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. Muuvinki
    Mar 31, 2013
    7
    This game is for casuals who like to play game without worrying about mistakes affecting your game.
    Quests cannot be failed, quest marker automatically shows where you need to go, Important NPC's cannot be killed, ridiculously overpowered spells/shouts, dumb enemy AI. If you are even playing this game below Master difficulty you deserve to be kicked to the crotch.
  2. njkk
    Feb 7, 2013
    7
    The game is amazing just like oblivion was the main issue i had was with the game crashing all the time. I eventually fixed it through updates and lowering resolution but by that time, it had kind of ruined the experience for me. Also the lack of multiplayer or pvp is kind of disappointing.
  3. Srhike
    Nov 16, 2012
    7
    I can´t believe I spend 150+ hours playing this game! Must be my new record. After such a time I can tell my honest opinion of this game. Let´s start with downsides. The game world could be better. I feel the map is way too small for this game. Larger map would greatly enhance the immersiveness and creators could have put more variation on terrain. Plot ain´t that great,I can´t believe I spend 150+ hours playing this game! Must be my new record. After such a time I can tell my honest opinion of this game. Let´s start with downsides. The game world could be better. I feel the map is way too small for this game. Larger map would greatly enhance the immersiveness and creators could have put more variation on terrain. Plot ain´t that great, some side quests have good stories( for example, Thieves guild), but mainstory is just...dull. You can finish it in few hours and generally I didn´t care about it at all. Dialog is the best I´ve seen in Scrolls game. It´s still terrible though. Bethesda probably tried to make the world feel more "alive", but they failed. Dialog sounds akward, is tedious sometimes and ain´t serving a purpose all the time. NPCs are way too eager to tell useless opinions and what the f**k they did last evening! Players choices don´t really matter. You can butcher every man and woman in a village and afterwards citizen of Skyrim and guards still think of you as a hero, you can serve every damn god without fear of divine punishment. Skill trees are either underpowered, overpowered, dull or useless. Combat is fun when you play the game for the first time, but it gets dull quickly, you don´t feel like you are hitting things, it´s unsatisfactory. And AI is outstandingly dumb. Those are the weak points of the game, but they don´t break the game completely. This game is damn immersive at times, I can spend hours walking around and won´t even notice it. And there´s a lot of background for the world. And on PC you have mods! With mods you can fix several major problems and make this game gorgeus looking. If you aren´t as fussy as I am then you´ll have even more fun than I did. I say buy this game! Do it! Now!… Expand
  4. DeltaBlackWater
    Aug 9, 2013
    7
    Great game, but found that I had to fix a lot of things with mods making it feel incomplete. For some reason as well, I dont find myself replaying it as much as if it was Oblivion. For one there's a war or battle going on but it doesn't feel like that in this game, where as in Oblivion, u were fighting those gates and demonic creatures. Though its still a good game, just wish there wasGreat game, but found that I had to fix a lot of things with mods making it feel incomplete. For some reason as well, I dont find myself replaying it as much as if it was Oblivion. For one there's a war or battle going on but it doesn't feel like that in this game, where as in Oblivion, u were fighting those gates and demonic creatures. Though its still a good game, just wish there was more to it story wise!… Expand
  5. Moozaam
    Apr 12, 2013
    7
    An overrated game for sure. I've played it for more than 600 hours but I still don't find this game satisfying. A lot of bugs and the main story sucked a goats scrotum, yummie. It is surely an improvement from Oblivion but this game still isn't enough to reach the crown of RPG's. Skyrim would be better of without without the boring landscape. Yeah, I know it's a part of the Elder ScrollsAn overrated game for sure. I've played it for more than 600 hours but I still don't find this game satisfying. A lot of bugs and the main story sucked a goats scrotum, yummie. It is surely an improvement from Oblivion but this game still isn't enough to reach the crown of RPG's. Skyrim would be better of without without the boring landscape. Yeah, I know it's a part of the Elder Scrolls lore but come on. Sure, it's beautiful in the beginning but the game lacks creative design. A lot of potential but if the game would have had a better story, the game would improve enough for being called a RPG. Now it is a action free roaming sorta game. Bethesda's biggest mistake was the DLC's, the biggest money stealing DLC's ever. Dawnguard and Hearthfire should have been a part of the original Skyrim and Dragonborn was unfinished. Good game but still overrated.… Expand
  6. Duskspark
    Jul 12, 2013
    7
    The world of Skyrim is beautiful and filled with detail, yet an uninterresting story with evenly boring characters, dated physics and textures, and frustrating combat make this game a bit of a missed chance, overrated as never before, and simply a copy of everything Bethesda already did before.
  7. Saratosa75
    Mar 25, 2013
    7
    The game gets a 7, because while it's a great free roaming action rpg, the missions are basically can be summed up as "go here kill something" or "go here, kill something and bring me (insert an item)". While the world is full of monsters and dragons and bandits..it feels static. Nothing changes, no matter how many crypts and dungeons you clear, it seems like they weren't really botheringThe game gets a 7, because while it's a great free roaming action rpg, the missions are basically can be summed up as "go here kill something" or "go here, kill something and bring me (insert an item)". While the world is full of monsters and dragons and bandits..it feels static. Nothing changes, no matter how many crypts and dungeons you clear, it seems like they weren't really bothering anyone, and it won't make anything different, since you cleared many bunch of them. People say the same things, act the same way, doing the same exact things, like nothing has happened. Not even the threat of the dragons really bothered them at all, nevermind the fact, that dragons seem to be rather occupied by killing the wildlife anyway. The magic is very hampered and uninspiring, while the close combat feels like just whacking around. Graphics is great, although there are plenty of low resolution textures, that makes it look like a game from 2006. The real score the game should deserve would be around 5 or 6, but because of the thousands of mods and the time I have put into it, it gets a 7. All the so called pro-reviewers giving 9 and10 are smoking something, that they should share. There is no way this game is perfect.… Expand
  8. Seryin
    Mar 10, 2013
    7
    Every TES game from Bethesda SHOULD have been a 10. However the size of the game is NOT an excuse. These game are LOADED with bugs and glitches. It is inexcusable by Bethesda. If you have the manpower to make the large games you do, than you have the manpower to clean it up right before you release it. It is a shame that TES has the potential to be a legend among games but can never seemEvery TES game from Bethesda SHOULD have been a 10. However the size of the game is NOT an excuse. These game are LOADED with bugs and glitches. It is inexcusable by Bethesda. If you have the manpower to make the large games you do, than you have the manpower to clean it up right before you release it. It is a shame that TES has the potential to be a legend among games but can never seem to do anything but scratch the surface because of its bugs. Bethesda should be embarrassed that they can't properly polish up the games they push so much praise into.
    The game could have been a 10, but the army of bugs and glitches always seem to bring your character to his knees before any Dragon can.    … Expand
  9. CaptainCupboard
    Mar 21, 2013
    7
    For me, Skyrim lasted quite a while. I put about 70 hours into it on PC and half as much on Xbox 360. At first it was all so familiar, you start off as a prisoner. While this irritated me I still carried on. The character creation I didn't like, nowhere as much freedom as its predecessor, Oblivion. I escaped the prison, got out. Just walked around a bit. Explored, I suppose I enjoyed itFor me, Skyrim lasted quite a while. I put about 70 hours into it on PC and half as much on Xbox 360. At first it was all so familiar, you start off as a prisoner. While this irritated me I still carried on. The character creation I didn't like, nowhere as much freedom as its predecessor, Oblivion. I escaped the prison, got out. Just walked around a bit. Explored, I suppose I enjoyed it moderately. I did the main quest which was...to be honest...a bit rubbish. You basically have to kill a dragon, a dragon thats slightly bigger than all the other ones. I love the combat, its so simple and easy to use and is much more enjoyable than having to constantly press buttons. Although combat was simplified it felt...so..dumbed down, the magic you use was visually impressive yet boring. While there were significant improvements from the two previous games there were also let-downs. I felt as though the quests were errands "go and deliver this to my wife." "Could you take this spiced meat for the Jarls dogs" They....bored me to death.

    But really...I enjoyed it while it lasted. Although I really have NO urge to go back to it I have some good memories of exciting battles, interesting places, hilarious glitches and those funny gamer poops. The graphics is ABSOLUTELY fine, it sickens me when people complain about its...texture glitches....I mean I really didn't notice it much and I didn't really care. Its truly a shame that I'm bored of it now, but hey, I liked it. I would recommend it but I wouldn't say "GET THE GAME NOW!!!!"    … Expand
  10. Meshinator
    Mar 31, 2013
    7
    After playing Oblivion, I can definitely say that Skyrim, although improved in some areas, still has major flaws. First off, it stinks of console gaming. It was designed for the consoles, with the PC gamer being held as a second class citizen. The graphics are no where near where they should be, the quests are uninteresting/ridiculous and the menu is terrible. I feel like everything wasAfter playing Oblivion, I can definitely say that Skyrim, although improved in some areas, still has major flaws. First off, it stinks of console gaming. It was designed for the consoles, with the PC gamer being held as a second class citizen. The graphics are no where near where they should be, the quests are uninteresting/ridiculous and the menu is terrible. I feel like everything was "dumbed down" for those that can't really *get* into a good, deep RPG. Instead, it was directed at the COD players out there (yes, you know who you are) that want INTENSE, ACTION PACKED AWESOME, but without the mystical backing. I'm sorry, but when I become the leader of a guild, I want to feel like I earned it. The quest lines were shallow, rewards for exploration were weak, and the world didn't really come together like it should have, Overall, it wasn't a *bad* experience, but I was definitely disappointed. I would have rated it higher, had it not been the next game in the TES series, but Bethesda I expected better.… Expand
  11. BudSpencer
    May 15, 2013
    7
    The problem here is not that it´s bad, it´s just that the game isn´t a true RPG. The story is boring and uninteresting, the characters too, the graphics are ugly but they set the landscapes and mountains in a magic scene so the graphics can be described as: weak graphics that let the world look beautiful. The combat gets repetitive, the merchants are useless because all stuff and weaponryThe problem here is not that it´s bad, it´s just that the game isn´t a true RPG. The story is boring and uninteresting, the characters too, the graphics are ugly but they set the landscapes and mountains in a magic scene so the graphics can be described as: weak graphics that let the world look beautiful. The combat gets repetitive, the merchants are useless because all stuff and weaponry you get from chests. The only real good thing in this game is the world and epic feeling. That´s it. Buy Skyrim get blown away by the setting and world and have fun, yeah it´s fun even if it´s a bad RPG. I can recommend the game to everyone who never played RPG´s before and which want an easy to play one, but don´t expect too much. You will see how bad it is, but then you will also love it and play it 100 hrs. Try it out and build your own opinion! The PC Version is superior but unstable. Many people have problems with lags, the system requirements are a lie. You can´t be sure if it´s running or not. Get it for console if you are a casual.… Expand
  12. Isengrim
    May 9, 2013
    7
    TES V: Skryim open world fantasy RPG that suck You in more than anything and anyone before.
    Let's talk about the main story of this game... Em... Oh, right, dragons and stuff... yeah. Main story is hardly a strong point of this game. It's all about the exploring and side-quests... and with this Skyrim is damn good. Forget about sleep, forget about food, forget about girlfriend/boyfriend    TES V: Skryim open world fantasy RPG that suck You in more than anything and anyone before.
    Let's talk about the main story of this game... Em... Oh, right, dragons and stuff... yeah. Main story is hardly a strong point of this game. It's all about the exploring and side-quests... and with this Skyrim is damn good. Forget about sleep, forget about food, forget about girlfriend/boyfriend there is another cave to explore!

    Graphics are good but nothing over the top... but who cares, really? This game is clearly not about graphics.

    Soundtrack is good and climatic, gameplay is very enjoyable. This game is damn good.

    Of course is has some minuses: the main storyline is short and it will never be the factor that keeps you playing. Characters are forgettable. There are some bugs here and there but patches are made short work from most of them.

    And also... Mods support will make You play this game more... and more... and more.
    TES V: Skyrim certainly worth having.    … Expand
  13. MooMooMilkCrava
    Nov 23, 2013
    7
    For a game, it certainly has a lot of content. The downside of this, is that most of it is actually pretty boring after some hours into it. The only way I managed to even get to over 100 hours clocked on this game was to install a bunch of mods for it. But these mods people make for this game are amazingly good. This game probably has some of the best mods I've seen in a game yet, andFor a game, it certainly has a lot of content. The downside of this, is that most of it is actually pretty boring after some hours into it. The only way I managed to even get to over 100 hours clocked on this game was to install a bunch of mods for it. But these mods people make for this game are amazingly good. This game probably has some of the best mods I've seen in a game yet, and that's basically why I was able to play so much of this game. The story is pretty average at best, the could of done a few things to make that better. It does do one thing good that The Elder Scrolls series has always excelled at; allowing you to play the game the way you want to. It does have a couple of bugs here and there, but that's to be expected in a big game like this.

    In short, if it wasn't for the large database of mods available for download, I'd probably give this game a 5 or 6. It just likes to keep throwing the same stuff at you a lot and the only way to really avoid this is by either ignoring it or installing mods.    … Expand
  14. lynxx
    Jun 24, 2013
    7
    This is really good game, but it can be boring at any second. If you like to play more like an action or a story based game... Play Oblivion.. That game is far better.
  15. XXDragoNXX
    Jul 20, 2013
    7
    Ah yes, Skyrim. It`s a good RPG game that you will spend a lot of time on (Played 25 hours, about to start a new playthrough with new DLC). Honestly I liked Oblivion much more then I like Skyrim, I don`t know why. It just feels different. But anyway, if you like RPG games, or are a fan of The Elder Scrolls, definitely pick this game up!
    7..
    If you want all the DLC, and you should get it,    Ah yes, Skyrim. It`s a good RPG game that you will spend a lot of time on (Played 25 hours, about to start a new playthrough with new DLC). Honestly I liked Oblivion much more then I like Skyrim, I don`t know why. It just feels different. But anyway, if you like RPG games, or are a fan of The Elder Scrolls, definitely pick this game up!
    7..
    If you want all the DLC, and you should get it, then pick up the Legendary Edition!    … Expand
  16. mariomeetslego
    Jul 17, 2013
    7
    Skyrim is a good game, it's not a masterpiece like some people claim, but it is fun. The game lacks in visuals and the combat isn't that in depth either. But to make up for that it has tons of content and a huge open world to explore. All the quests and side quests will keep you engaged for hours. They're not all just "Kill this and bring me a sample of their blood by pressing the actionSkyrim is a good game, it's not a masterpiece like some people claim, but it is fun. The game lacks in visuals and the combat isn't that in depth either. But to make up for that it has tons of content and a huge open world to explore. All the quests and side quests will keep you engaged for hours. They're not all just "Kill this and bring me a sample of their blood by pressing the action button". Instead they have you exploring dungeons, making decisions, fighting off spirits in towns, solving puzzles, and of course fighting. The music in this game is great too. The best part of Skyrim though, is the MOD support. Making the game great.

    Even though the game has lots of quests and an engaging world, the bad graphics and poor combat system make the game average, while it could have been great, I can only give it a 7.4. Sure it may sound like a lot but for the hype this game is getting it's considered pretty low.    … Expand
  17. yar
    Dec 9, 2013
    7
    Great concept and fun to play. However, don't let the high meta score fool you. The game is not polished enough to deserve such a score. Bad AI that you can take massive advantage of (they get stuck, won't climb up objects, can't jump, etc)... the same environment everywhere you go, the same enemies everywhere you go, and in general the same routine everywhere you go. The inventoryGreat concept and fun to play. However, don't let the high meta score fool you. The game is not polished enough to deserve such a score. Bad AI that you can take massive advantage of (they get stuck, won't climb up objects, can't jump, etc)... the same environment everywhere you go, the same enemies everywhere you go, and in general the same routine everywhere you go. The inventory system is anything but seamless and the game has numerous bugs that can be found starting day 1. It has no profile system on pc, so playing with multiple people becomes a hassle trying to find your last save.

    The game is fun though, has a creative leveling system, and constantly urges you on to discover something new. The pace of the game is slow at times and the dialogue scenes can be tedious. despite all of the above, and if it were a bit more polished I would give it a great score. Good Fun Game, worth the money I got it on steam sale at 14.99) but not "all that"    … Expand
  18. Mjoog
    Oct 14, 2013
    7
    Skyrim is great, and from someone who loved (most of) the previous games in the series, I'm absolutely in love. The environments are beautiful, the graphics are excellent even on lower settings.
    But the game has bugs. So many bugs. Animations are off, the AI can act irrational and strange... one of the most common bugs is that the top-billed voice actor (Max von Sydow) can't be heard at    Skyrim is great, and from someone who loved (most of) the previous games in the series, I'm absolutely in love. The environments are beautiful, the graphics are excellent even on lower settings.
    But the game has bugs. So many bugs. Animations are off, the AI can act irrational and strange... one of the most common bugs is that the top-billed voice actor (Max von Sydow) can't be heard at all, and thus has to be hacked for quests to progress! Minor bugs are acceptable and almost expected, especially with games this huge (you can play this game for 100 hours and still have things to discover on the map!), but something as basic as making sure the key elements work?
    I love Bethesda in general, and I will keep playing Skyrim for many more hours, but it's so bug-addled sometimes that the shining light fades slightly and annoyance takes over.    … Expand
  19. turlocs
    Nov 5, 2013
    7
    This game really did dissapoint me i know this is many people's game of the year but i cant help but think this whole game was nothing but a dissapointment half of the people that have played other elderscrolls games knows what im talking about oblivion was alot alot alot alot better in every respect and was ahead of its time my heaps but this is just hack and slash with crysis graphicsThis game really did dissapoint me i know this is many people's game of the year but i cant help but think this whole game was nothing but a dissapointment half of the people that have played other elderscrolls games knows what im talking about oblivion was alot alot alot alot better in every respect and was ahead of its time my heaps but this is just hack and slash with crysis graphics everything about it just made me think why am i playing this its done better in oblivion id honestly say this was my biggest dissapointment of the year i was so hiped up for this game hanging on to every peice of gameplay and trailer bethesda gave us and i was just givin bugs popins hack and slash with no good story or any effect on the world no matter what you do 7/10 good game im not saying its bad its just really not as good as it schould have been… Expand
  20. eymrich
    Nov 27, 2013
    7
    If you come there from morrowind and then oblivion hoping to see a redemption of brethsa... well that's not it. This game feel like a dumbed version of oblivion. It's better, seriously, but it's dumbed down. The rpg aspect is limited to say the least. Gone are the days when you could make your own spells and weapons enchant AS you liked. And gone too are a lot of funny/stupid things thatIf you come there from morrowind and then oblivion hoping to see a redemption of brethsa... well that's not it. This game feel like a dumbed version of oblivion. It's better, seriously, but it's dumbed down. The rpg aspect is limited to say the least. Gone are the days when you could make your own spells and weapons enchant AS you liked. And gone too are a lot of funny/stupid things that you could do with the others TES game.

    But, if you can play it without comparing it with daggerfall and morrowind then you have decent game. The graphic(especially with mods) is great. The animations, sounds and music are quite nice. It's a fully immersive game. I have only one big complain, aiming to full immersion the choice of pause the game every damn time you interact with the quickbar it's silly... I mean you are in front of a HUGE dragon, hit q and... the game pause. It breaks totally the joy for me.
    There are mods yes, but again if you come from morrowind dont expect to see stuff like that. There are mods VERY good, that actually make this game more an rpg than a graphic adventure but still, it's skyrim. And with skyrim i have to say dumb... so yeah, it's a dumb rpg.

    Still, in the end i can't say it's a bad game. Graphic, sound, playability are all greats, it just lacks of difficulty other than "More hp/damage on monster" and there are only a handfull ways to beat it at top difficulty(the old TES had a LOT of "cheaty ways" so they felt easier but it was fun experimenting all of them). In the pletora of useless games around it's still worthless games around it's good to try it out, especially if you will be using mods it's a good investment. If there are any good discount buy it eyes close     … Expand
  21. devenlg
    Dec 10, 2013
    7
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is an improvement to the last. But yet it still lacks some things, and is annoying in some aspects. One of them is the dialogue. The voices are recycled quite a bit, as well as the things they say. But the great things counter-act that. Cave and ruin exploring, fighting dragons, tons of side-quests, and so much more. Even better, there are no huge glitches orThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is an improvement to the last. But yet it still lacks some things, and is annoying in some aspects. One of them is the dialogue. The voices are recycled quite a bit, as well as the things they say. But the great things counter-act that. Cave and ruin exploring, fighting dragons, tons of side-quests, and so much more. Even better, there are no huge glitches or bugs that make the game entirely unplayable. The only major bug I found was about 7-8 hours into the game, and a simple reload could fix it. I indeed suggest this game, but if you do, buy the PC version, as the console version fall a bit short.… Expand
  22. reguire
    Jan 23, 2015
    7
    this game has nothing to do with role playing. it is more like action adventure game. repetitive cave clearing quests, fetch quests MORE THAN dragon age inquisition. but still fun game and I am playing it for hours.
  23. Andante
    Jul 7, 2022
    7
    Skyrim is a good game but it doesn't feel special or unique. Most places and dungeons look the same, NPC's are a big disappointment and it is based on quantity rather than quality. Menus and inventory screens are not practical and as a result navigation is really confusing and time consuming. But it is still a good game with a beautifully designed world, and lots of lore spread throughout it.
  24. Greenvortex11
    May 10, 2015
    7
    Overall Rate: 7/10

    A great, open-world, practically endless RPG with many familiar fantasy elements and Elder Scrolls Lore. Although there are many good points about this game and I would definitely recommend it, there are quite a few flaws that take away from the overall experience and the game just feels like it could have been so much more. Story: rate 6/10. A pretty generic,    Overall Rate: 7/10

    A great, open-world, practically endless RPG with many familiar fantasy elements and Elder Scrolls Lore. Although there are many good points about this game and I would definitely recommend it, there are quite a few flaws that take away from the overall experience and the game just feels like it could have been so much more.

    Story: rate 6/10. A pretty generic, "player is the only one who can save us", "epic" story. The player can excel in everything he/she tries, even if they have no experience in that area (for example: getting into the College of Winterhold simply by casting a low-level spell and having never used magic before). I won't go into details, so not to reveal spoliers for those that haven't played, but a lot of the courses of action you take seem to have little effect on the world around you. Not to mention, the main questlines are very short and take around maybe 4-6 hours to complete in full, which is very disappointing, especially when you look at previous Elder Scrolls games when questlines could take around 10 or even 20+ hours. Most of the quests are "fetch quests" with small rewards and these never run out. They are fun at first, but after a while, they can get tedious and boring. There's no exploration or a sense of being "lost", as a map marker directly points to a quest objective's exact location. This feature can be turned off in the quest menu, but in a way, the marker is required because there are no instructions given regarding where you need to go for a quest.

    Characters: rate 6/10. There are lots of characters in this game, but only a handful of them are worth mentioning or rememberable. The same backstories get told over and over again, and nothing else. For example, a lot of the dialouge I've heard goes like this, "I'm a fisherman / farmer / laborer of some kind and my family's been here for x generations (and I have nothing else to say)" sort of thing. It gets quite old. Even so, there are still a handfull of characters who are interesting and have more depth to their story than what meets the eye.

    Graphics / Interface: rate 7/10. For the most part, the graphics and interface are aggreeable. The menu was made for consoles, so it can be difficult to work with at first and it doesn't always cooperate. The graphics could be better, but they don't take away from the experience, and the landscape can look quite beautiful in the big picture. The map is not helpful for navigation, as it is supposed to be a "real representation in 3D" map (not sure what's so great about that. It doesn't even fit the theme of the game!).

    Glitches: This game, at first, had many glitches. Most of them have been fixed, but I wouldn't be surprised if it breaks / crashes at random, people get stuck in the floors, quests gone missing, etc. This was one of the biggest problems at release and it shows that the overall production of the game was running short on time.

    The good lies in the gameplay and mechanics. Although the combat is still "click the mouse untill the enemy dies", it can still be fun. I personally think stealth, dual-wielding, and smashing things with two-handed weapons (not necessarily combined) offer a fun combat experience. As stated earlier, this is an open-world RPG and you can pretty much do whatever you please aside from the first quest and work at your own pace - the magic of Elder Scrolls games. If you're into roleplaying, Skyrim is lacking in this area, as the leveling system is mediocre and there's little replayability value because one character could pretty much do anything and everything if you wish it to be so. Once you get up to the higher levels, the game is easy to break and the character can kill almost everything in under 10 seconds and leave unscathed, even on master or legendary (with the Legendary edition or the Dragonborn dlc) difficulty.

    Overall: Despite everything I've said, this game is still enjoyable: there are lots of places to explore, endless things to do, and pretty good character creation. Although this is not the focus of my review and not required to enjoy the game, mods can really add to the experience and some people would even consider them a necessity (which is sad: why should people have to add things that should've been in the original game?). I would try Skyrim out if it sounds like something you'd enjoy.    … Expand
  25. marc5477
    Dec 23, 2014
    7
    Despite my complaints, Skyrim is easily the best game on the shelf until you fast forward 3 years to get Divinity Original Sin. Like previous Elder Scrolls games, the world is gargantuan and the graphics really look great albeit that does not drive my score. Voice acting is good. Story is acceptable and combat is tolerable albeit still not great.

    What I liked: + Exploration. Best    Despite my complaints, Skyrim is easily the best game on the shelf until you fast forward 3 years to get Divinity Original Sin. Like previous Elder Scrolls games, the world is gargantuan and the graphics really look great albeit that does not drive my score. Voice acting is good. Story is acceptable and combat is tolerable albeit still not great.

    What I liked:

    + Exploration. Best open world game since Morrowind and you can do a lot of things from stealing everything to owning most of every town.

    + I love finding unique items and displaying them in my home. They are my trophies.

    + As stated above, voice acting was good. People need to get a perspective and compare it to most games in the genre and previous games. Have you people actually played console jRPGs? They are a travesty in comparison and they are all considered 'ok,' by many reviewers.

    + Spells are still fun despite lack in variety. I like blowing things up.

    There are a few things I do not like about Skyrim:

    - Shameless dumbing down of what used to be awesome (Morrowind)... fewer spells, less enchanting options (and easier to get high level enchants), and fewer types of weapons and armor. Less variety = less fun. Yes it makes the game easier to balance, but who cares in a single player game? I dont. I want to play the way I want. Its an open world game right?

    - I hate the inventory system. Its slow, and cumbersome. Clearly it is a console downgrade for people who use a pad. The lack of respect for the PC platform that popularized the series is really disheartening.

    - AI is still as bad as previous games. Enemies keep getting stuck and you can easily defeat them by hopping onto a rock and then off... hilarious for the 1st hour, very disappointing after that.

    - Combat is still disappointingly shallow. They can really take a lesson from Witcher here, not that it is a work of genius, but it is much better than combat here. This has been an ongoing problem with all ES games.

    - Economy... lol what economy? You basically own the world in this game. Very dull and was also a weakness in previous ES games. It still has not been addressed and I am very disappointed.

    - Claw puzzles... are lame. These are not really puzzles. No brain required.    … Expand
  26. whitepawn
    Jul 1, 2014
    7
    A solid "offline" game, if you have a good audiobook playing or need to catch up on podcasts. In all fairness, I've never finished it, I get bored not enough story or dialogue-ing companions to drive the story (is there a story?) forward. Combat is fine.

    PRO: -graphics -open world -open leveling system -dragons -a cryptic story involving said dragons -MODS, which can save this    A solid "offline" game, if you have a good audiobook playing or need to catch up on podcasts. In all fairness, I've never finished it, I get bored not enough story or dialogue-ing companions to drive the story (is there a story?) forward. Combat is fine.

    PRO:
    -graphics
    -open world
    -open leveling system
    -dragons
    -a cryptic story involving said dragons
    -MODS, which can save this game
    -neat, interactive environment

    CONS:
    -mobs level with you until L35, then they stop...but you keep on going to L88 making for a boring single arrow to the knee killing everything in your path...even the dragons (well, 2 arrows for dragons, but still...)
    -no real story
    -open, quiet, lonely and often boring world, like an MMORPG left empty and offline.
    -sometimes random dragons show up IN TOWN and kill off your questgivers
    -companions are boring, even if you marry them
    -neat interactive environment gets old when you realize you're looting the same shelf with the same iron pot, cheeses, and wheat in the same places over and over again
    -gets old, no motivation to finish.
    -THE INVENTORY INTERFACE IS TERRIBLE...be prepared to scroll through hundreds of items to find anything
    -no ability to hotkey, the favorites menu items don't make up for this...it's the 2010s, get it together already    … Expand
  27. PuppetMazter
    Jul 11, 2014
    7
    A bit overrated in my opinion, but still a solid game that gave me 50 hours of fun. The graphics are impressive, but not as glorious as everyone says they are. They are about the same as the first Assassin's Creed, which came out in 2007, 4 years before Skyrim. The combat system was really disappointing and got old fast. The dungeons also got old quick. They all seemed exactly alike to meA bit overrated in my opinion, but still a solid game that gave me 50 hours of fun. The graphics are impressive, but not as glorious as everyone says they are. They are about the same as the first Assassin's Creed, which came out in 2007, 4 years before Skyrim. The combat system was really disappointing and got old fast. The dungeons also got old quick. They all seemed exactly alike to me and were fun at first but just got boring after doing a few. But the story was great and I enjoyed it very much, and the DLC was great as well. The characters could have used a lot of work, and just seemed bland and boring and made Skyrim a slightly depressing and lonely place because of it. Overall I give it a 7/10… Expand
  28. smilzoboboz
    May 9, 2015
    7
    First let me introduce this review saying that I'm reviewing "The Elder's Scroll V: Skyrim", not its mods nor the game with mods.

    Bethesda continued the Elder's Scroll saga keeping the typical extreme role playing features, graphics are extremely nice and overall audio quality is amazing. I have to say though that progressing through the game there have been many things that made me    First let me introduce this review saying that I'm reviewing "The Elder's Scroll V: Skyrim", not its mods nor the game with mods.

    Bethesda continued the Elder's Scroll saga keeping the typical extreme role playing features, graphics are extremely nice and overall audio quality is amazing.

    I have to say though that progressing through the game there have been many things that made me lose interest or even abruptly stop playing the game.
    The first impact was with the minimalistic UI, for me medieval-themed RPG = parchment.
    Second impact (that made me quit after 15 min playing until I discovered the mod SkyUI) was with the UI layout/commands. You have a whole keyboard, full of keys, and you are restricted to up, down, left, right and 1-8 hotkeys, with no mouse integration whatsoever (well there's mouse integration that makes you click things you didn't click).
    After many, many, mods: new UI, mouse clicking bugfix on dialogues, huge bugfixing packs, etc I discovered computer generated quests... that halved my interest on this game just for them being in the game.
    A mix of all that made me quit after ~80h of playtime, of which I genuinely enjoyed probably only half.

    So, now comes the hard part, would I recommend this game given the above? Probably yes, because even with its bugs, the utterly bad UI or the uninteresting computer generated quests the game still holds a lot of hours of fun and good roleplaying. What makes you quit this game, even with all the bugfixing-mods installed, is repetitiveness, Oblivion had less content so, even if it was repetitive too, you couldn't get bored much, this game not only has really an extreme amount of content but also features computer generated quests...

    Ah, and watch out for amethyst rain: every human, animal and plant in skyrim holds at least on amethyst...    … Expand
  29. gloriouspotato
    Sep 29, 2014
    7
    Despite the nice visuals/environments and the grand sense of scale with Skyrim's large map, I found my enthusiasm for Skyrim dwindling quickly the more I played. It seems that Bethesda have focused more on quantity rather than quality, as there are a large number of quests, but only a handful of them have any actual thought put into them. Most of them are monotonous dungeon raids that getDespite the nice visuals/environments and the grand sense of scale with Skyrim's large map, I found my enthusiasm for Skyrim dwindling quickly the more I played. It seems that Bethesda have focused more on quantity rather than quality, as there are a large number of quests, but only a handful of them have any actual thought put into them. Most of them are monotonous dungeon raids that get old very quickly. A part of this is because of the sheer lack of any depth or creativity to many of the side quest narratives. There are a few exceptions ('Blood on the Ice', 'The Mind of Madness', 'The Forsworn Conspiracy'), but these quests are few and far between.

    Other problems include the sub-par UI (though this can be fixed with mods), repetitive voice actors and some balancing issues. For instance, gold is far too easy to come by, thus in accidentally owning the entire economy of Skyrim, the incentive for gold as a quest reward is no more. There are also numerous glitches and exploits, though fortunately most of them are fairly minor, and sometimes humorous.

    On the plus side, some of the gameplay mechanics have been improved over past TES games, and the game allows for a variety of different playstyles, however there might be a few who dislike the simplification/removal of some elements such as spellmaking and attributes.

    In short, Skyrim is a decent game at best, I just wish the game could've been more engaging in terms of storytelling and variation in quest design.

    Overall rating - 7.4/10    … Expand
  30. eyb0ss
    Sep 14, 2014
    7
    Honestly, this game deserves more than 7/10, but I didn't like it that much. The world is expansive and fun detailed as hell and the missions are varied. Personally, however, I disliked the game for the promise of RPG elements, but instead I received barely differentiated classes, boring skill trees, and little to no weapon diversity. For those who prefer a more action oriented game fromHonestly, this game deserves more than 7/10, but I didn't like it that much. The world is expansive and fun detailed as hell and the missions are varied. Personally, however, I disliked the game for the promise of RPG elements, but instead I received barely differentiated classes, boring skill trees, and little to no weapon diversity. For those who prefer a more action oriented game from elder scrolls, play this game. The "problems" that I mentioned were just nitpicks and personal dislikes.… Expand
  31. alanmacd
    Nov 19, 2014
    7
    The greatest role playing game ever crafted? Um, no. For all the wonders of its open world concept, Skyrim lacks the beautifully rendered characters and interactions seen in the Bioware games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins. There is no sense of epic drama to the story which matches the vast world that has been created. Choices make little difference in terms of how your characterThe greatest role playing game ever crafted? Um, no. For all the wonders of its open world concept, Skyrim lacks the beautifully rendered characters and interactions seen in the Bioware games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins. There is no sense of epic drama to the story which matches the vast world that has been created. Choices make little difference in terms of how your character is treated by others in the game. And battles become laughably easy, even on the toughest settings, once you have improved your equipment enough. Bethesda is to be credited for creating something with impressive scope. I just...don't care much about it. I played DA:O and couldn't want for another play-through. I went on the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2 and my heart was in my throat. I'm halfway through Skyrim and I'm just...bored.… Expand
  32. papanurgle
    May 6, 2015
    7
    Skyrim has a awful short story, large empty world and broken and useless RPG elements.
    Story is: here comes a bad dragon who wants to destroy the world and you must defeat it...who was writing this...a ten year old boy. Morrowind did not have a Planescape Torment story but you had that mystic with Dagoth Ur and that was making Morrowind awesome story game...put more time in story mates.    Skyrim has a awful short story, large empty world and broken and useless RPG elements.
    Story is: here comes a bad dragon who wants to destroy the world and you must defeat it...who was writing this...a ten year old boy. Morrowind did not have a Planescape Torment story but you had that mystic with Dagoth Ur and that was making Morrowind awesome story game...put more time in story mates. Evolve more mature depth story not cheep Hollywood action story.
    Civil war quest is also short and dumb...I was expecting from civil war more then go and take over the fort quests.
    Why did you built a large world where practically nothing happens ( come on Skyrim is in the middle of the civil war and I had never had a feeling while traveling through Skyrim that civil war is going ), put more life in Skyrim wilds and roads or reduce the map size that we have a feeling that something is happening ( New Vegas had that...reduced map with more life...their I had a feeling that war was going on between Legion and NCR ). Why did you not combine dragon revivals and civil war quests…you know dragon revival would effect civil war. I also had a feeling like people of Skyrim aren’t effected by dragons return and they are living their boring life…put more fear in your world.
    Sidequest are awesome but in the future instalment you must avoid putting quests like get me this item or get me this weapon ( do not cut it just reduce the pointless quests ), it is really pointless that you must travel from one edge of Skyrim to another just to take a item from the NPC and return it to the quest giver.
    Put guild requirements ( it is really dumb that a barbarian with no skill in magic can join mage guild, same goes with mage in fighters guild).
    Why put 80 points of perks where you can finish you character in 25-30 perks (built improve armor rating , improve damage with weapon , archery damage some sneak and restoration and here you have a awesome character and still I did not use smiting, alchemy or enhance perks because when you used them it is a overkill for every enemy) . Many trees like speech ( why did you not put perks involving shouts in speech tree), lockpicking ( only good perk is the one that improves your weight) are useless. Smiting, alchemy and smiting is OP ( put a limit how much you can improve potion or weapon or armor so it does not go in infinitive), some perks do not apply to weapons ( I think it was critical hit perks, probably some others also ).
    Why there is no attributes? It is really dumb that every character no matter how much is his weapon skill can always hit his enemy. Dexterity should determine a chance to hit, lose the perk that improves damage put strength attribute. Endurance should determine health and stamina and intelligence should improve magicka and spell damage , put willpower so you have better resist magic chance and charisma for sweet talk. Put better perks and not “ if you do a backward power attack you have a chance to stun enemy for 1 seconds and that is ultimate weapon perk ( wow…OMG ) and the list goes on.
    I also heard that many things like guild requirements, better civil war you developed in construction set but left it out…why?
    And after slamming your head to a wall because you wasted your money for BS like Skyrim you discover Skyrim Nexus and boy what a change...mods rule...thank you modders!!!
    Mods fixes many things but still dumb story is here and going ( no main story mod…yet ).
    My suggestion is if you are planning to develop new TES ask Obsidian ( most of them are ex Black Isle employees and we all know that Black Isle was creating best RPG-s ever ) to help you like you did in New Vegas…it is a win and win situation for you and us.
    I give Skyrim without mods 2/10!!!
    I give Skyrim with mods 9/10!!!
    I give Skyrim in general 7/10 because counting on modders to fix your game is lazy so Bethseda learn from modders. The game is unplayable without mods.    … Expand
  33. PhoneyFree
    Apr 28, 2015
    7
    After the resolution of the "paid mods" debacle I can now endorse this game again.

    Solid enjoyable game, greatly enhanced by mods. With mods it's a 10.
  34. Kawai_overdose
    Jun 10, 2015
    7
    Skyrim is an excellent game made by Bethesda and truly rekindles the fire of RPG's.

    Story: The story of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is short yet solid. It is the tale of a hero(you) who goes from being a traveller mistaken for being with the rebellion, the Stormcloaks to being considered Skyrim's hero and saviour from the World Devourer, Alduin. The difficulty of the storyline varies    Skyrim is an excellent game made by Bethesda and truly rekindles the fire of RPG's.

    Story: The story of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is short yet solid. It is the tale of a hero(you) who goes from being a traveller mistaken for being with the rebellion, the Stormcloaks to being considered Skyrim's hero and saviour from the World Devourer, Alduin. The difficulty of the storyline varies greatly depending on which difficulty you play it on. On "Easy" it proves no challenge, as you can easily sweep through the whole storyline in one sitting.
    To spending months to grind enough for each quest while on "Legendary" difficulty.

    Combat: The combat of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is only one of three main combat categories, which quite small as you can only build your character in so many ways. Mages are the glass cannons in Skyrim, dishing out large amounts of damage using magic in exchange for their health. Assassin are the easiest (in my opinion) to sweep the game with, as when you level enough you will essentially be invisible permanently on all difficulties, while dealing instant kills from sneak attacks. So OP yet so fun. Finally the warrior, just as OP as the assassin, The warrior kills his enemies with swords, axes and broadswords. But drops off in the late game (lvl. 61 onwards)

    DLC: This is what lowers my mark significantly, as most of the content in the DLC is much better than in the actual game. When M.H.C's (abbreviation for Money Hoarding Corporations) are on the loose it is sometimes upto the companies who stick true to fair pricing roots to keep them. Bethesda went down the dark route. THREE DLC'S ARE AVAILABLE, EACH 20$ EACH. THAT IS JUST GREED FROM BETHESDA. Please Bethesda, stop now.

    Overall feelings: Even though Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim is unbalanced, laggy and downright greedy from Bethesda, it is still one of the best RPG's out there, winning many GOTY prizes. I guarantee you that if you get this game you will enjoy it.    … Expand
  35. gggjimmy
    Jul 1, 2015
    7
    Nice game.Beautiful graphics,awesome ambientation,and an enormous world filled with consistent side quests.But difficulty is casual,the combat is boring (just approach enemies and click on them,no tactic,no strategy.Unless you are a mage),and the plot is absolutely ridiculous.But overall it's fun and very extensive.If you don't mind the casual combat and poor story,it can please you forNice game.Beautiful graphics,awesome ambientation,and an enormous world filled with consistent side quests.But difficulty is casual,the combat is boring (just approach enemies and click on them,no tactic,no strategy.Unless you are a mage),and the plot is absolutely ridiculous.But overall it's fun and very extensive.If you don't mind the casual combat and poor story,it can please you for literally hundreds of hours.But it was not my case.… Expand
  36. delete013
    Apr 10, 2016
    7
    For an Oblivion's successor I would wish:

    - Fighting art included, where proper striking/blocking combination is as important as character stats. - Sorcerer's battles with massive lightning effects, spanning over whole screen, casting complicated spells with some key combination found in an ancient book hidden in the last corner of an abandoned elf mine. Freedom of dressing where    For an Oblivion's successor I would wish:

    - Fighting art included, where proper striking/blocking combination is as important as character stats.
    - Sorcerer's battles with massive lightning effects, spanning over whole screen, casting complicated spells with some key combination found in an ancient book hidden in the last corner of an abandoned elf mine.

    Freedom of dressing where player's own ideas in plate armour combinations or different armour layers can contribute to his advantage over opponents.

    Characters react to situations and are not all scripted. Not much is needed, but when right after dragon attack an old lady casually asks, if I fancy a chatter, is the mood ruined.

    Unfortunately it stayed where Oblivion ended. At least we got:

    Real sized dragons (yes they did it!!)
    Wonderful graphic ovehaul    … Expand
  37. vega17
    Jun 4, 2016
    7
    hninhidndnihsiudhidiyndyunidnidhinduihidhhudhuddyhydhhdhydhdydhyhdhydhdyhddhyudyuhduyhdhdyuhdyhdyhdyihdhydyudhduydyhdyiyhdhdyudydhyudhdiduyhdiyhdyhudhdyudhiydhiydhyid
  38. jjabrahams
    Aug 22, 2016
    7
    There is a lot to do in the game but it all feels a bit lifeless. Also was unstable on my computer. Too many ghosts and zombies. Useless narrative. Drab environmental design.
  39. REEDDLES
    Jul 19, 2019
    7
    Main evaluation criteria:
    -Story: 6
    -Atmosphere: 7 -Characters: 7 -Graphics and design: 8 -Gameplay: 8 -Sound and Music: 7 -Bugs: 6 -Interface: 8 -Completeness of the world: 8 Аdditional evaluation criteria (Do not really affect the assessment): -Freedom of choice: 7 -Coop in Story mode: 0 -Multiplayer: 0 -Mods and the ability to change the game: 10 Scores from 1 to 10,    Main evaluation criteria:
    -Story: 6
    -Atmosphere: 7
    -Characters: 7
    -Graphics and design: 8
    -Gameplay: 8
    -Sound and Music: 7
    -Bugs: 6
    -Interface: 8
    -Completeness of the world: 8

    Аdditional evaluation criteria (Do not really affect the assessment):
    -Freedom of choice: 7
    -Coop in Story mode: 0
    -Multiplayer: 0
    -Mods and the ability to change the game: 10

    Scores from 1 to 10, the higher the better    … Expand
  40. Rhazer
    Jan 12, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The critics have seriously overrated this game. There is not way Skyrim is a perfect 10. And I will explain why:

    Pros:
    -Great graphics with a beautiful landscape and nicely decorated and nicely designed dungeons and ancient cities
    -Great mechanic for crime; One hold's bounty won't affect how another hold treats you
    -Great Blocking mechanics, shield bashing is pretty much life in Skyrim's combat
    -Good selection of creatures and enemies
    -Great replay value
    -Great skill system
    Cons: (Watch out kiddos, this is gonna sting if it's your first TES game)
    -Overpowered shouting mechanic, where literally the first shout makes you a god in combat
    -Shouting cooldowns are on a wicked cooldown considering you are supposed to be kin to a dragon
    -The Armor cap pretty much makes heavy armor obsolete unless you just like the looks of being a plated warrior. Leather should NEVER be as protective as DAEDRIC armor
    -Dual Wielding has no point. You don't attack fast enough or deal enough damage to really make up for the damage you take without being able to block.
    -The combat mechanics are broken. When you are on legendary difficulty the worst part isn't fighting, it's watching your stamina because once you get dry on stamina, you are defenseless. And you will be shield bashing or using your weapon to bunt them a LOT. Which eats stamina FAST.
    -Accidents just cannot be forgiven either. Too many times have I accidentally shouted or swung my weapon and an idiot guard or peasant walked right in front of me at the last second only to catch my warhammer or my longsword to the back of their head and they want to call me responsible for it.
    -Dragons almost never land on ground without Dragonrend-- There IS a method of using frost spells, but if you aren't a mage, you won't be able to use this at all.
    -The main story is ridiculously short. I think it's only like 12 missions or something like that. I finish it in about 3-4 hours if I focused on nothing else.
    -The world isn't even that big either. If you want a large map to play on, try TES's Arena. You will spend literal days on that in exploring ALONE. You can run/sprint from Riften all the way to Solitude in about an hour. (Not including if combat comes around, that might take another 30min)
    -Literal no challenge. No repair fee, No exploring really necessary...
    -The wars between the Stormcloaks and Imperials was really short. You only had 2 major city takeovers and what was worse is that you couldn't actually see the cities crumble. You would think catapults would just lay waste to the city, but all you see is the damage scripted to happen. and it just got weak. You will quickly find yourself asking isn't there more to the wars than 2 city takeovers and a handful of fortress takeovers?

    Overall Skyrim just doesn't come to par with Bethesda's other works. This is a dumbed down, kiddo version of what could've been a good game. But you would think that a game where you were considered a dragon, you would be able to shout as much as the dragons do, and not like a living draugr would be a fun experience, but I just get bored with it eventually.    … Expand
  41. Camel11
    Apr 17, 2017
    7
    Skyrim is a game in which I've wasted tons of hours into. The quests and the story itself are rather poor and uncreative (compared to the fantastic, crazy and well thought-out quests of Oblivion or Morrowind),

    Skyrim focuses mostly on exploration, and is the strongest point of the game. Discovering new ruins and caves and such is satisfying, as most of these places have an interesting    Skyrim is a game in which I've wasted tons of hours into. The quests and the story itself are rather poor and uncreative (compared to the fantastic, crazy and well thought-out quests of Oblivion or Morrowind),

    Skyrim focuses mostly on exploration, and is the strongest point of the game. Discovering new ruins and caves and such is satisfying, as most of these places have an interesting reward upon clearing them, most notably Words of Power, which can be later turned into Shouts with dragon souls.

    Shouts are an interesting gimmick of this game, they are basically an extra spell that you can use from time to time, only that the effects can be potentially devastating: summon storms, summon a dragon to aid you, breathe fire and frost, disarm everyone in a radius, push everyone in a radius, and more.

    The sound track is pretty amazing, again Jeremy Soule does an incredible job at conveing the themes of Skyrim.

    The combat is bland to be honest, it's all about spamming left click until inflated health bars die out, The greatest addition is dual wielding weapons, or combing weapons with spells which give an extra layer of depth into the combat. It is serviceable and it's miles better than Oblivion or Morrowind, which i guess is ok.

    Like I said before, quests are boring and uncreative, and present you with no choice. You have no impact on the world. You can finish the main story and guards will still tell you that they received an arrow to the knee and taunt you and such. The factions are boring and unbelievable. Again you can be the leader of the Dark Brotherhood, of the Collage of Winterhold, of the Thieves Guild, and of the Companions. The travesty continues where you can become an Archmage without developing your magic skills at all, which sounds incredibly dumb. What's with Bethesda's fetish of you becoming the leader anyway? The Civil War questline is a carbon copy for both sides and it boils down to capturing settlements and engaging in some large scale battles. Nothing else, no espionage missions, you can't loose the civil war either (god forbid people fail at stuff these days), no trying to perhaps find a peaceful solution to the civil war. Nothing. I however appreciate the fact that both sides are not representations of good or evil, each side has reasons to why the player can be compelled to side with, or not, which is pretty much the only case where you'll find such a decision to make.

    The Skill system is a joke as it doesn't promote variety at all. What it promotes is homogenisation. Let me explain briefly. In Skyrim, you can max out all your skills at some point. How is this fun or interesting? Because there is no level cap, you are basicially unlimited and thus your choices on where to spend perk points are watered down. The only meaningful choices are where to start pending points first.

    Eh, but I am criticizing this game too much. To be honest, it does perfectly what it sets to achieve, and that is to create a compelling sandbox world where you can go anywhere and explore at your own leisure. It's a sort of playground for modders and such. In fact, Skyrim excels with mods, as they greatly expand the potential of this game and is able of fixing many of it's shortcomings.

    It's a good game, but not the RPG I expected from previous titles.
    For TES VI, I can only hope Bethesda learns from this and FO4 and give more love to the roleplaying side of the game.    … Expand
  42. david84
    May 21, 2017
    7
    If you are an unassuming, slightly casual gamer, then you way want to pass on this title. Its a beautifully rendered environment with good music and atmospheric landscapes. Plenty of things to explore and too many options for developing your character. The positive aspects of this game are really overshadowed by its greatest flaw: the gameplay is just slow and clunky. I wanted to loveIf you are an unassuming, slightly casual gamer, then you way want to pass on this title. Its a beautifully rendered environment with good music and atmospheric landscapes. Plenty of things to explore and too many options for developing your character. The positive aspects of this game are really overshadowed by its greatest flaw: the gameplay is just slow and clunky. I wanted to love this game like everyone else. After 50 hours though, between picking some wildflowers and slowly hacking a wolf to death and looting its pelt, I realized how pitifully boring this was.… Expand
  43. Luis_Impieri01
    Sep 14, 2017
    7
    Um jogo bastante grandioso, com um mapa enorme para se explorar. Em contrapartida, é absurdamente bugado, cm uma movimentação bem travada, inteligência artificial medíocre, além de um sistema de procurado muito inconsistente e irreal
  44. aditya1101
    Jan 6, 2018
    7
    I firmly believe that skyrim was one of the most important video games ever made, and has provided much of the foundation for the renaissance of open-world games that has since followed. At the time that it came out, I wasn't a huge fan of it - there was a lot to love about the game, but I just couldn't get into the combat (it felt way too simplistic). But in retrospect, it's easy to seeI firmly believe that skyrim was one of the most important video games ever made, and has provided much of the foundation for the renaissance of open-world games that has since followed. At the time that it came out, I wasn't a huge fan of it - there was a lot to love about the game, but I just couldn't get into the combat (it felt way too simplistic). But in retrospect, it's easy to see how many aspects of this game were revolutionary and influential.… Expand
  45. tsdenizen
    Nov 3, 2017
    7
    The world of Skyrim is massive and full of things to do, but are these things to do fun? Sometimes, perhaps even semi-frequently, but with Skyrim, Bethesda may have pushed "more is more" a bit too far, seemingly concerned less with creating a world that is wondrous to explore than keeping the player focused on hunting down tasks. The burning spirit of pure adventure cultivated in MorrowindThe world of Skyrim is massive and full of things to do, but are these things to do fun? Sometimes, perhaps even semi-frequently, but with Skyrim, Bethesda may have pushed "more is more" a bit too far, seemingly concerned less with creating a world that is wondrous to explore than keeping the player focused on hunting down tasks. The burning spirit of pure adventure cultivated in Morrowind may not have been entirely extinguished, but it's noticeably dimmer in Skyrim.… Expand
  46. CyberRobotnix
    Mar 31, 2018
    7
    Very generic game with a very generic story and not as fun as Morrowing or the very broken Oblivion.

    I'm not impressed.
  47. Shimmeywill
    Feb 26, 2020
    7
    Highly moddable and customizable to cater personal tastes. Core gameplay and world is solid.
  48. serkanak
    Jun 29, 2020
    7
    Rpg denilince akla gelen diyalog ve hikayeye yön verme elementleri bu oyunda aşırı kısıtlı maksimum 2 seçim üzerinden gidebiliyorsunuz. Karakter ve hikaye yönünden yetersiz ama güzel bir lore u var. Bu lore un hikayeye etki etmemesi ise ayrı bir üzücü konu. Oynanış çeşitliliği oyunu oynanabilir kılan temel etmenlerden. Güzel vakit geçirmelik bir oyun ama New vegas gibi bir rpg klasiğininRpg denilince akla gelen diyalog ve hikayeye yön verme elementleri bu oyunda aşırı kısıtlı maksimum 2 seçim üzerinden gidebiliyorsunuz. Karakter ve hikaye yönünden yetersiz ama güzel bir lore u var. Bu lore un hikayeye etki etmemesi ise ayrı bir üzücü konu. Oynanış çeşitliliği oyunu oynanabilir kılan temel etmenlerden. Güzel vakit geçirmelik bir oyun ama New vegas gibi bir rpg klasiğinin yanından yaklaşamıyor.… Expand
  49. amazingmold46
    Feb 17, 2020
    7
    Although I personally love this game, I can't in good faith give it above a 7. The game without mods looks really bad, the main story is honestly really bad aside from a one or two moments so overall I recommend not touching it. The combat is quite basic but it gets the job done.

    But that's not why you play Skyrim. Although the main quest is hot garbage, the World and guild quests    Although I personally love this game, I can't in good faith give it above a 7. The game without mods looks really bad, the main story is honestly really bad aside from a one or two moments so overall I recommend not touching it. The combat is quite basic but it gets the job done.

    But that's not why you play Skyrim.

    Although the main quest is hot garbage, the World and guild quests are great. Skyrim is also a great game for role playing because of the quantity and overall quality of its side content. The world is dense and full of stories to find explained through environmental details rather than dialog. Or maybe you just want to mod the game until it runs at 2 fps. (like me)

    Overall a good game that I can highly recommend.    … Expand
  50. Relkad
    Mar 25, 2020
    7
    Playing this game is good but loyalty is better.
    Not modding is missing bazzilion of content.
  51. GraysonUA
    Mar 31, 2020
    7
    Я знаю, як багато в неї фанатів, що люди буквально жили і живуть в ній, що в ній ціла купа модифікацій, але як на мене вона "пуста". Перш за все сюжет - проходняк. Геймплей примітивний, від чого баталії не викликають емоцій. Вбивати на кожному кроці дракона з лука, така собі атмосфера. Той самий Облівіон мені сподобався більше, хоч і там лишаються бездушні згенеровані локації.Я знаю, як багато в неї фанатів, що люди буквально жили і живуть в ній, що в ній ціла купа модифікацій, але як на мене вона "пуста". Перш за все сюжет - проходняк. Геймплей примітивний, від чого баталії не викликають емоцій. Вбивати на кожному кроці дракона з лука, така собі атмосфера. Той самий Облівіон мені сподобався більше, хоч і там лишаються бездушні згенеровані локації.
  52. Chubac
    May 14, 2020
    7
    Generic RPG with gamebreaking bugs that somehow still manages to hook me in.
  53. ewenr
    Jul 6, 2020
    7
    I have played this game many, many hours but never completed it.. Sure, it's fun and there are a bajillion mods out there to tweak it to your liking but it never really hits and keeps my interest long enough to keep going to the conclusion. It's full of bugs (thankfully, most of which can be fixed with PC mods) and the performance is terrible but it's still a fun game.
    I will probably    I have played this game many, many hours but never completed it.. Sure, it's fun and there are a bajillion mods out there to tweak it to your liking but it never really hits and keeps my interest long enough to keep going to the conclusion. It's full of bugs (thankfully, most of which can be fixed with PC mods) and the performance is terrible but it's still a fun game.
    I will probably never finish this game, but then again, I will probably come back and play it again in a year or two..    … Expand
  54. PsychoJoona
    May 8, 2021
    7
    Longest videogame ever made? Yes. Skyrim is really long and I don't have a problem with that! But what I do have problem with is that it can get really boring sometimes in dungeons because every dungeon is almost the same thing and in my opinnion there are way too many potions. But I still like this game for it's RPG mechanics which are fun and how much stuff there are to do!
  55. eplate2
    Aug 17, 2023
    7
    I recently played this game for the very first time and I loved it overall but I think the game has just been surpassed by other games with newer engines. The open world here for example, is great but I get super annoyed by mountains that I just can't get up to find an item. I found myself too often avoiding missions in parts of the map because of this issue. The story is terrific hereI recently played this game for the very first time and I loved it overall but I think the game has just been surpassed by other games with newer engines. The open world here for example, is great but I get super annoyed by mountains that I just can't get up to find an item. I found myself too often avoiding missions in parts of the map because of this issue. The story is terrific here though and I love the elements of building up your character. Overall, a terrific experience.… Expand
  56. Yoow
    Dec 12, 2020
    7
    Я считаю её немного переоценённой, уж слишком много у неё проблем, но это не делает её плохой, и проведя в ней много сотен часов, ни капли не жалею об этом)
  57. pro455
    Dec 20, 2020
    7
    Game is good at the beginning, but after some time I had a feeling of monotony. The level of dificulty doesn't progress during playthrough, so it's not challenging at all from some point.
  58. Gwimpon
    Nov 19, 2021
    7
    This game is probably a 10/10 with mods but without mods just the base game it does have its fair share of flaws. In 2021 Skyrim can become any game you want it to be with the use of mods but at its core the gameplay a great open world and decent combat but not much more
  59. Zhoulia
    Apr 25, 2022
    7
    The story for a old game is lackluster. Look at Morrowind , it had better story. In Oblivion you get a statue..in Skyrim if you win against the evil..the guards might say something. Just mod it..trust me
  60. TheCroWolf
    May 1, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is overrated .....its buggy as hell even in 2022 you need mods to have someone what fun experience .....IM NoT RATING SKYRIM MODS AM RAITING VANILA ...guilds are not something ...combat is boring its terrible even for 2011 game ....story is whatever....if you going to play this play at mods ...mods create proper game of this without is boring… Expand
  61. Squaredash
    Jul 19, 2023
    7
    This game is a mile wide and an inch deep. You can play for hundreds of hours and make basically no progress on the main questline. As fun as that is, it results in the game being way too grindy even with all the exploits and glitches at your disposal. Still a revolutionary game that’s worthy of being a classic, even if it wasn’t for me.
  62. Jackie_Jackson
    May 26, 2022
    7
    Мне уже было к сожалению слишком много лет и слишком лень и игра эта мне надоела примерно сразу какой-то кал малютки не покупайте
  63. Agusto101
    Mar 22, 2023
    7
    Solid game but I'm sorry it is boring and repetitive AF nothing more to say...and i almost forgot THERE'S A LOT OF FILLER.
  64. Pointy
    Jun 16, 2022
    7
    Was Skyrim as good as promised or even really good in general? No. Do I enjoy it extremely thoroughly because it gives a triple A rpg expirence? Yeah
  65. Tomplexthis
    Jul 7, 2022
    7
    Do not worry people, there will be a re re re re re re re re-Release of skyrim, forever.
    And even in the year 2095, we still will not get TES 6, we will just get skyrim 85.
    As amazing as this game was, its bland, its a dry piece of cardboard, hollow, vanilla. Its the mods that kept it alive, but it is also where the dark age of gaming began. With the horse armor, now    Do not worry people, there will be a re re re re re re re re-Release of skyrim, forever.
    And even in the year 2095, we still will not get TES 6, we will just get skyrim 85.

    As amazing as this game was, its bland, its a dry piece of cardboard, hollow, vanilla.
    Its the mods that kept it alive, but it is also where the dark age of gaming began.
    With the horse armor, now microtransactions are all companies care about.
    But yet, this game used to be amazing, i 100% it on 3 different consoles. and have 9 copies
    Why though?    … Expand
  66. aecsuter
    Aug 17, 2022
    7
    Skyrim is a good game, with a lot to do in it, sidequests that are even better than the main one, but with rewards for them beyond disappointing lol.
    I really liked the game but it's far from the perfect masterpiece that so many paint it.
    Pros: - Good graphics and good immersion. - Wide variety of quests, sidequests, jobs, weapons, armor, spells and powers. - Huge map with a multitude    Skyrim is a good game, with a lot to do in it, sidequests that are even better than the main one, but with rewards for them beyond disappointing lol.
    I really liked the game but it's far from the perfect masterpiece that so many paint it.
    Pros:
    - Good graphics and good immersion.
    - Wide variety of quests, sidequests, jobs, weapons, armor, spells and powers.
    - Huge map with a multitude of caves, forests, huts, cities and tombs to explore.
    - The Shouts idea is very cool, but they could be much better and more usable than they are.
    - The infinity of Mods that can be applied greatly improving the game experience in many aspects that it is flawed.
    - DLCs are very nice to make the story, with good NPCs and at least with better rewards than usual in the game.
    - Interesting skill tree

    Cons:
    - Game gets extremely repetitive after a while if you want to do everything the game has to offer.
    - Rewards from missions that are extremely weak and unimportant for the growth of your items.
    - Animations that often fall short
    - Too weak spells vs weapons with Smith+Enchant
    - Shouts with little impact on fights (unless you use mods, and even then few usable).

    Honestly I don't know anything about this latest version released because I've seen many reviews saying that with MOD it was better than this "remaster". What I can say is that my experience with the Special Edition, which came for free after a while because I had bought the regular one, was excellent.

    I recommend, however, with the above reservations, because the game is not perfection that I see so much talked about, SOOOOO less better than Witcher kkkkk

    74 out of 100    … Expand
  67. Taken_Hades
    May 19, 2023
    7
    -8/10 story
    -7/10 gameplay
    -7/10 environments
    -7/10 characters
    -9/10 music
  68. Chillaoi
    Jan 14, 2023
    7
    Review só pra lembrar a nota que dei pro jogo:
    Queria colocar uma review mais completa mas o site não deixa, então ta ai 7/10.
  69. Potet69
    Jun 1, 2023
    7
    More fun to mod than to play.‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ Still the game is very good.
  70. skeleton_jelly
    Feb 12, 2013
    6
    I'm removing points mostly for the interface. We're lucky to have mods like SkyUI but they don't fix everything. I wish Bethesda tried to fix this instead of producing content DLC. Hell if they created a DLC for PC users I would support that.
  71. Daddais
    Apr 8, 2012
    6
    This game starts epic, but after some hours it become boring as hell.
    Really, you will be disappointed. Has some nice features, and other really horrible, such as inventory, the horse, control equipment and so on. It could be fantastic. But the reality is that: Skyrim is "acceptable", the beautiful graphics will not stop your yawning.
  72. Scritty
    Nov 17, 2011
    6
    A decent enough game. Development of character is ok(ish) but graphics for a PC are woeful. It shows that this game has been written with the "ancient clockwork" hardware of the 360 and PS3 in mind. They are so bad it's shocking. Combat is rather weak (point and click...and keep clicking - changing weapon is about the only tactical thing you can do and most fights it's just a case ofA decent enough game. Development of character is ok(ish) but graphics for a PC are woeful. It shows that this game has been written with the "ancient clockwork" hardware of the 360 and PS3 in mind. They are so bad it's shocking. Combat is rather weak (point and click...and keep clicking - changing weapon is about the only tactical thing you can do and most fights it's just a case of swapping to a melee weapon when the mob gets too close etc). Story is good, voice acting is better than Oblivion (More variation) But I just can't get over the poor graphics. Sure - -buy it - it's not a bad game, but it's definately not a 2011/12 game - more like a 2005/6 one… Expand
  73. Spartan111
    Dec 7, 2011
    6
    This was my and i am sure a whole lot of other people's most anticipated game of the year and while the game improves on some parts it gets worse in other areas compared to oblivion or simply stays the same and for people playing an elder scrolls game the first time you might give the game a 10 but otherwise it feels dumbed down in many ways. I am first going to start with what has beenThis was my and i am sure a whole lot of other people's most anticipated game of the year and while the game improves on some parts it gets worse in other areas compared to oblivion or simply stays the same and for people playing an elder scrolls game the first time you might give the game a 10 but otherwise it feels dumbed down in many ways. I am first going to start with what has been done right which is the following: The world is once again huge with lots of areas to explore, the insides of dungeons and caves are more distinctive compared to oblivion, the graphics are a decent improvement for a game of this size(although i am only placing this as a pro because there are mods that make it better), the customization has been improved (although not greatly so for a game that has come out 5 years later after it's predecessor), there is an actual variety in vegetation zones compared to oblivion, the NPC's are more realistic and believable, the sound effects and music are very good, one of the greater improvements is the greater variety of combat options(Dual sword wielding, one arm magic one arm sword etc.), the dragon shouts are cool and add more combat tactics to the game, the level scaling has been improved, there are once again many quests and the game CAN provide hours and hours of entertainment, the skill tree and perk system is a nice touch. Now for the cons which unfortunately are many: The game implements very little battle tactics and does not require much technique or skill this is disappointing especially after playing a game such as Dark/Demon's souls, The game's quests are very repetitive(Steal this item, kill this guy/creature, clear this place out, retrieve this item, help this guy out, deliver or collect this/these items... yes and that's about it) and they don't have the same charm or excitement as oblivion did, there is less of a variety in enemies, there is slightly more voices in the game although the variety is simply not good enough of an improvement for five years later especially the female voices, the game is simply not rewarding (Most of the items found at the end of caves and ruins are rubbish as one can simply enchant far better items), the game has a lot of useless skills and activities (Alchemy and Smithing are a waste of time and are only used to level up, nothing good can be made from smithing, Alteration/ Illusion magic are useless as the only good spells that fall under these categories from oblivion have been taken away e.g. Paralysis, Invisibility (Unless i have not attained them yet which is unlikely as I have played 85 hours and have nearly clocked the game)), there is a disappointing variety of spells that can be bought and there are still only three categories for destruction spells (that being fire, electricity and ice) and there are no cool spells that have been added the current spells have simply been improved from oblivion, the leveling up has been dumbed down to three attributes (being health stamina and magic) no longer allowing greater specialization as oblivion had, leveling up in certain skills has no effect and simply unlocks perks of that specific skill, the story is simplistic, unepic, short and in the beginning a bit vague, other main quests are also very short and have not been improved from oblivion and in some cases are worse, gold is the reward mostly for completing quests although gold cannot be used for much at all (if you explore a lot) and is only used in the beginning of the game, Dragons and dragon encounters are cool in the beginning but become tedious/ boring and become pests a lot of the time as they are encountered too frequently, the game offers many shout powers but few are truly useful and effective(quality over quantity), while the level scaling has been fixed there are still problems as once one has unlocked all the perks for one's chosen speciality (one-hand, destruction etc.) one can become weaker as the the game allows only an improvement over health, stamina, magic (not magic strength or melee strength etc.)although this is not that prevalent, there is fewer variety in the creatures that one can summon(Only 4 as far as I know), 90% of what this game has to offer can be experienced and seen in the first 20 hours. Overall this game does not expand and improve enough and was over-hyped and the game is a disappointment in my opinion. I also want to say that the fact that the ps3 version does not work properly is inexcusable!. Not GOTY. 6.5/10.… Expand
  74. carloscmbh
    Feb 1, 2012
    6
    Man, you orctowngrot said every thing. This game start amazing, became great, then very good, then good, then ok, then mediocre, and finaly get boring. There's no challenge after you reach level 40. I'm level 46 and just kill everything without effort; dragons, bandits, trolls, falmers, elves, orcs, nords, mages. The quests get boring. The gameplay it's repetitive. In the end, you justMan, you orctowngrot said every thing. This game start amazing, became great, then very good, then good, then ok, then mediocre, and finaly get boring. There's no challenge after you reach level 40. I'm level 46 and just kill everything without effort; dragons, bandits, trolls, falmers, elves, orcs, nords, mages. The quests get boring. The gameplay it's repetitive. In the end, you just don't want play it anymore. Just get tired.… Expand
  75. Rottencore
    Jan 7, 2012
    6
    I have to change my intial score of this game. I orginally made my previous score of 10 after playing this game for just over 40 hours. After I had put 80 hours into the game I find myself disappointed. I can say that the effect they were going for in Skyrim has been achieved, but the fact Skyrim is so utter repetitous and cliche in its design makes the game disappointing. On a gameplayI have to change my intial score of this game. I orginally made my previous score of 10 after playing this game for just over 40 hours. After I had put 80 hours into the game I find myself disappointed. I can say that the effect they were going for in Skyrim has been achieved, but the fact Skyrim is so utter repetitous and cliche in its design makes the game disappointing. On a gameplay level its ok, not too hard to grasp and easy to find some interesting place to explore. The storyline and characters are a little bland, a lot of the time I found myself lacking the initiative to continue into that dungeon or cave because I found the enemies tedious. The engine seems to struggle quite a bit on my computer, (my computer can play The Witcher 2 on close to high). I think it plays like the engine has been pushed to its graphical limit TBH. It is hard to find a comfortable framerate in this game, it jerks between 10-45 frames constantly. I encountered some bugs (notably a bug where I was unable to proceed through a gate), but nothing to cry about. Please Bethesda, concentrate on trying to find that little place in your minds that wants to take people to another world. So what if the fans want dragons.… Expand
  76. sh4dow
    Jan 20, 2012
    6
    With Oblivion, I preordered the limited edition. This time, because of my experiences with Oblivion, I was not going to make the same mistake again. And boy am I happy I didn't. One might think they would learn from their last game. Instead, they made it even worse! Full of bugs, underwhelming graphics (especially if you've played Witcher 2 just a bit before - sure, you don't have an openWith Oblivion, I preordered the limited edition. This time, because of my experiences with Oblivion, I was not going to make the same mistake again. And boy am I happy I didn't. One might think they would learn from their last game. Instead, they made it even worse! Full of bugs, underwhelming graphics (especially if you've played Witcher 2 just a bit before - sure, you don't have an open world there but still... the difference is GIGANTIC! and because of texture mods and ini mods and whatnot, people know that bethesda could have done more... instead they let their fans do the work) and the leveling system which is supposed to accommodate any play style (although... didn't they say that about Oblivion already?) is about as screwed up as in Oblivion.
    When Skyrim was first announced, I told my friends I would wait for about a year after release before I will play it. But because of all the mods that are already released and very popular, I figured it might be time already. No it isn't. And with things as screwed up as they are in Skyrim, I wonder whether it ever will be.    … Expand
  77. RyanAbes
    Nov 28, 2011
    6
    This game is, sadly, exceptionally repetitive an exercise in banality. As others have said, the world feels very empty, and the random quest generator is no match for hand crafted quests. I'd prefer one or two perfectly honed, well written, intriguing quests, than for all the random kill/fetch quests in China.

    I do not think it is that it is a console port though, as so many have said.    This game is, sadly, exceptionally repetitive an exercise in banality. As others have said, the world feels very empty, and the random quest generator is no match for hand crafted quests. I'd prefer one or two perfectly honed, well written, intriguing quests, than for all the random kill/fetch quests in China.

    I do not think it is that it is a console port though, as so many have said. It's interface is obviously geared towards console. I think the large part is the concessions Bethesda Software have made to try and make it a game with more "mainstream" appeal. I think if anything, the Steam Stats are telling, most people seem to be giving up playing it early (prior to level 25, a feat which is easily obtained http://steamcommunity.com/stats/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim/achievements/ ) at the time of writing this, the stats show that at least 50% of players look to be giving up somewhere between level 10, and level 25. The numbers of people who have completed guild quests to the end (which honestly, we're talking maybe two to four hours gameplay per guild), is staggeringly low. I think this game is a flop, I've tried to force myself to play it (and I have sunk 60 hours into the game,) TRYING to like the game... and it has failed to entertain me. It has felt tedious and boring. It has felt pointless.

    As a regular game, yes, this deserves a 6/10... it's pretty, but you can't play any more than two hours at a time, because it lacks anything to retain interest. There is a lot of lore in the game, yes; and infact some of it is entertaining. But I could as easily read the books online as in the game, and get as much entertainment value out of it. But as an ELDER SCROLLS game... I think it rates probably a 3/10, compared to the rest (I guess Morrowind being 10, and Battlespire being 1)

    If you are someone who is looking for an involving, engrossing, epic story, like Morrowind, and to a lesser extent, Oblivion; then look elsewhere.

    If you are looking for "kewl swords and spells and kik'n a** and man you fight dargons!", then this is likely the game for you. It is a lot like the Fable series... (fun in their own rights), but not what you'd come to have expected from a company like Bethesda, or from a game that takes itself this seriously.    … Expand
  78. obro
    Nov 11, 2011
    6
    OK so Skyrim... I will keep it simple.

    Good stuff: spellcasting immersion (streams carry you if you try to swim, beetles in forests that you can catch, night sky) atmosphere looks (not graphics LOOKS as in it aesthetically it looks great but it's still a DX9 game in **** 2011) character models (much better than in Oblivion) character faces (again much better than Oblivion) dungeons traps    OK so Skyrim... I will keep it simple.

    Good stuff:

    spellcasting immersion (streams carry you if you try to swim, beetles in forests that you can catch, night sky)
    atmosphere
    looks (not graphics LOOKS as in it aesthetically it looks great but it's still a DX9 game in **** 2011)
    character models (much better than in Oblivion)
    character faces (again much better than Oblivion)
    dungeons traps soundtrack

    Bad stuff:

    User Interface is pure consolitis designed for controller not M+K
    melee and combat in general (melee sucks the most it's like they didn't improve one bit from oblivion hell they made it even worse now you cant even backpedal and thus cant evade **** the melee is nothing but a button masher at best
    controls - I mean ...there are some things that are just puzzling. For example you cant jump from sprinting. Why? It makes no sense what so ever.
    inconsistency (something looks great and then you notice the wall behind it with 420x200 textures or some **** like that)


    Bugs

    A lot of them. And some really REALLY annoying ones like chickens and horses report you for stealing/murdering. Yep. You heard it right. **** chickens and horses are witnesses.


    That all said it's a good game IMO. Can and will be improved with mods. Pity if you're a console users you wont experience them. So yeah not a perfect game but it's good stuff.

    Oh yeah and a big **** YOU to Todd Bull**** Howard for lying to us PC users that we are getting a User Interface made FOR m+k and not just a port from consoles. I am really disappoint. That and I am also very disappointed when they in a recent interview said that "it's hard to program for PC and there is a lot of piracy"

    Console version was leaked 2 weeks before the launch and nobody said anything. And to think that a company that owes it's existence to PC market says something like that.... just disgusting.    … Expand
  79. Synplasm
    Feb 13, 2012
    6
    A game of two halves. The first of which is enjoyable, interesting, engrossing and fun, the second of which is disappointing, tedious, annoying and dull. The second half arrives at an unspecifed time but believe me if you play this game long enough it will make itself known to you. I got my money's worth for sure, but I ended up with negative thoughts about this game which is the mainA game of two halves. The first of which is enjoyable, interesting, engrossing and fun, the second of which is disappointing, tedious, annoying and dull. The second half arrives at an unspecifed time but believe me if you play this game long enough it will make itself known to you. I got my money's worth for sure, but I ended up with negative thoughts about this game which is the main reason for the 6. Who came up with computer generated quests? Who? I cannot think of a better way to make quests mind-numbingly dull. I really can't. Sorry but you can stick your shill job where the sun doesn't shine, buster. Perks. By the time that I was eligible for a lot of these they were completely useless to me. Besides, some of them are useless anyway and others replicated by items that you can get. The banality of almost all NPCs starts to get to you after a while too. How many times did I hear the same conversation in the Palace of Kings? 'He's either with us or against us'. How droll. The main mage's questline is extremely poor, the civil war affair not much better. They need some new writers. Try harder next time Bethesda and make a full game, not one that runs out of stamina half way through.… Expand
  80. Ramanujan
    Feb 19, 2012
    6
    Pretty much the first thing I did after getting to Riverwood was the Bleak Falls Barrow quest. I did it all in one go and, very sadly, it was by far the most entertaining dungeon I did in the whole game. I had to scavenge for healing potions, I had to use my special power quite a lot (Redguard) , had to kill a few Draugr by leading them through traps and had to reload the final fight inPretty much the first thing I did after getting to Riverwood was the Bleak Falls Barrow quest. I did it all in one go and, very sadly, it was by far the most entertaining dungeon I did in the whole game. I had to scavenge for healing potions, I had to use my special power quite a lot (Redguard) , had to kill a few Draugr by leading them through traps and had to reload the final fight in there a couple of times. Good stuff. Then I got into crafting (good) and alchemy (same old thing but more boring) . Did a few quests which I would describe as moderately hard. After that it was all too easy. Still, there were plenty of places to visit and people to see or were they the same 6 people? The same 6 that had just quaffed a very potent elixir of drain personality? Eventually it felt like Bethesda had forced a potion of damage motivation on me. Why should I keep going? To spend hours in a huge dark cavern looking for plants? No thanks. To scour repetitive dungeons and houses looking for unusual gems. I'll give it a miss. To do virtually the same quests over and over again? NO. Wait, I can get some better alchemy equipment. No. Better gear? No, you're level 35 and you won't find any better stuff. I can rise through the ranks of the theives' guild and steal some outrageous things. Errr.......no. Maybe I could have an amusing chance encounter? Maybe not. Maybe the giants have some other purpose rather than to get my armour skill up and I can find out what it is? Don't think so. Well, there's that high level perk for such and such skill that will really help me when I want to do such and such. Yes, and that would be which one exactly?
    Seriously I have never played a game that left me so bereft of motivation in such a short space of time. The final battle of the main quest was over before it began and afterwards I swapped from two-handed and heavy armour to one-handed and light armour. Even then, with no perks in either, I still could take out the toughest enemies without any trouble. Just took a bit longer and I chugged a couple of healing potions in the process. Right, I've even become demotivated writing about this game. It delivers on a few superficial levels, but deep down it's very shallow indeed. I'm left wondering if it is even possible to make the whole Elder Scrolls experience more bland and anodyne than this. Let's hope not.    … Expand
  81. Levardos
    Apr 19, 2012
    6
    I must admit that Skyrim has disappointed me. It didn't live up to my expectations. This game is an improved version of TES IV: Oblivion. It doesn't really show any innovation. Just improvements... What this game is only good for is exploring. And even if caves and ruins all differ, it still quickly gets repetitive. There's not enough types of opponents. Dragons on the other hand, I mustI must admit that Skyrim has disappointed me. It didn't live up to my expectations. This game is an improved version of TES IV: Oblivion. It doesn't really show any innovation. Just improvements... What this game is only good for is exploring. And even if caves and ruins all differ, it still quickly gets repetitive. There's not enough types of opponents. Dragons on the other hand, I must admit, are epicly made. They are innovative.. But other than that... Well, ok, random events, these are fun as well. But besides that, the story and all of the side quests are really boring. I was seriously hoping that they'll make the story really entertaining... They had so many years to work on that. But all they've done is that they have improved few things, and added dragons. Graphic-wise they've done a good job. I really think this game is far too hyped up. Comparing it to oblivion, it just doesn't offer enough of new things. I got bored sooner than I expected. Oh, and also... "Romancing" is the most shallow in the history of games here. And the only purpose of having a wife is that she may start a shop, and give you money every once in a while... Pros: -Huge open world, which is fun to explore... until it gets boring. -Graphics. -Dragons. Cons: -Just doesn't offer a lot of new things, compared to Oblivion. -Boring main story and side quests. -Could use more types of enemies.… Expand
  82. compu4
    Dec 11, 2011
    6
    This game is quite fun, but I don't know how all of the professional reviewers gave it such high scores. They must have been using their Elder Scrolls Beer Goggles. The main problem with this game is its lack of polish: there are many flaws that are simply inexcusable in an AAA title.

    Pros: Great Story, characters, and lore. Very immersive atmosphere. Vast world with virtually unlimited    This game is quite fun, but I don't know how all of the professional reviewers gave it such high scores. They must have been using their Elder Scrolls Beer Goggles. The main problem with this game is its lack of polish: there are many flaws that are simply inexcusable in an AAA title.

    Pros: Great Story, characters, and lore. Very immersive atmosphere. Vast world with virtually unlimited freedom to explore. Great deal of character customization options. Many quests are fun and interesting. A huge variety of weapons, armor, and magic to choose from. Many minigames and extras to supplement the combat.

    Cons: The game is basically Oblivion 1.5 with a new story; it fails to deviate from its predecessor in any real, innovative ways. Some of the quests are even ripped straight out of the old game. HORRIBLE, BROKEN AI: AI like this is inexcusable given the caliber of the game. Huge, unpredictable difficulty spikes. The new conversation system is horrible: the game often locks me in conversation while the NPC continues to walk away from me, so I'm stuck talking to his or her ass the whole time. Very limited dialogue options. Riddled with bugs and glitches that should have been resolved during playtesting. Bad graphics: the game barely looks better than Oblivion. Bad textures across the board, very basic lighting model. WORST SHADOWS that I have seen in any recent release. Direct X 9 ONLY; they really should include a DX 10 or 11 renderer in this day and age. The ULTRA preset doesn't even max the graphics, you must make sure to enable all of the highest quality settings manually. Even then, the game looks terrible.    … Expand
  83. DaftBehemoth
    Apr 7, 2014
    6
    Skyrim does a very good job of giving you a huge world to explore, unfortunately the scale might be its greatest downside as well. It feels like not enough butter spread over too much bread. There are little to no memorable characters besides dragons and there are very few genuinely interesting quests to partake in. In my 85 hours spent wandering the lands of Skyrim, no particular momentSkyrim does a very good job of giving you a huge world to explore, unfortunately the scale might be its greatest downside as well. It feels like not enough butter spread over too much bread. There are little to no memorable characters besides dragons and there are very few genuinely interesting quests to partake in. In my 85 hours spent wandering the lands of Skyrim, no particular moment truly stands out to me. I find this to be rather disappointing after playing Oblivion... I'll never forget my skooma escapades or my quests for the Madgod, but my memories of yelling at some wrinkly old men on top of a mountain are already fading.… Expand
  84. sirtalomose
    Jan 21, 2012
    6
    Others seem to have had a much better time with it than I have. As for me I've run into a few game breaking bugs that not even console commands or regular saving could fix. One reason I got Skyrim for PC was to be able to avoid some issues like this. I also find it too combat oriented at times, even forcibly so. Some enemies are scripted to find you which can leave characters relying onOthers seem to have had a much better time with it than I have. As for me I've run into a few game breaking bugs that not even console commands or regular saving could fix. One reason I got Skyrim for PC was to be able to avoid some issues like this. I also find it too combat oriented at times, even forcibly so. Some enemies are scripted to find you which can leave characters relying on sneak or those not focused in combat in trouble. This can leave using console commands, lowering difficulty, or using tactics the AI can't put up a fight against to deal with the problem which I'd consider a design flaw. While not having enemies level with you like in Oblivion was a step in the right direction, if they're 20 levels above you, able to instantly get a killing animation if they get close enough, and running across all of Skyrim to hunt you down then needless to say it can be problematic. And people saying,"You just need to level up more," should understand that a game forcing you to play a certain way loses the definition of being open world, sandbox, or nonlinear. A game like this shouldn't be a race to grind levels. This might have been a string of bad luck for my first few characters, 4 or 5 I felt I had to delete for this reason or the previous one. Graphics aren't as refined as expected. Shadows are blocky unless on a higher end gaming PC or ini settings are adjusted, but the later results in a performance hit. Antialiasing and lighting conflict, giving a lighted or colored outline to characters in certain areas. Without mods I consider a character using Archery, and this goes for some magic skills also, as unplayable with the auto-aim Bethesda saw fit to put in. Otherwise in my opinion, many other features have been mixed to me. Getting rid of stats, the classless leveling system, removing or combining skills, Fallout lockpicking, new use of speech, removed birthsigns to name a few. I can see both good and bad things out of each. Dual wielding is a plus, but not being able to block when doing so is senseless. Dual casting can be exciting for new ways to play.… Expand
  85. 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
  86. LebtNurEinTraum
    Jan 28, 2012
    6
    I don't really understand all this fuss about Skyrim. Sure, it's not a bad game, its world is very large, you get a lot of choices, but that's about all. Almost all the quest and dungeons are quite average and repetitive. There are BUGS, loads of them, even ones that brake the main quest. Graphics? Meh. Some textures look downright ugly. The inventory is ridiculous. And the "care" forI don't really understand all this fuss about Skyrim. Sure, it's not a bad game, its world is very large, you get a lot of choices, but that's about all. Almost all the quest and dungeons are quite average and repetitive. There are BUGS, loads of them, even ones that brake the main quest. Graphics? Meh. Some textures look downright ugly. The inventory is ridiculous. And the "care" for paying customers of Bethesda is really "wonderful". I just don't know how anyone can say that Skyrim is the best game of all time and stuff like that. TES series is unique for its huge open world concept, but the amount of bugs and mistakes should not be overlooked anyway.… Expand
  87. jerf
    Apr 17, 2012
    6
    For me Skyrim was more of a disappointment. I completed the College's line, but got bored already before that. Granted, the vast landscapes are amazing (though, truly so only after downloading tons of unofficial graphics mods), but the story is not really captivating, and characters are rather bland. I didn't remember their names the day after I stopped playing, which shows that theyFor me Skyrim was more of a disappointment. I completed the College's line, but got bored already before that. Granted, the vast landscapes are amazing (though, truly so only after downloading tons of unofficial graphics mods), but the story is not really captivating, and characters are rather bland. I didn't remember their names the day after I stopped playing, which shows that they didn't really touch me.
    So, in my opinion Skyrim is more of a fantasy tourism game than a real role playing one.    … Expand
  88. KsidE
    Nov 16, 2011
    6
    Hurray! The next Elder's Scrolls is here. Too bad is a shameless port, using a dated graphic engine, sold to gullible PC users as the holy-grail of single-player RPGs. * Game is better than Oblivion but has plenty of CTDs (crashes to desktop) quest bugs, audio-bugs, and numerous graphic-glitches. * This 2012 title is DX9 only, renders horrible shadows (not GPU-accelerated), has noHurray! The next Elder's Scrolls is here. Too bad is a shameless port, using a dated graphic engine, sold to gullible PC users as the holy-grail of single-player RPGs. * Game is better than Oblivion but has plenty of CTDs (crashes to desktop) quest bugs, audio-bugs, and numerous graphic-glitches. * This 2012 title is DX9 only, renders horrible shadows (not GPU-accelerated), has no Occlusion Mapping, and LOW-Textures up-close. (The Withcer 2 is ages ahead !!!) * The UI (interface) is simplified in detriment to functionality and what should take 2 clicks takes 11.
    * Gameplay-wise is nice to have so much to do (smithing, mining etc). It was expected that all MetaCritic indexed sites to give it 100%, 5/5, all the praise. Most of them never even played the PC version, basing the review on XBox360 review copies. Go see the offcial forums in the PC section to read up on all the "praise" - There isn't one HAPPY review - NOT ONE !!!. It is sad to see how the big-boys get a free pass on a 50 EUR (yes, here in Europe is ~70 $ USD) for a PC (Steam-only) game that is far from perfect. It's still a great RPG just not so far from Fallout 3, and for a me a let-down. Please DON'T BUY this NOW, wait for it to get a GOTY edition, some patches and then maybe 30 EUR would be fair.    … Expand
  89. Baenlynn
    Feb 28, 2012
    6
    You can look but you can't touch...

    I will get this out of the way right now: Skyrim is an awesome game with a breathtaking scope and an ambitious storyline with a few foreshadowing elements in its main plot (perhaps Bethesda is working up to throwing ITS lit match at WoW?) However in many respects, Skyrim doesn't actually understand that it is a GAME, or even that it is telling a story.    You can look but you can't touch...

    I will get this out of the way right now: Skyrim is an awesome game with a breathtaking scope and an ambitious storyline with a few foreshadowing elements in its main plot (perhaps Bethesda is working up to throwing ITS lit match at WoW?)

    However in many respects, Skyrim doesn't actually understand that it is a GAME, or even that it is telling a story. To be fair however, Bethesda have always suffered from this disease to varying degrees but this is possibly the most-jarring instance of it that I've seen from them.

    To clarify what I'm talking about: in your average game (and 99% of the memorable, engaging stories in the world) there is a sense of arc, of progression, as the plot unfolds. Characters evolve, personalities and relationships change, and at the end of the story, the state of things is changed (however subtle). With Skyrim however one gets the sense that the world is simply a matte painting into which the plot elements are tacked on. The dynamism of that place is completely invulnerable to our presence as the protagonist which makes all those positives about plot and characters and depth ring hollow. One gets the sense that the game doesn't need us and that robs even the supposedly most engaging moments of the game of any sense of reality. For example: The main side-quest in Markarth.

    After a while, when the shine has worn off the game, that's all Skyrim has left to offer: An uncomfortable sense that it is tolerating your presence even though it feels you are sullying its pristine vision of Tamriel.    … Expand
  90. JudgmentJay
    Nov 17, 2011
    6
    I'll preface this review by saying that while I was a huge fan of Morrowind, I couldn't bring myself to like Oblivion. I should also note that while I haven't finished the game, I'm 60 hours in, and I feel that I've seen enough of the game to write an unbiased review. First I'll discuss the good. The world is huge, immersive, and has a nice aesthetic even if the graphics are a bit dated.I'll preface this review by saying that while I was a huge fan of Morrowind, I couldn't bring myself to like Oblivion. I should also note that while I haven't finished the game, I'm 60 hours in, and I feel that I've seen enough of the game to write an unbiased review. First I'll discuss the good. The world is huge, immersive, and has a nice aesthetic even if the graphics are a bit dated. Music and sound is top notch. Quests are fun and so far non-repetitive. Dungeon layouts are varied and I've seen very little copy/pasting. Surprisingly few bugs for a Bethesda release. Both the amount of content in the game and the attention to detail is staggering. Now for the bad... The game is too easy even on master difficulty. The UI is terrible and it's especially difficult to switch to and from dual wielding melee weapons. Melee combat is bad, though I admit I'm enjoying stealth gameplay. Textures are low resolution. Not enough voice actors. NPCs repeat the same lines too often. Enemy AI is dumb as a rock. Dragon AI is dumb as a rock. Not enough dungeon types. You've got Castle/fort, Nord ruin, Dwarven ruin, and cave. That's it. Weather changes too quickly. Various other bugs such as NPCs teleporting around or a merchant standing backwards at their store counter. While that may seem like alot of negatives, most of them are nitpicks and don't detract too much from the overall feel of the game. Overall, not quite as good as Morrowind, but much better than Oblivion. With mods, patches, and tweaks I could see it becoming a 9/10.… Expand
  91. Sargul
    Nov 15, 2011
    6
    I've really waited for the release of Skyrim but in the end this game turns out be just average.

    The graphics look like a lazy console port with textures flickering in the distance. I have to admit that there's a lot to do in Skyrim (with a huge number of side quests and things to explore) however the main story remains boring and very predictable. The skill system looks nice at the    I've really waited for the release of Skyrim but in the end this game turns out be just average.

    The graphics look like a lazy console port with textures flickering in the distance. I have to admit that there's a lot to do in Skyrim (with a huge number of side quests and things to explore) however the main story remains boring and very predictable. The skill system looks nice at the beginning however I'm missing the feeling that the character improves on a level up.

    It seems that this is Oblivion 1.2 with slightly improved graphics and an enhanced skill system.    … Expand
  92. numbody
    Dec 4, 2011
    6
    This is abridged. You can see the whole thing at http://resthard.blogspot.com before passing judgment here.

    Bad Things Armor/Apparel (some skill development stuff too) Morrowind was great in this department, the way players could stack various pieces of unique armor (Left Gauntlet, Right Gauntlet, Left Pauldron, Right Pauldron, Cuirass, et-cetera) on top of clothing and stuff, enchanting    This is abridged. You can see the whole thing at http://resthard.blogspot.com before passing judgment here.

    Bad Things

    Armor/Apparel (some skill development stuff too)
    Morrowind was great in this department, the way players could stack various pieces of unique armor (Left Gauntlet, Right Gauntlet, Left Pauldron, Right Pauldron, Cuirass, et-cetera) on top of clothing and stuff, enchanting each piece of apparel with enchantments to boost stats in myriad ways. Of all the things to streamline (to put it nicely), why this? I mean, Skyrim left a lot of crap in the game that really didn't need to be in it, so who's the guy who was ultimately in charge of determining where the line would be drawn in terms of content? It's okay to implement a bunch of amateurish combat finishing animations that add absolutely nothing to the game, but when it comes to apparel customization, four main pieces of armor's the limit. And one ring, players can only equip one ring at a time. Where's the sense in that? Give me the option to at least equip two rings without having to find or make a mod!
    Say what you will about balancing the gameplay mechanics and player stats, this has nothing to do with it; otherwise, Bethesda would've spent more time fleshing out how skills are developed. The player can become, for example, a master-level blacksmith by making hundreds of leather bracers over and over again. Bethesda could have at least added milestones in skill development --you know, maybe a player would have to craft some specific armor set before he/she's able to move on to a higher skill level. But no, leveling skills, if that's something you're focusing on, has the potential to feel like a simple grind. And on this note, since when can mortals craft Daedric armor and weapons? Also, the fact that the components needed to craft more complex pieces of armor and weapons is so frighteningly simplified leaves me feeling unsettled. I find it hard to believe that with three, 0.1 stone leather strips and five, 1 stone ebony ingots, one can craft an elaborate piece of 38 stone ebony armor.

    Combat
    Despite what Bethesda says, the only thing that's been remotely updated are the combat animations, and even those leave much to be desired (there's zero finesse when it comes to fighting in Skyrim, in terms of both look and feel). Every fight can be handled in the same way. As it is with the entire game, and when it comes to doing battle in particular, Skyrim's made it so that players don't have to think. Even fights against dragons aren't all they're cracked up to be, as all the player's got to do is wait for a dragon to land before running up to it and assaulting it with a barrage of low-brow flurries. And why bother adding V.A.T.S. style kill animations if they all end up looking awkward?
    The animations themselves lack a certain finesse, though this is something more of a personal feeling. Sure, the game takes place in Skyrim, but does everyone have to look like a barbarian when they fight, tactlessly swinging their weapons about like muck-raking savages? Adding variety to animations or, if nothing else, making the different attacks more cohesive with one another would work out better. Take a page from Dark Souls --that game's got some really nice attack animations -- excellent sense of weight, good timing, finesse -- and they all fit with one another; that is to say, I believe that my character in Dark Souls is capable of performing all of these varied moves with all of these varied weapons.

    A few other things
    Level scaling is back, and while it's a little more subtle than it was in Oblivion, it's still a huge drag. The field of view is claustrophobia-inducing; would've been nice to add an option to change that instead of needing to tweak .ini files. The seemingly blatant disregard to ensuring how different armor pieces stack with one another is unacceptable (for example, wearing a hooded robe with a mask makes my character's head disappear).
    Morrowind felt like an immersive experience. Skyrim feels like a game and nothing more. As much as I'd like to explore the beautifully realized world of Skyrim, I know that underneath the nice veneer is a rotten core. I don't understand how games like Risen and Two Worlds II get metacritic scores in the 70's while Skyrim gets a 95.

    The bottom line is this: For the $60 price tag and for all the hype surrounding it, I shouldn't have to settle. I should be wowed by Skyrim, and I'm not. I don't wanna have my hand held when I play a game, and I'm sick of being reminded about how lame my Skyrim experience is by its numerous quirks. Skyrim is a horrible ode to the direction in which the game industry is headed. Playing Skyrim makes me miss Morrowind.    … Expand
  93. Rhiaven
    Nov 22, 2011
    6
    I have not played previous Elder Scrolls games (though I have played many other games, RPG and otherwise), so this review (for PC version) comes without any comparison to its prequels. I've played this game for about a week, and on the whole, it feels rather average to me, as though it has several pros, it also has many cons.

    Pros: - Very large world / map to explore, with locations that    I have not played previous Elder Scrolls games (though I have played many other games, RPG and otherwise), so this review (for PC version) comes without any comparison to its prequels. I've played this game for about a week, and on the whole, it feels rather average to me, as though it has several pros, it also has many cons.

    Pros:
    - Very large world / map to explore, with locations that are not necessary to questing, heightening realism and enjoyable for those who like to explore
    - Fast travel is nice because it allows you to save time travelling to places you have already been to, saving on wasted travelling time without actually cutting out the need to explore first
    - Large amount of side quests which mostly do not have to be done in a linear manner; quests also have some variety in type as they aren't all 'just kill this monster' quests
    - NPCs sometimes follow you around the house when you venture into their private areas, especially if you are sneaking, in an attempt to steal items, a very nice touch which makes stealing more difficult
    - The ability to craft armor and weapons, make potions and cook food are a good addition, as it adds more sophistication to the game
    - Decent, though not fantastic graphics
    - The ability to own a home, decorate it, and store items you don't want to carry or sell adds a personal touch to the game
    - The ability to joins certain groups / factions adds an identifying factor to the character you play

    Cons:
    - Quests (in themselves) are very linear; most do not offer multiple options or diversions from the route to completion
    - Barely any attempt at a background or history for your character; race and gender have hardly any impact on the story in general, aside from some NPC comments here or there; your character has little to say at all times, and dialogue options are all straightforward and have no variety of choice based on character / attitude; character also has no movement or quirks that define personality
    - Character build (i.e. warrior, thief, mage) not distinct, and has no impact on quests or stories; NPCs will call you whatever they want - a mage calls you a mage, and an archer calls you an archer
    - The game is simply too easy - combat is extremely straight forward and the combat actions / graphics are highly limited; recovery is also pretty quick
    - Not many cinematic cutscenes to show off graphics or to expand on stories and make you identify with the game story / character(s)
    - NPCs are pretty dull - they lack character, either through back story or voice acting; you have little motivation to actually listen to them speak
    - Followers are even more dull - thorough lack of interest in followers as they seem to have little character, and few events to motivate you to want to have followers; you just have them for pack mules and additional fighting power; they act like robots (and my follower sounds downright rude in fact)
    - Characters can change armor in the middle of combat which removes realism from the game
    - Some glitches and problems with the game, such as weird graphics glitches, black screens upon alt-tabbing, occasional unfathomable crashes
    - NPCs and your followers do not move out of the way when you try to move past them - this can result in you getting stuck in a room when your follower is blocking the doorway (I ended up shoving them with my shield just to get them out of the doorway, thus hurting them in the process)
    - Inability to drop quests you don't want or don't like
    - Have to get around menus mostly using the keyboard; the mouse doesn't work on everything - console port?
    - No one-page-viewable character breakdown, showing how your character looks, his / her stats, EQ, possible states etc.
    - Inventory is clunky to use - you have to scroll down through each category to look for items, rather than having them all listed out clearly on a single viewable list; generally the UI is really inconvenient to use; time is wasted scrolling through stuff all the time

    All in all, Skyrim is a game that feels more like a simple intellectual exercise than one that engages your emotions. After many hours of playing this game, it has frankly gotten rather boring and tedious, and has become something to pass time on with routine button pressing, rather than something I can't wait to do.    … Expand
  94. Blackhamer
    Jun 6, 2013
    6
    After playing 160 hours of Skyrim I can say one thing for certain about it: "As wide as an ocean, but as deep as puddle". The game world is fully open and contains many many caves, dungeons, cities, creatures, treasures and quests. Within 160 hours of game time over 4 diffrent characters I've burned through no more than 75 of game's vast content (and without the newst DLC There is totalAfter playing 160 hours of Skyrim I can say one thing for certain about it: "As wide as an ocean, but as deep as puddle". The game world is fully open and contains many many caves, dungeons, cities, creatures, treasures and quests. Within 160 hours of game time over 4 diffrent characters I've burned through no more than 75 of game's vast content (and without the newst DLC There is total freedom and you can murder whoever you want, steal whatever you want .This abundance of stuff to do comes with a price though the game is EXTREMELY UNPOLISHED. Quantity over quality is Skyrim's official motto: Dialogues are very poor, quests are short and they are often uninteresting fetch-quests. Bugs are EVERYWHERE. I have the latest steam version AND newest modders community's patch. These are annoying, for example characters firing dialogue at wrong moments, NPCs dissapearing or freezing, terrible balance (i.e dragons killed by shopkeepers), awkward clipping of weapons...there is no end to those little bugs. And there are also major bugs, preventing you from completing quests. All of this really breaks immersion, yes imagination helps to explain the game's broken content but it's not enough for me.
    Combat system is quite meh, every few sword-swing you have to get into menu to drink a health potion or select a diffrent spell (there are hotkeys but too few). Character development is somewhat unique to this game, kinda too simplified but not really a major flaw. The graphics are bearable especially if you use mods.
    Mods are great in this game, they add tons of new content. With mods I'd give this game 7/10 but without it's barely a 6/10 for me. It's time to finally stop playing this game hoping that around the corner there is higher-quality content. After 160 hours trust me there is none.    … Expand
  95. hexaae
    Jun 1, 2015
    6
    Unfortunately it's poorly done, with an ancient engine and FULL of over 2000 bugs. It could have been potentially a masterpiece. No, no mods can fix some broken engine mechanics and bugs.
  96. SittinginBasket
    Oct 23, 2012
    6
    A decent attempted at rebooting the Elder Scrolls series, but just that. Visuals and audio leave something to be desired, cities and towns feel extremely small and uninteresting compared to the series' past cities and towns, melee combat is unsatisfying and sloppy while magic is fairly well done. The engine's physics still suffer in realism, and putting a potato into a bowl is the game'sA decent attempted at rebooting the Elder Scrolls series, but just that. Visuals and audio leave something to be desired, cities and towns feel extremely small and uninteresting compared to the series' past cities and towns, melee combat is unsatisfying and sloppy while magic is fairly well done. The engine's physics still suffer in realism, and putting a potato into a bowl is the game's most difficult feat. The game lacks much depth and immersion, feeling like a simple video game instead of an immersible world. Quests are extremely shallow and mostly consist of fetch-quests where your only true objective is to go into a dungeon, get to the end, and get back out, with no real story or anything interesting. Certain features such as the horse carriages are rendered useless after the first use by fast-travel and merchants will only ever be used to sell items to and buy potions, arrows, and ingots, as every other item will be inferior to what you currently have. The game redeems itself in it's openness to modding. Without mods, the game is just another mediocre RPG. It is highly recommended to install mods before going into the game, as the vanilla experience is extremely lacking.… Expand
  97. Warbird
    Nov 13, 2011
    6
    Running on a i7-2600k with 460GTX SLI and 3 monitors. It crashed at the startup screen every time. I found the fix on a site listing 42 bugs & fixes. After I dropped the sound quality down to 44KHz the game ran fine. But there is no 3 monitor resolution so I'm stuck with just playing on one monitor. Also theres no tessellation or DX11 or even DX10 support and the menus are such a pain inRunning on a i7-2600k with 460GTX SLI and 3 monitors. It crashed at the startup screen every time. I found the fix on a site listing 42 bugs & fixes. After I dropped the sound quality down to 44KHz the game ran fine. But there is no 3 monitor resolution so I'm stuck with just playing on one monitor. Also theres no tessellation or DX11 or even DX10 support and the menus are such a pain in the butt. The quick change between spells keeps going to the wrong hand so 1-0 is useless. Hopefully the mod comunity will do Bethesda's job for them. You would think 13 million from PC sales would pay for more effort than just a basic console port. Give the game 90 days and it'll probably get an 8 but any 10 is just plain lying BS. It is NOT close to a perfect 10. I could see an 8 or maybe even a 9 if you are reviewing on what you guess the end product will be like after the modders fix it.… Expand
  98. zugu
    Nov 12, 2011
    6
    Fallout 3 with dragons and swords. This is what this game is. I simply cannot understand the hype around this game.

    Level designers worked their asses off, because everything in the game is detailed, and each zone, and each house have a story to tell. But graphics are horrible. Everything has that bland, monochrome Fallout 3 look. Facial animations look like something from 2005, and the    Fallout 3 with dragons and swords. This is what this game is. I simply cannot understand the hype around this game.

    Level designers worked their asses off, because everything in the game is detailed, and each zone, and each house have a story to tell. But graphics are horrible. Everything has that bland, monochrome Fallout 3 look. Facial animations look like something from 2005, and the entire game feels like it was built on some game engine from the same era, that Bethesda continuously iterated upon until Skyrim. (Oh, wait, that actually happened. Bethesda could have learned something from Valve's Source engine, because that's what good iteration looks like.) The facial animations are so bad and ugly that, at times, I can't even understand what character is actually speaking.

    Voice acting is terrible, I was expecting much more from Skyrim. The UI is nothing to write home about.

    All these shortcomings, yet people rave about this game like it's the second coming of baby Jesus. What is this world coming to?    … Expand
  99. osoichan
    Nov 12, 2011
    6
    It feels like, sounds like and looks like little pimped oblivion mixed with morrowind. Graphics are not that good as i excepted. If i compare them to withcher 2 the result is miserable
  100. Jaman
    Nov 14, 2011
    6
    Loved Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3. I find Skyrim to be more of the same. Some people will like that. Clearly a huge effort has been spent in creating the beautiful world to explore and the storyline, but the game really falls down in gameplay mechanics, which have barely changed and are as clunky as ever. Melee combat is unacceptably bad (c'mon now folks). I fail to see how characterLoved Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3. I find Skyrim to be more of the same. Some people will like that. Clearly a huge effort has been spent in creating the beautiful world to explore and the storyline, but the game really falls down in gameplay mechanics, which have barely changed and are as clunky as ever. Melee combat is unacceptably bad (c'mon now folks). I fail to see how character interaction has changed - they hype suggested that this would be an area for improvement but the characters are still as dumb as ever. I went for the PC version because of the amazing modding community. It runs fine for me on highest quality, but I took it down a to medium to prevent my GPU from frying. It still looks good and plays even smoother. Yes there are noticeable and annoying glitches - YMMV.

    Based on the commercial release, the quality control team should be fired. I enjoyed the20+ hours I spent in skyrim, but it has now become extremely tedious and I have no desire to invest more of my time there.

    Shame that so many people blithely give a 0 or 10. It's not that bad, neither is it that good. Users should try to be more objective with their reviews otherwise companies like Bethesda will not feel compelled to make the necessary improvements to gameplay. In this day and age, gamers should be more demanding. That's how we progress.

    The gaming press has been bought.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

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