Skyrim sort of works. It has its moments. But as a true role playing game Skyrim is beyond terrible, and that is why, despite the things I like about the game, I am giving it only a 5. I am reviewing the game as the RPG it claimed to be and was not, as opposed to overlooking this significant bit of false advertising.........................Bugged launch, zero replay value, linear quest line, poor combat and terrible dialogue and writing (all in the Bethesda tradition) guarantee this will be the last Bethesda-developed game I ever purchase. Terrible developer with terrible writers.… Expand
  89. Sindo
    Dec 17, 2011
    10
    I've been playing the game since it came out and so far have put in over 80hrs and I've still got a lot more quests to do! The game has its faults, the odd AI/graphical glitch and it occasionally crashes to the desktop, but these can be easily overlooked because its such an amazing game, the world, quests, graphics etc are very well done. If you don't have this game and like RPGs then goI've been playing the game since it came out and so far have put in over 80hrs and I've still got a lot more quests to do! The game has its faults, the odd AI/graphical glitch and it occasionally crashes to the desktop, but these can be easily overlooked because its such an amazing game, the world, quests, graphics etc are very well done. If you don't have this game and like RPGs then go out and buy it!!… Expand
  90. rucknrun
    Dec 17, 2011
    9
    Amazing game. I run into some crashes on the PS3 on occasion but the game plays well and looks great. I spend half my day at work emailing friends about what they got into in game. An improvement over Oblivion.
  91. spmxvc
    Dec 16, 2011
    10
    Yeah, you need to tweak the game via console and the .ini files. Yeah, you need to get into the modding scene to fix some of the bugs and problems. Yeah, the game didn't run with over 2GB memory without some kind of third party application. Well guess what... that's what the dedicated Elder Scrolls players are used to. And we LOVE Bethesda for it. They let us play the game the way WE wantYeah, you need to tweak the game via console and the .ini files. Yeah, you need to get into the modding scene to fix some of the bugs and problems. Yeah, the game didn't run with over 2GB memory without some kind of third party application. Well guess what... that's what the dedicated Elder Scrolls players are used to. And we LOVE Bethesda for it. They let us play the game the way WE want to play it. Do we want to modify the way we level up? quite often we do. Do we want to modify the difficulty and scaling of the game? Of course we do. Do we want to tweak the graphics, overhaul the system, get the most out of our real gaming machines? You're bloody well right we do! The fifth installation in the Elder Scrolls series allows the gamer to play and change the game to suit them. Why did Skyrim win GotY 2011? Pretty simple. Bethesda created a game that let the user decide how they wanted to play. The Elder Scrolls series is one of the very few games that allow the user the utmost control over how the game works. Game developers need to understand, you give the community a development kit and you will have them work for free, creating new content, fixing bugs. That's the kind of community that dedicated PC gamers are, we love these games because they give us almost unparalleled control over the way in which the game functions. I don't like being locked to 65 FoV because the developers didn't want to put the option in the game for PC gamers. I don't like being locked to certain keys because the developers didn't want to make the code for remapping keys. I hate being forced to play a game in a linear style without any deviations from the path. Does the game have problems? Yes. Can these problems be fixed by the user? YES! Nothing short of a 10 out of 10.… Expand
  92. HD3
    Dec 16, 2011
    2
    Skyrim has two major strengths ; you can wander anywhere at almost any time and kill almost anything you find there and you have a huge number of sidequests available to you. Outside of that the game has a lot of flaws which everyone seems to be a little too willing to overlook. Character development is almost universally absent and plot never delves much deeper than prophecised hero slaysSkyrim has two major strengths ; you can wander anywhere at almost any time and kill almost anything you find there and you have a huge number of sidequests available to you. Outside of that the game has a lot of flaws which everyone seems to be a little too willing to overlook. Character development is almost universally absent and plot never delves much deeper than prophecised hero slays ancient evil. Even the civil war arc which is intitally established as a major feature of the game's world remains largely stagnant, save for Imperial or Stormcloak troops replacing the local militia after certain quests.
    The copy and paste enviroments aren't quite as bad as Oblivion but still enough that you can see some of the days where the developers weren't at their best. The biggest problem is the combat however. If you're going to play Skyrim, go with a mage, because melee combat, particularly if you use a two hand weapon, rarely amounts to more than mashing w/e key you've assigned your sword/mace/dagger etc to until the thing you were aiming at is dead. If you are looking for a game that satisfies wanderlust and affords great flexibility, you'll enjoy Skyrim. If you're looking a tight engaging story and well developed combat systems, look elsewhere.    … Expand
  93. Kuarlos
    Dec 16, 2011
    0
    REASON FOR SCORE- 0 as this is just another bethesda game, nothing special, no extra effort and its metacritic score is waaaay too high. To rub salt in the wound this is a PC port. Wonder what I mean? You will know if you buy.
    GAMEPLAY- Oblivion. Enough said. GRAPHICS- think crysis 2/battlefield 3. Graphics that look like they could be sharp but were limited to consol standard, however if    REASON FOR SCORE- 0 as this is just another bethesda game, nothing special, no extra effort and its metacritic score is waaaay too high. To rub salt in the wound this is a PC port. Wonder what I mean? You will know if you buy.
    GAMEPLAY- Oblivion. Enough said. GRAPHICS- think crysis 2/battlefield 3. Graphics that look like they could be sharp but were limited to consol standard, however if your gpu is below or at 9800gt this will look nice and run well.
    LEVEL DESIGN- Stunning, but I would trade half those unwalkable slopes for gameplay.
    AI- there is AD as in artificial dumbness but no, there is no ai. UI- worst I have ever seen in an pc game, leaves you wishing you had a pad..
    ATMOSPHERE-epic, the best, but the ui breaks it up awfully. LEVELING- Cant conclude on this but it just doesnt engage me, as in oblivion you arent specialising, you arent engaging the enemy, you just toss about pausing, running back and forth, wondering if you have hit anything, the world cant be faulted though. QUESTING-One quest in and it was cool.    … Expand
  94. Fr33T
    Dec 16, 2011
    6
    This game has amazing graphics. Although the game engine and combat system is really frustrating. If you hit an unarmed woman with your sword, she will keep on attacking you with her bare hand like nothing at all. They meant to do this I know, but still it gets really annoying.
  95. notacarebear
    Dec 16, 2011
    5
    I was going to write about the non existent player and profession progressions, the underwhelming spell progression , the ridiculously easy difficulty at master level, the broken spell exp gain, the unappealing race choices, the big dead world, the dragonball clashes, the ui, the feeling of emptiness once you realize you are not making progress or making any difference etc, but i thinkI was going to write about the non existent player and profession progressions, the underwhelming spell progression , the ridiculously easy difficulty at master level, the broken spell exp gain, the unappealing race choices, the big dead world, the dragonball clashes, the ui, the feeling of emptiness once you realize you are not making progress or making any difference etc, but i think this phrase sums what Skyrim really is by a developer's point of view: "we can't implement our visions so we dumb down our expectations, ideas and pride because of that black thing that plugs on that money-maker box".… Expand
  96. Invader-Nik
    Dec 16, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the best Elder Scrolls game by far. Before this game I never payed attention to the series, and then when I played the game I just loved it. The world is massive, full of cities, villages and other things. The graphics are simply amazing. And all the moves you can learn is also great. But the thing I love most about this game is the ability to turn into a werewolf. Really great work. Bethesda has done it again!… Expand
  97. MrHabadasher
    Dec 16, 2011
    10
    Depsite certain nostalgic critics, Skyrim is the best Elder Scrolls game to date. It has the same in depth, complex RPG gaming that TES games have always had, with some slight (welcome) modifications, but a more visceral combat experience. Glitches are a problem, but no more so than Oblivion suffered on release, and the glitches are slowly being patched.
    My favorite game of all time.    Depsite certain nostalgic critics, Skyrim is the best Elder Scrolls game to date. It has the same in depth, complex RPG gaming that TES games have always had, with some slight (welcome) modifications, but a more visceral combat experience. Glitches are a problem, but no more so than Oblivion suffered on release, and the glitches are slowly being patched.
    My favorite game of all time. Seriously, this is RPG gaming at its finest.    … Expand
  98. faudau
    Dec 16, 2011
    9
    I signed up with Metacritic just to praise this game. It is perhaps the best game I have ever played (up for debate) but its that good. Sure it had some bugs out of the gate and really I gave it a 9 because the devs could have put forth a little more effort on the PC version (controls, textures and the interface all suffer from consolitis) but other than that it is a downright blast toI signed up with Metacritic just to praise this game. It is perhaps the best game I have ever played (up for debate) but its that good. Sure it had some bugs out of the gate and really I gave it a 9 because the devs could have put forth a little more effort on the PC version (controls, textures and the interface all suffer from consolitis) but other than that it is a downright blast to play and you'll log 40 hours before scratching the surface.… Expand
  99. HappyWolfie
    Dec 15, 2011
    5
    Skyrim is not really an RPG game. It is adventure-quest game. RPG system is so simplified event retarded children can master it. When i played the game, character race were mentioned only once or twice, and had absolutely no effect on gameplay. Story is nice but most quests very linear and lack choices.
  100. SirDucky9
    Dec 15, 2011
    8
    Amazing game. The level up system is really great and in depth. The variety of things to do in this game is enormous. If you simply want to wander around roaming the wilderness for animals, then fine you can do it. If you feel like going on a mass murder spree then the wish is yours. You may also do exciting quests or have fun throwing food at someones face. These are just the starts toAmazing game. The level up system is really great and in depth. The variety of things to do in this game is enormous. If you simply want to wander around roaming the wilderness for animals, then fine you can do it. If you feel like going on a mass murder spree then the wish is yours. You may also do exciting quests or have fun throwing food at someones face. These are just the starts to this amazing journey however for some people they are not even allowed to experience this amazing game due to massive bugs. I, myself have never had any of these although I know someone who cant even open a door without crashes. Another issue I have found is that i am bored. I have no idea why because I always had great time playing, but for some reason I still just don't feel like playing this game. Odd… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 29, 2012
    90
    Unfortunately, Skyrim trips and falls on its own (most probably, to make the cool-sounding deadline of 11-11-11) and just before it reaches perfection as the ultimate specimen of its genre, it self-destructs in a crucial aspect of game design: the interface and the peripheral components (inventory, journal, map, etc)... but that is not to say that Skyrim is anything but a truly majestic, epic RPG that will suck you right in its cosmos.
    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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