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. revben
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Now this a great, great game. Do not listen to the negative words until you have played for at least 10 hours and not just visit the first hold. there are nine holds and most naysayers have been in only one
  2. Nautilus
    Dec 2, 2011
    0
    Copying the Oblivion mods is that all Skyrim is about. They cherry picked and stolen some great ideas of modders and implemented it into the game. Skyrim is more like an expansion pack to Oblivion. It is nothing but a heavily modded Oblivion, just like Fallout 3. The game engine is not different, Todd Howard is a liar. It's still based on Gamebryo Tech. Bethesda's policy is same asCopying the Oblivion mods is that all Skyrim is about. They cherry picked and stolen some great ideas of modders and implemented it into the game. Skyrim is more like an expansion pack to Oblivion. It is nothing but a heavily modded Oblivion, just like Fallout 3. The game engine is not different, Todd Howard is a liar. It's still based on Gamebryo Tech. Bethesda's policy is same as Infinity Ward's: "Why break it if it's working?" And like in every gamebryo based Bethesda game, texture quality makes me puke because it was designed for consoles in mind, consoles with tiny video memories... Skyrim lead animator Josh Jones is a worse liar than Todd, the animation system is not revamped or whatsoever. Animations still do suck. Go play some GTA IV, watch the guy strafing right&left while running and then you'll learn what animation is really all about. Not properly working controls give me a headache, mouse acceleration is an atrocity. User interface is designed for consoles in mind. Hard to use with keyboard+mouse combination, mouse does not work in 90% of menus. Game crashes to dektop every now and then, crapload of bugs making my quests break, flying items&creatures all around is a mess, dragons escaping ass backwards and don't give their souls sometimes. Yeah there are mods to solve most of these problems but modders are not Bethesda, i'm rating Bethesda here, not the modders. Don't know the console version but for PC, i give this game a solid "0" because this is all it deserves for backstabbing PC community again and again.… Expand
  3. andrek159
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    In good ...

    This game has a very serious problem ... It is impossible to stop playing! I'm at level 22 and level 100 in conjuration and the more it evolves into something, the more you see that still has much in progress! It is a work of art, where the vaunted Nordic is from the soundtrack to the buildings and clothing. Who loves the Norse mythology, will delight every new place    In good ...

    This game has a very serious problem ...
    It is impossible to stop playing!

    I'm at level 22 and level 100 in conjuration and the more it evolves into something, the more you see that still has much in progress!

    It is a work of art, where the vaunted Nordic is from the soundtrack to the buildings and clothing.

    Who loves the Norse mythology, will delight every new place visited.

    For Odin ... I'm speechless ...    … Expand
  4. Alduin
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Soundtrack is brilliant. Visuals are outstanding. Engine Performance is beastly. Gameplay is quite fun. This is pretty much the best of the best of the entire Elder Scrolls series. Bethesda and their developers have learned so much from their previous BRILLIANT games. Unlike Battlefield 3's direction, it keeps the AMAZINGLY LARGE COMPLETELY OPEN terrain and an entire world to explore. It'sSoundtrack is brilliant. Visuals are outstanding. Engine Performance is beastly. Gameplay is quite fun. This is pretty much the best of the best of the entire Elder Scrolls series. Bethesda and their developers have learned so much from their previous BRILLIANT games. Unlike Battlefield 3's direction, it keeps the AMAZINGLY LARGE COMPLETELY OPEN terrain and an entire world to explore. It's land is like World of Warcraft with less world loading. It. Is. Amazing. Again, it keeps with the gameplay elements of previous games, HUNDREDS of quests, and how you can choose to do almost whatever you want. Want to kill everyone in the town you live in? Check. Buy a house and live in it? Check. Go and loot every dungeon in the game? Check. Amazing. Go get it.… Expand
  5. gas
    Nov 21, 2011
    8
    I have to update me review, my first score after 25 hours of gameplay was a 6/10, as primary the terrible menu/inventory/crafting system and secondary the engine/textures hard porting created me some issues to be very satisfied.
    Now after 70 hours of gameplay i can tell that even with those mentioned issues the game is more then good, also its really massive, i mean, there is really a lot    I have to update me review, my first score after 25 hours of gameplay was a 6/10, as primary the terrible menu/inventory/crafting system and secondary the engine/textures hard porting created me some issues to be very satisfied.
    Now after 70 hours of gameplay i can tell that even with those mentioned issues the game is more then good, also its really massive, i mean, there is really a lot to see and explore.
    Dungeons are getting more interesting and complex, and also the combat system even if not much better then Oblivion its fun, at least playing primary as ranged.
    The game runs also quite stable and ive not seen many bugs so far.
    Sadly it could have been a true masterpiece but the issues mentioned above are quite annoying.    … Expand
  6. Nickolia
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Gotta love the complete opposite theories on this game. It's either a 10 or a 0. So far through I'm on the 10 side as I am a fan of these completely open world games. There are many things that have stayed the same through oblivion yes but so much of it has been refined into a better game all around. Duel wielding and magic are currently my favorites of such improvements to the combatGotta love the complete opposite theories on this game. It's either a 10 or a 0. So far through I'm on the 10 side as I am a fan of these completely open world games. There are many things that have stayed the same through oblivion yes but so much of it has been refined into a better game all around. Duel wielding and magic are currently my favorites of such improvements to the combat system. Quests are abundant and feel fairly natural when accepting them. You'll always have something to do in Skyrim whether you are picking ingredients for potions or on your way to kill a dragon. All I can say is it's a very immersive, enjoyable game for me.

    The bad: I bought this on PC, the menu system was definitely made for a console. Good thing I have a usb controller I guess. Glitches are there and can mess up your feeling of being in this world but for me are tolerable. Graphics are beautiful and I'm not sure why everyone is saying it looks no better then oblivion. I've been playing battlefield 3 before this came out and I will say that I was much more impressed with the visual effects, such as smoke and fire lens glare etc, in that game but all around a good looking game for it's size.    … Expand
  7. Ajores
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    NOT RUINED BY CONSOLE PORT!!! There, got that out of the way :P

    Skyrim, thus far, has been fantastic. The world is quite memorable, that include everything from the characters the monsters and the dungeons and cities... everything is a fantasy escapists dream. What Bethesda promised they delivered. That said, there are some technical bugs but honestly nothing game breaking. This is one of    NOT RUINED BY CONSOLE PORT!!! There, got that out of the way :P

    Skyrim, thus far, has been fantastic. The world is quite memorable, that include everything from the characters the monsters and the dungeons and cities... everything is a fantasy escapists dream. What Bethesda promised they delivered. That said, there are some technical bugs but honestly nothing game breaking. This is one of the smoothest releases Bethesda has had. While there was virtually no work done to the UI to take advantage of the PC version, there are only a few things I dislike about it really. For one, how about a means to change what the "menu" keys are (such as using SPACE rather than ENTER, which would seem easier to me)? Does that mean Bethesda spent no effort making it work? Hardly, it all works quite well and even smoother than one might anticipate with a little getting used to. Ah well, -1 point for a few silly bugs and SOME odd key assignments when navigating the UI, but I'm thoroughly enjoying this game and I haven't the heart to give it anything less than 10! Great work Bethesda, can't wait to see what's next for Skyrim :)    … Expand
  8. Yesname
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Do not believe warez users!! UI is perfect. You can easily use any menu or item with keys or MOUSE!
    Graphic is beautiful. It may need some in tweak to max out, but the landscape and dungeons are very-very immersive. Animations sometimes a little awkward, but I do not care about it.
  9. Clai
    Nov 15, 2011
    6
    Although Oblivion has amazing atmosphere, an engaging storyline and awesome world design, it fell short of basic industry standards in terms of pure gameplay. The combat, physics and animations were dated on release, and the proudly touted "Radiant AI" did not extend well beyond basic townsfolk interaction. Oblivion's successor, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has reportedly set out to improveAlthough Oblivion has amazing atmosphere, an engaging storyline and awesome world design, it fell short of basic industry standards in terms of pure gameplay. The combat, physics and animations were dated on release, and the proudly touted "Radiant AI" did not extend well beyond basic townsfolk interaction. Oblivion's successor, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has reportedly set out to improve on it's predecessors flaws.

    Who knew improvement was such a marginal process? Skyrim suffers from the same incredibly lacking combat system that Oblivion is well known for; there is little and often no indication of damage (outside of an HP drop) when attacking an enemy and there is no complex timing or visceral response during fights. Instead, players choose whatever weapon/spell combination most suited to the enemy in question and flail about until one of the combatants falls. The improvements made to the combat system that allow for easy dual wielding and equipment management are completely wasted on a system that maybe would've been accepted in a 2.5d game in the 90s. Is Daggerfall the cause of this?

    This archaic system is even further compounded by poor animations and very simple world physics, both of which work hard to pull you from the immersion presented by the amazing world. Skyrim introduces "death blow" animations that are nothing more than randomly occurring cosmetic distractions that are so poorly made and prone to glitching that it's a mystery as to why they were ever included. Third-person gameplay has been improved marginally, but the canned walking animations and glitchy keyframed attacking/rolling/jumping actions that often do not correctly flow into one another will have you switching back to first-person in no time, a shame considering the extensive character design system and excellently crafted armor sets.
    If that was not enough, a constant bevy of glitches and bugs will assault you at every turn. The game presents amazing scenes and story, only to promptly snatch the awe away with another glitching background model or a man butting into to a conversation about the safety of the city with a mention of his fruit prices.

    But it's an RPG, right? Combat and presentation should come second fiddle to the freedom and variety of open-world gameplay, right? There sure are a lot of stats missing in this "Apple-inspired" UI, no quick way to check on equipped items and their individual stats, no indication of the worn location of an item until selected, whereby a simple armor rating comparison is made and nothing else. No equipment degradation, simplified stats, and the quick-switch/hot-key wheel has been replaced with a time-stopping favourites menu. Whilst a fight in Oblivion could be played out in real-time, Skyrim has the player pausing the game with each swap of equipment. Outside the Magic and Items menu (both of which draw from the same inspiration), the Skills and Map menus are both functional and simple.

    What Skyrim does best is present an amazing world full of life and motion, something Bethesda shows mastery in time and time again. Wind blows trees and bushes; Water flows down streams, crashing against rocks as salmon jump upstream; Rain and snow falls, sometimes softly, sometimes ferociously. This game has a ridiculous amount of atmosphere and style, and Bethesda's attention to detail shines in every nook and cranny. The opportunity to get lost in one of the in game books or listen in on the conversations of bandits rewards the player with a rich fantasy story with uncountable facets. The new quest system allows some quest items and objectives to be approached in different locations depending on where the player has already been, meaning dull excursions are rare in an already breathtaking world.

    It's a shame then, that the world alone is not enough to remedy Skyrim's flaws. It appears that Bethesda has learned nothing from their previous projects on the Gamebryo engine; Skyrim suffers from many of the flaws present in it's predecessors. At the core of the issue, it seems both Bethesda and their fans are unaware of the ageing gameplay, numerous bugs and lacking presentation aspects that plague the otherwise amazing world of The Elder Scrolls. It remains to be seen if many of these problems are patched or modded away (either by Bethesda or it's enthusiastic modding community), but in it's current state, Skyrim is an old game wearing new clothes.    … Expand
  10. Fr0s7y
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    At its core, this game is absolutely fantastic. The amount of content available to the player is staggering, I'm about 11 hours in and feel like I haven't even began to scratch the surface of what the game has to offer. The only thing stopping me from giving this game a perfect 10 is that the graphics notably suffer from having to accommodate consoles, most noticeably in the characterAt its core, this game is absolutely fantastic. The amount of content available to the player is staggering, I'm about 11 hours in and feel like I haven't even began to scratch the surface of what the game has to offer. The only thing stopping me from giving this game a perfect 10 is that the graphics notably suffer from having to accommodate consoles, most noticeably in the character shadows (which appear very pixelated up close, even on ultra-high settings). The way the menu is set up reeks of lazy console port as well, but it's easy enough to get used to after awhile.… Expand
  11. Skjuludde
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    I've been reading through a few reviews, mostly the negative ones, and most reasons I've found has been from either their own hardware problem or hellbent determination to complain on anything that's not PC-exclusively developed or catered to the PC-group of customers. Personally I've not had any problem with the graphics. I've had one glitch and that was that a decently important dialogueI've been reading through a few reviews, mostly the negative ones, and most reasons I've found has been from either their own hardware problem or hellbent determination to complain on anything that's not PC-exclusively developed or catered to the PC-group of customers. Personally I've not had any problem with the graphics. I've had one glitch and that was that a decently important dialogue went silent. The UI, I agree, feels consoly. Though I can't find any wrong with it. The only thing would be that I can't sort items based on value or weight. There's a reason that few games are specifically designed for the PC anymore, piracy. And even if piracy isn't as serious as before the reputation of the PC is ruined and won't recover for many years. The only thing I've noted so far from "PC-gamers" is that they are entirely incapable of adapting. Apart from the sorting part I find the UI to be clean and well thought through. I immediately did in Skyrim as I did in Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout, ran away as soon as I was done with the introduction. Thus far, 13 hours in, the world has not disappointed me. Been ambushed by bandits, crushed by giants, torn to pieces by sabre cats, took some poor mans armor while he was sleeping etc. My High Elf mage/archer who at times duel wield short swords, haven't had any issues with either the diffculty, which btw got 5 levels that you can change, nor with clunky stale combat. Being a mage has never been more fun. The AI is sub-par, I have to agree on. My mage could win a brawl vs an orc chief simply since the chief didn't seem to care I was fighting with one hand and healing with the other. Anyway, I forgot where I was going with this.… Expand
  12. starsh3ro
    Nov 12, 2011
    7
    i wanted to call it game of the year,
    what i like is that the game difficulty is not set too low and that the enivorment is very detailed, the sounds and the music are nice as well all together a impressive atmosphere. its very small, the download only has a size of 5,8GB.
    on the other hand, the graphics engine itself is looks very old, when you get closer to anything, all you see is    i wanted to call it game of the year,
    what i like is that the game difficulty is not set too low and that the enivorment is very detailed, the sounds and the music are nice as well all together a impressive atmosphere. its very small, the download only has a size of 5,8GB.

    on the other hand, the graphics engine itself is looks very old, when you get closer to anything, all you see is edges, little texture bugs... reminds me on RAGE; same problem.
    the controls of the game are a disaster. SERIOUSLY.

    the npc/ai players block your way , the enemy ai gets stuck at random objects.

    the mainquest is done very fast, (lvl 11 was enough to finish it) i think i took double the time for oblivion, at the end its just, travel - fight dragon - travel - fight dragon again. AND again... uuuh so creative.
    the secondary quests are fun, also its fun to just ride arround with the horse and let it fall down from high mountains.

    its not worth the 49â    … Expand
  13. ripplechip
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Everything I could ever want in an RPG. Absolutely stunning visuals, great combat, amazing voice acting and story. This game is the complete package, and a must-buy for any fan of Bethesda RPG's.
  14. jonbravo2
    Nov 23, 2011
    5
    This game was fun. Graphics, interaction, and just the way you could do things is amazing, but I got bored of it really fast. This would be one of those games that I love for the awesome game play. I think the only thing I absolutely hated about this game was the unbearably dull main story. I played through it once and thought, "I'm not wasting my time on that again." I also did not likeThis game was fun. Graphics, interaction, and just the way you could do things is amazing, but I got bored of it really fast. This would be one of those games that I love for the awesome game play. I think the only thing I absolutely hated about this game was the unbearably dull main story. I played through it once and thought, "I'm not wasting my time on that again." I also did not like the fact of random quest being added by just walking around the streets. I would be walking through a town, and have 10 new quests activated right before my eyes. It was a pain in the butt to get a house too, in order to buy a house, you have to beat half of the main storyline. I think it is a game worth getting, but don't be suprised if you find yourself bored of it within 3 days of beating it.… Expand
  15. Galf506
    Nov 30, 2011
    4
    Skyrim doesn't deliver. It's the fifth game in the elder scrolls series, and it still carries almost all the flaws Morrowind and Oblivion had, adding some others on top of them, getting a bit closer to Morrowind in overall quality, but still way far from what we used to experience and what was expected from this game.
    On the technical side, the game is a massive disappointment, with a    Skyrim doesn't deliver. It's the fifth game in the elder scrolls series, and it still carries almost all the flaws Morrowind and Oblivion had, adding some others on top of them, getting a bit closer to Morrowind in overall quality, but still way far from what we used to experience and what was expected from this game.
    On the technical side, the game is a massive disappointment, with a trainwreck of low res textures and only minor overall improvements on the effects. No one wanted Battlefield 3 quaity, but there's no excuse for the messy squashed low res textures Bethesda put in this game. Everything is blurry and under a green tint. And landscape still looks bad from a distance, like Oblivion. They still haven't managed a good low detail LOD for distant objects - which is ridiculous, after what the modders did with Oblivion. Face models and some animations are better, but not very good.
    The user interface is the worst I've EVER experienced, even the worst console ports are better than this, it cannot be described. Huge areas of wasted space, the inventory has pretty much no filters and everything is vertical with zero horizontal space used.
    Stat system has been streamlined to hell and back, you get to choose between health magicka and stamina, there's a reduced numer of skills and each one has perks, that would have been a good feature if introduced in some other way, but as they are now, they're just the only way to make skills useful since they botched up the skill system: for example, shield blocking is completely useless until you farm the perks for it.
    Equipment, streamlined too. You can only wear one ring, the enchantment system is awful (you learn enchantments by destroying items, then you're restricted to only certain enchantments depending on the item - for example torso pieces of heavy armor can't be enchanted for elemental resists) there are no more upper body and lower body armor (one piece now) no pauldrons, no polearms, no crossbows and all the melee weapons feel the same, you can't even decide to cut,pierce or smash - the attack animation is random and automatic, dealing always the same kind of damage.
    Melee combat is horrible. Two handed users pretty much cannot defend, Sword and shield users move incredibly slow and block no magic damage until you are of high level and managed to farm through the perks. Armor rating under 300 is basically useless. Awkward "finisher" animations pop up at every fight AND YOU CANNOT DODGE HITS! And no mounted combat, again.
    Sneaking is the same as it was in oblivion. Meh.
    Ranged combat is actually useful now, but it still needs mods to make it good.
    But where Skyrim really falls short is in the true RPG component, something that mods cannot fix: it's not a true RPG. There's some VERY RARE good writing, but most of it is pretty subpar and boring. Almost all quests have no choices or neutral paths, you are forced to do things that you do not want to do or to witness events that could be easily avoided and the game pretty much invites you to be a "master of all trades" character, killing the immersion.
    The only area where Skyrim can be considered a good game, is the exploration. There's a lot of content to experience by just exploring - provided you're ready to accept the lack of choices and the mostly average writing.
    Not worth buying.    … Expand
  16. richarmadrid
    Dec 11, 2011
    0
    This game don't deserve a 0, but not even a 10. The score must be a 7 so my 0 goes to lower it's score to where it must be if it wasn't for all the hype, fanboys and mindless reviewers.
    What can you find in Skyrim? Ok, it's a better game that oblivion but that's not too much considering oblivion was an absolutely piece of **** Anyway you can find the same crappy combat system (that is, a    This game don't deserve a 0, but not even a 10. The score must be a 7 so my 0 goes to lower it's score to where it must be if it wasn't for all the hype, fanboys and mindless reviewers.
    What can you find in Skyrim? Ok, it's a better game that oblivion but that's not too much considering oblivion was an absolutely piece of **** Anyway you can find the same crappy combat system (that is, a broken combat system where you can only smash your button waiting for some final movement to appear)
    You can find too the same linear quest as always, when someone says in a review that you have total freedom and that **** they don't tell you that no, you don't have any freedom to make quests. You have freedom to explore, freedom to make the quest at anytime but when you choose to make a quest it must be done in one way (lucky if you have two ways to do one quest). I would prefect to have 100 quest instead of 500 if that 1000 quest had diferent ways to solve them.
    You can find boring NPC too. Npc without any personality that seem more like a quest container than a real character.
    You can find a console menu too. Yes, a console menu in a PC game, with all the funny things of useless navigation and frustating mouse movement.
    You can find a total cliche of story where you are a chosen one because bla, bla, and bla. "chosen one of many" like the bard's tale song says.
    You can find shadows too. No, wait, you can't. Graphics are a joke. I don't care too much graphics in this kind of game but it is funny to read the suposed "good graphisc" of this game where you can light a torch that don't make any shadows or the general shadow of your character seems like a mess of pixels. Not good graphic for the system requirement it needs.
    In one word, it not a bad game, if you liked oblivion this will be the best game ever. But of course, this is not the GOTY.    … Expand
  17. Ashton2571
    Jan 21, 2012
    10
    Before playing Skyrim you must accept the fact that Elder Scrolls games... or Bethesda RPG's in general have tendencies to be terribly glitchy and well un-organised. Skyrim, reasons you are so great: Great graphics/models/views/effects, great combat (decapitating people casually), great array of weapons armour and crafting, great bunch of characters, a good adventurer experience.
  18. UserExperienceS
    Nov 12, 2011
    8
    If you're having issues with the game crashing:

    1. Set your audio to 24 bit, 44.1Hz
    2. Be sure you have the latest graphics card drivers
    3. On the main menu, go to Data Files and turn on "Load Loose Files".
  19. Tipjar
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Since it was first announced I was very pessimistic about Skyrim after the dry taste Oblivion left in my mouth, having to return to Morrowind to make myself feel good again about the state of the Elder Scrolls. Since then I avoided all media and news related to it, besides the negative rumours such as it still using Gamebryo, etc. I got suckered into getting it with a friend and afterSince it was first announced I was very pessimistic about Skyrim after the dry taste Oblivion left in my mouth, having to return to Morrowind to make myself feel good again about the state of the Elder Scrolls. Since then I avoided all media and news related to it, besides the negative rumours such as it still using Gamebryo, etc. I got suckered into getting it with a friend and after grudgingly starting it, I realized it was early morning and I had put aside nearly all my work for that day. I was blown away by literally everything that I saw, it felt like a return to my favourite Morrowind and more. I lost myself in the landscape and sounds of Skyrim, while thinking to myself if this was actually a real game. I've only done the very intro quests to the main storyline and since then I have spent about 16 hours only in and around the area of Whiterun and Riften. I'm so glad that Bethesda got past the trend it was having with Oblivion and Fallout 3, I'm very confident that I will be playing Skyrim for a long time especially when mods show up. I was also completely blown away by the game's low size and requirements for such a full and gorgeous game.… Expand
  20. worldcitizen19
    Nov 25, 2011
    10
    10/10. Terrific graphics!! Terrific gameplay!! Terrific Puzzles and story!! No crashes!! Movement as smooth as silk. Amazing that such a huge game with so much data and information can play so well. Feel like looking everywhere and searching everything. This is a CLASSIC. This is a Game of the Year without competition. I'm using an Intel i72600k@3.8ghz, Zotac GTX 580 AMP, Gskill 8gb memory10/10. Terrific graphics!! Terrific gameplay!! Terrific Puzzles and story!! No crashes!! Movement as smooth as silk. Amazing that such a huge game with so much data and information can play so well. Feel like looking everywhere and searching everything. This is a CLASSIC. This is a Game of the Year without competition. I'm using an Intel i72600k@3.8ghz, Zotac GTX 580 AMP, Gskill 8gb memory and an Asus Republic of gamers MB and it was worth getting this new PC just for this game which of course I didn't but it does it justice.… Expand
  21. Asmodias
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Many here will compain about features that don't even seem to be negative, the combat functions brilliantly, the visuals aren't incredible, but they are still attractive. Compared to most Bethesda games I found relatively few bugs. This game is borderline perfection, it's not without it's flaws and inbalances; but it's a sandbox game, and it's recently released, it'll get better.
  22. 3quilibrium
    Nov 12, 2011
    8
    With a game this big it's impossible to keep everyone happy. There are the people who want freedom in an open world setting who then moan because they don't know what to do or feel that "there isn't a story" amongst all the lore that has been shoe-horned in to the game. Perhaps they need the main story in capital letters to make it more obvious...
    Others complain and give it zero out of    With a game this big it's impossible to keep everyone happy. There are the people who want freedom in an open world setting who then moan because they don't know what to do or feel that "there isn't a story" amongst all the lore that has been shoe-horned in to the game. Perhaps they need the main story in capital letters to make it more obvious...
    Others complain and give it zero out of ten because they think that it looks crap since there are a few blurry textures or nothing happens at times or even that the odd bug pops up. Guess what people - it's a massive open world game. The sheer amount of detail more than makes up for a slightly blurry patch of rock or grass and the size of the map dictates that you need to travel large distances so at times the action takes a back seat to exploring or talking to the many locals. Anyone who thinks that a game as complex as this can be without bugs (many of which I admit were in the last couple of Bethesda games) is deluding themselves.
    If you get bored easily because you might have to read a book to get information on a quest or thought that you were getting a dragon-fest hack and slash game then more fool you. Go play Call Of Duty and let the big boys have a game that has depth and value for money.
    I feel I've only just scratched the surface of this game and yet it surpasses Oblivion in every way so far. It looks great, sounds great and plays like a dream with better combat and more options on how to approach quests than before. Especially in the dungeons.
    My only real issue with the game is a fairly big one though. The menu system has yet again been designed for console and has not been sufficiently changed to fit in with PC gaming. The favourites idea for the quick changes of many weapons is a good idea but in practice has been implemented atrociously, as have some of the menus. Being forced to press enter at times, even though you clicked on something similar just before with your mouse is sloppy and stops the menu system ever feeling fluid.
    Bethesda have taken a lot of notice of their fans from Oblivion and implemented some neat touches and of course, as I said, are never going to keep everybody happy, but I must give it points off for the terrible menus. Even so, it's a great game so far with plenty of hours of gameplay and well worth anyone's cash.
    On a final note - people are even comparing this game to The Witcher 2 and saying the graphics of Skyrim are terrible compared to it. The Witcher 2 (a game that I love incidentally) is broken into small areas that have to be loaded into memory each time you move from one place to another so of course they can get more graphical fidelity in those areas. You would need a super computer to run Skyrim at the same graphical quality given the size of the lands and the draw distance involved.
    So there you go...not quite in a nut-shell but if I have offended you with my opinions you should see the ones I keep to myself. :)    … Expand
  23. smitysmit
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Very good game, haven't found any major bugs yet ad i use a Xbox controller so the controls are fine. The graphics are great if your pc is powerful enough. if you like fallout or any of the old elder scrolls games this is a must buy.
  24. halldors78
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    great game and i thought it wouldn't work so good on my laptop because Whitcer 2 didnt work so great, but Skyrim works great even on ultra, and takes little space too compared to many games and im very happy i didnt have to buy new computer just to play it. and the graphics are very good, maybe better in some games but so what?? it works great and i havent gotten into any bugs yet, but igreat game and i thought it wouldn't work so good on my laptop because Whitcer 2 didnt work so great, but Skyrim works great even on ultra, and takes little space too compared to many games and im very happy i didnt have to buy new computer just to play it. and the graphics are very good, maybe better in some games but so what?? it works great and i havent gotten into any bugs yet, but i have to say i would have liked it to be better set up for mouse and keyboard but i have xbox 360 gamepad for pc, but still i wanna play it with mouse and keyboard. it just seems to me that the players who are giving it low have crappy computers or are just trying to be cool by saying its a bad game, its probably the best game i have ever played.… Expand
  25. gamer2020
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    This game is magnificent, maybe one of the only games that actually worth the 60$ price.
    it is a well made sequel ,enough time has passed from the previous incarnation, which only make it more worthwhile (as opposed to an yearly product "updates" COD, Sports games sims and such).
    Its quite different from elder scrols 4, the surroundings are a bit more alive, more npcs interactions u    This game is magnificent, maybe one of the only games that actually worth the 60$ price.
    it is a well made sequel ,enough time has passed from the previous incarnation, which only make it more worthwhile (as opposed to an yearly product "updates" COD, Sports games sims and such).

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

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

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

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

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

    Oh if u dont have alot of time dont even start it :) it is that good. if there ever going to be a virtual reality machine this is the first on the line for it. elder scrolls 10 Hologram Edition :).    … Expand
  26. jdaerthe
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    it has the feel of oblivion but few of the flaws. amazing game.
  27. Pecheckler
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    If you want to enjoy this game on the PC than buy an Xbox 360 wireless control with USB receiver and hook your pc up to your TV. It is obvious the interface was designed for consoles. The mouse & keyboard controls are fine but feel odd because the interface wasn't designed for it.
  28. Chimpwn
    Nov 12, 2011
    7
    First off, I want to say I'm having tons of fun with this game. But I'm only giving it a seven because the developers promised so much more and came short on everything. They promised that the combat would be skill based and not a button mashing combat system. That was a lie. You click till they're dead. I've been using 2 handed weapons that supposedly do 3 times the damage of theFirst off, I want to say I'm having tons of fun with this game. But I'm only giving it a seven because the developers promised so much more and came short on everything. They promised that the combat would be skill based and not a button mashing combat system. That was a lie. You click till they're dead. I've been using 2 handed weapons that supposedly do 3 times the damage of the single handed weapons I have. And the 1 handed weapons seem to do about 1-2 damage less. It's so stupid. Also, they said the animations would be better, they are and they aren't. The animations by themselves are fine. But none of them interact with each other. Also, there's STILL no diagonal run animation. It's 2011 Bethesda, please move forward at a normal pace. And don't try to get by doing the same stuff you did last time. Update the engine with every release, and by that I mean make big changes that make a difference and not adding "slo-mo" and making the same washed out textures for all the games they make. And by that I mean the game kind of looks like ass. But that's to be expected out of a game they explicitly said would have the 360 as the lead platform. Oh and, the UI is total ass. The worst from any game I've ever played.… Expand
  29. ivnelsif
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    This game is fun, it's pretty much they took everything that made Oblivion fun and made another game with better graphics. There is also a lot less class customization required at the start, for someone who finds it hard to pick the perfect class this was icing on the cake.
  30. upi
    Dec 24, 2013
    0
    This is not really a "review", more like a warning label. Please regard it as such.
    For anyone downloading this game and expecting to play: don't. I did, and was rewarded by having to sit on a carriage for 14 minutes listening to an infodump-style exposition with name after name after name. I was unable to move. Then I was treated to watching an execution. Then I was told to climb some    This is not really a "review", more like a warning label. Please regard it as such.
    For anyone downloading this game and expecting to play: don't. I did, and was rewarded by having to sit on a carriage for 14 minutes listening to an infodump-style exposition with name after name after name. I was unable to move. Then I was treated to watching an execution. Then I was told to climb some stairs and found that my character could not do that.
    I'm sure there are those who say that this was a rewarding experience, or that I should wait to earn actually playing. Good for you. For those who are like me and want a game that one can actually play from the start: forget Skyrim. Score ZERO.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

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