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. bioforge
    Nov 18, 2011
    0
    Absolute garbage not worthy of the Elderscrolls name! What we're they thinking when they made this? I bought this game with very high expectations only to be very disappointed by the mediocre gameplay to the wonky interface and whats with those graphics?....cmon!! Such a shame to see that the Elderscrolls has been reduced to this shoddy and buggy mess!
  2. SketchyGalore
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    I've noticed that a lot of negative reviews about Skyrim have mentioned a lack of a good story. This gave me pause since, when I think about it, if someone wrote everything I was doing in Skyrim down in a novel, it would suck. And indeed, there have been moments in the game where I look at what's happening around me and doubt the feasibility of my epic tale ("You really want me to takeI've noticed that a lot of negative reviews about Skyrim have mentioned a lack of a good story. This gave me pause since, when I think about it, if someone wrote everything I was doing in Skyrim down in a novel, it would suck. And indeed, there have been moments in the game where I look at what's happening around me and doubt the feasibility of my epic tale ("You really want me to take your dead friend's ashes? Uh... I just got into town..."). But then, it struck me. Skyrim isn't a story. Skyrim is a world. And that is absolutely perfect for an Elder Scrolls game.

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

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

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

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

    This is a game people will be playing until Elder Scrolls VI and beyond.    … Expand
  3. Kronox
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    First, I want to THANK Bethesda for being one of the few gaming companies out there that still gets it! While all the other single player games out there make me feel like im trapped in a box and have to do what it wants me to do, this game inspires creativity and imagination and THATS what gaming is all about. This game takes me away from the real world and thats why Bethesda got my 60First, I want to THANK Bethesda for being one of the few gaming companies out there that still gets it! While all the other single player games out there make me feel like im trapped in a box and have to do what it wants me to do, this game inspires creativity and imagination and THATS what gaming is all about. This game takes me away from the real world and thats why Bethesda got my 60 bux, I would pay a hundred if thats what it takes to keep them making titles like this. Now for the bad. No more life for me, I'm going to spend the next 4 weeks of my life locked in my bedroom living on cheetos and beer with the occasional shower. Not going to write much of a review except to say take the good reviews here on this game seriously and ignore the bad ones. The UI did irritate me a bit as I am strictly a hardcore PC gamer (down with consoles!) but by NO means does the less than ideal UI alone warrant a low review score on a game that has soooo many TONS of other plus's to counter it. And these people saying the graphics are sub-par LOL! I would like them to name another fantasy game out there that they consider the graphics to be PAR as in better than this. I run the game on a pentium core 2 duo quad core extreme at 3 ghx per core, 8 gigs of ram, and 2 gtx 470's in SLI and turn the settings down just a bit from max so i can get the magic 60 fps that I like (to me framerate trumps effects, real life is smoothe not choppy and thats how i like my games). The game looks wicked awesome. The art is fantastic. And anyone that knows anything at all about gaming knows that Bethesda makes some of the best looking fantasy games that have ever been seen. People that complain about the main story also do not know how to actually play a Bethesda title. The main story should not be rushed through, more like meandered through slowly while doing all of the other little and big things that can also be done in the game. I swear, some people try to play these titles like they are playing a first person shooter then complain about it. Peace.… Expand
  4. p2k10
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Skyrim Skyrim Skyrim, a really great game from Bethesda. I love the Nordic World and the Quest. The Witcher 2 an Skyrim are the best RPG of the Year. Thanks Bethesda.
  5. DOSfan
    Nov 18, 2011
    4
    it's a well done game in some ways, mainly if you're a console gamer.
    the menu designs are just horrible on pc, why can't i use my mouse???
    graphics are sub par, over hyped, and the character progression is painfully simple.
    i got bored and frustrated after only 6 hours in :/
  6. Morhange
    Nov 18, 2011
    3
    You can't make a good story focused on dragons, simple as that. Talking dragons is an absurd twist on the generic ones, which surely is original but it kind of made the game awkward. The main quest was boring, since there was no character progression. We already knew from the start that we were the Dragonborn, designated to end the dragons... etc... most of us probably figured out whatYou can't make a good story focused on dragons, simple as that. Talking dragons is an absurd twist on the generic ones, which surely is original but it kind of made the game awkward. The main quest was boring, since there was no character progression. We already knew from the start that we were the Dragonborn, designated to end the dragons... etc... most of us probably figured out what finale would be like as well. When there's no mystery in a game like this, it's not fun. You're not dragged into the story because it lacks immersion and the originality of daggerfall and morrowind. The quests in this game, be it main quest or not, are incredibly easy. It's like they were designed for you to not be able to fail. A prime example would be when you doing a College of Winterhold quest, you have to explore a ruin in order to find a staff. You stumble across a door that freezes when you walk by it, and thus it cant be opened... only to find that a few steps to the left there's a fire tome waiting for you. Dont present any obstacles to a player if theyre not there to actually hinder your progress...

    The game IS pretty fun though, but its nowhere as good as Daggerfall or Morrowind. It might be better than Oblivion, though. I would say its a good action/adventure game but an awful roleplaying game. If you don't have a brain and like killing things, well this is the game for you.    … Expand
  7. eulogy
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Even plagued with crashes, glitches, poor AI, crap UI, and in some specific cases, sub-par graphics, this game is so immersive and compelling that it keeps me playing. It's not the best it could've been, but it's damned good. Some of the landscape is awe-inspiring and stunning. The different ways you can improve your character are really satisfying - instead of being exceptionallyEven plagued with crashes, glitches, poor AI, crap UI, and in some specific cases, sub-par graphics, this game is so immersive and compelling that it keeps me playing. It's not the best it could've been, but it's damned good. Some of the landscape is awe-inspiring and stunning. The different ways you can improve your character are really satisfying - instead of being exceptionally skilled at combat, you could instead have above-average gear from crafting to make up for it. Almost any mixture of skills you want to focus on can be made into a successful and strong character, even if you want to be a jack of all trades.

    Although the voice acting is superb, it feels like there's only one or two voices per sex that most NPCs use. It's easily overlooked because at least it's there, right?    … Expand
  8. Mohobie
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Open world, free to be explored with many hidden "gems" to find. The story is both engaging and direct for those seeking a more linier path to "completing" this game. However for most of us the game will literally have no ending. It has the bonus of an unending(litteraly) supply of quests for those who want them. It's vast, and it's options are even more so. Anyone who gives this gameOpen world, free to be explored with many hidden "gems" to find. The story is both engaging and direct for those seeking a more linier path to "completing" this game. However for most of us the game will literally have no ending. It has the bonus of an unending(litteraly) supply of quests for those who want them. It's vast, and it's options are even more so. Anyone who gives this game a low rating would likely be doing so because the game is not an MMO. It is a single player game plain and simple. Impressive grafix and a mostly intuative control system allow users to jump right in and begin their journey. This game becomes what you want of it. Desire a life of bravery and justice for all... you can make it so... Want to pinch the pocket of every noble you can find...go ahead.
    There really is no wrong way to play skyrim other then to not play it at all ;) If you want todo it then you can. Ok spent to much time here... I'm going back to being the archmage! ;)    … Expand
  9. Strange_New_Day
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    More and more modern games sacrifice content for graphics, Betheseda's Skyrim is fortunately not one of them. Skyrim is a massive, multifaceted world that really pushes the strengths of previous Elder Scrolls games. The quests are a step above what we have seen before, the world aesthetics are beautiful though the graphics do bennifit from the latest mods that are available. TheMore and more modern games sacrifice content for graphics, Betheseda's Skyrim is fortunately not one of them. Skyrim is a massive, multifaceted world that really pushes the strengths of previous Elder Scrolls games. The quests are a step above what we have seen before, the world aesthetics are beautiful though the graphics do bennifit from the latest mods that are available. The ambient noises blend well with the over arching music themes and character noises. The lighting and sound mesh together in dungeons to really give the gamer a feeling of danger. Whilst Skyrim offers an unprecedented sandbox style fantasy world rpg, possibly unrivaled in the modern genre it isn't all a bed of rose petals. The interface for the PC is atrocious. Bugs abound all over the game. The game is pathetically easy and whilst the world is stunning and the cities gorgeous, the larger cities feel like they consist of a handful of houses consisting of barely a handful of people. The writing fails at times and could of used a bit more work. This is an excellent game but through silly mistakes, glitches and the heavy handed UI console port I cannot see how it could be rated above an 8 out of 10. Skyrim is desperately in need of the upcoming mods the PC community will put together.… Expand
  10. B0ZZH0GG
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Awsome game! It has a few minor issues, but it will blow you away in it's scope. What Bethesda has managed to do here is mindblowing. The amount of interaction you can have with the world they have reated is at times a bit overwhelming. IF you have A.D.D. don't buy it as you will never get anywhere as more and more interesting things to do and explore pop up all over the place. TheAwsome game! It has a few minor issues, but it will blow you away in it's scope. What Bethesda has managed to do here is mindblowing. The amount of interaction you can have with the world they have reated is at times a bit overwhelming. IF you have A.D.D. don't buy it as you will never get anywhere as more and more interesting things to do and explore pop up all over the place. The menu system is perhaps a bit counter intuitive at first, but once you get the hang on selecting with WASD then things smooth out and become natural. Best Game I have played this year, if GotY is not bestowed upon this masterpiece by a reviewer than the contest is rigged because in my mind there is no contest this is the best game in decades.… Expand
  11. Enshia
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Seems that Bethesda has learned from the past especially with Oblivion and Morrowind. The game itself takes good points from both, removes the rather broken leveling system from Oblivion, and fixes the story. Adding the scale and scope from morrowind, and leaving you to do your own thing. Before I had started the main quest, I'd already picked up 10 other main quests and had nearly 30Seems that Bethesda has learned from the past especially with Oblivion and Morrowind. The game itself takes good points from both, removes the rather broken leveling system from Oblivion, and fixes the story. Adding the scale and scope from morrowind, and leaving you to do your own thing. Before I had started the main quest, I'd already picked up 10 other main quests and had nearly 30 misc quests in my log simply from meeting and exploring. Graphics on it's own, are breathtaking. The combat system has been changed, some may like it, others may hate it. That doesn't mean there aren't flaws. Some textures are low res, blood, overlays for snow, there's a few problems with FXAA, quest failures because it can't find voice files(rare), but can be fixed by extracting the BSA. The AI is smarter than in previous games, but will still do silly things. Like keep a ward up for a long period if you charge a spell. There are some curious bugs, like CTD's if you're using a higher sound output than 24bit@41k, and some people report TDR problems with nvidia cards. On ultra high, performance wise on a 965x4 w/evga 560, is very good. Lots of light sources can cause it to choke, so can shadows. Though the difference between high and ultra shadows is minimal. The UI is very consolish, hopefully some folks like DaRN will fix that soon. If I could give partial points I would. The game is more of an 8.2-8.75 than a 9.

    As it stands now I have nearly 60 hours in gameplay, and am still enjoying it.    … Expand
  12. Ormik
    Nov 18, 2011
    8
    I have one piece of advice for those considering this game on the PC. Find a decent UI mod, or get an xbox 360 controller hooked upto your PC and play it that way.

    Almost all of the menu screens DO NOT use a mouse interface, and simply have you arrow left or right to select items. This is insane. Anyone who has played these games knows that you don't have a hand anywhere near your arrow    I have one piece of advice for those considering this game on the PC. Find a decent UI mod, or get an xbox 360 controller hooked upto your PC and play it that way.

    Almost all of the menu screens DO NOT use a mouse interface, and simply have you arrow left or right to select items. This is insane. Anyone who has played these games knows that you don't have a hand anywhere near your arrow keys, do you? No. Mouse and WASD.

    That said, I was planning to play with a 360 controller anyway, and only fired up the game originally (sans controller) so see how it looked. I was happy to see that after plugging in the controller it instantly recognized it and mapped all of the buttons to the exact same layout as playing it on the xbox. This made life easier, but the default PC UI is still quite a disappointment.

    Other than that, it is an addictive game with a beautifully crafted world that sparks far more intrigue in me than the general plains/hills of TES: Oblivion.    … Expand
  13. MaDaStar
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    While no game really deserves a perfect score, I can't give Skyrim a mere 9 out of 10. There are a couple of minor issues with the PC version, but the only one that even bothers me at all, is the interface. It could be much better. There are some minor graphical glitches here and there, but looking at the game in the big picture, the 5th chapter in The Elder Scrolls series is worthy of aWhile no game really deserves a perfect score, I can't give Skyrim a mere 9 out of 10. There are a couple of minor issues with the PC version, but the only one that even bothers me at all, is the interface. It could be much better. There are some minor graphical glitches here and there, but looking at the game in the big picture, the 5th chapter in The Elder Scrolls series is worthy of a score in the high 90 percentile. There is so much to see and do. So many ways to develop your character, weapons, spells etc. that it boggles the mind. At first I was like a kid in a candy store. I didn't know where to start. Should I get a good start on the main quest or do just a little and then seek out the guilds and join one. Should I limit my exploring to one small area of the map, or check out a few far sections and see what was out there. Am I a hero with unwavering scruples, or will I do anything for more gold? Once I settled in, I got lost in Skyrim. Not in the "What the hell am I doing?" type of lost, but the "I should really go to bed / feed the dog / get to work" kind of lost. My video recorder is rapidly filling with TV shows that I've been ignoring, and the only time my wife has seen me during the past week is when we have dinner and do the dishes. Yes, this game is that good. There are plenty of places to find details on the game and the type of quests you will face, but I encourage anyone looking to pick up Skyrim, to play it without spoilers and discover a world where you can be the hero, thief, murderer, and dragon-slayer. Be one, or be them all. If you hate that the price of PC games are now averaging $60 for AAA titles, fret not with Skyrim, as you get your money's worth and more.… Expand
  14. wardialer
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    only about halfway done (i'm guessing) but so far the game is awesome. metacritic user scores are usually more indicative of the quality of a game, and this time (i believe) both critics and users have reached a consensus. the open world is gorgeous... especially the northern lights, characters look good enough (much better than long-faced ugs in previous elder scrolls), movement andonly about halfway done (i'm guessing) but so far the game is awesome. metacritic user scores are usually more indicative of the quality of a game, and this time (i believe) both critics and users have reached a consensus. the open world is gorgeous... especially the northern lights, characters look good enough (much better than long-faced ugs in previous elder scrolls), movement and physics are good, attention to detail is huge. the game's just really engrossing and sucks you in every time. load times are almost non-existent and the interface seems really polished and well thought out. bethesda got it right. you really get a sense that everyone on their team was at their best and cared about the final product.
    truly epic.
    i almost forgot... epic soundtrack as well.    … Expand
  15. camb198
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    In the week I have had this game I have played over 30 hours! I still haven't completed the main quest and I am loving it. The new leveling system is really nice and all the perks seem to "perk" my interest. Even the skills I wasn't going to level up, I want to level up due to the cool perks! I know the graphics are not ultra crazy but I am happy with the gameplay and to me that's whatIn the week I have had this game I have played over 30 hours! I still haven't completed the main quest and I am loving it. The new leveling system is really nice and all the perks seem to "perk" my interest. Even the skills I wasn't going to level up, I want to level up due to the cool perks! I know the graphics are not ultra crazy but I am happy with the gameplay and to me that's what count's. Especially when modders can "upgrade" the graphics with the addition of the Creation Kit. This will consume most of my free time for a long long long time! I can't wait for MERP! Middle Earth Roleplay Project! Everyone check out this mod they are porting to Skyrim! 10/10! Long live Skyrim ;-)… Expand
  16. zon21
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    This game three times and expands the content of Oblivion or fallout. Immense and sublime ambience, I think is the best buy of the year. I give a 10 :)
  17. JaTochNietDan
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    It's impossible to not give this game a 10, it does everything right and nothing wrong. I cannot complain about anything in this game, the performance is excellent, the graphics are stunning and not to mention they are not bland by any means, instead they are wonderfully bright and vibrant. The animations have been vastly improved and playing in third person is very natural now, there is aIt's impossible to not give this game a 10, it does everything right and nothing wrong. I cannot complain about anything in this game, the performance is excellent, the graphics are stunning and not to mention they are not bland by any means, instead they are wonderfully bright and vibrant. The animations have been vastly improved and playing in third person is very natural now, there is a ton more content, of which is far more interesting and well-written than most previous entries in the series.

    Then we have the awesome new enemies that can provide a challenge as you level up and progress into harder dungeons and areas. There's a ton of skills and the all new perk system which is an excellent and well-needed addition to the series, not to mention the all new and vastly improved magic system and dual wielding system which is what fans have been asking for all of this time.

    Then we have the incredible voice acting done by over 70 actors, not a single flaw found so far in the voice acting. The storyline is incredible and all of the side quests are detailed and interesting. There are additional features, more crafting to be done and a massive world to explore that is packed with more content than ever before, instead of having vast open areas with nothing in those areas like in Oblivion, there is something to explore constantly as you move around the world.

    The cities and towns are more interesting, with improved AI as they actually go around doing their jobs and living their lives. You can get married and your spouse will provide you with some perks. Then we have the improved combat system which provides a much more satisfying experience for those who like to "get up close and personal", if you know what I mean.

    I could go on and on all day about this beautiful, astonishing and astounding game. There is truly no other game in the world like it, the only tiny little complaint I can make about this game is that on the PC, the User Interface was not designed for a mouse and keyboard, which could have easily had a re-design to enhance the experience for us PC users, that would have been appreciated but again, it's not a big deal and the User Interface works surprisingly well.

    I look forward to spending insane amounts of time in this vast game, as I'm sure many of you are too, I give this game the ultimate 10/10, because no other game can match the superiority of this amazing creative construction.    … Expand
  18. sabbede
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Hands down the greatest cRPG I have played since... Well, to be honest, the last Bethesda game. Unlike every other game they have put out, this game is STABLE! The most stable and (major) bug free game they have ever released. It is:
    Deep
    Immersive Fun Addictive Beautiful Is it perfect? No. For example, I would have preferred full DX11 support. But it is so good, I can easily    Hands down the greatest cRPG I have played since... Well, to be honest, the last Bethesda game. Unlike every other game they have put out, this game is STABLE! The most stable and (major) bug free game they have ever released. It is:
    Deep
    Immersive
    Fun
    Addictive
    Beautiful

    Is it perfect? No. For example, I would have preferred full DX11 support. But it is so good, I can easily forgive the minor flaws. Buy this game.
    Love it.
    Live it.    … Expand
  19. NickaPleeze
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Sweet Jesus what an amazing game. This is the first Elder Scrolls game I've played, but I'm already a fan for life. My only complaint is that there's no option to turn off the GODDAMN TIME MACHINE this game comes with. I swear I played for about a half hour the other day and six hours passed. Also, I'm a battle-mage werewolf that devours dragon's souls. Nbd. Incredible game, mind-blowingSweet Jesus what an amazing game. This is the first Elder Scrolls game I've played, but I'm already a fan for life. My only complaint is that there's no option to turn off the GODDAMN TIME MACHINE this game comes with. I swear I played for about a half hour the other day and six hours passed. Also, I'm a battle-mage werewolf that devours dragon's souls. Nbd. Incredible game, mind-blowing scope, and very deep character customization/crafting schemes. This is the first Bethesda game I've enjoyed and the first game I've ever given a perfect review. PS: I have not experienced the technical problems other reviewers have. I play on PC with a 360 controller and the UI/mechanics all work great. I have over 28 hours logged and I haven't experienced any noteworthy bugs either. The only problem I've had is rather minor--after many hours of continuous play (4+), some of the textures sometimes don't load properly, so sometimes I'll see a character running around with a bright purple breastplate or something. This only happens very rarely (twice so far), doesn't affect gameplay, and has been fixed every time I've encountered it by simply re-loading the game (which I should probably be doing more than once every 4 hours anyways lol). Get this game!… Expand
  20. bheaze
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Ok so ive played about 40hrs now so i feel i am able to write a proper review on the game so far. the people that give the game less than 5 out of 10 have clearly not played more than 10hrs max in the game and that is no where near enough to even get a glimpse of the game. for the first few hours i was enjoying it but not that much, only when i dove deeper into the quests did i begin toOk so ive played about 40hrs now so i feel i am able to write a proper review on the game so far. the people that give the game less than 5 out of 10 have clearly not played more than 10hrs max in the game and that is no where near enough to even get a glimpse of the game. for the first few hours i was enjoying it but not that much, only when i dove deeper into the quests did i begin to really see how amazing this game really is. there are bugs of course but a game this size it was inevitable but the bugs dont affect with the gameplay that much. the UI is pretty **** on pc but its playable so everyone should stop exaggerating how **** it is and just focusing on that rather than the actual game. yes it crashes every now and again its done it to me twice but that doesnt take away from the actual cunning and innovative gameplay. the graphics arnt really good either even on ultra but definitely playable and as u go deeper into the province of skyrim ur eyes are enveloped by the stunning landscapes, hidden beauties, divine gradens and the amazing running water! u can really tell how much effort Bethesda has put into the game, its clearly evident. i have barely touched the main story, so far completed the dark brotherhood and companions as well as a number of very intriguing side quests. the dark brotherhood and companions factions story line was quite short but the story was well put together with a number of twists and turns that had me excited to see what happens and shocked in the end. even after finishing these factions there are an infinite number of other quests to be completed in the guilds that unfortuantly dont affect the story line of the guild but are still interesting. i would have liked the guilds to be longer!!!! but the side quests, well where do i begin, not to mention that it seems like everyone that u talk to has a quest u can do for them and i have had some very interesting quests. one involving a drinking game in which i blacked out and woke up in a trashed temple, i had to recap my night and found out some very interesting things had been done. the story writing is fantastic! there is no way u can write a review after just a few hrs gameplay, so those people that give negative reviews are missing out on the game of the year! keep playing and i guarantee u will love the game.… Expand
  21. Sunder_Prime
    Nov 18, 2011
    4
    I had a lot of hope for this game & having played the previous two (Oblivion until there was literally nothing left to do) Skyrim seemed like a no-brainer to me. Unfortunately, the game does not rise to meet expectations at all. Let me honestly say that I actually went about for the first while delibrately ignoring faults in this game - the dragon flicking to & from wire-frame repeatedlyI had a lot of hope for this game & having played the previous two (Oblivion until there was literally nothing left to do) Skyrim seemed like a no-brainer to me. Unfortunately, the game does not rise to meet expectations at all. Let me honestly say that I actually went about for the first while delibrately ignoring faults in this game - the dragon flicking to & from wire-frame repeatedly at the beginning, non-player-characters' movements being very stiff & odd looking, constant clipping with everything from seats half-sticking into walls to axes worn on NPC belts sticking through their coats & at times THEMSELVES, a woodcutter whose logs would stick to his axe as if magnetized! I really wanted to ignore this stuff (which you really shouldn't do - or HAVE to do) and enjoy the game and I did so semi-effectively for a few days of (not-solid) gameplay. But at every turn I found myself being pulled out of what was suposed to be an immersive game. Problems show up constantly like the fact that despite what level you are or how well armed or menacing you look your horse is apparently always going to look like the bigger threat to your enemies & so you often find yourself trying to get between your enemies and your horse to kept it from dying. And if you leave it at the bottom of a hill and go to fight a mob, be fully prepared for your horse to charge off past you and engage them, forcing you to use up stamina (which you need to do any decent weapon attack) so you can sprint forward & save your horse. This would be less annoying if it didn't happen all the time & didn't take the fun out of in-game fighting. You could argue that a horse would attack an aggressor or charge off against a perceived threat in real life, but to this I'd have to say: "if we're going to play at realism, then why can't a tether the bugger?!" But despite every bug that they didn't to fix from the last game (and there's a lot), & every new one that makes the game less & less fun, the worst is still the game's RECOGNITION. At one point, I was a Thane in a major city (a position of some serious importance). I asked my new housecarl (the follower given to a Thane) what it meant & she told me I was important to the community and had been recognised as such, for eg, "guards would know me & look the other way if I told them who I was". Well, this ability doesn't actually exist &, even tho I'm not stealing anything, when I use my SHOUT power guards regularly walk up & command me to stop - to which I can either wimpishly comply or dickishly stick my tongue out at them (verbally speaking). No option exists for them to know I'm a Thane & when I travel, having become Thane of a major city, the Fabled Dragonborn everyone is talking about, and the leader of the land's ancient & most famous mercenary group, to go & enlist under the rebel king - THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHO I AM! I'm treated like a nobody who has to prove himself all over again and is often referred to as "Unblooded" by name. By this point, many enemies go down with just one hit - so how am I unblooded exactly? But the worst thing of all, is that when I take news from the rebel king to the Jarl (earl) of the town I've set up in (the one where my Thane-ship and Mercenary status exist) he responds to me like he doesn't know me. And finally, when it comes down to the rebels versus my town, and I march on the town with my Housecarl (who owes allegiance to the Jarl) nothing is said, not a word of complaint, no segment where she protests at least a little about having to attack her own town, nothing (for a character who Bethesda said would feel like a "real, fleshed out person, not just a follower"). No one even comments on the idea of me attacking the place where I have set up so many roots, not even the Jarl when I face him down. In fact, the town isn't even damaged for a place we where just launching boulders at only moments before. Then the NEW Jarl says that to thank me he can give me a title - in fact, he can make me a Thane (hair-pulling out time!) and give me a housecarl (she's standing right behind you, numb-nuts!). This sucked out all realism for me & any feeling of accomplishment. Bethesda also said that as a guild leader you would always have something to do - this just turns out to be pest ctrl missions with the mission giver repeating the same phrase each time: "I've never seen a dragon before, are they real?" ("Yes, you just killed one a moment ago with me for the last mission!!"). The graphics constantly suffer faults even with everything at full on a high-end PC (don't get me started on that), the controls are extremely sub-par - the tip of the cursor & where the mouse will actually click are quite a surprising distance apart. All in all (& this is really just the tip of the iceberg) not enough testing was done, not enough effort was put in, it feels like half a game & plays like one too. Get it if it's £10 or $15. Otherwise, you WILL feel cheated.… Expand
  22. EDHAWK777
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Amazing Game...A rich world full of things to do, Best RPG i've ever played :) A masterpiece for those who consider pc gamers...Like Like Like.................
  23. daarthreview1
    Nov 18, 2011
    0
    I remembered playing oblivion after 150 or so hours of playing i wanted more this game not only kept the things i loved about its predecessor but added new things that expands the enjoyment of the game for me.
    Bethseda deserves a medal the graphics are not that much better than oblivion but makes up for it in other areas most of the glitches that annoyed me in oblivion are gone
    a down side    I remembered playing oblivion after 150 or so hours of playing i wanted more this game not only kept the things i loved about its predecessor but added new things that expands the enjoyment of the game for me.
    Bethseda deserves a medal the graphics are not that much better than oblivion but makes up for it in other areas most of the glitches that annoyed me in oblivion are gone
    a down side is the attack sometimes it feels as if you are striking into thin air also in oblivion but that doesn't bother me that much i love this game and i have to go i must play some more skyrim :).    … Expand
  24. Mal81
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    This is the first Elder Scroll game I have played, and I regret that I haven't dipped in before. I have been in love with this game since the moment i walked into it's beautiful world. I have no past bias, no delusions that this game doesn't have rough edges. There are bugs, some funny, some ugly, but the sheer wonder and joy inherent in the game are excellent. After years of playingThis is the first Elder Scroll game I have played, and I regret that I haven't dipped in before. I have been in love with this game since the moment i walked into it's beautiful world. I have no past bias, no delusions that this game doesn't have rough edges. There are bugs, some funny, some ugly, but the sheer wonder and joy inherent in the game are excellent. After years of playing MMOs and Linear storyline type games, this open ended rpg has won a special place in my heart.… Expand
  25. Dolar
    Nov 18, 2011
    2
    I really want to like this game I really do. But the UI on the PC is just horrendous. No modern PC game should ship with a 100% console UI and awful support for keyboard and mouse. All kinds of performance issues, I had a game stopping issue that took 4 days and a user fix to make the game playable.

    Once I was able to play the game, with an xbox controller mind you, It was a lot of fun.    I really want to like this game I really do. But the UI on the PC is just horrendous. No modern PC game should ship with a 100% console UI and awful support for keyboard and mouse. All kinds of performance issues, I had a game stopping issue that took 4 days and a user fix to make the game playable.

    Once I was able to play the game, with an xbox controller mind you, It was a lot of fun. It is a very atmospheric game and is a whole lot of fun when you can play it. Getting to play it is the obstacle on the PC however.

    Here is to hoping the patch will fix these issues, if so I would have no issues giving this game a 8. But the UI has to be fixed.    … Expand
  26. janbirsa
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    This has been the BEST RPG experience of my life... Skyrim > Oblivion. Skyrim is second best game I played this year among with Portal, every other game was just a waste of money and time. Caution: Skyrim may make you forget you have a real life and that humans sleep at night :P
  27. OHMYFACE
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I'm not gunna lie, this game is amazing, brilliant, outstanding, a masterpiece. I'm only filling the rest up because i need one hundred and fifty characters. < This lol
  28. NoBodysGamer
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I'm not gunna lie, this game is amazing, brilliant, outstanding, a masterpiece. I'm only filling the rest up because i need one hundred and fifty characters.
  29. m3gat0n
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    the only game you MUST HAVE in this year, the graphics, the enviroment, the story plot.. absolutly beautiful its a Masterpiece!
    Hurry go buy it for pc, set the graphics at max and enjoy the game of the year.
  30. casshern09
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I hate to admit it. But this is the best game I have ever played in almost 30 years of gaming. I personally hated, and I do mean HATED Fallout 3 and Oblivion. I thought they were two of the most overrated games ever made. But this, oh man what an amazing game. It does have some flaws. Bad UI, a fair few bugs and some poor graphics. Fortunately those things can be fixed with mods. I amI hate to admit it. But this is the best game I have ever played in almost 30 years of gaming. I personally hated, and I do mean HATED Fallout 3 and Oblivion. I thought they were two of the most overrated games ever made. But this, oh man what an amazing game. It does have some flaws. Bad UI, a fair few bugs and some poor graphics. Fortunately those things can be fixed with mods. I am currently using about 8 or 9 and it makes the game beautiful as only a PC can. Wonderful game, any RPG nut needs to try it.… Expand
  31. ghentkatarn
    Nov 17, 2011
    3
    Graphics are even worse than Oblivion , the menu and navigating is a pain. Cannot see the characther,cannot see the equipped item on the char, cannot see the body in 1st person view.. Very laggy performance on a high end machine (HD6970,8GBRams and i7 Processor). Animations are crap, too much graphic bugs.. I cant count the problems... This is really really horrible after Oblivion....
  32. C-BAT
    Nov 17, 2011
    8
    Skyrim stays in the wave of Oblivion.... and that makes a masterpiece that deserve his price. Graphics are good enough to be convice by the world . Some people says that textures aren't very beautiful for 2011 but for me the gameplay and the open word are more important in this kind of game, and these parts are a great success. You are free to do what you want....and that's the spirit !Skyrim stays in the wave of Oblivion.... and that makes a masterpiece that deserve his price. Graphics are good enough to be convice by the world . Some people says that textures aren't very beautiful for 2011 but for me the gameplay and the open word are more important in this kind of game, and these parts are a great success. You are free to do what you want....and that's the spirit ! It's a game with huge potential. I was just dissapointed about the interface at first but you get used to it.… Expand
  33. 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
  34. Abraxas000
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I feel I must first make a statement about the negative reviews. It mostly looks like it comes from people with PC's that aren't at least as powerful as the consoles they try to compare to. How do you expect a game to perform to the same standards on lower-end hardware? If you have a PC that is at least as powerful or more powerful than the PS3 or 360 then you have nothing to worryI feel I must first make a statement about the negative reviews. It mostly looks like it comes from people with PC's that aren't at least as powerful as the consoles they try to compare to. How do you expect a game to perform to the same standards on lower-end hardware? If you have a PC that is at least as powerful or more powerful than the PS3 or 360 then you have nothing to worry about as far as graphical quality.

    ------My positive observations------

    Storyline: The depth that Bethesda has given to the lore in this game is astonishing; like nothing I've ever played. The NPC's speak to you differently depending on the actions you take with the main storyline and in the town, you can choose to join or destroy various factions, choose to reclaim Skyrim from the Empire or help the Empire complete it's route of the Stormcloaks, (avoiding spoilers is hard so I'll leave out a few more things I wanted to add). If you're planning on running through this game as fast as you can or aren't interested in exploring and listening to what the NPC's have to say, you WILL NOT enjoy this game to it's potential. Gameplay: I chose to specialize as a Mage for my first playthrough (I think I'm only about halfway through after 40-50 hours) and even within that focus there are specific schools of spells you can improve over others. The spellcasting feels very well balanced and effective without being too OP or too weak while giving you a feeling of progression when you acquire the more sophisticated spellcasting armor. The Interface is a little annoying on occasion when the mouse is too close to the options when you're navigating with w,a,s,d but it's effective while being minimal and non-intrusive; very well designed.

    Graphics: Even with my now-out-of-date nVidia GTX260 this world looks stunning with the high resolution textures and attention to detail in nearly every aspect. The aurora in the sky at night, the interaction between wildlife (I saved a fox from getting eaten by a couple of wolves), the realistic geometry of the natural stones and stonework, the level of detail in the flora... We're still a decade or so away from micro-realism, but this is the closest I've felt to being in a real world in any game.

    Failings: As previously mentioned, the minor annoyance of having the mouse highlight options causes the selection to be un-centered which can get annoying if you navigate with w,a,s,d. An option to turn off mouse navigation would be preferred. On occasion when you alt-tab out of Skyrim and then back to Skyrim, it may crash to the desktop; the only thing that makes this less annoying are the very frequent autosaves that minimize lost progress, but it still hinders the fluidity of the gameplay. The only other thing I've noticed is that NPC's will have situational issues that cause them to be facing the wrong way or stand in the wrong spot during a scene.    … Expand
  35. Machinegon
    Nov 17, 2011
    7
    Not perfect but not bad either. I'm playing the game on xbox and I like the modifications they did for the inventory management. I can't believe its the exact same thing for PC thought because you just can't play a game on pc like you play a game on console. There's a couple of things that are annoying me, the fact that I can kill a dragon in like 4 blows but sometimes I will just run intoNot perfect but not bad either. I'm playing the game on xbox and I like the modifications they did for the inventory management. I can't believe its the exact same thing for PC thought because you just can't play a game on pc like you play a game on console. There's a couple of things that are annoying me, the fact that I can kill a dragon in like 4 blows but sometimes I will just run into a **** saber tooth cat that will one shot me or either a no-were mercenary equipped with some piece of **** that I can't get a quarter of his life backstabbing him with a 30x 17 damages blow. Good work with difficulty scaling. Some random glitches in AI here and there, like the time I tried killed a chicken in a town and everyone jumped on me. The fact that the guards are still extremely overpower. In fact, I think the town guards are the hardest mobs to kill in the entire game. Positives facts, I like the main quest scenario, its better than in oblivion. I also like the critical blows that triggers an animation its really fun. Alot of graphical improvements on the xbox if I compare to oblivion, they really managed to exploit the old console, its annoying for loading times tough but not to bad. Overall a good game, alot of content has always, I would recommend it.… Expand
  36. Sween
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    My Game of The Year ! Great Story Hundreds of hours of pure fun and you really can Feel the ES World, The Greatest game till now ! a lot of Options ! You must Check that game
  37. Fanonymous
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Skyrim may be my favorite game of 2011 to date, and that was after I had waited for Batman: Arkham City with the greatest anticipation. Skyrim beat Arkham by enough that I may have to finish the Batman game next year. Something to look forward to.

    Gameplay has improved significantly over Oblivion. Where Oblivion's skill based system was often confusing and complex, Skyrim has made it very    Skyrim may be my favorite game of 2011 to date, and that was after I had waited for Batman: Arkham City with the greatest anticipation. Skyrim beat Arkham by enough that I may have to finish the Batman game next year. Something to look forward to.

    Gameplay has improved significantly over Oblivion. Where Oblivion's skill based system was often confusing and complex, Skyrim has made it very straight forward to understand. The best part is you don't really have to create a character "class". Instead you can simply choose your own play style and your skill will level up appropriately. I love the freedom of play style this offers.

    Unlike the seemingly barren landscape of Oblivion, the land of Skyrim is vast and filled with adventures at every turn. I've wandered for hours and not reached an obvious border, though I know they are out there. And this game encourages exploration like no other game before it. Just heading back from one quest I ran into a new village and three new dungeon areas and finally had to call it quits for the day even though I was constantly tempted to look around "just one more bend in the road."

    NPC's are a treat as well. Instead of the cardboard mannequin's of Oblivion, the NPC's in Skyrim are alive. You can sit, watch and listen as they go about their daily business. And they react to your presence even if you don't approach them. Sometimes a new quest line will be opened up by an NPC who approaches my character asking for assistance. The entire experience is incredibly organic. Nothing like the silly "look for the exclamation mark over the NPC's head" of the MMO world. The graphics of Skyrim do have issues. While it is easy to tweak the game to get good performance, the textures often look better at a distance than they do close up. Of course, I spend so much time gazing off into the distance looking for that next adventure, I am never bothered by the few muddy textures around me.

    There are glitches. Skyrim is not just a computer game, it is a great big computer game with a vast complex environment and interactive items everywhere. So to expect it to be perfect is unrealistic. The flaws never are significant enough to destroy my immersion. I'm know there are obsessive types who will examine every brick and bristle with the occasional NPC that gets stuck in a conversation loop. Frankly if the immense amount of content and imagination that Skyrim has to offer on the plus side does not make up for the rare problems, you probably won't be satisfied by a video game released this year.

    I honestly think that Skyrim is the game to play in 2011 if you can only play one.    … Expand
  38. Rimpson
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Considering this game is a console port, i feel visually it was more than adequate to give you the sense of scale and beauty Bethesda have clearly worked very hard on in Skyrim. its never going to win graphics awards for its character models and imperfect field of view loading distances, but even after playing bf3 this month, at no time did i ever think less of this game based on itsConsidering this game is a console port, i feel visually it was more than adequate to give you the sense of scale and beauty Bethesda have clearly worked very hard on in Skyrim. its never going to win graphics awards for its character models and imperfect field of view loading distances, but even after playing bf3 this month, at no time did i ever think less of this game based on its visuals. the sheer scale of content visible, the impressive arctic landscape and beautiful skies more than make up for any imperfections down on an individual scale. The story telling is rich and holds lots of depth, i found quests stacked up very very fast almost to the point of confusion, but i'm holding this totally down to my want of exploring every area of the landscape before moving on rather than zig-zagging around Skyrim. the quests are mixed, ranging from the tedious collection of boring items to complex and skilled assassination or theft quests that almost make u reload and try them again from a different angle whether u complete them or not. the variety of voices is much improved from oblivion and tho not perfect as most of the guards speak the same and a even a few main characters share the same voice/accent i feel based on the sheer scale of different npc in this game they have added enough variety to be reasonable. With all RPG games there is a balance between stats level and player skill when it comes to combat. WOW has it based very heavily on the stats u have worked up rather than any players skill with a mouse and keyboard. elder scrolls have added in a requirement for a lot of mouse controlled skill. meaning u do at least stand a chance against an enemy who dwarfs you on stats. in skyrim this is no different although i never really noticed any change in damage based on the location you hit an enemy other than in the front or in the back. this was most apparant with bows, as aiming for a harder headshot didnt seem to reward you over hitting the enemy in the torso, even if they where wearing armour but had their head uncovered. however a hit with an arrow through the face was always satisfying, even if that character then proceeded to chase you down the mountain side with it handing from their cheek. Using melee weapons nearly always became a hack n slash affair unless you were in sneak and managed to get some very satisfying throat slit one hit kills. i do feel on the whole it could be greatly improved to benefit players skill with the improved stats helping you along, rather than weapon and armor stats being loosely aimed via mouse at the creature u wanted to try and kill.

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

    in conclusion, an awesomely visual and depthy game that gives you something to do for weeks and weeks. a few annoyances some may have with bugs are to be expected soon after launch and with a reasonable combat system, but one that sadly that lacks any real skill and has a horrible/lengthy weapon change system. the annoyances are more than made up for by the world and story in which you can immerse yourself    … Expand
  39. Heben2
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    It might have some initially bugs, as any other game, and I agree that it does not bring that much new to the franchise as it maybe should have - it could have used a prolonged beta and half a year more development. I especially dislike that it is clearly imported from xbox along with the bugs that comes with that.
    But then again, I loved Oblivion, and I certainly love Skyrim, as it is one    It might have some initially bugs, as any other game, and I agree that it does not bring that much new to the franchise as it maybe should have - it could have used a prolonged beta and half a year more development. I especially dislike that it is clearly imported from xbox along with the bugs that comes with that.
    But then again, I loved Oblivion, and I certainly love Skyrim, as it is one of the best games I have ever tried (without focusing on the bugs and glitches). Your possibility to make your own decisions of what is going to happen with your character in this wast open world is brilliant, as is its gameplay where they have corrected most of the bad from Oblivion and it is one of the most beautiful games I have ever seen (a long with Mass Effect 2), why I cannot give it less than 10.
    I still hope they make a major patch where they fix the greater bugs and the imported part on the PC-version..    … Expand
  40. oivalfselat
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    Finally a game producer, launched a game! In addition to beautiful, is vast, free, full of books and paths for a long journey.
    Try check the stories of Tamriel, lost in dungeons, in secret places of necromancy, tombs with dread lords... is endless. you can collect and keep books at home, to read later, and found informations about spells, treasures and start a new journey, inside the    Finally a game producer, launched a game! In addition to beautiful, is vast, free, full of books and paths for a long journey.
    Try check the stories of Tamriel, lost in dungeons, in secret places of necromancy, tombs with dread lords... is endless. you can collect and keep books at home, to read later, and found informations about spells, treasures and start a new journey, inside the journey.
    Best of 2011!    … Expand
  41. 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
  42. bstm300
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I'd like for everyone to keep in mind that everyone's experience of this game differs according to the graphics settings, kind of character, and type of ad-hoc gameplay style they develop when playing through skyrimz. Myself, I do appreciate a challenge, but I also like to appreciate the storyline without having gut-wrenching, impossible battles. As such, I'm playing the game on theI'd like for everyone to keep in mind that everyone's experience of this game differs according to the graphics settings, kind of character, and type of ad-hoc gameplay style they develop when playing through skyrimz. Myself, I do appreciate a challenge, but I also like to appreciate the storyline without having gut-wrenching, impossible battles. As such, I'm playing the game on the default difficulty level. If you prefer to take a more relaxed approach like me, I recommend doing same. As for my playing style, I'm role playing the game as sort of a noble vigilante much like Robinhood. I haven't officially joined any factions other than the College of Winterhold which is purportedly not involved in world affairs-at least, that's the version of the story your told to believe. Behind the veneer of the college as a distant, scholarly retreat, there is the reality that the college is full of men and women with ulterior motives who have brought unsanctioned practices and customs with them, regardless of approval by the college's authorities. So far, the college if proving to be a very enjoyable experience. Compared to Oblivion's and Morrowind's Mage Guilds, the storyline is much richer, and you really do get the sense that your just a pawn in a dangerous game of mage politics. As for the game-play itself, I was frankly blown right of my socks by the dual casting. The visuals for the spells, the way the body moves when casting, and way spells can combine together nearly made me pee myself. If it's any indication to you of how cool spell casting is in this game, I spent nearly 45 minutes to an hour trying out different spells on the outskirts of a city just to see what they looked like and to test them all out. The only strong criticism I have for Bethesda, in terms of mage combat, is that there a major lack of conjuration spells. I'm hoping they'll make up for this in DLC's they release. Additionally, I'm thinking they may have erred in how they designed the level-up system for mages. It may have been a better idea to have sub-specialties for conjuration crazies like me so that the creatures we summoned gained better hp and attacks buffs as we put more skills into, for example, daedric summoning. In the end design, they probably limited the amount of spells in order to have better balance in the game and to be able to perfect each spell in terms of it's visuals and associated casting movements. Sword and archery combat is a great deal improved now, too. There are spin moves, thrusts, and slashes for sword lovers who want to have more flexibility in terms of their combat style which is a major plus. Then, for those who are more the dark brotherhood types, there are special take down moves that can be done with swords and daggers from up close. Secondly, archery feels much more natural now. The way your arms and body moves when you draw your bow is much more natural. Long distance shots are quite difficult to land since arrows actually do arch, but short range shots almost always hit (even if you're a low level archer). The bowman can even do a sort of shove attack with the bow to fend off attacking enemies although this isn't very effective against enemies wielding large weapons because they hit you long before you can shove them back with your bow. A minor complaint here, but I think Bethesda should have added a richer complement of melee attack options for the bow. In addition to the shove, the archer should be able to swing his bow as a make-shift blunt weapon and even use his arrows as a dagger. Alchemy seems pretty complex, and there are thousands of ingredients and recipe books to keep the alchemy buffs quite content. As for the number and variety of quests, I couldn't do them full justice here, but I think I can sum it up in one sentence. If you wanted to be a full-time adventurer and/or treasure hunter, it's entirely possible to do so given the sheer number of side quests available. I can't tell you the number of times I've run into random bandits, creatures, altars, graves, abandoned forts, mines, and ruins that have their own mini-story lines and often lead to other quests. Freaking awesome!

    Overall, the graphics, storylines, and voice-acting collectively work together to produce a role-playing experience so immersive, enthralling, and impressive that you may never put the game down until you finish it.    … Expand
  43. FatHitman
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    Originally pirated the game due to not knowing if it was going to be so epic that i would need to buy it because lets be honest who buys Single-player games now? Anyways i did buy it because it was that impressive.
  44. cryhax
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    This game is definitely worth your time. It doesn't contain the ingenuity of portal 1 but it's a welcome change from the constant stream of perpetually disappointing releases emanating from the offices of Activision and EA. There are some fairly obvious visual glitches and the UI is a bit clunky but it hardly takes away from the fun of this game.
  45. russellsw
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    This game is a masterpiece, its the game that we have been waiting for in 2011, (Most titles this year have been bad to say the least) My total score for this game would be a 10
  46. Jenial
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is the best AAA+ title of the year. The world and the amount of quests are so huge, which makes you think you will never be able to complete the game. The invention of Perks was a great idea, as this was the part which made Oblivion a little vague. The graphics did not seem to change, which is a little let down, though the huge mountains, the flora in the game, the trees and tallSkyrim is the best AAA+ title of the year. The world and the amount of quests are so huge, which makes you think you will never be able to complete the game. The invention of Perks was a great idea, as this was the part which made Oblivion a little vague. The graphics did not seem to change, which is a little let down, though the huge mountains, the flora in the game, the trees and tall enemies look incredible. The menus feel a little odd at first, though after about 2 hours of playing you will get the hang of it and it's all good. I gave the game a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 because you'll notice quite easily this game is a port of the consoles. The menus are not as smooth as Oblivion, and the performance on the PC is a big let down, though I believe Bethesda IS going to fix this issue. Also, the final blow with melee weapons is a bit overpowered, which makes the Archery and Magic classes a little useless compared to the Warrior class.… Expand
  47. MagusGrandios
    Nov 17, 2011
    5
    Hurray sandbox, but it's all handled horrifically. You can fight! But it's the worst fighting engine in any game! You can steal! But it's just picking stuff up! You can housebreak! But it's a terribly done minigame. You can ride a horse! But it handles like you're on foot, just with a horse model stuck to your butt. You can talk to 1000s of NPCs! But they all say one of 4 things andHurray sandbox, but it's all handled horrifically. You can fight! But it's the worst fighting engine in any game! You can steal! But it's just picking stuff up! You can housebreak! But it's a terribly done minigame. You can ride a horse! But it handles like you're on foot, just with a horse model stuck to your butt. You can talk to 1000s of NPCs! But they all say one of 4 things and nothing you say to them will impact anything. And so on...… Expand
  48. giskard
    Nov 17, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is a massive world, far bigger than we expected. Larger than Morrowind and Oblivion combined I would say. Too many locations to name, some very deep hand crafted dungeons, some simple buildings. I have spent 60 hours doing quests back to back and there is no sign of me running out of quests any time soon. The graphics for the pc version are below PC standards and the controls areSkyrim is a massive world, far bigger than we expected. Larger than Morrowind and Oblivion combined I would say. Too many locations to name, some very deep hand crafted dungeons, some simple buildings. I have spent 60 hours doing quests back to back and there is no sign of me running out of quests any time soon. The graphics for the pc version are below PC standards and the controls are right out of a console and very annoying, leading to wrong selections, the controls are the worst part of this game to be honest but you can live with them if you sware at bethesda for leaving them on the PC version a lot. The faction quests for the companions and others tend to be short, people are finding these to be a disappointment once they play the game for a while. The Civil war quests are also short but the main quest is long and lots of fun. There are 26 hours worth of quests in the main quest if you walk everywhere. This is the best Elder Scrolls game to date by a long shot, it delivers features previous games only got via mods, making many of the old favourite mods obselete because the game supports those things as standard now. It would be perfect if not for the UI and graphics but since I do not believe in perfect scores, I would give it a 9 but the UI it self is so annoying I am going to give it an 8 instead. Anybody buying this game is going to love it because all those who got it so far, already do. I am not joking.... this is going to be classic...… Expand
  49. Chardivitch
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I absolutely LOVE this game. Even though there are some bugs in it. Hey, it is all getting fixed as we speak. With the use of steam Bethesda can add on to this already EPIC game
  50. Finrandojin
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    The Elder Scrolls series has been a favorite of mine ever since Morrowind came out, while Oblivion left much to be desired, no such thing can be said of Skyrim. A vibrant beautiful and above all else open world, awaits the brave adventurers who venture into the wild north of Tamriel. The player is afforded an incredible amount of choice on how to play the game, from a sneaky rogue to aThe Elder Scrolls series has been a favorite of mine ever since Morrowind came out, while Oblivion left much to be desired, no such thing can be said of Skyrim. A vibrant beautiful and above all else open world, awaits the brave adventurers who venture into the wild north of Tamriel. The player is afforded an incredible amount of choice on how to play the game, from a sneaky rogue to a Berserker Nord in heavy armor wielding a two handed battle-axe. There are no invisible walls guiding you to the next encounter and nothing is forcing you to advance the main quest. After completing the starting sequence where you create your character and are familiarised with some core mechanics of the game, the world is open for adventure and exploration. And this is just the beginning, with the Creation Kit coming out soon the amount of user made content and mods will explode making Skyrim a game with unending potential for improvement.… Expand
  51. Wassup
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    10 out of 10 awesome combat great graphics and fun storyline, i never had any problems with any of the graphics, glitches or anything really, also for those of you who got frustrated in the install don't write a review because you did not PLAY the game. There are many interesting things in this game and i especially enjoy reading the books which make the game feel fleshed out and fully10 out of 10 awesome combat great graphics and fun storyline, i never had any problems with any of the graphics, glitches or anything really, also for those of you who got frustrated in the install don't write a review because you did not PLAY the game. There are many interesting things in this game and i especially enjoy reading the books which make the game feel fleshed out and fully realized. Yes there are some minor bugs but given the size and the quality of the graphics they are to be expected.
    Suck it haters and get a computer from this generation    … Expand
  52. capiti
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    This game, like any other bethesda games, just suck!

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

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

    I feel like Im playing a 1997 PC game from a bad game maker. If I could, I would give -10. I dont give this bad score unless the game REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY deserves. Congratulations Skyrim!    … Expand
  53. Ultan
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    First impression was very good, game did not crash for 10 hours playing and was stable. After the next day the game started to get crashes to desktop and lag issues. For this reason i give it a 9. The game has improved alot from the other games, graphics and story wise and the fun factor in combat. Alot of detail in the melee department, able to chop of heads and stab mobs inFirst impression was very good, game did not crash for 10 hours playing and was stable. After the next day the game started to get crashes to desktop and lag issues. For this reason i give it a 9. The game has improved alot from the other games, graphics and story wise and the fun factor in combat. Alot of detail in the melee department, able to chop of heads and stab mobs in fun/interesting ways. Some extra fun with casters on how magic is used, able to duel wield and combine magic with interesting magical effects. The world itself is just breath taking, from the night sky to the lush trees and grass you walk on. Very well done in this area. Dungeon traps are fun and make you jump unexpectedly and add a twist of fear when exploring them. Characters models did improve from the last game and from reading the reviews with some people here, i think they just expect alot more or too much now days.… Expand
  54. Mudget
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    I can't in good conscience rate Skyrim a perfect 10. I really believe 10's should be reserved for flawless, new-generation, absolutely unique games. The kind that set trends rather than follow them. While Skyrim is absolutely amazing, another gem from Bethesda for sure, it is not flawless, it is still using last-gen technology (most notably dx9), and although it's certainly a vast andI can't in good conscience rate Skyrim a perfect 10. I really believe 10's should be reserved for flawless, new-generation, absolutely unique games. The kind that set trends rather than follow them. While Skyrim is absolutely amazing, another gem from Bethesda for sure, it is not flawless, it is still using last-gen technology (most notably dx9), and although it's certainly a vast and unique Elder Scrolls world to explore, it really only incrementally ups the ante from Oblivion, not quite the Holy-Mother-of-God! reactions we're seeing from a lot of the mainstream press. You'll notice this within minutes of playing. On the flip-side, giving this game a 0 is ludicrous and makes absolutely no sense. Zeros should be reserved for bottom-of-the-barrel trash games thrown together in a few months, with a nice mix of horrendous graphics, game-breaking bugs, unplayable controls and unusable UI. If any of these things are so messed up for you that you honestly rated Skyrim a 0, then I might encourage you to update your computer, because on a top-of-the-line system, this game runs great, even with slightly goofy mouse-keyboard translations from the console port. The scope of the world alone would grant a game like this a 5 or 6 at the very least. Add in endless quests, overall great graphics, dialogue for every line in the game, a stellar soundtrack, a well-thought-out progression scheme, and improvements in almost every area over the correctly, universally-rated 9+ Oblivion, and anyone with any experience in gaming whatsoever would -have- to give Skyrim at least an 8. On the other hand, if you didn't care for the previous games in the series, you won't like this one, because it's more of the same, but better. Way more, and largely better. And for most of us, this is a very good thing.

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

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

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

    Bottom line, this is the very best of the current gen as far as RPGs go. It's not next-gen, I'm anxious for a future dx11 Elder Scrolls. But make no mistake, this game is WIN.    … Expand
  55. PremierBromanov
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is a very fun game. However, this doesnt mean that it is great. speaking from the perspective of someone who has never played more than an hour of any of TES games the world seems very open and your choices are just as open. See an area? go to it. The world (from a distance) seems very detailed and beautiful. However, the game fails to impress when you get close to anything. itSkyrim is a very fun game. However, this doesnt mean that it is great. speaking from the perspective of someone who has never played more than an hour of any of TES games the world seems very open and your choices are just as open. See an area? go to it. The world (from a distance) seems very detailed and beautiful. However, the game fails to impress when you get close to anything. it feels like a game developed for consoles and ported lazily over to PC. The textures for a game this size, however, are more detailed than you might expect, even if they arent HD. The UI is a disaster, following the trend of recent games for the PC where a UI is developed for a controller and ported over to use a mouse. When will developers realize that i can handle large menus easily without need to separate everything into smaller sub menus? The favorite tool is lacking. The idea is there, and the fact that you stop time when you do it is nice, but it is simply a list you choose from (and can add quick keys to, but the game doesnt show you these keys unless you're looking at the favorites list). The game also doesnt remember items you have in there if they are depleted or removed from your inventory, meaning if you use up your potions, you have to re-favorite them to find more. Also, the perk system is absolutely horrible. Sure, it looks nice; you click on a star and you get sort of a nice visual representation, but it isnt practical at all. It takes a long time to cycle through your perks and it's not always clear where you'll go if you click somewhere, on top of that, you cant just hover your mouse over a star and see what it is, you need to actually click on the skill, then progress (slowly by the way) your way through the stars to get to that perk. Whoever thought this was a good idea should be fired. Now the main event: the combat. So far, i havent dabbled into much aside from sneaky bows and daggers, but i can see the potential for endless mix-matching of styles, which is a huge plus. But, compared to better combat games like Dark Messiah or the trap laying bomb throwing Witcher 2, the combat falls flat sometimes. Often, the easiest way to deal with a tough opponent is to engage it a little bit, run away and heal, and then engage it some more and the whole experience takes too long and isnt intense enough. Give me more hazards like Dark messiah (i saw some hazards early on but they dissappeared), give me preparation like Witcher 2. All in all, the game is very large, very open, and has great potential, which is why i give it an 8 despite these complaints. This game will last any player for hours and hours, which is huge considering a more recently release boasts 5 hours for $60… Expand
  56. loisho
    Nov 16, 2011
    0
    The reviewers must of gotten a different game to us. This game feels like it was made for console, it is so sluggish even with 60fps, You cant browse the menus with your mouse, only the keyboard works, that in itself is a 0. The graphics are some of the worst i've seen compared to the era they were released in. The game itself? who knows, there's too many hindrances to get to the gameplayThe reviewers must of gotten a different game to us. This game feels like it was made for console, it is so sluggish even with 60fps, You cant browse the menus with your mouse, only the keyboard works, that in itself is a 0. The graphics are some of the worst i've seen compared to the era they were released in. The game itself? who knows, there's too many hindrances to get to the gameplay itself. I'm sure if i tried the console version it'd be near flawless as the consoles have very strict releasing protocols.
    I guess with the pc version they threw their hands in the air and said let the mod community fix it for us.    … Expand
  57. mohijavata
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    This is it. This game has it all, its the alpha and omega of RPG'S,and in my book deserves all the praise it can get... Nuff said,i'm of to Skyrim PS : The only thing that seemed to strike me as unusual (at least untill i got very much used to it and delighted later as i got deeper in the world) was the mixed OST from Morrowind and Oblivion,not that there's anything wrong with that :D PPSThis is it. This game has it all, its the alpha and omega of RPG'S,and in my book deserves all the praise it can get... Nuff said,i'm of to Skyrim PS : The only thing that seemed to strike me as unusual (at least untill i got very much used to it and delighted later as i got deeper in the world) was the mixed OST from Morrowind and Oblivion,not that there's anything wrong with that :D PPS i didn't know i was in the Xbox section,so i posted there the very same review :)… Expand
  58. Sunflight
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    I have played dozens of offline and online RPG games over the years, but I have to say Skyrim is one of the best I've ever seen. From the minute you encounter your first dragon during the opening cutscenes, this game has beautiful visuals, immerse game play, and enough quests to make your head spin! Bethesda has always done a great job with the audio in their game, but this time it isI have played dozens of offline and online RPG games over the years, but I have to say Skyrim is one of the best I've ever seen. From the minute you encounter your first dragon during the opening cutscenes, this game has beautiful visuals, immerse game play, and enough quests to make your head spin! Bethesda has always done a great job with the audio in their game, but this time it is really over the top. Conversations go on between characters as they go about their daily routines, and even some surprising events if you choose the right character race/gender. If you have ever played any of the previous installments and loved them, or any of the Fallout series, you will LOVE this game.
    If you are planning on spending some quality time with this game on the PC, I highly recommend downloading mods for this game, as everything from improved textures, new armor models, and even something as simple as being able to run the game windowed in your own custom resolution is available. It helps to polish the edges, and add that extra spice that only User DLC can bring to the table.    … Expand
  59. Andrew5
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    I purchased Skyrim on launch day, and once I started up the game, there were no load times, no advertisements, no logos besides Bethesda's but a clean interface going straight to the menu screen and new game. Starting and playing the game itself is like living in a fantasy world. The music, sounds, graphics and everything make you feel totally immersed. This game is improved from OblivionI purchased Skyrim on launch day, and once I started up the game, there were no load times, no advertisements, no logos besides Bethesda's but a clean interface going straight to the menu screen and new game. Starting and playing the game itself is like living in a fantasy world. The music, sounds, graphics and everything make you feel totally immersed. This game is improved from Oblivion in every way because there are no game breaking bugs, crashes, graphic, or performance issues, and the ones that they do have are very minor and can be patched. I have played about 35 hours so far and I can say that this game is a masterpiece. I have only been to one city so far and have been doing quests only in that city. I have not even gone through half of the quests yet as I have a long list of things to do, and each quest doesn't feel generic like other RPGs' fetch quests and kill quests. There are 8 more holds in the game, so I know I can expect much more than the 300 hours Bethesda advertised. Overall, I can't even begin to describe what this game offers and how much you can do in it while having so much fun.… Expand
  60. clockradio
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    After twenty-five plus hours played I still have not got around to finishing the main storyline. My quest log is loaded and I have not even explored all of the major towns yet. This game is packed with content and is literally the most fun I've had with a game in years. The combat system, for the most part is familiar to that of Oblivion, but the executions are absoultely awesome. SoAfter twenty-five plus hours played I still have not got around to finishing the main storyline. My quest log is loaded and I have not even explored all of the major towns yet. This game is packed with content and is literally the most fun I've had with a game in years. The combat system, for the most part is familiar to that of Oblivion, but the executions are absoultely awesome. So far I have not encountered any game breaking bugs, or anything really noticeable. The wait for this game was worth it (now the wait for mods begins) and I will be playing it for years to come.… Expand
  61. carlbme
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    I loved the past "Elder Scrolls" games, but this one blows it out of the water. The graphics on the PC blow the consoles out of the water with the use of the higher end graphics cards. Great game-play, Great story, Great controls, Great graphics, Great sound....yup. One awesome game!
  62. Superstring
    Nov 16, 2011
    0
    The overall impression - a single player MMORPG. Flat and predictable storyline, boring unremarkable characters, uninspiring dialogs, repetitive quests (quantity over quality). Combat mechanics are dull - enemy has too much health and hits too hard? Just kite it around while your mana regenerates. I'm not gonna mention all the technical flaws, because that I could excuse, if the game wouldThe overall impression - a single player MMORPG. Flat and predictable storyline, boring unremarkable characters, uninspiring dialogs, repetitive quests (quantity over quality). Combat mechanics are dull - enemy has too much health and hits too hard? Just kite it around while your mana regenerates. I'm not gonna mention all the technical flaws, because that I could excuse, if the game would be any bit exciting.… Expand
  63. skullzyer
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    Once again a masterpiece from Bethesda. Game has beautiful graphics just like its predecessor. It can be enjoyed even on older graphic cards. Loving the fact that dungeons aren't made from the same schematic. All in all, good successor to Oblivion.
  64. Procer
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    I have to admit that I usually don't like RPGs. But I decided to try this game anyway. And what I say was simply amazing. I can't even describe how awesome this game is. It's fun and the campaign lasts for so many hours that I honestly wished not to need sleep. Well, still you won't like it if you really hate the RPG-genre, but if you're opened enough just to try it I can guarantee that aI have to admit that I usually don't like RPGs. But I decided to try this game anyway. And what I say was simply amazing. I can't even describe how awesome this game is. It's fun and the campaign lasts for so many hours that I honestly wished not to need sleep. Well, still you won't like it if you really hate the RPG-genre, but if you're opened enough just to try it I can guarantee that a you'll be definetly loving this game. A huge world, nearly impossible amount of possibilities et cetera. Suma sumarum: 10 out of 10 for this awesome game I want never to stop… Expand
  65. irtimiD
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    I have to give this game a 8 for several reasons. it is a very fun, addicting and huge game which allows for players to play how they want to, and pick different choices. The game play is fluid and the combat system had improved a lot from oblivion. There are many enemies which are all different difficulties and where some provide a challenge for the player, other are easy to kill afterI have to give this game a 8 for several reasons. it is a very fun, addicting and huge game which allows for players to play how they want to, and pick different choices. The game play is fluid and the combat system had improved a lot from oblivion. There are many enemies which are all different difficulties and where some provide a challenge for the player, other are easy to kill after reaching a higher level. The dialogue system is a lot nicer and does not pause the game like the previous game. Instead the players and the environment around the player carry on like in real life. There are issues with the game which i would like to point out; starting with the UI ( the menu). The main problem is for the pc users who use a keyboard and mouse, who find it difficult to make a selection because the menu has been designed for the console user. I ended up using my xbox 360 controller with my pc version because i found the game play, the menu and the character creation unbearable. Right from the start of the game where i was creating my character, the mouse felt out of sync and most of the time did not recognize my commands. Another problem that i have had was the frame rate messing up and occasionally textures going funny and showing me bright pink objects. The final downside to the game is in the menu layout i would like to see the character like in Oblivion which showed what items i was wearing and allowed me to rotate and zoom in onto my character. I really liked that feature in Oblivion because it helped me choose what items i wanted to equip. I am hoping that someone will make a mod that does just that. Overall though the positives outweigh the negatives and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an excellent game that provides hours of fun, and most of all you as the player choose how you want to play the game.… Expand
  66. xnexus
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Simply the best RPG ever made. Will draw you in and won't let go. Expect some glitches here and there (it's a Bethesda Game), but overall extremely playable and enjoyable. Mods are already being developed (see the skyrim mod forum or skyrimnexus.com). For anyone who has any interest in this genre, I HIGHLY recommend this game!
  67. Elrolfo
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    I really like this game it's good in many ways there are som flaws but what game hasn't. I'm getting tired of reading all this thrash from people complaining about the graphics being the same but any one who has played any of the previous games would be able to se that they have made a big improvement. But ofcause the graphics could be better. i hope they release some patches to make theI really like this game it's good in many ways there are som flaws but what game hasn't. I'm getting tired of reading all this thrash from people complaining about the graphics being the same but any one who has played any of the previous games would be able to se that they have made a big improvement. But ofcause the graphics could be better. i hope they release some patches to make the gamming experience of the pc alot better mainly graphic but also make the dragons abit stronger against Npc. I think that the reason why people are Whining is because they were expecting to much. and yes games like the witcher 2 has better graphics but that's all the rest of the game is boring and stupid... face it.
    The combat in Skyrim is very nicely done to even though the combat feels the same after a couple of fights it is still a combat. and wtf did you expect a new way to swing you sword every time i mean wtf you most face it. a game can NEVER be perfect so think about it. tbh i really hope thay patch skyrim so that it can be as awsome as seen in the trailers and in the gameplay and a Graphic update.    … Expand
  68. EJ107
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is a fantastic game. It is easily the best RPG I have ever played, and one of the best I have ever played period. It has all of the strong points of it's predecessor, Oblivion, but all of my major concerns with the last game have been fixed, and new features added that I had never even thought of, but make Oblivion unplayable in comparison. The combat has been much improved. DualSkyrim is a fantastic game. It is easily the best RPG I have ever played, and one of the best I have ever played period. It has all of the strong points of it's predecessor, Oblivion, but all of my major concerns with the last game have been fixed, and new features added that I had never even thought of, but make Oblivion unplayable in comparison. The combat has been much improved. Dual wielding both spells and weapons gives you a much larger choice in how to play your character, despite the removal of the majority of stats. Spells feel more varied, and combat over all is far more enjoyable, while still retaining the overall feel that it did in the previous game. NPC's are more interesting, and companion AI is better. It is not perfect, but I have had no major issues with the people I have following me around. Enemy AI is also better, and even though I have fought quite a few dragons the fights are still interesting. The world of Skyrim is huge, and there is a lot to explore. Most of the 30+ hours I have spent on the game so far have consisted of simply wandering between towns, doing dungeons and side quests. I recommend using fast travel and the carriage system sparingly, and the journey from place to place is often more interesting and fun than the quests at the either end. Not everything is perfect. I have some issues with the PC interface, although they become less annoying once you get used to them. There are also a few bugs, although I believe that they will soon be fixed, and none have actually stopped me from progressing through the game and the quests. These issues are very small compared to all of the fantastic things about the game. I would give it 9.5, rather than a perfect 10, due to the small interface issues and bugs, but I think that on the scale given here a 10 is more appropriate than a 9.

    I would recommend this game to anyone, especially those who have played and enjoyed previous Elder Scrolls games.    … Expand
  69. Lubetek
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Being a big Morrowind fan I was really unhappy with Oblivion. After playing around 35 hours in Skyrim so far I must say it is simply amazing. This is a true successor to Morrowind. Sure the visuals are dated but I'm simply stunned on just how beautiful the world is considering its a console port. Beth really did a wonderful job. Gameplay is to die for and the revamped combat system isBeing a big Morrowind fan I was really unhappy with Oblivion. After playing around 35 hours in Skyrim so far I must say it is simply amazing. This is a true successor to Morrowind. Sure the visuals are dated but I'm simply stunned on just how beautiful the world is considering its a console port. Beth really did a wonderful job. Gameplay is to die for and the revamped combat system is leaps better than Oblivion's. Everything is done better except the lack of stats to build up and spend points on. This is one area they didn't need to change but in the end this has become the best game I have played and my new all time favorite title period. Yes the game is not perfect but it's as good as it gets.… Expand
  70. Allions
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Ok, that is what should be called a "game". Oblivion was a good game, Skyrim is the best RPG i ever played since a long, long time. The only thing i don't totally like are the graphics on PC, they should have done better... but i don't care a lot about graphic, i care about the gameplay. And here the gameplay is absolutely epic.
  71. WadeWilson
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    This game looks amazing. It's worth the money and I feel it has that replayability to it. There are lots of things to do in Skyrim. You can smith your own armor, enchant your weapons, train in magic AND use swords, axes, hammers, bows and more. I'm going to play this game til 2099.
  72. Tsori
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    The game was setout as a spiritual successor of oblivion. And that is what it is!

    Honestly, if your after something blindingly new in the world of TES then your not going to get it. This game is what oblivion should have been. The immersion is amazing, the environment is vast, changing and beautiful, sure the graphics are not exactly top of the range but honestly, ive never felt for a    The game was setout as a spiritual successor of oblivion. And that is what it is!

    Honestly, if your after something blindingly new in the world of TES then your not going to get it. This game is what oblivion should have been. The immersion is amazing, the environment is vast, changing and beautiful, sure the graphics are not exactly top of the range but honestly, ive never felt for a moment that the graphics detract from the immersion. Wind changes the landscape, water erodes the rock, the world physically changes around you through no choice of your own. You feel small , you feel like the world is there.. and your just living in it.


    Theres a whole list of things i could say to sway you, but frankly those who love this genre.. wont need convincing. Those who played oblivion but hoped it could be something more.. wont need convincing. Those who would enjoy this game... dont need convincing... as they will already have it. If you didnt see its announcement and pre-order on the spot.. this game isnt for you.    … Expand
  73. YaMun
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    My social life is paused for at least a few months until i finish this game entirely, its one of they rare games that draws you in and you become addicted and don't want to stop playing, Ive played around 20 hours and most of it is just wandering around killing beasts and dragons, The graphics have been much improved from bethesda's previous oblivion and the subtle effects do make aMy social life is paused for at least a few months until i finish this game entirely, its one of they rare games that draws you in and you become addicted and don't want to stop playing, Ive played around 20 hours and most of it is just wandering around killing beasts and dragons, The graphics have been much improved from bethesda's previous oblivion and the subtle effects do make a difference to the overall experience. The game is huge and who knows how long it would take to complete this fully but im having a heck of a time playing it and you all will to, buy it now… Expand
  74. Zzgashi
    Nov 16, 2011
    7
    Skyrim is a huge step forward from Oblivion. A great soundtrack, beautiful landscapes, improved animation (most of the time, still a few weird spots), better faces, and more choices. Unfortunately this beauty is only skin deep, as Bethesda continues to move away from RPG mechanics where you really live in a world trying find different solutions to problems by applying your character'sSkyrim is a huge step forward from Oblivion. A great soundtrack, beautiful landscapes, improved animation (most of the time, still a few weird spots), better faces, and more choices. Unfortunately this beauty is only skin deep, as Bethesda continues to move away from RPG mechanics where you really live in a world trying find different solutions to problems by applying your character's skills, but instead focuses on hack-n-slash loot-fest mechanics. Worse still is that the game uses a script to generate what items you find based on your character's level, ensuring that you never find anything remarkable. The fact that every dungeon ends with a large box full of more of the same, and a shortcut back to the entrance doesn't help the immersion either. In the end all I felt like I accomplished was improving my DPS.… Expand
  75. iAGR
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Great game! Definitely deserves the spot for GOTY. I haven't even played the game yet, and it seems amazing. Not only the graphics but all the interaction around you, and how "doing this and doing that, can lead to this". You really get to live your own life in the game, you can make decisions and all that. For sure the greatest game from Bethesda so far. People will spend a long time onGreat game! Definitely deserves the spot for GOTY. I haven't even played the game yet, and it seems amazing. Not only the graphics but all the interaction around you, and how "doing this and doing that, can lead to this". You really get to live your own life in the game, you can make decisions and all that. For sure the greatest game from Bethesda so far. People will spend a long time on this one, especially on the PC with all the mods that expand the game!… Expand
  76. 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
  77. KurtW
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    When Fallout 3 came out it was called by some 'the biggest mod for Oblivion'. It turns out the fifth Elder Scrolls release may as well be called 'the biggest mod for Fallout'. Bethesda have mixed what had proved so tremendously gripping in TES4 with some novelty concepts from their experiences with the Fallout franchise into... well, in my humble opinion NOT the game of the year. It cannotWhen Fallout 3 came out it was called by some 'the biggest mod for Oblivion'. It turns out the fifth Elder Scrolls release may as well be called 'the biggest mod for Fallout'. Bethesda have mixed what had proved so tremendously gripping in TES4 with some novelty concepts from their experiences with the Fallout franchise into... well, in my humble opinion NOT the game of the year. It cannot be denied that the freedom of choice and the sandbox-like, fully interactive environment are the best features the game has to offer.. The place for a third digit in the 'hours spent' count is there for a reason. The non-scripted dragon fights are also light years ahead of, for example, Bioware's DA series. The way one can interact with the humongous world is a treat in itself, what with all the crafting, alchemy, cooking, prospecting or even woodcutting. What I do not like about Skyrim, however, is that it's in no way as revolutionary as Oblivion was back in 2006. The solutions offered by the supposedly new Creation engine are one disappointing feature. Even with the settings maxed out (all the way, far beyond 'Ultra'), I keep asking myself why I bought a new rig earlier this year. If individual screenshots might capture some true eye-candies, the overall experience is that of... running around Capital Wasteland during wintertime. Working on the quality of TPP animations does not exactly mean improving the feel of combat, which apart from dual-wielding/casting does not appear in any way different than in Oblivion. It feels static, rolls or dodges are virtually not-existent. One change long awaited by the fans was going to involve the NPC faces. Those have improved since TESIV, however, regretful I am to say this, a DA2 character would run away in horror on seeing just any face from Skyrim (not to mention Triss Merigold who would probably kick the bucket on the spot). Before the release, Bethesda reps would also boast about how the voice acting had changed since Oblivion. This is only partially true. The lines used by merchants, trainers, or other characters you have to interact with at least every couple of hours, are surprisingly few, which makes the interaction repetitive and automatic. Since Skyrim is meant to be played for 100+ hours, it does not seem justified to place so much emphasis on the quality of spoken interactions in the main story line, while at the same time leaving the rest of the dialogues so much less appealing. Music is the feature which rarely can be find disappointing about Bethesda games and nothing seems to have changed in this aspect. All in all, the Skyrim development team seem to have decided on a safe approach. Almost nothing feels dumbed down, there are very few activities and quests in the whole game that do not feel entertaining. Still, the five-year gap between the two most recent ES games was apparently too short for Bethesda to make a leap into a new quality of gaming.… Expand
  78. Enlet
    Nov 16, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm sorry but Bethesda just stop. Quit now before you piss everyone off with the elder scrolls VI. The game crashes every few hours. The combat is left click to win. After obtaining 900 armor rating because of how over powered the perks are in LIGHT ARMOR absolutely nothing. And I do literally mean nothing could do damage to me before I out regened it with no bonus to health regen. The only time I ever dropped below 95% health was when I either took on 5+ targets at once. (This happens once every 100 fights because the game is too care bear even for a console game.) or when I jumped off a small cliff. Dragons were a joke; until you got dragonrend you couldn't touch them. Quest items had so much weight (one weighing 20!!!) and you cannot even remove them or store them away. Even after finishing the quest they stayed with you. Cooking and enchanting are horrible, cooking being the worst; they put no effort into it apart from "here's a set amount of food you can make you CANNOT make anything else, oh and your going to need salt for everything." The main quest line for the factions was so short and the â… Expand
  79. Wallie
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    What a great game. Its about time I get a game that seems pretty much complete. Only one issue with the sound and that was an easy fix. So much to do!! This is a game I will be playing a long time and will playing again I'm sure. If you.. sorry WHEN you get this game make sure you have nothing important to do for a few days as this will suck you in and keep you. Graphics are beautifulWhat a great game. Its about time I get a game that seems pretty much complete. Only one issue with the sound and that was an easy fix. So much to do!! This is a game I will be playing a long time and will playing again I'm sure. If you.. sorry WHEN you get this game make sure you have nothing important to do for a few days as this will suck you in and keep you. Graphics are beautiful difficulty is (for me) perfect not easy and not the usual cheating AI.

    If you played any of the past elder scrolls and it did didn't appeal to you (like it didn't for me) I think you will enjoy this game even more! OK I took my 10 min break back to playing!    … Expand
  80. Smkitdown
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    This game is one of the best games if not the best I've played this generation. There is almost an unlimited amount of things to do and many places to see. You can walk into a town because you are there to do a certain quest and by the time you leave the town you almost forget why you originally went there because of all the things there are to do. This game's AI is a major improvementThis game is one of the best games if not the best I've played this generation. There is almost an unlimited amount of things to do and many places to see. You can walk into a town because you are there to do a certain quest and by the time you leave the town you almost forget why you originally went there because of all the things there are to do. This game's AI is a major improvement over the AI in Oblivion and the facial animation difference is like night and day. If you enjoy a lush story driven world with a great history and great lore behind it GET THIS GAME! The music of the game is great and on par with its predecessors (Oblivion had great music.). You'll enjoy the musical scores as you explore the harsh mountains of Skyrim and delve into the deep caverns and ruins. Another big improvement over Oblivion is the voice acting. In Oblivion they had only around 12 voice actors. In Skyrim there is around 75 actors doing 150+ roles! You will be hard pressed to find any of the NPC's in the game with the same voice unlike in Oblivion. The visuals are also wonderful. The races look like how you picture them in your mind and the animation is detailed and well done. The scenery of the game is also outstanding! While you travel either by foot or on horseback you will have your breath taken away when you see the highly detailed mountains, and the towns scattered all over the huge landscape. You will see castles built hanging off the sides of mountains and deep caverns with springs running through them. When you explore the dwarven ruins you can sense how they lived and the technology they possessed just from the scenery. Sure there are a few bland textures once in awhile, but that is to be expected when it comes to a game of this size. Another welcome improvement to the series is the addition of dual wielding weapons and magic. If you want to be a rogue dual wielding daggers you can. Want to be a TRUE battlemage with a spell on one hand and an axe in another you can! If you want to be the most powerful mage in Skyrim you can! You can have a destruction spell on one hand and a restoration spell on the other so you can lay waste your opponent while being able to heal yourself without having to go into the menus. Also, you can have the same spell on both hands and cast them both at once for a more powerful version of the spell (If you have the perks.). The crafting system is also greatly improved. You can smith your armor from the ore you receive from mining and then enchant it by disenchanting a magical item and taking that enchant and putting it on your item. You can go and explore the forest for herbs and make powerful potions and poisons. The main story is very well written and paced well. The side quests are so well written and produced that they are on par and even exceed main stories in other games this generation. I've played the game for 75 hours so far and I still haven't even come close to running out of things to do! Also, the replay value of the game is very good since there are so many choices to make that effect the way the game is played. I was playing while on Skype with my friend and we were at around the same point in the game, but we both got to the same point through very different means. The only downfall of the game is the UI. It is obviously made for a console and because of this I would give the game a 9.8, but I can't on metacritic. The UI doesn't make this game unplayable though it just isn't very accurate sometimes, but once you get used to it it's not a problem. This game is by far the best bang for the buck this generation! I really believe that this game will receive GOTY for 2011!… Expand
  81. Thunderbolt2
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is an amazing piece of entertainment. It has made all of the necesarry progressions throughout the Elder Scrolls series. A pure masterpiece. Anyone that says otherwise is just complaining that the game is differenet than it used to be. This is however necesary to offer new experiences
  82. Speedhorn
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    In my opinion, this is the best game of the year. The game is massive, biggest Iv'e seen yet! Most reviews already cover the great bits, so I'll just mention the parts I don't like.(I am aware I have given it 10/10. But the problems I found were not huge). First problem is the shadows. They are pretty poor even on everything up on max. This can be fixed though by editing the shadowIn my opinion, this is the best game of the year. The game is massive, biggest Iv'e seen yet! Most reviews already cover the great bits, so I'll just mention the parts I don't like.(I am aware I have given it 10/10. But the problems I found were not huge). First problem is the shadows. They are pretty poor even on everything up on max. This can be fixed though by editing the shadow resolution in the skyrimpref file. Next was some of the animations. For example, I noticed that when some of the NPCs are eating, their mouth doesn't move at all which makes it look kinda silly. Last thing that I noticed was......skeletons bleed? Hmmm, I guess this doesn't bug me. I just noticed it and it made me a tad confused.… Expand
  83. evilhippo
    Nov 16, 2011
    7
    This is a good game and in some ways, a great game: sweeping vistas, epic music and sound-scape, coherent storyline and the scope of the game, the sheer immersion and *size* of it all, is truly staggering. Items that are eye candy clutter in other games... cooking pots, whetstones, mills, smelters, furnaces, are actually functional in Skyrim! This represents a significant advance overThis is a good game and in some ways, a great game: sweeping vistas, epic music and sound-scape, coherent storyline and the scope of the game, the sheer immersion and *size* of it all, is truly staggering. Items that are eye candy clutter in other games... cooking pots, whetstones, mills, smelters, furnaces, are actually functional in Skyrim! This represents a significant advance over other Bethesda games like the earlier Eldar Scrolls series or ever the sprawling Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. Kudos for that.......

    ...The gameplay is very good. Not great, but I can live with very good. Combat in The Witcher 2, for example, is far more sophisticated and visceral whereas Skyrim's combat mechanics are a bit ordinary. Not bad, just ordinary......

    ...However there is one aspect which is a major step back: companions in Skyrim are characterless cyphers. little more that cannon fodder for carrying your stuff around, whose names you will have difficulty remembering. Unlike Fallout 3 or New Vegas, there are no real character quests, nothing more that generic personality and, most inexplicable, more clunky controls than the character wheel used by Bethesda in Fallout New Vegas. Oh the the AI is *horrible*... they run in front of you when you take a bow shot, they are hard to push out of the way when they trap you in a corner or block a doorway and the accursed dog 'companion' pushes against you constantly and nudged me off a cliff once. I am sure mod makes will make *vastly* better companions than the vanilla ones but in such a detailed, immersion intensive game, this trivialisation of NPC companions is a strange design decision.......

    ...So I like this game and, yes, it *is* buggy, but with anything this big that is inevitable. Bethesda will fix it eventually and compared to Fallout 3/NV, it seems a bit less bug riddled. That said, I suddenly CTD with no error message at least once an hour. Oh well.......

    ...7/10... would be 8/10 is companions were not so completely uninteresting.    … Expand
  84. Forgoroe
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    It's an amazing game that keeps you there playing it from beginning to end. Immersive, story, wonderful atmoshphere, plenty of quests (not boring) to undertake. It's a breathtaking game. It has its flaws, but they are greatly overcome by the features and awesomeness of the game itself. I hope bethesda learn to make their games a bit more polished and less buggier on launch though :)
  85. Decoy1207
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    The game is amazing! The world is massive like it should be there are tons and tons of things to do and explore. The people giving bad ratings are the ones that simply can't play because they are to dumb and don't know how a game works or their system is simply to outdated to run it properly. I've been playing this game for about 48 hours now and it looks and feels amazing. No complains onThe game is amazing! The world is massive like it should be there are tons and tons of things to do and explore. The people giving bad ratings are the ones that simply can't play because they are to dumb and don't know how a game works or their system is simply to outdated to run it properly. I've been playing this game for about 48 hours now and it looks and feels amazing. No complains on my side, neither did i find massive bugs some claim to have seen. (I've explored almost everything already). If you like RPG games this is a must play for you.… Expand
  86. belfastbiker
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Oh. My. god.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Graphics, are ASTONISHING.

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

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

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

    Skyrim is a MASTERPIECE.    … Expand
  87. LeMort
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    There should have been an option to give 9.8.
    That's what the game deserves. It Ain't perfect, so a 10 is out a place, but 9 is to low. Know what I mean? No?
    Ok, I'm a sucker for non-linearity. This game IS non-linear. In all it's extend. I have 2 char's. One (18hours of play) that inbetween does a bit main-quest. And another character that just gives a sh*t about any main-quest, just    There should have been an option to give 9.8.
    That's what the game deserves. It Ain't perfect, so a 10 is out a place, but 9 is to low. Know what I mean? No?

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

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

    Now that says something.

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

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

    Just my two cents
    M:)    … Expand
  88. SMKS
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    Such a brilliant game so much to explore. first played it weren't really into it but eventually you love it. The game lets you upgrade on so many things. you can travel to many destinations and constantly be impressed by the landscapes.

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

    Do not waste your money on MW3 because it has failed this year in terms of innovation it is the same thing as MW2. Skyrim have put the effort into this game and I admire them for this.    … Expand
  89. KorVegor
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Simply the most amazing world created this game generation. It's alive, well detailed and filled with interesting lore and quests.

    The only downsides are some graphical imperfections like low texture resolution on PC, and the interface which doesn't work perfectly with a mouse. I expect this to be patched. Even with those downsides, it's still a 10/10 because the world and extreme    Simply the most amazing world created this game generation. It's alive, well detailed and filled with interesting lore and quests.

    The only downsides are some graphical imperfections like low texture resolution on PC, and the interface which doesn't work perfectly with a mouse. I expect this to be patched.

    Even with those downsides, it's still a 10/10 because the world and extreme amounts of content more than make up for the small downsides.    … Expand
  90. Rems
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    Waited so long for this game, im happy to finaly have it. It looks too much like they made it out of fallout 3 but stil im glad to have it. Havent play much but im hoping for many hours of joy :)
  91. PC_Gamer_007
    Nov 16, 2011
    0
    0/10 for PC ... here is why... As soon as I tried to use my Keyboard/Mouse on PC! i discovered its unusable.
    menu really got me frustrated. I stopped right there and uninstalled it.

    I figure if I can't even get around without being frustrated, i probably won't enjoy it!
  92. Sylvenna
    Nov 15, 2011
    0
    Skyrim starts out incredibly. Slowly as you play through the first town you'll come to realize how frustrating and difficult this game can be just to play. The are certainly solid elements in play (open world, complete interaction) but there is so much left to be desired.
    1. The controls for PC are extremely clunky and antiquated. It is essential to have multiple types of weapons and yet    Skyrim starts out incredibly. Slowly as you play through the first town you'll come to realize how frustrating and difficult this game can be just to play. The are certainly solid elements in play (open world, complete interaction) but there is so much left to be desired.
    1. The controls for PC are extremely clunky and antiquated. It is essential to have multiple types of weapons and yet is ridiculously over-complicated to switch between items.
    2. Inventory system is a joke. It's 2011, I think we can move past the text based inventory system that Diablo used in 1996 Bathesda.
    3. Auto save is non-existent. Have to press my F5 key ever 2 minutes for fear of running into some monster in the forest that will kill me in 1 hit really takes away from the immersion of the world. Auto save only works when you zone, which means you're in a city, which means probably nothing will happen to you. Spend 20 minutes out in the forest? Better hope you saved 10 times to the run to wherever you're going.
    4. Game crashes constantly and some of the physics are just flat out broken (see horses)    … Expand
  93. iMaNeRD
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    This is an absolutely fantastic game. I have sunk 20 hours into it and barely scratched the main story line. There is so much to do. Bethesda have really improved the graphics and gameplay over oblivion. The character models and facial expressions are a huge improvement as are the voice acting and dialogue. The only thing so far I don't like about the game is the fact they got rid ofThis is an absolutely fantastic game. I have sunk 20 hours into it and barely scratched the main story line. There is so much to do. Bethesda have really improved the graphics and gameplay over oblivion. The character models and facial expressions are a huge improvement as are the voice acting and dialogue. The only thing so far I don't like about the game is the fact they got rid of durability and repairing on items. however this is really nit picking. Absolutely fantastic game, one you dont want to miss!… Expand
  94. Crusader508
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    Absolutely one of the best games I've ever played. The sheer amount of detail is staggering, and the ability to do, quite literally, anything you want is mesmerizing. Join the legion? Sure, crush the rebellion you were introduced to in the beginning of the game. Join any number of guilds throughout the game that have their own story/quest lines? Go for it. Do the main quest? Up to you. TheAbsolutely one of the best games I've ever played. The sheer amount of detail is staggering, and the ability to do, quite literally, anything you want is mesmerizing. Join the legion? Sure, crush the rebellion you were introduced to in the beginning of the game. Join any number of guilds throughout the game that have their own story/quest lines? Go for it. Do the main quest? Up to you. The options are seemingly limitless, and the 300 hour gameplay ideal truly seems possible, if not more so. I'm naturally apprehensive when it comes to paying lots of money for a game, but 60.00$ was completely worth it. This should be game of the year for many, many reasons. And the 95/100 Critic review score is absolutely spot on. If you played Oblivion, it's everything you liked enhanced, and everything you didn't fixed to where it's not there, or just that: fixed. One of my all time favorite games now. Absolute recommendation!… Expand
  95. spartancrusader
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    Im just going to start off by saying that this one of the best games, if not THE best game i have ever played. I have no idea where you guys are getting that its graphics are terrible- you must be playing on the lowest settings or something, because they are *stunning*. They look NOTHING like oblivion. And the animations are much less stiff. And besides, if youre honestly rating a gameIm just going to start off by saying that this one of the best games, if not THE best game i have ever played. I have no idea where you guys are getting that its graphics are terrible- you must be playing on the lowest settings or something, because they are *stunning*. They look NOTHING like oblivion. And the animations are much less stiff. And besides, if youre honestly rating a game down because of graphics, there is something wrong with you. There is a ridiculous amount of stuff to do, with each guild having an interesting questline, plus the many other side quests to do. Not to mention just running around exploring any cave you can find! The dwarf ruins are truely amazing-a MASSIVE improvement over the boring, grey ayleid ruins in Oblivion. The dragon fights, while easy later on are still really fun. Also to the people complaining about weapons and armor being invincible- it was a stupid concept anyway. Yes, it is more realistic, but does having to bring up a menu and whack your armor 50 times with a hammer really bring you that much satisfaction? Im glad its gone. Also, if you are experiencing alot of bugs, you must be very unlucky, I have not had any, besides, with a game as big as this it is understandable, and they will be fixed. For now, just save often. As for the UI, it is clearly not designed for PC, but i dont see the big deal.. you can still use your mouse. And IMO, the favorites system works great. While the controls are a bit clunky, you can change them easily, for example i changed my dragon shout so Mouse 3 for easy access. The perks system is WAY better than the levelling system in Oblivion, the environments are better, the cities feel more lifelike, crafting and being able to improve armor is really great, sneaking is improved, archery is improved, spells are improved, sprinting is an awesome addition, (Where are people getting that theres no new content??) and the combat feels alot less clunky at least for me. Also, to the person complaining about buildings just "Appearing" that happens.. if it really happens often enough for you to rate the game lower, you must need a better computer, lol. If it is too easy, TURN UP THE DIFFUCULTY.. duh.. And if anyone is complaining about unimaginitive places, just go to the Blackreach. Amazing. The only real complaint I have is that the main questline was somewhat dissapointing. It did bring you to some awesome places, but, i don't know it just didnt feel very satisfying, and the final boss was very easy. But who plays it for the main quest anyway? OH one more nitpick, why get rid of Longswords?… Expand
  96. IriathZhul
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    Ignore the Dark Souls fanboys who didn't actually buy Skyrim before writing a negative review. This game is superb, and possibly the best example of how an enormous amount of good content can outweigh a few flaws (a smattering of minor bugs that will likely be fixed within the month). It's hard to single out any one aspect of the game for praise--instead, it is the individual experiencesIgnore the Dark Souls fanboys who didn't actually buy Skyrim before writing a negative review. This game is superb, and possibly the best example of how an enormous amount of good content can outweigh a few flaws (a smattering of minor bugs that will likely be fixed within the month). It's hard to single out any one aspect of the game for praise--instead, it is the individual experiences that make it so memorable:
    Stalking the shadows with a hand-crafted bow, planting arrows in the backs of vampires.
    Charging ferociously across the tundra into an epic battle with a city whom you had secretly worked to undermine for days.
    Climbing the tallest mountain in the land, with nothing but long expanses of silence and the shimmering northern lights to mark your passage.
    This is certainly the Game of the Year, if not the game of the decade.    … Expand
  97. Sanguinesun
    Nov 15, 2011
    0
    Bethesda touted this as a "World Wide Release". It was a lie. Anyone living in Japan is prevented from playing this game for 4 weeks from the "world wide release" until December 8th. The -only- country facing this. It doesnt matter if you bought a copy from the US in English or you buy a Japanese copy in Japan(they're having to pay the equivalent of over 90 bucks for the priviledge toBethesda touted this as a "World Wide Release". It was a lie. Anyone living in Japan is prevented from playing this game for 4 weeks from the "world wide release" until December 8th. The -only- country facing this. It doesnt matter if you bought a copy from the US in English or you buy a Japanese copy in Japan(they're having to pay the equivalent of over 90 bucks for the priviledge to wait 4 weeks btw). All are restricted via the draconian DRM via Steam and Steamworks. I used to think EA was bad for such practices but Bethesda has really crowned themselves king on this one.

    I've lost all enthusiasm to play this game now. Sympathetic friends etc have even tried to get me cracked versions of the game to play. I really just dont see a point when Bethesda considers Japan and those living there to be exploitable in this manner like second class citizens. And why should I stoop to Bethesda's level of dirtiness? I 100% regret having gotten this game and wish I could return it.    … Expand
  98. SpiffyHarry
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Absolutely brilliant! Breath-taking visuals, a class system with unparalleled customization, engaging and genuinely fun combat, ridiculous amounts of replay value, crafting that's actually useful, beautiful music and sound effects, interesting side quests, smooth/greatly improved animations and a rich, vibrant world that comes alive with the amount of lore involved! :)

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

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

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

    Overall, a fantastic game that delivered on the majority of my expectations, but falls just barely short of being an all round master piece. I give it an 8.5/10.    … Expand
  99. oa53412
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    This game is a must buy! Bethesda Softworks has gone further than they have with any other title. The amount of content in this game is at such a large scale that you will have to spend hundreds of hours to get a complete 100%. The map design is on a whole other level then compared to oblivion. You will actually feel like you are traversing around a large mountainous region. With more toThis game is a must buy! Bethesda Softworks has gone further than they have with any other title. The amount of content in this game is at such a large scale that you will have to spend hundreds of hours to get a complete 100%. The map design is on a whole other level then compared to oblivion. You will actually feel like you are traversing around a large mountainous region. With more to explore then the simple forests you ran into 80% of the time like in Oblivion. The map feels like it did back when I played Morrowind. I feel like I am actually traversing across a country with being able to walk through a tundra only to be going down a thin mountainous path into a forests of orange and red. Now the typical Bethesda bugs are back, some that you would have expected them to be able to fix. With the rain still falling through buildings. But I blame that more on the choice they made on their engine that is mostly still their ever since it's construction for Oblivion.

    But the few bugs and problems the game have is so quickly forgotten when you are exploring and finding everything this game has to offer.    … Expand
  100. SavageGamer
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    This game is awesome. Every inch is so rich and just simply amazing looking. Characters, animation, effects, environments are all top notch. I have seen some odd ai behavior here and there, but that is to be expected in a game where you can do almost anything! It is so huge, I will be playing for many months to come. I don't see why some are hating on the UI so bad, I guess that because IThis game is awesome. Every inch is so rich and just simply amazing looking. Characters, animation, effects, environments are all top notch. I have seen some odd ai behavior here and there, but that is to be expected in a game where you can do almost anything! It is so huge, I will be playing for many months to come. I don't see why some are hating on the UI so bad, I guess that because I played with a controller. I tried playing with mouse and keyboard too to figure out what people were talking about. Using ASDW in the menus lets you roll through them pretty fast, I didn't find myself clicking around with the mouse like some seem to be doing. A bit different yes, bad no. I just think peeps need to get used to it. The more I play, the better this game gets.… 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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