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. Bigboy0007
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    To those who claim the graphics are bad: find the settings to turn them up! It's not a challenge, mine are good. For those of you who complain that it's full of bugs: that's a problem with your setup, mine is fine, but if in doubt wait for updates, perfect games don't get released. For those of you moaning about the controls: change them. That's not difficult either, mine are good. ForTo those who claim the graphics are bad: find the settings to turn them up! It's not a challenge, mine are good. For those of you who complain that it's full of bugs: that's a problem with your setup, mine is fine, but if in doubt wait for updates, perfect games don't get released. For those of you moaning about the controls: change them. That's not difficult either, mine are good. For those of you who claim there isn't enough to do? You're either joking, or haven't worked out that pressing 'new game' brings out a whole new world to play in. Great graphics, great gameplay, tons to do. Simple.… Expand
  2. SirGCal
    Nov 11, 2011
    0
    More proof that 'professional' game evaluators are clueless console lovers... This SCREAMS console port... Even stinks of it...

    Can't change weapons without bringing up your 'favorite' list (can't even assign weapons or spells to 1-5, etc.). Graphics still look really bad... Hair looks like they used 200 cans of gel or spray, cloth doesn't flow... And even AI movements are totally    More proof that 'professional' game evaluators are clueless console lovers... This SCREAMS console port... Even stinks of it...

    Can't change weapons without bringing up your 'favorite' list (can't even assign weapons or spells to 1-5, etc.). Graphics still look really bad... Hair looks like they used 200 cans of gel or spray, cloth doesn't flow... And even AI movements are totally unbelievable. I.E. If you wake the bear in the tutorial part, it stands and spins without moving it's legs. And that's on Ultra settings... I can't say more without being a spoiler of sorts. Anyhow; screenshots can look nice but movement looks awful. And unfortunately, so do far too many textures, areas, etc.

    GET OFF THE DECADE OLD TECH AND MAKE A REAL GAME FOR GOODNESS SAKE! Consoles again ruin gaming... Oblivion, with the High-Res texture pack, looks better... And I've had it crash once already just going through the tutorial... Random 'flash to windows'... And this is on a modern (1100T/6970), non-OCed system with all current drivers. So bug-free it isn't. It's not super-bad but... It does crash...

    At best, it feels like a new control system for Oblivion or Fallout. At worst, it stinks of console in every way. Still no crouch (really?!?) accept 'sneak'. multifunction select system instead of weapon button assignment (1-5). Even most other console ports can at least get that part right...

    I DARE a developer to make a REAL, Modern gaming engine... But they won't, until consoles catch back up; which they won't... so again, PC users get the shaft...    … Expand
  3. socialperson1
    Nov 11, 2011
    1
    Thumbs up Bethesda!! once again you released a barely unplayable **** game, leaving it for modders to fix it...
    Well, this game ended up being a terrible console port after all..No surprises. I'm sure most people playing this game don't care. But as a PC gamer, this is unacceptable. The irony that on PC, it's virtually unplayable with a mouse and keyboard... Don't bother getting it if you    Thumbs up Bethesda!! once again you released a barely unplayable **** game, leaving it for modders to fix it...
    Well, this game ended up being a terrible console port after all..No surprises. I'm sure most people playing this game don't care. But as a PC gamer, this is unacceptable. The irony that on PC, it's virtually unplayable with a mouse and keyboard... Don't bother getting it if you don't have a 360 controller. The UI was made for controller only. And sadly you will have to go through menus quite a bit. There's some hot-keys and a 'favorites' menu but it really is poor. Combat system is also appalling, we're close to 2012 and Bethesda still hasn't learnt a thing yet. It really feels awkward when swinging your weapon. Your just slashing your way at an enemy, occasionally blocking and pulling back until a random finishing kill pops up. Using magic and weapons during combat is a pain in the neck. You have to un equip your weapon to use spells, and re equip your weapon once your done.
    AI is not that great either to not say worse. There's more actors this time but most of them have boring dialogues and feel they forced. Finally, I haven't played the game enough to comment on the world but so far it feels and looks dull. I'm still laughing how all reviewers seem to give crap games like this a 9.0 - 9.5..    … 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. 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
  6. Stewker
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Stewker
    Nov 11, 2011
    10 Skyrim is the kind of game that really stands out. The attention to detail is mind blowing. People will be playing this for game for months. On the PC load times are nearly nonexistent, I have yet to have had the chance to really read or admire the load screens, which is both a good and bad thing as they are interactive and have lore bits. The graphics on ultra    Stewker
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is the kind of game that really stands out. The attention to detail is mind blowing. People will be playing this for game for months. On the PC load times are nearly nonexistent, I have yet to have had the chance to really read or admire the load screens, which is both a good and bad thing as they are interactive and have lore bits. The graphics on ultra running at 1920x1080 are flooring. This is truly a HUGE jump over Oblivion in regard to visual fidelity. Now granted I do have a NASA supercomputer for PC, well just about, but still... If you think the game looks no better than Oblivion, seriously, no joke I'm concerned for you, as you are blind but don't know it yet. Don't drive. Anyways, melee combat is also vastly improved and solid feeling, magic has a definite weight to it in Skyrim. Finally the amount of content... Like I said weeks of game play and huge re-playability. Quests, yes lot's of quests but all of the things on the side that you have in this game as well is truly mind blowing. I took a week off for this game and I know, after playing it for 12 hours now, that I won't be able to do everything I want to even if I played 18 hours a day, no way. The level up process is awesome as well. Love the perk system, when people think perks most think of Fallout 3, but the perk system in Skyrim is very much unique to itself. I was afraid they were dumbing down the level system but all they did is streamline it and give the user freedom to play exactly how they want to play, while keeping the core mechanic of leveling by what you do and adding in perks. I love that. If I had to choose one game to have the rest of my life and only one, it would be The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.    … Expand
  7. qwe10
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Two very simple reasons you must get this game:
    1.Developed by Bethesda Game Studios. 2.Epic release date(11/11/11).
  8. Scyman
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    This is one of the best sandbox games I have ever played. Right from the start they give you the option of playing as any type of character you want without it feeling like they are holding your hand. Although it didn't have quite the same feeling as Oblivion when you first walk into the light, it doesn't take long before you are stopping to just look around. Although not all of theThis is one of the best sandbox games I have ever played. Right from the start they give you the option of playing as any type of character you want without it feeling like they are holding your hand. Although it didn't have quite the same feeling as Oblivion when you first walk into the light, it doesn't take long before you are stopping to just look around. Although not all of the textures are ground breaking they are combined to look like a living breathing world. The facial animations have improved greatly, and the voice overs have as well. When it comes to character creation I wasn't a big fan of the look of the elves but the other races look amazing (this is a personal preferance and not an issue with detail).

    The fighting has improved alot since oblivion but still can't compare to witcher 2 or some others that are out there. I think this is due to the fact though that there are so many differant ways that you can fight they couldn't focus on just one. The menu system has gotten a huge overhaul and I like the way it is set up. The quick select option is great and doesn't require you to scroll through all the menus every time to choose a differant spell or menu.

    Of course there is an issue with some bugs, but this to be a common issue with Bethesda sandboxes. While playing for about 10 hours there was 1 time the game just closed on me. This didn't hurt me too bad as it saves quite often. There are other minor glitches but none that really detract from the game. Although this isn't a perfect game it is alot closer than I thought was possible. This takes takes the RPG to a level that we have never seen before, and I know this will be taking hundreds of hours away from my free time.    … Expand
  9. neronn42
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    What a great game I have nothing to complain about: Great story; great gameplay .
    This game is absolutely stunning.... Every negative point I could think of (maybe one or two graphical disappointments) get totally out weight by so many positive aspects!
  10. Pinocchio
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Okay, i bought it for PC because of mouse control and improved graphics. First i thought, "wow", my HD5870 is good enough but then i realized that the game looks like Oblivion without any graphic-mods and low settings. Don't get me wrong, I will play this game because its like Oblivion, but it is not the game i was waiting for. Seems like the developers are afraid of improving graphics ofOkay, i bought it for PC because of mouse control and improved graphics. First i thought, "wow", my HD5870 is good enough but then i realized that the game looks like Oblivion without any graphic-mods and low settings. Don't get me wrong, I will play this game because its like Oblivion, but it is not the game i was waiting for. Seems like the developers are afraid of improving graphics of the pc version because consoleros would get angry. The menus are terrible too. They didn't even try to improve them for pc mouse. I have a wireless 360 controller for Windows, but i won't use it. I got it for sports and racing games. Let the patching begin....… Expand
  11. jaward1
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Epic, fantastic, incredible, amazing, insane, huge, beautiful, wicked, gigantic, stunning, superb, mindblowing, lifechanging fantasy game. The best thing since oblivion
  12. coltsr2
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Cant believe some idiots here are rating this a 0...that's just so pathetic and shows their mentality...sure this game has a few pc issues (dont most console ports today!) but this game is just amazing...most textures i see are really well done and teh whole atmosphere of this game is awesome..with beautiful scenery, buildings, caves and cavers etc etc etc..its all jaw droppingCant believe some idiots here are rating this a 0...that's just so pathetic and shows their mentality...sure this game has a few pc issues (dont most console ports today!) but this game is just amazing...most textures i see are really well done and teh whole atmosphere of this game is awesome..with beautiful scenery, buildings, caves and cavers etc etc etc..its all jaw dropping stuff!....yes some super HD textures would of been nice and maybe dx10-11 support but i doubt that would have added much to this already top RPG...i give it 9 out of 10 but am clicking on the 10 to try and offset the dickheads who gave it 0...the muppets are like spoilt children crying over minor issues like spoilt brats they are!… Expand
  13. beemer127
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I've already spent several hours with this game, and I have to admit that I am impressed. The audio score, the visuals, and the introductory quest immediately pulled me in. I have already spent over three hours with the game, and I look forward to spending many more hours with it!

    Some would say the graphics are horrible, but I suspect that is because their hardware isn't what it should    I've already spent several hours with this game, and I have to admit that I am impressed. The audio score, the visuals, and the introductory quest immediately pulled me in. I have already spent over three hours with the game, and I look forward to spending many more hours with it!

    Some would say the graphics are horrible, but I suspect that is because their hardware isn't what it should be. I'm running a Geforce GTS250 on a Win7 machine, and it runs and looks great. The smoothest Elder Scrolls game to date, as far as I'm concerned. The decision to go to a new rendering engine was a great one!

    A word on loading times: They are incredibly fast in most cases (thus far). I remember in Morrowind or Oblivion loading times could take about 30 seconds in some cases - annoying! In Skyrim, I'd say the loading times have been ~10 seconds, if not less. Again, this will vary due to your hardware (RAM, etc), but for the most part, expect faster loading times.

    Dynamic quests:

    I haven't really gotten too far into this - at least I don't think so. I have completed quests filed under "miscellaneous" in my journal, but I don't know if those are just scripted side quests or the "dynamic" quests the Radion AI engine makes. If they are, I guess that's a good sign. That means I can't really tell the difference, and I like that!

    Crafting:

    So far, I've dabbled into alchemy, but not too much. I've did a bit more with smithing, and I like the fact that you can craft your own things. I don't know how, exactly, you are supposed to find a steady supply of wolves (pelts/leather) or metals. I'm assuming you mine them, but so far the only thing I have gotten has been from the generosity of the early-game NPC's you encounter, and the monsters you kill if you get into one of the early game quests at the first town you are set loose on.

    Weaponry:

    One of the great things here is I love the fact that archery is now a lot more viable, though you still have to be a little creative with being able to use it. Unfortunately, even though it is improved, I still don't see it as being a "main" weapon unless or until you can level it up a lot and start doing a massive amount of damage on the first couple hits. There are other tactics you can use, though, I suppose. Stealth, or some way of slowing or even paralyzing the target, but I think in the early game you'll still have to rely on some kind of melee/touch based magic to finish them off.

    AI:

    The AI is pretty good. There are a few 'quirks' I still see, such as when I was following a NPC from where you start to where you are 'set loose' in a town. If I lagged behind a little too far, the NPC would stop and turn around, and then I would have to stop and wait for him to begin walking again. Imagine this start/stop procedure throughout the entire trip to the first town...it was a little irritating, but nothing you couldn't easily overlook. There was a couple other places where the NPC's got in the way when I was trying to walk up porch steps, or across a balcony, and it took a moment for them to move. Again, a little irritating, but not anything I couldn't handle.

    My one complaint so far:

    Switching from one "quick" slot to another while in the middle of combat was very, very frustrating. Maybe that is because the folks at Bethesda set an expectation that combat was supposed to be a little faster, but when I was trying to shoot a couple of arrows with my bow, and then switch to my melee weapon when the enemy got closer, it took a few seconds to do so, giving the enemy a couple of free shots. This is especially bad when you are trying to switch to a health potion, or healing spell. I ended up turning tail and running a couple of times while I waited for my gear to switch. While I realize that this is realistic (e.g. in real life it WOULD take time), this is one area I wouldn't have minded if they had suspended reality in favor of allowing me a smooth transition from weapon to weapon. I think that would have made combat that much more enjoyable.

    Conclusion:

    While the game still has its quirks, I believe this to be a vast improvement over its predecessors in the Elder Scrolls series. If you have the machine for it, it will run smooth, and look good. The AI still has a few quirks. The combat has some mechanics that are still not quite as smooth as I would like, but over overall, this is an amazing game thus far. I love the new atmosphere of Skyrim.    … Expand
  14. Kranitoko
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    I've only played Skyrim for two hours now. I will admit that I hated Oblivion. Couldn't stand it. I even trolled Skyrim for 3/4ths of the year, but I decided to give Skyrim a try... and I will say so much that this game is really really good. There are a few bugs, but so far, they're not ones that may annoy the heck out of you. While there are still character models that tend to look theI've only played Skyrim for two hours now. I will admit that I hated Oblivion. Couldn't stand it. I even trolled Skyrim for 3/4ths of the year, but I decided to give Skyrim a try... and I will say so much that this game is really really good. There are a few bugs, but so far, they're not ones that may annoy the heck out of you. While there are still character models that tend to look the same, and voice actors that tend to be the same too, this doesn't happen all too frequently. The textures may not be the best out there, they certainly aren't the worst, and from a distance, they blend into the environment really well. I don't know what people are talking about in terms of dodgy controls. You have WASD to move, space to jump and so on. I think the only things that are dodgy using PC controls is that to use your left weapon, you need to click the right side of your mouse, and the same the other way around. But honestly: You can change that around in the control menu. I mean is that really hard? It takes 5 seconds. The other thing about naff controls is lock picking. While using a controller, you can slowly turn the lock, while pressing "A" on a keyboard in lock picking turns the lock real fast, so you could break the pick pretty fast, so you need to be careful. All in all, I cannot wait to spend my weekend on such a surprise. I would also recommend you buy on Steam because by the sounds of it, the retail version sounds like it's broken for the time being.… Expand
  15. Tubie
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    This game is more like Morrowind and less like Oblivion. For all the good reasons. No other game can make you immerse yourself in itself like The Elder Scrolls V. The only fault I could even think of is the kinda clunky UI takes time to get used to if you don't use a controller. Aside from that, this game is as close to perfection as a video game can get.
  16. Marcusghost
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Maybe skyrim don´t have an incredible graphics on pc like others games(the witcher 2) but the incredible gameplay and other things make that you forget all this and just be pleased to play the game.
  17. Pzyk3
    Nov 11, 2011
    2
    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. Bethesda have sadly been extremely lazy on the PC side. I'm not talking about no added bells and whistles, I'm simply talking about basic PC functionality not working.

    - Numerous graphical issues - Alt-tab    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. Bethesda have sadly been extremely lazy on the PC side. I'm not talking about no added bells and whistles, I'm simply talking about basic PC functionality not working.

    - Numerous graphical issues
    - Alt-tab causing hangs/crashes (this isn't even hard to fix!)
    - No borderless windowed mode
    - No key bindings
    - Little/no support for non-xbox controllers
    - Mouse acceleration cannot be disabled

    Unfortunately this was a double day 1 purchase for myself and my wife so we could play through it this weekend, but it looks like this game is hardly playable in its current state (on our 2 PC's). A friend of ours woke up at silly o' clock to play it and ended up going back to sleep because of what a terrible state it is in. I wouldn't be complaining if this issue was limited to a single machine, but the fact is that this game is very broken on all the machines that ourselves and our friend have tried it on.

    If you haven't bought this game already, I would recommend not purchasing it until it is fixed.    … Expand
  18. 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
  19. charl13dontsurf
    Nov 11, 2011
    8
    First the game is gorgeous, love the atmosphere of another TES game. However... my impressions are mixed between the love for the series and the potential - and how they mangled the menus and interface for the PC.

    Even in the character creation screen I found it frustrating switching between mouse and keyboard just to tweak how my guy looks. You can't mouse into the next setting and I ran    First the game is gorgeous, love the atmosphere of another TES game. However... my impressions are mixed between the love for the series and the potential - and how they mangled the menus and interface for the PC.

    Even in the character creation screen I found it frustrating switching between mouse and keyboard just to tweak how my guy looks. You can't mouse into the next setting and I ran into a problem several times where I had to back out using the top menus with my mouse because the context menus were stuck.

    Then there is the inventory system. Ick. I still think that top navigation and splitting the areas out below is way better than this side scrolling system. Do weapons only have two stats? Damage and weight? lol. Where are the more detailed stats like swing rate etc. You can't even view how items look without exiting out of the menu, standing still and pivoting to see your character.

    The skills menu is another area where while it looks pretty for the first bit, you should really have an option where you can condense it into a single overview screen.

    There needs to be a better way to swtich weapons and spells besides using favourites. I don't like having to pause the action every 2 minutes to switch my loadout from bow to dual wield, to spells etc. Cumbersome.

    In my opinion though, menus are pretty easy to change. The actually game plays well and the story captured my interest immediately. The crafting, harvesting and other elements are pretty well done. This is only a first impressions rating. I might have to buy it for PS3 or just hookup my PS3 controller to the PC in order for me to get beyond the cumbersome menu systems though. Looking forward to playing it more this weekend!    … Expand
  20. Travie
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    For the gameplay alone I'd say this is a leap forward. We haven't seen this mix-and-match system outside of Bioshock games and Clive Barker's Undying, and it really deserves more time in the sun. ...but its the detail of the world that sucks you in, I just spent 3 hours scouring mines for ore and making armors, sometimes picking flowers and catching butterflies for alchemy on the way... IFor the gameplay alone I'd say this is a leap forward. We haven't seen this mix-and-match system outside of Bioshock games and Clive Barker's Undying, and it really deserves more time in the sun. ...but its the detail of the world that sucks you in, I just spent 3 hours scouring mines for ore and making armors, sometimes picking flowers and catching butterflies for alchemy on the way... I can't remember having this much fun with the 'little things' in an RPG for a very long time. Its hard to express the feeling when a game lives up to all the expectations you've put on it. I am awed at this game. Sure, there are some flaws on the PC version with controls and the UI, but the patches are forthcoming in a day or two. I haven't even started any real questline and its already obvious that this will suck 100s of hours of my time. Well done Bethesda. 10/10, and I don't give that score lightly.… Expand
  21. Necrotaur
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is amazing. The world is rich and expansive, the graphics are a huge improvement (especially the character's faces) and as is typical for a TES game, there is a lot to do. Throw eventual mods into the mix and your social life is pretty much gone. That being said I really wanted to give the game a 10/10 but there remain a few minor issues. There are some poor animations - I onceSkyrim is amazing. The world is rich and expansive, the graphics are a huge improvement (especially the character's faces) and as is typical for a TES game, there is a lot to do. Throw eventual mods into the mix and your social life is pretty much gone. That being said I really wanted to give the game a 10/10 but there remain a few minor issues. There are some poor animations - I once saw a guy sit down in mid air then slide sideways into a chair (lol)- and a some minor bugs. Skyrim has a few awesome voice actors while the rest are middling yet still far, far better than Oblivion, and the PC controls are also rather awkward. Bottom line though: Skyrim is great and will keep you entertained for hundreds of hours.… Expand
  22. StarC
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Deacz, you need to learn to use favorites (RTFM). I agree with the point that the game isn't the prettiest and especially the lack of facial expressions is a pitty. I like the fact that you can now only sell items to vendors that they also sell (no you cannot sell a bow to a fruit vendor). I'm off to play a bit more now. caio
  23. Tropxe
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Some people seem to think that you have to use WASD or the arrow keys in the menus; you don't. The mouse can be used for everything. Other people talk about the graphics being like Fallout 3 or even Oblivion; they're not. Even on Medium, the graphics are a clear step forwards, put everything on max and you have a pretty stunning game that somehow runs smoother than past Bethesda games onSome people seem to think that you have to use WASD or the arrow keys in the menus; you don't. The mouse can be used for everything. Other people talk about the graphics being like Fallout 3 or even Oblivion; they're not. Even on Medium, the graphics are a clear step forwards, put everything on max and you have a pretty stunning game that somehow runs smoother than past Bethesda games on the same settings. The people's faces are still a little off, a bit clumsily rendered, but are still the best unmodded faces by far you'll have seen in a Bethesda game so far.

    So much as been added to the gameplay. The perks really allow you to customise your character in very specific ways, rather than simply doing more damage against creatures who can now take more damage as the game progresses. The combat still pales in comparison even to The Witcher 2, never mind an actually combat-focused game like Dark Souls, yet it is a lot more satisfying than in previous games, with enemies dropping to their knees when near death or begging for mercy.

    You can take jobs now, becoming a chef, a blacksmith or a lumberjack. Enchanting and alchemy returns too. The NPC behaviour is much improved over previous games. Rather than standing dumbly around and occasionally walking into a wall or tree, as they did in Morrowind, and rather than standing dumbly around and occasionally having in incredibly stilted conversations, like they did in Oblivion, they will now do their daily jobs, cooking, cleaning, making weapons at the forge, carrying lumber back from the nearby forest, and so on. The bard at the tavern plays various songs, actually playing the instrument used in the song, and will take requests from you, even commenting on your song choice ("Only a true Imperial would choose that one!") and receiving applause from any nearby NPCs at the end of his songs. How NPCs respond to you is varies on how you've completed certain quests; one man asked me to deliver an insulting letter to a woman that he'd written in her boyfriend's handwriting, hoping she'd then leave her boyfriend for him. I told him I'd do it, but then went to the woman in question and told her all about the plan. Now her and her boyfriend like me whereas the other guy is always rude to me. Get friendly enough with people and they'll let you stay the night in their house, eat their food and even "borrow" their weapons.

    All in all, an enormous step forward over previous games, and that's coming from someone who always love what Bethesda's games promised but usually ended up hating what they actually delivered.    … Expand
  24. aksu113
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    first i think this game is boring and **** i was played that game some hour and now i am sure this is game of the year.this is really addictive :O
  25. AragornTheGreat
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    The people giving a 0 are really idiots they don't like the changing of weapons?? Lets give the game a 0!!
    they don't like the moving animation. Lets give it a 0 This game has some flaws and glitchs/bugs but it's REALEASED today. Most if not all will be fixed really calm down and stop giving such stupid reviews like
    Horse's are stupid 0
  26. zer0_c0ol
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    i apologize but i will keep this short very short

    BUY THE GAME... period it is not as beautiful as witcher 2 but hell is it HUGEEEEE and the world immersion is parallel to no no game out there now
  27. thatfool
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    This game has some obvious flaws. The UI that really only works well with a gamepad is the most glaring one. You can find blurry textures if you look for them, and I've no doubt you can find a number of other glitches if you try. My recommendation is that you don't look for errors, and instead enjoy the awesome experience this game has to offer. Skyrim can pull you in as easily as any TESThis game has some obvious flaws. The UI that really only works well with a gamepad is the most glaring one. You can find blurry textures if you look for them, and I've no doubt you can find a number of other glitches if you try. My recommendation is that you don't look for errors, and instead enjoy the awesome experience this game has to offer. Skyrim can pull you in as easily as any TES game, you can do a lot more than in previous titles, and its scenery is a lot more imaginative and detailed than Oblivion's.… Expand
  28. nfsdanz
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Have only played the first 20 minutes or so but so far the game is looking great, some people have commented about the graphics however this game isnt like COD, the world is HUGE and the game would take up way to much space on the hard drive if the graphics were to improve anymore. Can't wait to get back on it.
  29. midiankomidian
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    If you get past the graphics, the game is very very good, I would give it a 9.5/10. It is an intense adventure with lots of possibilities, open world, epic storyline, it has everything what I consider important in every RPG !
  30. AGamer
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Has an incredible immersion level that hours fly by when you play it. It is relatively bug free. Sure the graphics might not be the absolute greatest but rate down this game based on those overlooks all the other areas it absolutely excels at. You will be able to put hour after hour into this and still find new this to do. A truly worthy epic that lives up to and exceeds the hype.
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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.
    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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