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. Sean-M
    May 23, 2020
    8
    The best thing about this game is its atmosphere, joined with great music. Unfortunately too many bugs and a little shallow story. 8 out of 10.
  2. atr577
    Jan 29, 2015
    8
    This is to override my previous impression of Skyrim, after I played it with mods. Community did improve the feature that made me angry - the battle system, making it much more fun and truelike. The rest of the game is very good.
  3. aborle
    Apr 28, 2013
    8
    I am happy that the TES has found a more mainstream acceptance. However, here I'll only be focusing on the parts i didn't like about skyrim, because all the rest has already been covered by others and also reflects in my score.

    I don't understand, Did some writers resign from bethesda after oblivion? Skyrim doesn't have the same level of quests as Oblivion had. Most of the side missions    I am happy that the TES has found a more mainstream acceptance. However, here I'll only be focusing on the parts i didn't like about skyrim, because all the rest has already been covered by others and also reflects in my score.

    I don't understand, Did some writers resign from bethesda after oblivion? Skyrim doesn't have the same level of quests as Oblivion had. Most of the side missions and guild missions seemed generic to me. Dark Brotherhood used to be awesome (remember whodunnit from oblivion?) And it seems that the thieves guild has lost all honor. The addition of the civil war quests is a welcome but there is not much impact after you do them.

    Despite all of this, skyrim is still a must buy. I just wished my character would have had a more substantial impact on the world    … Expand
  4. laggypancakes
    May 1, 2013
    8
    I'd give vanilla a 6 and modded skyrim a 9- hence why I leveled it out to an 8.

    Vanilla Skyrim was a bit lacking in all categories. The stories (main, guilds, etc) were all shorter than I would have liked and expected, the environment was sparse (creatures/enemies etc), and the immersion wasn't up to par either (skyrim is supposed to be at war but there were no real military clashes).    I'd give vanilla a 6 and modded skyrim a 9- hence why I leveled it out to an 8.

    Vanilla Skyrim was a bit lacking in all categories. The stories (main, guilds, etc) were all shorter than I would have liked and expected, the environment was sparse (creatures/enemies etc), and the immersion wasn't up to par either (skyrim is supposed to be at war but there were no real military clashes).

    The TES modding community has always been stellar and skyrim was no different. All but a few of my major complaints were resolved by the mod community.

    Skyrim is worth a playthrough once as a vanilla game but the mods make it a great experience.    … Expand
  5. sft
    May 18, 2014
    8
    Enter the Dragonborn

    I’m not a big fan of the fantasy genre (with a few notable exceptions – the books of Michael Moorcock, for example) and was unsure about whether or not to buy SKYRIM. I’m glad I did as it’s a hugely impressive though flawed achievement. TESV is ambitious to say the least, and Bethesda have created a visually stunning (especially if you install the high-res texture    Enter the Dragonborn

    I’m not a big fan of the fantasy genre (with a few notable exceptions – the books of Michael Moorcock, for example) and was unsure about whether or not to buy SKYRIM. I’m glad I did as it’s a hugely impressive though flawed achievement. TESV is ambitious to say the least, and Bethesda have created a visually stunning (especially if you install the high-res texture packs and graphics mods available) and hugely immersive experience. SKYRIM is a large, varied, open world that can be fully explored. There’s much to see and many jaw-dropping sights. There are also a huge number of quests to complete and skills to acquire, and this is where the flaws lie. There are simply too many quests (often repetitive) and skill trees, and the storyline suffers as a result. The main story is underwhelming and because the player tends to get so sidetracked by the numerous side quests (I have read, but cannot confirm, that there are as many as 300 pre-set quests plus more that are randomly-generated) it fails to engage as much as it should. The game would benefit from greater emphasis on quality of story and more imaginative and diverse, though less numerous, quests. That said I’ve so far played 120 hours and have many quests left to complete. I shall dip into this game for some time to come I suspect.    … Expand
  6. WarriorPancake
    May 23, 2013
    8
    I will keep this short and snappy. Most Immerse game that I have played in a while. The detail is to damn high. You want to keep in going back to the game, its just fantastic! This game is very easy to run at high resolution. Role playing does not feel very unique for some reason, even though you make your own decisions and armour to wear etc. Shouting and shooting fire or frost is soI will keep this short and snappy. Most Immerse game that I have played in a while. The detail is to damn high. You want to keep in going back to the game, its just fantastic! This game is very easy to run at high resolution. Role playing does not feel very unique for some reason, even though you make your own decisions and armour to wear etc. Shouting and shooting fire or frost is so DAMN AWESOME! Nice puzzles that you don't expect but never get boring or dull! Map size is large but not to large with parts of nothing in them(this happens alot in Just Cause 2). I really do think every time I play this the amount of work effort and awesomeness they put into such a amazing title!
    Also, I got the PC version of it purely for Steam Workshop!    … Expand
  7. Disconnection
    Jul 22, 2013
    8
    Skyrim is certainly a good game, but not perfect. The game has outstanding graphics and a strong lore, but some small glitches can block the player from continuing with the story.

    Bethesda really did a good job in putting lots of small details into the game. But that only counts for some parts of the game. The first town the player enters is greatly detailed and the people living in    Skyrim is certainly a good game, but not perfect. The game has outstanding graphics and a strong lore, but some small glitches can block the player from continuing with the story.

    Bethesda really did a good job in putting lots of small details into the game. But that only counts for some parts of the game. The first town the player enters is greatly detailed and the people living in this town, called Riverwood, react to their environment. But the further one goes into the wilderness of the province of Skyrim, the less detailed the town are.
    The environment however is outstandingly good. The environment is very varied and not a single spot in the game, looks like another. The environment contains fast plains and dense forests, small peaceful creeks and wilde rivers. And in this environment many creatures can be found. Also there are many flowers to pick and a lot of animals to hunt.

    Skyrim also has good gameplay which does not bore, even after many hours of gameplay. There are many decisions the player can make, which impacts the outcome of a quest. But sometimes the player runs into a glitch which most of the time means that the player has to load an old save and start over. Luckily this is not very common and the game runs mostly without any glitches. The combat mechanics are not into depth and magic seems a little overpowered when the player levels up. The amount of followers a player can have is limited to one and this follower sometimes blocks the player's path. Nevertheless the gameplay is good because of its new features. Like dual wielding weapons, sprinting, better mounts and so on.

    The community of Skyrim is a very big community and also should be granted some credits in this review. Many modders enhance the game to an even better experience. They improve the already good graphics, increase the amount of quests and stories and enhance the environment of Skyrim. The vanilla game really is boosted by the great mods available.

    In short the game is a very nice production of Bethesda and a game in the series which every Elder Scrolls fan should have played.

    + Good graphics
    + Breathtaking scenery's
    + Great attention to detail
    + Great freedom
    + Big modding community
    +/- Mediocre Gameplay
    - Glitches in quests    … Expand
  8. Osmium
    Jul 28, 2013
    8
    One of the biggest RPGs ever made, Skyrim is just a huge world to explore. The lore and the atmosphere created by the world of Tamriel are simply fantastic. Graphics are between okay and very good. Only an 8 out of 10 for me due to lack of atmospheric and consistent storytelling (has never been a strength in the Elder Scrolls series), and due to the horrible console port for PC (theOne of the biggest RPGs ever made, Skyrim is just a huge world to explore. The lore and the atmosphere created by the world of Tamriel are simply fantastic. Graphics are between okay and very good. Only an 8 out of 10 for me due to lack of atmospheric and consistent storytelling (has never been a strength in the Elder Scrolls series), and due to the horrible console port for PC (the controls and the interface are outright horrible).… Expand
  9. GreatHackster
    Aug 6, 2013
    8
    I'll start by saying I have over 50 hours logged with this game and will likely be up to 100 by the time I'm done. When you've sunk that much time into a game and don't really regret it, I'd say it's a good game that served its purpose, regardless of any current disillusionment.

    So, Skyrim is the first Elder Scrolls game I've played, and it's about what I expected, on multiple levels.    I'll start by saying I have over 50 hours logged with this game and will likely be up to 100 by the time I'm done. When you've sunk that much time into a game and don't really regret it, I'd say it's a good game that served its purpose, regardless of any current disillusionment.

    So, Skyrim is the first Elder Scrolls game I've played, and it's about what I expected, on multiple levels. I'd heard stories of the fantastic world-building and fantasy setting, and I'm not disappointed in that; I find the lore engaging, the holds fascinating, the rich sense of history and myth engrossing, and the particular epic end-of-the-world scenario introduced to be sufficiently badass as to overcome my boredom with being yet again the chosen one on a quest to save the universe.

    I've seen some reviews impinge on the graphics, but frankly, if graphics stayed this good for the rest of my gaming life I think I'd be content. No, it's not absolutely photorealistic, but the vistas and dungeons are equally breathtaking and immersive, and the character models and items are sufficiently realistic that I rarely find myself stuck in the uncanny valley. (Then again, this is two years later, with all expansions, so the game when it came out might have looked much worse.)

    Of course, I'm one of those people for whom graphics can slide so long as the gameplay is fun and the art design is interesting and boy, do I love the art design here. From goats all the way up to dragons, the animals and enemies just look amazing, hyper-real if you will (not actually realistic, but fantastically real). While I was yearning for much more variation after many hours of play, each piece of clothing or armor the game does have is stunningly detailed and well designed, and the weapons look and feel epic enough to make me want to reach into the game and pluck them out for my own use. Permeated with a Viking motif that I'm already partial to, the world's design just screeches out honor and strength and stark endurance, with danger lurking around every corner that brave men and women face triumphantly on a daily basis. I can, and have, just wandered for hours, taking in each new sight, drawn in to discover how it fits in and adds to this world of badass.

    About halfway through, so I should start talking about what I didn't like, I guess. Well, at this point, my major complaint is this: there's so much to do, and yet there's ONLY TWO THINGS TO DO. Your interaction with the world is limited to pressing E, saying yes, and then going out to kill every damn thing at a location. There's barely any actual choices made in this game; people are either ready to tell you their life story, or ready to bash your skull in, on sight. There's no bargaining with or intimidating the bandits that happen across your path, there's no option to infiltrate a cabal of dark mages, there's barely any incentive to sneak through anywhere, and most importantly, there's virtually no character building whatsoever. Everything is just "go to X, kill all the Y, retrieve the Z."

    Sure, that formula works for a while but then, when you start thinking, your immersion just breaks. You realize that, here is this massive, breathtakingly beautiful world filled with both natural wonders and the splendor of sapient creation and it's inhabited by cardboard cutouts of characters who tell you to go kill even more vaguely drawn creatures. There's some story imparted along the way, but it's easy to miss as you hack, slash, stab or burn your way across the world, and never actually gives the impression that it really matters.

    Next, while the idea of doing something to get better at it is a laudable one it creates total apathy when it comes to making new characters. After I finish the game with my character now, I realized I have no real desire to go back and play a new one; after all, I can do everything the game has to offer with this one. There's pretty much nothing and no one that's closed off to you based on your choices, no new options that become available with a difference in race or focus; as others have noted, you can be the freaking Archmage and not know a single spell above Apprentice level, or the Harbinger of the Companions without ever lifting a weapon. Especially in single player, where you're the only thing with an actual brain around, classes are the only way for the world to actually understand the role you're trying to play.

    And finally, to be blunt, the interface sucks balls. Major donkey balls. Even hotkeys on the PC version don't save it; there's not enough to make much difference. Using magic, especially alternating between it and Shouts, is simply annoying where it should be empowering. Swapping equipment or selling is a chore, as is crafting.

    To wrap up: it's not at all a bad game. In fact, it's pretty damn good. But a lack of actual choice and character building, combined with the interface, mars what is otherwise an awesome experience.    … Expand
  10. JtW
    Aug 21, 2013
    8
    I've spent a lot of time playing Skyrim. As a former Oblivion fan, I have to compare the two.

    The main plot is much more interesting in Skyrim (I've played Oblivion for months and never bothered to finish the main plot not the case here). I like the perks system and I like the multitude of side quests. For some reason, though, Skyrim felt a little like a glorified hack'n'slash to    I've spent a lot of time playing Skyrim. As a former Oblivion fan, I have to compare the two.

    The main plot is much more interesting in Skyrim (I've played Oblivion for months and never bothered to finish the main plot not the case here).

    I like the perks system and I like the multitude of side quests.

    For some reason, though, Skyrim felt a little like a glorified hack'n'slash to me... a little more so than did Oblivion. I cannot pinpoint what exactly I was missing but this is the reason I finally stopped playing and why I am only giving it 8 points.    … Expand
  11. lifeofbrian
    Nov 12, 2014
    8
    Its not bad but all it really has going for it is the environments (which are incredible). The quests tend to be worse than Oblivion. Especially when it comes to the thieves guild (where you don't even need to remain hidden to complete the quests and get all the rewards), dark brotherhood, and mages guild quests. The mages guild quests in particular are just terrible. The dark brotherhoodIts not bad but all it really has going for it is the environments (which are incredible). The quests tend to be worse than Oblivion. Especially when it comes to the thieves guild (where you don't even need to remain hidden to complete the quests and get all the rewards), dark brotherhood, and mages guild quests. The mages guild quests in particular are just terrible. The dark brotherhood quests are probably the best quests in the game and even then they are pretty average by RPG standards.

    The other criticism I'd have with the game is the frequency in which naturally formed caves turn into large ruins. It just takes away from any immersion when nearly every cave leads to something extensive and grand.

    Finally races have very little impact in your interactions with people in the game. Its said that dark elves live in poverty and are looked down upon in one of the cities, yet when you go there as a dark elf people react to you no differently than if you had been a Nord. Its just sloppy, lazy, programming on Bethesda's part to not have included different reactions based on race. Even Dragon Age Origins managed to do this (so they had 2 years to improve on what other games have already done).

    The interface is also clearly designed for consoles and not for PC's. Overall I'd say.

    Gameplay : 7/10
    Graphics: 8.5/10
    Sound: 9/10
    GUI: 6/10
    Replayability: 8/10
    Overall: 8/10    … Expand
  12. SL539
    Dec 26, 2015
    8
    Skyrim is a good game on its own, but even better on its own. To be honest, I can't give Skyrim a review as I've never played the vanilla (non-modded) game. I'll still give it a positive review however, simply because the worldspace is incredible and the RPG aspect is also great. And yes, the modding is great on it, it's too bad so many good reviews are simply based on the moddingSkyrim is a good game on its own, but even better on its own. To be honest, I can't give Skyrim a review as I've never played the vanilla (non-modded) game. I'll still give it a positive review however, simply because the worldspace is incredible and the RPG aspect is also great. And yes, the modding is great on it, it's too bad so many good reviews are simply based on the modding community and not on the game itself - it's what I love/hate about BGS, they allow us to openly mod it to our hearts content but at the same time they almost completely depend on the modding community for all their games and we never get a spec of respect/shout-outs/compensation or anything. Hell we don't even get a "thanks for being the reason we're making millions off the games."… Expand
  13. neigenoire
    Sep 30, 2013
    8
    Pros:

    + Rich atmosphere, great audio and visual effects + It does a lot of things right, compared to previous titles + Amazing modding support Cons: There are plenty, but I won't even discuss them because most of them have been fixed by mods. Seriously, other gaming studios should learn from Bethesda it doesn't matter if you release a flawed game, if you also provide great    Pros:

    + Rich atmosphere, great audio and visual effects
    + It does a lot of things right, compared to previous titles
    + Amazing modding support

    Cons:
    There are plenty, but I won't even discuss them because most of them have been fixed by mods. Seriously, other gaming studios should learn from Bethesda it doesn't matter if you release a flawed game, if you also provide great modding support, all will be forgiven and forgotten. Everything, from core game mechanics to visuals and completely new content, has been introduced/changed/fixed by modders. Without them, this game would be a '6' that would have been already forgotten by now, but now it's a game that will be loved and talked about for years and years to come!    … Expand
  14. Mahdiar
    Jul 6, 2016
    8
    Gameplay : 8
    Graphics : 7
    Story : 7
    Sound : 7
    **********************************************************************************
    Overall : 8
  15. AnarchistArtist
    Oct 24, 2013
    8
    Pros: Huge, beautiful world to explore; no two places are the same; lots of quests between the main plot and all side quests; attention to detail in all aspects of the game; lots of dragons; general feeling of epic-ness and immersion into the world.

    I first played the game on my computer that definitely did not have enough visual memory, etc. so the gameplay was choppy and sometimes    Pros: Huge, beautiful world to explore; no two places are the same; lots of quests between the main plot and all side quests; attention to detail in all aspects of the game; lots of dragons; general feeling of epic-ness and immersion into the world.

    I first played the game on my computer that definitely did not have enough visual memory, etc. so the gameplay was choppy and sometimes glitchy, but it still didn't bother. Playing on my new, improved laptop yielded much smoother and virtually faultless gameplay.

    Cons: not a lot of variety of monsters/foes; NPC's are somewhat boring and many are just clones with repeated diaogue; most of the quests were very simple and didn't seem to take advantage of the vastness and detail of the Skyrim world; although I liked being able to do the main plot quests and side quests at the same time to prolong my gameplay, I never felt an overwhelming urgency or excitement regarding the main plot. Although the plot does extend its effects all across the world and into some secondary quests, I wish it could have been even more expansive so that more of the quests you do feel as though they are happening at the same time and under the same circumstances as the main plot.

    8/10 Definitely worth playing.    … Expand
  16. game_over
    Apr 26, 2015
    8
    If Valve and Bethesda were truly concerned about modders getting their just due, would they be taking a 75% cut?

    Like other paid content, are Valve and Bethesda going to provide QA, oversight, and ensure continued support for mods? Why change the implicit agreement e.g., free mods, with gamers who have already purchased Skyrim? The answers to these questions demonstrate that the    If Valve and Bethesda were truly concerned about modders getting their just due, would they be taking a 75% cut?

    Like other paid content, are Valve and Bethesda going to provide QA, oversight, and ensure continued support for mods?

    Why change the implicit agreement e.g., free mods, with gamers who have already purchased Skyrim?

    The answers to these questions demonstrate that the actions of Valve and Bethesda are disingenuous at best.    … Expand
  17. Albo_full
    Oct 21, 2013
    8
    oh boy the elder scrolls, probably one of the best series ever! and skyrim delivers, however this game is not perfect, the lack of magic crafting and spears lowered this score, first let's talk about magic.

    1- magic: magic in this game was dumbed down, you have different level of spells with presets, there is no magic crafting, that was awesome! now the magic is shallow and not fun,    oh boy the elder scrolls, probably one of the best series ever! and skyrim delivers, however this game is not perfect, the lack of magic crafting and spears lowered this score, first let's talk about magic.

    1- magic:

    magic in this game was dumbed down, you have different level of spells with presets, there is no magic crafting, that was awesome! now the magic is shallow and not fun, the spells go like this spray>projectile>explosive-aoe projectile>aoe this limits magic, they did NOT improve the system, big disapointment

    2-combat:

    the combat itself and how it plays out, is great, really good smoth intuitive combat, weapons are balanced and hitting feels good, the combat is great however, stealth trivializes any fight, you can kill dragons in 1 hit

    3- Dragons

    holy crap! dragons are awesome! the fights themselves are great, dragons are varied and scale with your level, and the soul system is great, dragons are not scripted and fights can happen everywhere, in the middle of a quest or when you're searching for supplies

    4-quest
    here is the game's strongest point, the quest, varied, MANY of them, nuff said, its an elder scrolls game

    Buy this game, its worth it    … Expand
  18. DuskSnare
    Nov 2, 2013
    8
    I have always liked the Elder Scrolls Series, but I just cant give this a 10. The magic within the game was fairly boring (unlike Morrowind), but they did do a fairly good job at making their linear game. Yes, I know, how on earth could I call this game linear? Well, you see, if the games were not made linear then Bethesda would be unable to make proper sequels. Nonetheless, It was stillI have always liked the Elder Scrolls Series, but I just cant give this a 10. The magic within the game was fairly boring (unlike Morrowind), but they did do a fairly good job at making their linear game. Yes, I know, how on earth could I call this game linear? Well, you see, if the games were not made linear then Bethesda would be unable to make proper sequels. Nonetheless, It was still fun to play and the stories (and the lore) were all very interesting making me want to keep playing. Anyway, I do hope the next game involves the Snow Elves, Dwemer or the Psijic Order (I would really love to know more about the Psijic Order).… Expand
  19. fateappointed
    Feb 3, 2014
    8
    Story: 7 out of 10, Graphics: 10 out of 10, Fun: 8 out of 10, Controls: 7 out of 10, Difficulty: 8 out of 10, Length: 10 out of 10, Re-play: 6 out of 10, Value: 8 out of 10
  20. Hicoga
    Nov 30, 2013
    8
    Skyrim is probably the best game of its kind. The world you explore is massive and there are plenty of things to do to keep you coming back time and time again.

    Skyrim really comes through in the graphics department. The game looks great without any visual mods despite what some others will try to tell you and it runs very smoothly for the most part. All of the voice acting is done well    Skyrim is probably the best game of its kind. The world you explore is massive and there are plenty of things to do to keep you coming back time and time again.

    Skyrim really comes through in the graphics department. The game looks great without any visual mods despite what some others will try to tell you and it runs very smoothly for the most part. All of the voice acting is done well and the story is basic but still fun to play through.

    The battle system in Skyrim needs some work, with melee combat consisting of nothing more than mashing the left-click. Without mods, the inability to kill important NPCs becomes an annoyance. I'm not saying that you should be able to completely destroy questlines that are crucial to the game but Bethesda should have made it so you could kill these people and they would respawn later as if they had gone to the hospital. The fact that they are invincible too often results in them chasing you for miles on end in the most ridiculous fashion possible. Skyrim doesn't have very many weapons to collect either, with most of them being enchanted or slight variations of other weapons.

    This review seems to be a bit negative, and that's not really what I'm trying to do. This game is definitely a masterpiece but not worthy of a perfect score until they iron some things out.    … Expand
  21. Troublewalking
    Sep 13, 2014
    8
    If you love the Elder Scrolls series you will love this game. There's lots to do and the stories are fine, once you get get your bearings. Though the game seems to have made a change to be more MMOish. Especially in the "talent" system. The game crashes far less than other ES games. I feel it's not as good as some other games in the ES series. It often feels story was ignored because youIf you love the Elder Scrolls series you will love this game. There's lots to do and the stories are fine, once you get get your bearings. Though the game seems to have made a change to be more MMOish. Especially in the "talent" system. The game crashes far less than other ES games. I feel it's not as good as some other games in the ES series. It often feels story was ignored because you have a pointer on your map leading you by the nose. But there are so many locations on the map, it becomes necessary to have the pointer later. However it is a brilliant step towards Bethsada preparing the series to be a multiplayer in the future. As many of the changes seemed to be based on MMO pvp balances. And because of this it's few flaws and subtractions can be over looked.… Expand
  22. DegenCutter
    Jun 17, 2015
    8
    A fun and engaging open world game that offers a lot to love, Skyrim's biggest failings are the sorts of issues that tend to plague all Elder Scrolls games in my opinion. The best part of the game is being able to wander around and experience all sorts of great, unexpected, and strange moments and events. Stumbling on something as you traverse the countryside is a great deal of fun. On theA fun and engaging open world game that offers a lot to love, Skyrim's biggest failings are the sorts of issues that tend to plague all Elder Scrolls games in my opinion. The best part of the game is being able to wander around and experience all sorts of great, unexpected, and strange moments and events. Stumbling on something as you traverse the countryside is a great deal of fun. On the other hand, like most Elder Scrolls games, the central plot line is nebulous and lacks emotional impact, although the whole being the Dragonborn bit with the nifty shouts was a cool touch. I tend to find voiceless protagonists in modern games to be immersion breaking (especially when everyone else around you has a voice), so that would be another negative for me. Another negative would be some strange bugs and occasional crashes but I think some of that may be unavoidable with such a big, complex game. Still, in the end, Skyrim is a good game worth playing just to get lost in its beautiful open world construction. Explore and enjoy!… Expand
  23. Enforcer574
    May 26, 2014
    8
    Where do I begin... Skyrim is big. It's huge. The open-world environment is filled with quests, customizable weapons and items, and enemies. And the PC version has the added benefit of having tens of thousands of mods out there to download for free. But I won't be talking about those here.

    Lots of people dislike Skyrim because there are better RPGs out there. I won't dispute that, but    Where do I begin... Skyrim is big. It's huge. The open-world environment is filled with quests, customizable weapons and items, and enemies. And the PC version has the added benefit of having tens of thousands of mods out there to download for free. But I won't be talking about those here.

    Lots of people dislike Skyrim because there are better RPGs out there. I won't dispute that, but to say a game is bad just because there are better ones out there is unfair. I know that Skyrim has gotten a lot of people into the RPG genre, and they will find and play those other games for themselves. The story in Skyrim is of course a continuation of the Elder Scrolls storyline, set in 4E 201, 200 years after the events of Oblivion, where Skyrim is in the middle of a civil war. The main quest is acceptably long and complex, as are most of the side quest lines, which average 10-12 chapters. The landscape is covered in ancient ruins to explore for treasure.

    The bad part of this game is the miscellaneous quests. Most of them are shallow, uninspired fetch quests and are ridiculously easy. The game's mechanics are also sometimes the butt of many jokes- since some enemies scale in level relative to you, while others do not, it's sometimes possible to kill a dragon in only a few hits, only to be mauled by a bear or a wild cat a short while later. The AI and character animations are subject to many bugs and glitches, including not-uncommon bugged quests that can make a quest unfinishable without using console commands to fix the problem yourself. Thankfully, this is the PC version, so using these commands is possible. Stay away from the console version 'cause if you get a bugged quest there, you're going to have to reload your last save and hope it works.

    The visuals are impressive on PC, but I feel they could have been much better (they had to lower the texture resolution to make it fit on a DVD for the console crowd). The high-res texture pack available as a free download doesn't do much to help. Skyrim's environments, at least on the outside, are varied enough, from the southern forested regions to the frozen wastelands of the far north, but don't expect any more than the exact same look in every dungeon. Mouse movement is choppy at times and textures sometimes glitch out as well. As you might imagine, all these glitches really take away from the immersion of what is otherwise a great RPG worthy of many hours of gameplay.

    Bottom line, I definitely reccomend this game. The great storyline(s) which all tie into one another, the vast amount of weapons and customization, dungeons to explore, and one of the best soundtracks I've heard, make up for the lackluster, low-res textures and occasional bugged quests.    … Expand
  24. SpiRo
    Sep 30, 2014
    8
    Only bad thing is that game is bugged as hell, so you will have to use mods or you will have to use console commands. Still greatness of this game easily overshadows such flaw.
  25. Look444
    Nov 13, 2015
    8
    This game has a lot of flaws that Bethesda games tend to have, being immersion the most notorious in my opinion. Magic system feels bland, most perks are boring, especialization tends to always be either sword and shield or sneak based. Combat is dull and difficulty is very artificial, and graphics weren't that good even for 2011.
    And despite having quite a lot of flaws, it's still a very    This game has a lot of flaws that Bethesda games tend to have, being immersion the most notorious in my opinion. Magic system feels bland, most perks are boring, especialization tends to always be either sword and shield or sneak based. Combat is dull and difficulty is very artificial, and graphics weren't that good even for 2011.
    And despite having quite a lot of flaws, it's still a very fun game, with hours and hours of gameplay and different stories. It's a must play if you like RPG's. Sadly Bethesda games don't age well and nowadays it remains fun if you mod it    … Expand
  26. Alvinoski
    Jul 19, 2014
    8
    Skyrim is one of the best game that released last years. It has a good story and large open world,but, It is hard to play. Hard to change weapons or change spells and fighting with enemies. But this features can not say it is a bad game.
  27. Vamrem
    May 27, 2015
    8
    Skyrim is the hugest TES and Bethesda has continued improving its toolset making the Creation Kit the best of the whole saga, there are more than 30.000 mods to improve each single aspect so if you don't like the game, no problem, change it! and you will have the game of your dreams. I have only one gripe and is a big one: outdated graphics; it basically looks like Oblivion with mods...Skyrim is the hugest TES and Bethesda has continued improving its toolset making the Creation Kit the best of the whole saga, there are more than 30.000 mods to improve each single aspect so if you don't like the game, no problem, change it! and you will have the game of your dreams. I have only one gripe and is a big one: outdated graphics; it basically looks like Oblivion with mods...

    We know that mods can do everything but improve graphics is the hardest job, of course Skyrim has the best graphics enhancer mods but could be even better with a solid game-base. I really hope Fallout 4 and TES VI with, literally, outstanding graphics. Bethesda must understand that their sandboxes worth for modding, history is literally secondary and RPG system is just not solid, but when you start to feed it with mods... oh man... the game shines in each corner, I don't get tired to walk those gorgeous landscapes, fight better random encounters, make my own home, armor and weapons... Great game Bethesda, just keep in mind that if you provide us with a great graphic base, we can do the rest much easier with mods to have the game of our dreams.    … Expand
  28. celt93
    Apr 27, 2015
    8
    Edit: Paid mods are gone but modgate will not be forgotten. We will stay vigilant, and we will be watching.

    Skyrim is worth playing once again, hopefully Fallout 4 ends up the same way.
  29. jelikey
    Sep 10, 2015
    8
    Deep, with a fascinating Lore, immense world to explore and amazing graphics for his era, it's not one of the best rpg games, but of all time. Go deep in Skyrim, you will not be regretful!
  30. godzillarandom
    Oct 2, 2014
    8
    This is one of my favorite games
    Pros:
    Good Graphics,
    Amazing game play,
    Good stealth system.....
    Cons:
    Buggy!,
    Crashes a lot,
    Horrible loading time (Only on console,The pc version is quick :D )....

    _______________
    I give this game a :8/10
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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.
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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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