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. mrxdave
    Nov 30, 2011
    9
    Without comparing this game to any other game - it's great! It is an amazing achievement to make a game that is this open-ended, and yet each quest seems original. Many games promise a varied approach - Skyrim actually delivers. Aside from minor glitches, this game delivers on core game play and deapth. As usual, I'm a little confused by folks that have given the game a below averageWithout comparing this game to any other game - it's great! It is an amazing achievement to make a game that is this open-ended, and yet each quest seems original. Many games promise a varied approach - Skyrim actually delivers. Aside from minor glitches, this game delivers on core game play and deapth. As usual, I'm a little confused by folks that have given the game a below average score. I've played some HORRIBLE games in my time, and Skyim is NOT one of them.… Expand
  2. Merowech
    Nov 30, 2011
    9
    Good:
    Very nice graphic. Even with an average graphic card. Dont understand people dont like/see that. Wonderfull distance view of the landscape. Perfect RPG atmosphere with a well written storyline. Interactive citicen behavior. It makes you feel living in that world. AI react different how you behave. NPC talking about your progress in game. very nice.
    Poor: Controlling. You can see    Good:
    Very nice graphic. Even with an average graphic card. Dont understand people dont like/see that. Wonderfull distance view of the landscape. Perfect RPG atmosphere with a well written storyline. Interactive citicen behavior. It makes you feel living in that world. AI react different how you behave. NPC talking about your progress in game. very nice.

    Poor:
    Controlling. You can see that it is controler coded and ported for Keyboard and mouse. Sometimes hard to select options with the mouse. So i cant give 10/10. ;-)

    Overall it is one of my best RPG i have ever played.    … Expand
  3. chevmech
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    Another fantastic completely immersive RPG masterpiece- The perfect next step in an epic series. Elderscrolls sets the bar for the genre much like Indiana Jones and (the first 3) Star Wars movies did for film. Skyrim is a homerun! Bravo, Bethesda!
  4. DudasDrakaan
    Nov 29, 2011
    9
    Overall, Skyrim is fantastic. For 2011, I cannot say that there is a better RPG, and definitely not one which combines the openness, superior storyline, attention to detail, and availability. This is a game that can be picked up by practically anybody and enjoyed -- so long as you have the countless hours to devote to it. ______ With that said, I feel that -- while this is an excellentOverall, Skyrim is fantastic. For 2011, I cannot say that there is a better RPG, and definitely not one which combines the openness, superior storyline, attention to detail, and availability. This is a game that can be picked up by practically anybody and enjoyed -- so long as you have the countless hours to devote to it. ______ With that said, I feel that -- while this is an excellent game that is worthy of its predecessors -- it still does not implement many of the improvements fans of Oblivion had been asking for. While things from Fallout 3 were incorporated into Skyrim that improved the gameplay (followers for one, enemies that are not ungodly difficult to kill when you level up in the 50s is another). Common things you would expect of a sequel of Oblivion are not incorporated. Horse combat does not exist. The AI is just as stupid as it was in Oblivion. The physics system is out of control (I stepped on a pot and it killed me at max health). Random dead bodies will merge out of the ground. Occasional lag spikes will occur if the distance on object detail is turned up past a certain point regardless of system. And did I mention bad AI? Out-of-sight, out-of-mind is all I can say, that and arrows flying past your face are "Probably nothing." ______ With that said, Skyrim is still a great game. The duel-wielding system is great, though some issues pop up where dyssynchrony occurs. The voice acting is more diverse (though not as much as it should be probably, especially with your followers' inventory command). But the main thing is that it is fun. $60 is a fair price for something that can entertain you for over 300 hours. And more, if you are one to spend the time creating multiple characters for different "builds." Minor bugs, like corpses emerging from terrain, can easily be fixed by patches. But, honestly, I find these bugs a little entertaining and the rest can be modded by the community to fix them. ______ Still, many of these things -- such as bad AI -- should have been fixed by now. Horse combat should be present. And freedom of movement in combat, such as doing slides, rolls, ripostes, etc, would, one think, be added to the game by now with influences such as "Brink" on the sidelines (aside: the ability to roll is in the game, however it is glitched and also only usable in sneak mode as a faster means of movement; it's ability to provide dodging against the AI is minimal). And, of course, any comp user would like to have a control format that allows him to use a setup other than WASD without error. ______ So, all said and done, this great game is still great. It is still worth your money. But keep in mind it is not perfect. And hopefully Bethesda will work on giving their games at the polish that has been demanded by fans for several years. I give it 9 Shouts of **** YES!" out of 10.… Expand
  5. Limbo75
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    I've been a hardcore gaming for the last 30 years and this game sets the bar for fantasy RPG for the last few years. The game play is excellent, graphics on ultra settings are unmatched for this genre, character development is extremely complex and allows for unique class creation based on desired playing style. I have hit level 30 and barely touched the main quest line which shows thatI've been a hardcore gaming for the last 30 years and this game sets the bar for fantasy RPG for the last few years. The game play is excellent, graphics on ultra settings are unmatched for this genre, character development is extremely complex and allows for unique class creation based on desired playing style. I have hit level 30 and barely touched the main quest line which shows that the side quest variety and availability feels almost endless. Mark my words this game will be the best of the year hands down. The visceral experience of hearing a dragon approach while hiking a mountain peak and then the ensuing epic battle is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences to date. None of the bad reviews I've read offer anything truly constructive (many don't even seem to have played the same game I am) and the majority of graphics critiques seem insane as on Ultra Settings it looks better than anything else I'm playing right now on PC. As many others have said I will be surprised if it doesn't win game of the year.… Expand
  6. LaMuffin
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    elder scrolls. It returns with a big bang! its a massive world with amazing graphics and stunning storyline and side quest content. The fighting in this feels less clunky then oblivion did. And unlike morrowind and oblivion the world feels more alive. It feels like your not in a small world with tons of robots to talk to. The conversations flow more fluienty and the physics is improvedelder scrolls. It returns with a big bang! its a massive world with amazing graphics and stunning storyline and side quest content. The fighting in this feels less clunky then oblivion did. And unlike morrowind and oblivion the world feels more alive. It feels like your not in a small world with tons of robots to talk to. The conversations flow more fluienty and the physics is improved immensly. You might be thinking about the crafting system and think 'I DONT WANT TO MESS AROUND DOING CRAFTS I WANT TO FIGHT!!! ARTS AND CRAFTS ARE FOR GIRLS' well thats true to an extent. but the crafting system is very entertaining and can be exiting... for example you may have just found a deadra heart to make your first deadric weapon or armor peice. And another great part of the game are the perks. when you level up it is such a great feeling that you get to pick a perk. just like fallout. You can also get MARRIED!!!! getting married is suprisingly intense. more so than fighting a dragon. BUT the most important thing about the game for me is this: After you finish the main quest. You will feel like you beat the game. And that even though you still have like 1000000000000000 quests you feel like they are just errand boi quests.... well... The truth is that the main quest is one of the SMALLEST parts of the game! EVEN after you finish the FACTION QUESTS (Dark brotherhood theives guild ect.) There are MASSIVE side quests. You can go out and explore a abandoned house to find it has a deadric gods spirit that will offer you a powerful mace if you go to the mounatins and find a mage trapped by a large group of bandits and after 10 failed attempts to defeat the bandits you use Call Dragon dragon shout and KILL THEM ALL!!!! AND THERE ARE LIKE a BAZZILIONNN more quests like that!!! ITS THE FREAKIN GREATEST GAME EVER!!!… Expand
  7. luna
    Nov 29, 2011
    0
    First the basics: This is a sandbox role playing game played in a first person view where you run around and are free to do whatever you want. You have many options, but in the it all comes down to killing stuff with weapons or magic and obtaining loot. The game is decent by itself and probably deserves a 7/10 if you are new to the series. The following is for the veterans:

    This is just    First the basics: This is a sandbox role playing game played in a first person view where you run around and are free to do whatever you want. You have many options, but in the it all comes down to killing stuff with weapons or magic and obtaining loot. The game is decent by itself and probably deserves a 7/10 if you are new to the series. The following is for the veterans:

    This is just a dumbed down Oblivion. I have no idea what they have spent all these years working on, but it sure wasn't to improve the previous game in any way. There are some cute quests, there are some dragons to kill, but on the other hand everything looks like oblivion, the stats were removed and replaced with health, magicka, and stamina. Skills are no longer tied to stats, so there is no point in using light armor for anything but sneaking. When leveling up the world still levels up with you, and you get to picka a perk for every level. Most of them are of the character "hey, i want to be able to use my spells", "please make irrelevant things easier for me", and a few obviously useful ones, among them a sneak perk that lets you not make any noise when wearing heavy armor completely offsetting the last point of using light armor. Combat is more slow paced, difficulty seems to only affect the hp of things where killing a dragon or troll on the hardest is basically impossible as they regenerate faster than you can hurt them. If this wasn't part 5 of the elder scrolls series I think it would deserve a 7/10, but I'm giving it a 0 as there is no point in wasting your time on this worse experience if you already played oblivion or morrowind. Go download some mods for them and hope than bethesda cleans up their act for future games.    … Expand
  8. TomSEA
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    Huge and beautiful. Engaging and mesmerizing. The amount of content and replayability is off the charts. If you've played Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas, then you have a pretty good idea what to expect as far as game mechanics are concerned. UI is pretty much identical to the Fallout games. Inventory is a little clunky, but doesn't take long before you're on auto-pilot with it andHuge and beautiful. Engaging and mesmerizing. The amount of content and replayability is off the charts. If you've played Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas, then you have a pretty good idea what to expect as far as game mechanics are concerned. UI is pretty much identical to the Fallout games. Inventory is a little clunky, but doesn't take long before you're on auto-pilot with it and other game controls and just enjoying the game. As awesome and in-depth RPG as you will ever play IN YOUR LIFE. Just buy it and enjoy the game. I'd ignore the nay-sayers who seem more interesting in showing off their "zero" score and going out of their way to find and bemoan the slightest, insignificant defects while overlooking the gaming experience in its entirety.… Expand
  9. Sevvy88
    Nov 28, 2011
    8
    To put it short: brilliant game. I have been using every spare moment of my time since the game released to play it. I honestly can't remember being this immersed in a game since I first played World of Warcraft back in 2006 or so. That's really saying something considering most games do not impress me at all these days.

    Having never been a fan of the Elder Scrolls series before this    To put it short: brilliant game. I have been using every spare moment of my time since the game released to play it. I honestly can't remember being this immersed in a game since I first played World of Warcraft back in 2006 or so. That's really saying something considering most games do not impress me at all these days.

    Having never been a fan of the Elder Scrolls series before this game, perhaps my opinions is a little skewed. For me, this has been an entirely new experience that I thought may have only existed in MMO's, a market that is completely saturated at this current time. I was beyond surprised and pleased when I began my journeys through the harsh, beautiful, and vast world of Skyrim. The voice overs are good, only becoming cheesy or poor from time to time, the combat system is fun and feels rewarding br leveling your character up in real time by actually performing an action, and perks you receive from leveling up definitely make your character feel like more of a hero. That heavy armor may take up alot of your bag space, but trust me, once you fill out your perks, it's worth it! Other skills are improved upon in a similar, rewarding way. The game isn't without it problems. The game has several glitches, and many people have even run into game breaking bugs. If you play on PC, there seems to be a constant "crash to desktop" error as well that can be pretty infuriating when you are engrossed in the game. Having to constantly save due to a game's instability is unacceptable. Overall, the game is gorgeous and rewarding, though at times the bugs can cause you to want to rip your hair out. Given the massive size of this world and the adventures that take place in it though, most players will be willing to forgive them. The good far, far outweighs the bad. A game I will certainly never forget.    … Expand
  10. MetalHeadCrab
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    The most impressive thing is the game hardly ever crashes like Bethesda's previous titles. Summary: Its good, enough said or it will all be spoilers.
  11. FormerHuman
    Nov 28, 2011
    9
    I would normally hold off until completing a game before submitting a review, but there is the cold hard fact with Skyrim that I never will really complete this game - not because I will give up on playing it, but rather the exact opposite is true - like Oblivion, and to a slightly lesser extent also the two new Fallout games, this game goes on beyond what you expect by a degree that isI would normally hold off until completing a game before submitting a review, but there is the cold hard fact with Skyrim that I never will really complete this game - not because I will give up on playing it, but rather the exact opposite is true - like Oblivion, and to a slightly lesser extent also the two new Fallout games, this game goes on beyond what you expect by a degree that is hard to pinpoint. Speaking of pure out-of-the-box content alone, there is already so much to explore and experience that no other single player game out this year can compete in the sheer number of hours that can be poured into playing the game. Such a broad and ambitious game however comes at a price, and that price is technical issues - the game, on all platforms it would seem, has been somewhat fraught with them from release, and noticeably there are the predictable element of PC players who are so affronted by bugs (that are already being resolved) that they refuse to acknowledge the games' qualities at all - a juvenile response. Simply put, though I too had my share of issues getting the game running for a while, I have still managed to spend 62 hours in game so far since the day after release, with probably a record game-to-sleep/life ratio for myself at least. All this despite bugs - the fact remains, despite a few reactionary naysayers, this game has deservedly received universal praise for it's scope, ambition and downright playability from a gameplay perspective - first impressions reveal it to not have changed from Oblivion in any dramatic way, but after digging in some more it becomes very clear very quickly that there are many significant new developments, as well as a major revision of how magic works (with the peculiar removal of spell creation, however) in combat, with left and right handed weapons and spells providing a more reflex and exciting combat system than in any Elder Scrolls game to date. Part of the beauty of these games and the secret to their continued success and shelf-life is the expandability provided by third party mods, of which there are already numerous tweaks and minor alterations, and some less minor (the seemingly much maligned inventory system has already had one reinvention that presents your items and stats in a clear and accessible manner). The game is huge and it can only get bigger, and after the standard for official expansions was set so high with The Shivering Isles for Oblivion, we can likely expect some equally dramatic work from Bethesda themselves in the future. Like Oblivion, this game will be played for years to come, and rightly so.… Expand
  12. TappedOut
    Nov 28, 2011
    6
    For the casual or new gamer, this game is the pinnacle of single player RPGs and is without rival. For experienced players to the Elder Scrolls series, many of the balance issues that plagued Oblivion are present. While leveling and monster scaling is no longer an issue, the crafting skills in the game make the hardest difficulty so easy that they are nothing short of broken. Without usingFor the casual or new gamer, this game is the pinnacle of single player RPGs and is without rival. For experienced players to the Elder Scrolls series, many of the balance issues that plagued Oblivion are present. While leveling and monster scaling is no longer an issue, the crafting skills in the game make the hardest difficulty so easy that they are nothing short of broken. Without using exploits, this game is devoid of limitations to prevent players from becoming overpowered if they so wish, removing the challenge from the game. This can largely be circumvented by avoiding smithing and enchanting.

    That aside, the graphics are gorgeous and spectacular with the proper hardware. The open world map does away with much of the copy paste terrain of its predecessor, and sets a new standard for adventure games. The volume of quests is somewhat overwhelming and some of the real gems can be difficult to pull out of the masses, but they are there and they do deliver.    … Expand
  13. anonima
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    This is a masterpiece of RPGs. The story is amazing,the characters are almost reals. So epic feel when a dragon flying to the moon,then you shoot him and he fall like a sandvich!
  14. DrCola
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    Subtract everything you hate about past elder scrolls games, add everything you love, add a better engine that does not crash on you every 10 minutes and is not a steaming pile of bugs, pretty up everything, make the faces cooler and make just about everything better and you have skyrim. This game is a masterpiece, its the game that we have been waiting for in 2011, (Most titles this yearSubtract everything you hate about past elder scrolls games, add everything you love, add a better engine that does not crash on you every 10 minutes and is not a steaming pile of bugs, pretty up everything, make the faces cooler and make just about everything better and you have skyrim. 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) This game would deserve a perfect 10 if not for the super lame secondary main quest which is the civil war, you can kill the final boss in one hit, I understand that level scaling is bad in most cases, but in some cases things have to be level scaled. The annoying part is, the civil war is about the length of the dragon questline! this game would get a 9.7 in my book now, thanks to that one little detail, but since metacritic forces me to round up my score, 10 it is!
    Also, if you really want to complain about the crappy interface of how you painfully select everything and how its built for a controller, do one of the two following things : get a mod, or use a controller, we all have USB ports!    … Expand
  15. mynameisbone
    Nov 28, 2011
    9
    Once I boot this game after install it in my PC, I was mesmerize by the size of this world. It maybe have the same size as in the previous game but it has more content to explore, more dungeons and plus, dragons to fight. It have the same game mechanics as previous game but the developer have upgraded it to make this game more enjoyable. Leveling had been simplified with no classes andOnce I boot this game after install it in my PC, I was mesmerize by the size of this world. It maybe have the same size as in the previous game but it has more content to explore, more dungeons and plus, dragons to fight. It have the same game mechanics as previous game but the developer have upgraded it to make this game more enjoyable. Leveling had been simplified with no classes and jobs and this create more freedom for you to set you character with your personal skill set and perks. I'm impressed with it new graphic engine that packed with detail with vast landscape with long draw-distance. Perk system is new to the game and I really impressed with rich perks to choose when you level up so it add more depth to your character's skill. I play this game just to wander around, kill some dragons and loot at dungeons without really care all the quest I take. Still, it's not a perfect game but that not ruin the game experience itself. I found that this game really fulfill my wanderlust nature in free-roam games like this. Vast landscape waiting to be explored by players. I recommend to all Elder Scrolls and RPG games outside.… Expand
  16. jefersonrg123
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    Sem duvida alguma, o melhor jogo que ja joguei! mesmo nao gostando de RPG eu estou jogando e adorando! tambem é o primeiro game que digo que me prendeu a frente do computador por mais tempo! Com certeza merece GOTY!!!
  17. RyanAbes
    Nov 28, 2011
    6
    This game is, sadly, exceptionally repetitive an exercise in banality. As others have said, the world feels very empty, and the random quest generator is no match for hand crafted quests. I'd prefer one or two perfectly honed, well written, intriguing quests, than for all the random kill/fetch quests in China.

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

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

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

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

    If you are looking for "kewl swords and spells and kik'n a** and man you fight dargons!", then this is likely the game for you. It is a lot like the Fable series... (fun in their own rights), but not what you'd come to have expected from a company like Bethesda, or from a game that takes itself this seriously.    … Expand
  18. NoclearSqworms
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    This is definitely the right choice for Game of the Year. While Oblivion didnt have your character drawn into any particular "story" while running around on all of those sidequests, Skyrim sucks you in hard during each and every storyline. The quests you do pertain directly to a lot of the books that are littered around Skyrim (and now sit cozily on bookshelfs in three of my houses). TheThis is definitely the right choice for Game of the Year. While Oblivion didnt have your character drawn into any particular "story" while running around on all of those sidequests, Skyrim sucks you in hard during each and every storyline. The quests you do pertain directly to a lot of the books that are littered around Skyrim (and now sit cozily on bookshelfs in three of my houses). The shouts that change the weather are great for clearing up that haze or the snowstorm and making everything look pristine. Ahh... and you can summon a dragon (and numerous other minions if you are a conjurer) !! Whose side are you on in the civil war??? *Stormcloak*… Expand
  19. cowkiller1234
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    This game is a terrific RPG! It is one of the only RPGs that isn't in your face about the choices you made (for instance, being evil/good doesn't change the way you look.) I'm a little disappointed that it doesn't have an arena like in oblivion, and the plant life is familiar looking and not foreign looking like in morrowind, but it is still terrific!
  20. Compgamer55
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    This is a very worthy next installment in the elder scrolls. The graphics are good, the gameplay is fluid, the lore is outstanding. Having started the series at morrowind it has been interesting to see the lore develop through out the series and I really like how you can hear/talk to people about the other lands that you have previosly visited and sometimes they even talk about actions ofThis is a very worthy next installment in the elder scrolls. The graphics are good, the gameplay is fluid, the lore is outstanding. Having started the series at morrowind it has been interesting to see the lore develop through out the series and I really like how you can hear/talk to people about the other lands that you have previosly visited and sometimes they even talk about actions of your previous character. (ex hearing of an eruption on red mountain that caused alot of elves to relocate to skyrim). They have improved the gamplay alot, the fighting is outstanding but one of my favorite additions was the ability to buy and upgraid a house, particularly the weapon racks and mounts that were added. I think its cool to be able to put my old sword up on the wall, or to have my favorite set on a rack for easy taking whenever I want. The only part I was a little disappointed in is the dark brotherhood quest line seemed a little short and was too easy. My character was very not stealthy and I had no problem completing the quests w/ no bounties or killing necessary people where as in oblivion that was impossible in many missions and overall the oblivion quests were more exciting (for the dark brotherhood). There is an abundance of quests, its really crazy the amount they put into this. I also think the dewmer ruins in this game are far more interesting to explore than in the other titles. Crafting is also a very big upgrade. I LOVE the redesigned armor, oblivions armor was rather ugly in my opinion and even possessing daedric armor didnt excite me as much where as in this game almost all the armor looks great. Another downfall for me is some of the characters use the same voice (one in particular is very distinct and able to be heard from few characters) The world is very large and full of places to explore, iv played for over 80 hrs and im not near finished. I cant wait for the DLC to come out... Also to Therealjonah who was the top negative rater when I posted this I just loled at him. I read down to the part where he said some thing like "when the first morrowind came out..." what a moron morrowind is the Eldar scroll III, thats some "experience". To add to that he wants morrowind with better graphics, anyone with the PC version of morrowind has access to all the mods made to the game MANY of which re-do much of the visuals to make them look much better and add variety I suggest trying them out. To someone else "This game is really broken on PC, it's unbelievable that reviewers do not take into account whether developers put in any effort on the version (PC) of the game that they are rating" wouldnt know I bought it on the 360, why would anyone who has it on a console take into consideration how it runs on the PC? Thats the dumbest expectation from people iv ever heard... I own morrowind and oblivion on console and PC, do prefer PC but went with console for this one until it goes on sale on steam or something but why would I think that the majority of people who will own it once on a console car about the PC? Anyway Overall this game is great, a vast improvement in the series and I will enjoy playing it until the next installment comes out, hopefully the gap wont be as large as the last one! 10/10… Expand
  21. Optim
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    A fantastic game that will give you a run for it's money. It deserves all of it's critical acclaim because it has been improved so much by Bethesda it's actually insane. The main quest is fun, the side quests are numerous and the gameplay has been improved tenfold. The environment will change by your will, the people will talk about your deeds, random events will keep you occupiedA fantastic game that will give you a run for it's money. It deserves all of it's critical acclaim because it has been improved so much by Bethesda it's actually insane. The main quest is fun, the side quests are numerous and the gameplay has been improved tenfold. The environment will change by your will, the people will talk about your deeds, random events will keep you occupied throughout the world and the endless amounts of towns and dungeons will keep you occupied forever. An amazing, captivating game that is worth EVERY penny. A ten out of ten for me.… Expand
  22. Hogwashskin
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    I'm not going to say this is incredible, because you already know it. Instead I'll state two facts about my Skyrim experience. One: I've played sixty hours. Two: I feel I've only scratched the surface. There is an unimaginable volume of material in this game. It's so well-realised that fast travelling between locations seems incredibly wasteful - you'll never know what places you'veI'm not going to say this is incredible, because you already know it. Instead I'll state two facts about my Skyrim experience. One: I've played sixty hours. Two: I feel I've only scratched the surface. There is an unimaginable volume of material in this game. It's so well-realised that fast travelling between locations seems incredibly wasteful - you'll never know what places you've missed, or encounters, characters, quests, treasures. I haven't fast travelled once. I haven't wanted to. Each time I'm sent off somewhere, I go by foot, and never cease to come across astounding experiences. Some criticise the game's animations or voice acting or whatever. To me this is anal retentive. The game is **** huge. Experience it. Enjoy its scope and ambition. When I'm walking through an autumnal mountain pass at sundown, I'm not thinking about UI niggles, I'm thinking: "holy **** The animations are fine, the level scaling is fine - a solid compromise between Morrowind and Oblivion - the towns are huge, the characters brilliant, the combat bloody good, the quests well-thought out and, of course, infinite. There is too much excellence in this game to give it 2/10 for a few unsatisfying door textures. Ignore the grumpy little graphics whores who expect games to look better than real life. Try Skyrim for yourself. It's brilliant. And endless.… Expand
  23. Matonk
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    This game is incredible. I have spent 100 hours on it with one character, and probably will spend 100 more. For once in a RPG, I actually feel immersed, I spend more time wandering around exploring than doing quests, because the sandbox world is so amazing. You could play this game like a life sim, and still get your moneys worth out of it. Donâ
  24. loloynage
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    This game is one of the best i have ever played. Even if it has some bugs, it is an incredible game, probably one of the best I ever played. A game filled with content and missions that do not feel frustrating and repetitive, but fun and exciting. This is probably the best RPG i have yet played. Don't be discouraged to buy this game because of the bugs, they hardly stop you from enjoyingThis game is one of the best i have ever played. Even if it has some bugs, it is an incredible game, probably one of the best I ever played. A game filled with content and missions that do not feel frustrating and repetitive, but fun and exciting. This is probably the best RPG i have yet played. Don't be discouraged to buy this game because of the bugs, they hardly stop you from enjoying this masterpiece.… Expand
  25. Grimloon
    Nov 27, 2011
    9
    It's not Oblivion, it certainly isn't Morrowind. Good fun though! This game is probably the most approachable Elder Scrolls game so far but it has to make sacrifices to be that. [Insert generic anti console rant here]. It's made anti RPG players pure fanatics for the genre by restricting the options. The ones that are left are glorious, just not as great as some of us are used to.
  26. drachehexe
    Nov 27, 2011
    8
    Anybody who gives this game more than 7.5 isn't looking at Skyrim objectively or they know nothing about RPG's in general.

    Skyrim is a beautiful, full world. There are plenty of quests to do, people to meet, and dragons to kill. However, none of it is really innovative. Other than dragons Skyrim doesn't really add anything new to the Oblivion formula. Just about everything that made    Anybody who gives this game more than 7.5 isn't looking at Skyrim objectively or they know nothing about RPG's in general.

    Skyrim is a beautiful, full world. There are plenty of quests to do, people to meet, and dragons to kill. However, none of it is really innovative. Other than dragons Skyrim doesn't really add anything new to the Oblivion formula. Just about everything that made Oblivion good is there, and not much else.

    The graphics are beautiful, the game-play is smooth for the most part, the dialogue and voice acting are top notch (even if voice actors are reused ad naseum). Sadly the game has a serious number of little flaws that, when added together, really make Skyrim and overall disappointment.

    Starting with the interface. Definitely developed with consoles in mind. For PC users it's slow, clunky, and just plain bad. Even using my 360 controller with the PC version of the game it's just not right. This is probably why I don't own a console, this minimalistic design scheme is weak and uninspired.

    The interface is most troubling because it gets in the way of the meat of of any RPG; combat. You'll often find find yourself accessing the inventory several times through combat to change spells, or drink potions, or switch from dual wield to weapon and shield. Even with the "favorites" button which can cut time navigating the menus it still becomes an annoyance breaking up the flow of a particular battle and ruining the overall experience.

    Moving on to keyboard controls they are just plain screwed it up. Even after the patch I cannot make my own custom keyboard setup as the game fails to save any of the changes I make. And the default controls are a mess. They could have taken some hints from some of the modern day standards instead of screwing it up just to be different. Different isn't always better.

    The level and skill advancement hasn't changed much from Oblivion, except now you can choose various perks from high skill levels that used to be automatically assigned as you progressed in Oblivion. The spells and skill selection hasn't changed much (if at all) which is also disappointing.

    Combat is action oriented hack and slash where your skill with the keyboard (or controller) is more important than your character stats. As everything you face will be tailored to your level you will, for the most part, never find anything too hard or too easy if you approach the encounter right.. Honestly, I think my characters skill with a bow should be more important than my skill of aiming the bow for him. While it's a standard for action RPG's it lessens character development.

    You will find tho that making a character to your play style will be pretty easy. The balance and difference between various play styles is well done and feel quite different for the most part, requiring different strategies for encounters. Mages, warriors, rogues, and rogue-mages, and warrior mages all feel independent of each other. This is perhaps the highlight of the game mechanics.

    The biggest disappointment of this game is Bethesda's promise of certain things that they failed to achieve. One was the "alieness" you felt in Morrowind. They promised players would feel like a stranger in a strange land with Skyrim, much like the unique presentation of Morrowind which was lost with the generic setting of Oblivion. Skyrim has no such sense of being unique in any way. It's more or less like one would expect an RPG set in snowy mountain regions with nordic influence.

    Skyrim is a fine game. It's fun to play and it's vast. There is lots to look at and do. But it's not perfect. It's certainly better than most other open world RPG's (Gothic 3 & 4, Risen) but then so are Morrowind and Oblivion to this day. Sadly, Skyrim fails to take what Morrowind and Oblivion games us to the next level. It just gives us more of the same but with a worse interface.    … Expand
  27. Therealjonah
    Nov 27, 2011
    4
    Hey everyone. Time for my review of the most anticipated game of this year. I picked the game up as soon as it came out. and i have been playing it since. 70 hours into the game, here are my experienced thoughts, I have to say i am not all that impressed. We are redlining here. The first thing i noticed is that this game is "exactly" like the last oblivon. Just amped up a bit. Let me takeHey everyone. Time for my review of the most anticipated game of this year. I picked the game up as soon as it came out. and i have been playing it since. 70 hours into the game, here are my experienced thoughts, I have to say i am not all that impressed. We are redlining here. The first thing i noticed is that this game is "exactly" like the last oblivon. Just amped up a bit. Let me take this moment to say that the first morrowind was and still is the best one. why dont you bethseda scammers remake that one for us with skyrims graphics? The ability to leviatate was the best part of morrowind. . Being able tocraft your spells as weak or powerful as you chose, to make your belt of leviatate and fly through the air raining destruction spells down on the world. There was also very unique and powerful items available. to the user. Such as the incredible boots of blinding speed. How come there is no items as cool as those boots in the two recent editions of morrowind.(and i played the sh**t out of oblivion and morrowind) I was disappointed to find that skyrim is the same as oblivion. The dungeons are nice, the puzzles and amount of underground crevices to explore is greater than oblivion was but still the game seems to lack that thuum of power. The shouts are well pretty useless really. i have only found one of those special skill statues(the lady) I miss how morrwind allowed you to pick your birth star and get a special ability in it. i dont like how skyrim wont let you craft very powerful items. in morrowind i could make a fireball spell that required 1000 mana and did equivelent damage. in skyrim i cant make any spells at all. just theones they give me. Even the enchanting of items is very limited in skyrim. Its way to quick and easy to become the head of a guild. and it offers no bonus or perks to the user. The only really useful thing guilds do is provide neat missions. other than the thieves guild wich allows you to pay off the guards instead of going to jailand or paying a fine. i quickly realized there is little to no point in crafting my own gear since the stuff i find will always be better. The only two self enchanted items i use are twin ebony swords i enchanted with fire and frost. nothing epic, i set them to 10 damage each(max is about 31 so far.i dont expect it to go up much.) and if i set them to max damage they would only be useable once. as is i set them to be usuable 350 ish times each.(saves on recharging them after every swing or battle) There is a lot ofd walking around and more fast traveling. The horse is useless, basically it lets you run without using your stamina and you cant fight from horseback. There is a lot of glitches i have found. example theres this one dungeon with a pit 20 ft deep filled with water. at the bottom in one corner is a... air bubble. There are lots of quest glitches, some i have completed 3 or 4 times. they keep coming back up though.There are problems with displaying items in my house. And the options to furnish your houses are lame. You should be able to choose how many chests book shelves and/or sword racks you put in and where they go. Also i put say a sword on a shelf and leave and come back and its been thrown off the shelf onto the floor. i have had things fall through the table and floor on me as well.
    The oriniginal morrowind with these graphics would be awesome. And all those things you have to give to delvin..wtf i want stuff like that in my house. so far the coolest ornaments i have found are those dynamo cores(nice animations on em) and a bee in a jar.(very cool) Overall the game is ok. but in all honesty wtf did you guys waste your time on oblivion for? didnt you fu**ers make enough on the first one? what happened to the making of this game ? do you guys think we are all stupid or something?
    i hope you get your acts together and bring back the things that made this game so epic in the first place. even in oblvion i could at least become a god of sorts. not the same as morrwind mind but still. Nothing quite makes yoiu feel as powerful as flying over a city and wiping it out with a giant fireball. !!!    … Expand
  28. Jonathanp55
    Nov 27, 2011
    8
    It is a fun game. Great main story, fun game play, beautiful graphics, open world. But its not all good. The side missions, for example, the Mages Guild in this game just sucks. I mean, when you complete the mission, its like they say "good job, now here you win" and thats it! Blood graphics are still not impressive for an M rated game. ALOT of glitches in the game, usually major glichesIt is a fun game. Great main story, fun game play, beautiful graphics, open world. But its not all good. The side missions, for example, the Mages Guild in this game just sucks. I mean, when you complete the mission, its like they say "good job, now here you win" and thats it! Blood graphics are still not impressive for an M rated game. ALOT of glitches in the game, usually major gliches that probably are figured out by now. Overall a good game, but please Elder Scroll, work on side quests too!… Expand
  29. Motoob
    Nov 26, 2011
    4
    The game plays well until it doesn't. Quite simply the game crashes constantly. On average with my computer set up the game crashes between 30-45 minutes of gameplay.
  30. Copenhagun
    Nov 26, 2011
    7
    Over-hyped. Too much walking, and riding a horse around vast amounts of land, and not enough action. Also, it'd be nice to know what your level is, versus the level of the enemy on screen consistently. I hate getting reamed by an enemy npc, because I couldn't see it level vs. my level.
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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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