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. Suspect1001
    Jul 9, 2012
    4
    This game was great for a bit then it just becomes boring and tedious. I tried to push myself to keep playing it, but I can't. I thought it was going to be a good game and kill 40+ hours, but I was wrong. It is buggy as all hell and it seems like it is just put together and released way to fast. Compare it to Oblivion and you will be disappointed. This game is not worth your time or moneyThis game was great for a bit then it just becomes boring and tedious. I tried to push myself to keep playing it, but I can't. I thought it was going to be a good game and kill 40+ hours, but I was wrong. It is buggy as all hell and it seems like it is just put together and released way to fast. Compare it to Oblivion and you will be disappointed. This game is not worth your time or money in my opinion.… Expand
  2. 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
  3. karvala
    Feb 17, 2012
    3
    Oblivion with a content update. Graphics - same. Gamplay - same. Characterisation - same. Writing - same. Three or four limited cookie-cutter dungeons redrawn a hundred times - same. I guess I should stop expecting TES series to come up with something new and not mind-numbingly repetitive, but there we go. I wanted to like this game, I really did, and I played it for a lot of hours,Oblivion with a content update. Graphics - same. Gamplay - same. Characterisation - same. Writing - same. Three or four limited cookie-cutter dungeons redrawn a hundred times - same. I guess I should stop expecting TES series to come up with something new and not mind-numbingly repetitive, but there we go. I wanted to like this game, I really did, and I played it for a lot of hours, but by the end I was sick of being sent on yet another draugr slashfest to kill the same three types of creatues I'd killed several thousand times before, in another dungeon whose look and feel was exactly the same as the previous three hundred. Unbelievably boring, and that's coming from a fantasy RPG fan. They really do need to start going for quality and not quantity.… Expand
  4. kellyi
    Jun 7, 2012
    0
    Sorry I didn't rate the game previously as I was so pissed with it. New to Metacritic and didn't notice the rating bar in so big a hurry to vent my spleen. Here's my score.
  5. Nahrga
    Jul 26, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. *Review Deleted
    ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************    … Expand
  6. darkcerb
    Dec 5, 2011
    10
    66 hours played and there's still a mind boggling amount to do, this game has content, graphics and sound all AAA standard. If you like rpg's this is your game. Bethesda has created a huge open world chock full of quests and dungeons to explore populated with npc's that go about there daily lives reacting to the players achievements in game. I really can't recommend skyrim enough, run66 hours played and there's still a mind boggling amount to do, this game has content, graphics and sound all AAA standard. If you like rpg's this is your game. Bethesda has created a huge open world chock full of quests and dungeons to explore populated with npc's that go about there daily lives reacting to the players achievements in game. I really can't recommend skyrim enough, run don't walk to your nearest game shop or steam and buy this game.… Expand
  7. Anti-Jarhead
    Jul 31, 2012
    0
    Just another poorly ported console turd served as delicious meal to depressingly dumbed down "current gen. gamers" by accountants and corporate puppets. I have some suggestions for next TES game;

    - Self-regenerating health - Only two skills (who needs complications...); one for melee/ranged combat and second, I don't know... magical farts? - Make ALL quest random generated (no    Just another poorly ported console turd served as delicious meal to depressingly dumbed down "current gen. gamers" by accountants and corporate puppets. I have some suggestions for next TES game;

    - Self-regenerating health

    - Only two skills (who needs complications...); one for melee/ranged combat and second, I don't know... magical farts?

    - Make ALL quest random generated (no one cares about story-telling qualities anyway) - Make ALL npc voiced by the same actor (They'll save up some money so Todd can get that well deserved raise)

    - Start the "story" from new, magically created isle, lets call it "Great Imbecylia Island". Beings from this newly emerged land will invade whole Continent of Tamriel and unite it under name empire of "United Imbecyls". "Imbecylians" will slaughter almost all native life forms in Tamriel and then desire to detach themselves from their island relatives. They will set laws that will guarantee them freedom and indpendence from Imbecylia Island, yet (of course) they will keep slaves. Then they'll attack morrowind, 'couse its land of dark-skinned, other-religion obsessed people and has a lot of resources...

    Action will be placed ONLY in ashlands (of course) of Vvardenfell. Your mission will be stealing gold-er... I mean ebony and oil-er... I mean that "bloat" that those strange plants in Morrowind produce. Of course You'll be forced to kill some of them brown-er... I mean dark people in the process. But it's the right thing to do. And it is a great game. It must be. So many can't be wrong.    … Expand
  8. dosse91
    Nov 24, 2011
    9
    this game is great. i mean, don't get me wrong, it's far from perfection but it's great: the story is interesting, the graphics are good (most of the time) and it doesn't have many bugs (for bethesda's standards). exploring skyrim is simply fantastic, going through woods, finding caves, towns, side quests. simply amazing how HUGE this game is, it takes hours to explore the whole gamethis game is great. i mean, don't get me wrong, it's far from perfection but it's great: the story is interesting, the graphics are good (most of the time) and it doesn't have many bugs (for bethesda's standards). exploring skyrim is simply fantastic, going through woods, finding caves, towns, side quests. simply amazing how HUGE this game is, it takes hours to explore the whole game world. the soundtrack is also kick ass. fighting dragons is fun, and most fights provide a good challenge even on normal difficulty. i also love how they didn't use the usual point-and-click controls typical to rpgs like wow, dragon age, etc., IMHO, those are the worst controls ever. speaking of control, skyrim has a huge defect: it has no quick keys. seriously? even console ports like mass effect have them! it's a waste of time that i have to go through my whole inventory or favourite list just to use a potion or change weapon/spell! another drawback typical to most rpgs is that you can accept quests and start playing them with no clue that your character is not enough skilled to complete the quest: that's a real pain in the ass, you can literally go fight dragons with a level 1 character, and get killed in 2 microseconds. most of the times, of course you have no idea what you're gonna fight, it's like "can you get my sword back?", and then the cave has bears, trolls and giants in it.
    in conclusion, i'd give this game a 8.5, rounded up to a more realistic 9 because the good aspects of this game really compensate the bad ones    … Expand
  9. Olly
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    I've been playing this for about 14 hours, and I'm very, very addicted and immersed into the game world. Looking at the low scores, I can't be entirely sure what people were expecting. I suppose Bethesda showed screenshots that made the game look its best (this happens with every game I would add), as the graphics tend to favour rendering rocks and clouds into the distance over water andI've been playing this for about 14 hours, and I'm very, very addicted and immersed into the game world. Looking at the low scores, I can't be entirely sure what people were expecting. I suppose Bethesda showed screenshots that made the game look its best (this happens with every game I would add), as the graphics tend to favour rendering rocks and clouds into the distance over water and shadows, and as such looking at a vista gives you a jarring sense of beauty and dire ugliness at the same time. Not only that, character animations still are stiff albeit an improvement. In fact, let's get all the negative stuff out the way now; the controls for PC are awful, amazingly awful considering Bethesda's PC menu's have always been fine before now. It feels very much like they didn't think about making the interface work on PC (perhaps they ran out of time committing to 11/11/11), so expect your first few hours to be an exercise in getting used to then perfecting the controls as best you can.

    So what's good? Well, despite shading issues and water in the distance, the weather effects and mountains will frequently make you want to just stop and stare at a view, Bethesda have truly outdone themselves on that front, and it makes the graphical flaws more acceptable when you're playing. You will NEVER have a lack of quests after the first handful of hours, and as such you will have tons of reasons to go and explore all of Skyrim. And given the properly designed dungeons, they're well worth it. That is the major reason I feel this is such an improvement over Oblivion, where dungeons used to be boring and nigh on pointless, they're more focused experiences that genuinely will give you something worthwhile for plumbing its caverns/halls/chambers (and handily when you've got out of a major dungeon and looted it all, it will be marked as cleared on the map).

    But the big thing is that despite people's complaints about combat, Skyrim is a massive improvement on Oblivion. It could be even better for sure, but the slickness of dual-wielding spells and quickswitching to a bow and arrow, before delivering a cinematic finishing blow with your sword and shield will certainly leave you more impressed than you were with Oblivion. The levelling system is also infinitely easier to keep track of and improve your skills with.

    I think I've covered most of what I've thought so far while playing. This is an altogether more beautiful and slicker (apart from the controls) Oblivion, absolutely worth your time as long as you're ready to wrestle with the controls. If you're patient, it may well be worth your while to wait until various issues are fixed or some good mods have come out to try and improve them though (8.5).    … Expand
  10. Vauhn
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    Skyrim...An amazing open world non-linear dragon slaying NPC mudering bundle of enjoyment. This, is quite possibly the best elder scrolls game so far. Ruined only by the occasional bug or two which will most likely be patched and fixed. Great story, the dragon fights are amazing, and randomly scripted events. I had to muster allot of effort to rip myself away from it long enough to getSkyrim...An amazing open world non-linear dragon slaying NPC mudering bundle of enjoyment. This, is quite possibly the best elder scrolls game so far. Ruined only by the occasional bug or two which will most likely be patched and fixed. Great story, the dragon fights are amazing, and randomly scripted events. I had to muster allot of effort to rip myself away from it long enough to get some food. Buy it, Dovahkiin commands you!… Expand
  11. sinproducer
    Nov 11, 2011
    8
    I can't defend this game from not getting some decent updates in a couple areas , mainly UI but most of the negative complaints are simply untrue. The graphics are in fact great and the game runs really smooth on Ultra, but I'm sure if you have an older system you won't see it that way. If you played the game for an hour, you didn't see enough of it to get past the part where it's NOT justI can't defend this game from not getting some decent updates in a couple areas , mainly UI but most of the negative complaints are simply untrue. The graphics are in fact great and the game runs really smooth on Ultra, but I'm sure if you have an older system you won't see it that way. If you played the game for an hour, you didn't see enough of it to get past the part where it's NOT just Oblivion reskinned. You can in fact hotkey things directly from favorites and even choose which hand they are assigned to. I NEVER have to go into the menus unless I level up or switch gear out for something better/preferred. Game is completely stable and outside of a few wonky textures and the same logic problems I find in every single game, I'm enjoying myself. More of the same? Please let me know when you are playing a truly original game in this generation of games. Oh.. and another thing. All the people crying about this game being too console like will change their song in a few months when mods start coming out. Give it a year or more and the praise will be universal that PC is the way to go.… Expand
  12. belfastbiker
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Oh. My. god.

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Graphics, are ASTONISHING.

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

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

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

    Skyrim is a MASTERPIECE.    … Expand
  13. NoBodysGamer
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    I'm not gunna lie, this game is amazing, brilliant, outstanding, a masterpiece. I'm only filling the rest up because i need one hundred and fifty characters.
  14. KnucklesKiss
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it.… Expand
  15. chado1980
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Although a little too familiar and a little unpolished, another great game from Bethesda.

    Second best RPG in the last month, but that's another conversation.

    Gonna be a good winter for gaming.
  16. ssjscottt
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    pure, beautiful, immersion with a solid, SMOOTH release from Bethesda. and the freaking sidequests... they feel significant enough to feel less like side-quests and more like it's just part of the main story. I've put in over 30 hours already, and i cant wait to put in more!
  17. TheBlackMachine
    Nov 12, 2011
    9
    This game is fantastic but it is not without it's flaws. But I feel they do not affect the game too much, as a great deal of them are very minor and will probably be patched or mods from the fantastic community will come along in week one.

    This game improves alot of mechanics of Oblivion, combat generally feels the same, although slightly more fluid for some reason, probably due to the    This game is fantastic but it is not without it's flaws. But I feel they do not affect the game too much, as a great deal of them are very minor and will probably be patched or mods from the fantastic community will come along in week one.

    This game improves alot of mechanics of Oblivion, combat generally feels the same, although slightly more fluid for some reason, probably due to the fact that you now have killing blows, dual wielding and the ability to use your shield as a weapon.

    The favourites thing is a fantastic idea, but it feels awkward and poorly executed, but it generally works out once you get used to it.

    The voice acting is on a whole pretty damn good, but it is weak in some spots, but a far cry better than Oblivion, I got sick of hearing the same dozen voices all the time, now you have more than 4 dozen voices which is great. Soundtrack is fantastic, it just oozes epicness and has great rolling instrumentals and fantastic ambient music. Sound effects are also good, but nothing special.

    Textures are okay, hair isn't greatly detailed, amour details and reflections look great for the most part. But plants look like crap so I cannot wait for mods to clean them right up and make the environment ever more prettier than it already is. Animations are improved greatly over previous games, even NPC's have good idles, and they even perform duties which on a whole just bring the whole "live the world within the game" feel together.

    This game is also very stable, it's the first PC game I've bought in months that hasn't crashed every five minuets and just caused me hell, this game has only crashed on me once, but that was my Anti-Virus software that interfered with the game. But other than that no problems whatsoever, no slowdown or choppiness at all.

    My biggest gripe about this game is the menus, obviously designed for sticks, it is stupidly awkward and annoying. Trying to navigate the skill trees is tedious and just plain annoying. Also trying to pick dialogue options is annoying, Often I end up picking the wrong one and getting myself into trouble because of it, I often find myself using the arrow and enter keys. Also the default mapping of the menus is a little odd, and it takes a little time to get use to, but nothing too bad.

    Overall it a fantastic game with very small issues, but as I said these will be patched or the amazing modding scene will come to the rescue within weeks end and fix them right up. Probably one of the best RPG's I have played in a few good years. Recommended.    … Expand
  18. funkydoodycool
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Before I start I should note that I bought this game on the strength of Fallout 3 (which I loved) rather than Oblivion (which I didn't care for).

    That said, this game shares so much in common with both the aforementioned, taking everything Bethesda has learned and creating a near-perfect RPG experience. The game engine is fantastic, with even my 3-year-old Core 2 Quad/Nvidia 9800GTX+    Before I start I should note that I bought this game on the strength of Fallout 3 (which I loved) rather than Oblivion (which I didn't care for).

    That said, this game shares so much in common with both the aforementioned, taking everything Bethesda has learned and creating a near-perfect RPG experience.

    The game engine is fantastic, with even my 3-year-old Core 2 Quad/Nvidia 9800GTX+ computer pushing out Ultra graphics settings without too much difficulty. It's not as good as Rage, but it's certainly a contender for best graphics.

    There are complaints about the controls, but as I'm using an Xbox 360 pad I'm not really having any difficulty. Naturally, aiming your bow would be easier with a mouse, but this is a concession I'm willing to make for a generally more comfortable control method. The controls are mapped well to the Xbox pad, with the sticks doing their usual movement/camera thing, the triggers controlling the weapon/magic/shield in the respective hand, and the other face buttons mapped to various options.

    Combat is very visceral. You can now shield bash by holding up your shield and tapping the attack button, which knocks enemies back, affording you a little breathing space.

    The map is HUGE, with plenty of incidental details. I initially thought the world was quite sparsely populated, but having spent some hours wandering about, I've stumbled upon so many different villages and camps, some friendly others not so much.

    Quests are so far of the "go to this dungeon, kill everything and collect this item and bring it back to me" sort, which is fine by me. The dungeons are all interesting, and boss fights are variations on the standard enemies.

    This game is big enough, that at level 9 I've experienced things that friends who have more time to play (level 24+) have yet to see. And we've all had a lot of fun in Skyrim - strong contender for game of the year.    … Expand
  19. Darkstar01
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Cons: Initially the game had driver issues, but then Nvidia released new drivers and problems were solved.
    Cons: The only other problem which I see will be solved by mods at a later date is the fact that you cannot hot button anything.. While this may seem to make the game play slow, and at times it does, the fact that you can pause the game to switch to other spells does make it    Cons: Initially the game had driver issues, but then Nvidia released new drivers and problems were solved.
    Cons: The only other problem which I see will be solved by mods at a later date is the fact that you cannot hot button anything.. While this may seem to make the game play slow, and at times it does, the fact that you can pause the game to switch to other spells does make it easier.

    PROS: The most amazing graphics ever seen on a console or PC system. If you have a GTX 580 or higher you will be enjoying impressive micro details as well as impressive macro details of the game. Example Micro detail would be the veins on a leaf. Impressive Macro details would be snow generated according to the wind and piled up realistically. It actually makes you FEEL cold.. I turned on the heater..=D
    PROS: The physics in this game is so dead-on accurate that its scary... you drop a body into the water and watch it swirl down a river and eventually sink under the waves... You jump in the water yourself and you are pulled down stream by the rapids, I actually spent time just floating with the river and catching fish with my bare Argonian hands... :) Thank Talos for water breathing.
    PROS: So much good stuff I cannot write about it all    … Expand
  20. mjas
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    I'm 25 hours into Skyrim so far and I still enjoy it, now this game has a bit of everything in it and almost everything in Skyrim is nothing less than amazing. Now don't think that it's perfect because it's not there are some bugs but nobody / nothing is perfect! I do feel that the quests are a little short and you could feel a bit more important in this world a lot of things you do inI'm 25 hours into Skyrim so far and I still enjoy it, now this game has a bit of everything in it and almost everything in Skyrim is nothing less than amazing. Now don't think that it's perfect because it's not there are some bugs but nobody / nothing is perfect! I do feel that the quests are a little short and you could feel a bit more important in this world a lot of things you do in the end don't give a lot of "Yeahhh I'm a badass!!" kind of feeling. All in all I give it a 9/10 good job Bethesda! (Also I see a few people saying you can not key bind on the pc version! WRONG you can! 1-8 which can also be remapped with your mouse, simply put a spell or a item that you want key bound on your favorites list then open up the list (Q button) and highlight it with your cursor and press 1-8 tada keybinds! yes I know it's not the best ever but it works. =) )… Expand
  21. Shekky
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Excellent game only problem I have is the interface I absolutely do not like have to open up interface just to cast my restoration spell or some other spell then to have to bring out my swords again.
  22. thomish
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Ok....I've never written a review for a game but I was trolling around over Skyrim and felt compelled to throw in my 2 lousy cents after playing it about 20 hours. First off, a review of 0 is simply inaccurate. When I was in high school I turned in a paper on a book I read and the teacher didn't appreciate my position (I said Lenny from "Of Mice and Men" was an alien and tried to validateOk....I've never written a review for a game but I was trolling around over Skyrim and felt compelled to throw in my 2 lousy cents after playing it about 20 hours. First off, a review of 0 is simply inaccurate. When I was in high school I turned in a paper on a book I read and the teacher didn't appreciate my position (I said Lenny from "Of Mice and Men" was an alien and tried to validate it) I got a 0. I wrote a 3 page paper. I should of at least gotten a 1. A 0 implies NOTHING. It's like rating a game that never existed, like you opened the box and it was empty. I mean even a disc and a manual should warrant a 1. 0 means nothing mathematically so any game with any content deserves at least a 1. On to the game. The game is actually pretty damn fun, it has bugs but it's fricking huge so I imagine that things like that happen. It does have a few frustrating bugs at that. Every issue I've found so far though was easily mitigated with a few tweaks so I don't really care too much, but it's where I took a point away. Bethseda should do better on QC.

    I like the game, I like how there is sort of a quasi-historical feel to the Elder Scrolls games and I like how much of the world can be taken and made into something to use. The graphics weren't cutting edge but I don't think it's fair to say it looked anything like Oblivion, heavily modded or not. I'm glad I spent my money on Skyrim, it is fun and has a great playability for your buck.    … Expand
  23. Rems
    Nov 16, 2011
    8
    Waited so long for this game, im happy to finaly have it. It looks too much like they made it out of fallout 3 but stil im glad to have it. Havent play much but im hoping for many hours of joy :)
  24. Narishma29
    Mar 1, 2012
    10
    Awesome, fun, beautiful game. Modding community will keep it interesting and fun for a long time as well. Also has a lot of re-playability due to the shear size of the game and very different playstyles of melee vs magic characters, good vs evil characters, and all the different factions to join or kill. Love it.
  25. anholt
    Mar 19, 2012
    4
    The good parts: The sandbox world works remarkably well, and the "leveling problem" of the previous elder scrolls is no more. Now you can happily play without worrying that picking too many locks will leave you with a weak character getting slaughtered by the upleveled monsters. The quests have had a number of cases where it's not clear-cut who to side with, a rarity in RPGs. And theThe good parts: The sandbox world works remarkably well, and the "leveling problem" of the previous elder scrolls is no more. Now you can happily play without worrying that picking too many locks will leave you with a weak character getting slaughtered by the upleveled monsters. The quests have had a number of cases where it's not clear-cut who to side with, a rarity in RPGs. And the level design in the dungeons is excellent, with some interesting variations, few glitches, and always a short way out from the end of the dungeon back to the main world.

    The bad part: The UI is an absolute embarrassment. On your 1920 screen, your inventory is a single column of giant text and a big useless image of the object you're hovering over, so you spend half your game time scrolling through lists to find your Potions of Minor Healing that are screens away from your Potions of Major Healing. And the keybinds are awful and unchangeable. "e" in inventory uses, and "r" puts an item in a container, but in a container it's "e" to take a single item out and "r" to take everything. So you slip and hit "r" in your home base chest and now you're overloaded with 1000 pounds of what you had carefully stocked up over days of play. But the worst: The UI sometimes doesn't catch mouse enter/leave events, so you click to do one thing, but the click is registered somewhere else and now you've sold your sword or called an NPC's mother a pig.

    Then there are the strange bugs, like when a dragon shows up and doesn't land while you're on a quest stage that caused you to be completely unarmed. There was a frustrating half an hour. But occasional gameplay bugs are to be expected in something this size, while inventory and dialogue functionality is something every player or tester has to spend an inordinate amount of time in. That's what is unforgivable in this game.

    Some mods have been released that improve on some of these UI problems. But this rating is for the game as released, not for the game third parties have managed create from the wreckage.    … Expand
  26. Zoso
    Jun 15, 2012
    6
    Skyrim is not a bad game, to be sure. Some elements (Lockpicking, Archery) feel very natural - although archery is not perfect as you sometimes can't shoot through narrow openings you could shoot through in real life and arrows suddenly drop at long range. The scenery is impressive, but the character models are seriously lacking, human and non-human alike. And there numerous nice stories,Skyrim is not a bad game, to be sure. Some elements (Lockpicking, Archery) feel very natural - although archery is not perfect as you sometimes can't shoot through narrow openings you could shoot through in real life and arrows suddenly drop at long range. The scenery is impressive, but the character models are seriously lacking, human and non-human alike. And there numerous nice stories, but there not *TOLD*. I know, this an open world RPG, so telling stories can get quite complicated. But with Skyrim, there's so much to discover, but everything stays somehow flat, sterile, and unresponsive, though vast. It feels like every commoner now has a name, but it doesn't matter, they're still commoner 1 - 1000.… Expand
  27. Zero99i
    Aug 5, 2012
    0
    I don't like TES, i dont like Morrowind, I dont like Oblivion and I dont like Skyrim. I dont like the engine, the animations are awful, the german version has awful voice acting.
  28. GREW50ME
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    What can I say about Skyrim that has not already been said? If you have played the Elder Scrolls before, and thought, "Gee, I wish I could fight dragons and absorb their powers in a Viking-esque portion of the world of Tamriel", then this is your game.
    The grapics are stellar, but if you don't like them, you can mod them for higher textures, and that is where the greatness starts. This    What can I say about Skyrim that has not already been said? If you have played the Elder Scrolls before, and thought, "Gee, I wish I could fight dragons and absorb their powers in a Viking-esque portion of the world of Tamriel", then this is your game.
    The grapics are stellar, but if you don't like them, you can mod them for higher textures, and that is where the greatness starts. This game is fully moddable and changeable. If you had the controls, plug in a controller or download one of the control mods. Or, get up off your can and write one yourself.
    Want lightsabers? My little pony? Warcraft? Naked girls? You can put any or all of this in the game, and way, way more.
    Even the game mechanics themselves have mods that you can make or download.

    Underneath the layers and layers of customization, the game is the classic Elder Scrolls series, but with added streamlining learned from the creation of the Fallout games. Added are kill shot animations, and a much smoother looking interface. As in all Elder scrolls games, you can really craft the type of hero you want, and adventure in your own way. Want to be a simple wood cutter? A massive orc warrior? A sly rogue? A flower picker? A mass murderer? A powerful wizard? Decide as you go? You can do it all and more. It's this level of choice and freedom that makes Skyrim one of my favorite games of all time. Sure, there are some parts where the action is drab and the quests are predictable, and the game does have some bugs... but the sheer amount of AAA content and options in the game is so impressive that it more than compensates for the shortcomings. You can literally play this game for years and find new content every time and have a unique experience! STOP READING AND BUY IT NOW!!! I give Skyrim my highest recommendations!    … Expand
  29. MrOtter
    Jul 22, 2012
    3
    Why pay £35 for a program that crashes you to the desktop. Just use alt tab and save your cash :D

    Unfinished trite, could have been a good game if it wasn't released, un polished and buggy and getting worse by more bugs introduced in every patch. 8 months to patch a game to a working standard and as for Steam Workshop .... don't get me started there.
  30. FrannyFantastic
    Nov 19, 2014
    6
    Offers a big open world and creates a genuine sense of adventure, but after a while everything feels very samey. Looting tombs and dungeons become a routine chore and the core, hack and slash gameplay soon turn into a dull affair.
  31. uns3en
    Nov 13, 2011
    5
    This gets a solid 5 and even that feels a lot more than it should have been. Where do I start? Bugs everywhere, from immortal NPCs to crime-reporting chickens(!!!!!) . The controls are just horrible and unresponsive. The so-acclaimed UI is a joke - stinks of console, no mapping to numbers, mouse doesn't work in half the containers, and I'd rather have mouse wheel scroll through myThis gets a solid 5 and even that feels a lot more than it should have been. Where do I start? Bugs everywhere, from immortal NPCs to crime-reporting chickens(!!!!!) . The controls are just horrible and unresponsive. The so-acclaimed UI is a joke - stinks of console, no mapping to numbers, mouse doesn't work in half the containers, and I'd rather have mouse wheel scroll through my favourites than do what it does. The whole interface screams 'use a controller!!!', but I don't even own a console because I HATE THOSE THINGS! The graphics are weird in a way that there are great high-res details present and then you see a blurry low-res texture sitting right next to it (guess that makes it easier on console graphics units, BUT I'M NOT PLAYING A CONSOLE!!!!!). AI and pathing are just plain retarded. No point in levelling at all, because your enemies level with you. AND WHERE ARE MY REGULAR STATS? You no longer need to sleep to level, and to make it even more retarded you have now a choice of whole 3 (three!) stats to improve... and a perk (what is this? Fallout?). Dungeon-crawling quickly becomes monotonous and boring. Overall, it feels like a poor Oblivion 2.0 port packaged in recycled gift-wrap. Bethesda managed to take everything that made Morrowind great and... flush it down the drain, because there's non of it in Skyrim.… Expand
  32. UnkleBustakap
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    One of the most rich and entertaining RPG games of all time. Period. Third person combat is greatly improved as well as first person. There are minor tweaks that could be made to each, but the content more than makes up for it. As a mobile app developer, I only wish I could be part of something this incredible.
  33. aisu
    Feb 17, 2012
    0
    Looking at 31 positive scores i kinda lose faith in professional reviews and feel like they give instant high rating to popular games after playing them for very short time just to pump industry with money and be popular... :/

    Imo skyrim lacks what good rpg game should have. Immersive feel, atmosphere and gameplay. Like old thief, baldurs gate, torment or gothic, or to lesser extend new    Looking at 31 positive scores i kinda lose faith in professional reviews and feel like they give instant high rating to popular games after playing them for very short time just to pump industry with money and be popular... :/

    Imo skyrim lacks what good rpg game should have. Immersive feel, atmosphere and gameplay. Like old thief, baldurs gate, torment or gothic, or to lesser extend new witcher or even amnesia the dark descent... tbh there aren't made many good games nowadays.

    Stuff i dislike in skyrim are: big but lone/boring world where most stuff looks the same (copypasta), fighting is just basically boring not involving one or two button smashing(+drinking potions), npcs feel so "detached" in this world don't make me want to look around for quests or to talk to them...
    Main plot was really mediocre and when you complete it game loses any point of playing anymore because everything feels like filler. Game mechanics suck... Why would they even do stuff like lockingpicking, rhetoric, stealth, its just illusion of choice but in truth they are all useless... This whole game feels more like poor fake/artifical "program" and not like word. I even felt more of rpg in WoW than in this mediocre game. Character models move awkwardly when strafing, if you dual wield, your second weapon isn't even displayed on your belt. Games keeps retard friendly skill level both during battles and so called puzzles.
    You get big world, walk around this same caverns without feeling of purpose, without joy or satisfaction when fighting, talking to these same looking fake npcs. Meh... After playing this game for like 30 hours its linearity and repetitiveness becomes very apparent. Very overrated and overhyped game which doesn't even deserve place between true rpgs. These high rating only show how biased and subjective gaming reviewers are, you can't trust them... Sadly this way we can't expect developers to make really good games like in past.

    Anyway this game deserve 5 on 10point scale where 10 are greats like torment, fallout, bg2 and 0 utter crap like postal...
    Its still better than oblivion but this doesn't mean its good, im giving it 0 just to downrate it little bit.    … Expand
  34. 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 !
  35. Halcyon10
    Jul 20, 2012
    1
    Skyrim is truly an awful game, there's no reward for anything you do, it's just countless repetitive **** stacked one after another, quest after quest, fight after fight. Skyrim has no direction what soever, the game throws you into a world where all you can do is put 100's of hours into it and get hideously overpowered for no beneficial reason at all. It's a game for children, not aSkyrim is truly an awful game, there's no reward for anything you do, it's just countless repetitive **** stacked one after another, quest after quest, fight after fight. Skyrim has no direction what soever, the game throws you into a world where all you can do is put 100's of hours into it and get hideously overpowered for no beneficial reason at all. It's a game for children, not a professionally made PC game. Period.… Expand
  36. Chaozzak
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Same engine like they use on Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. I dont care about this, graphics looks nice. Many locations, wpns, spells and great character customization. Good story (3 hours game time). Gameplay is really great, especially if you got spells in one hand and wpns in other one. Thats really fun. But what is the mind-blowing in Skyrim? I have to say that is a atmosphere. ISame engine like they use on Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. I dont care about this, graphics looks nice. Many locations, wpns, spells and great character customization. Good story (3 hours game time). Gameplay is really great, especially if you got spells in one hand and wpns in other one. Thats really fun. But what is the mind-blowing in Skyrim? I have to say that is a atmosphere. I didn't like Fallout 3 much, but there was this kind of catching atmosphere too. If you are in open world and just exploring land or when you find some dark cave and spend one hour there just with torch and one-hand sword. That's great. I want to give it 10, but i can't. Simply because it's a port of console and controls are not so good. You can "favorite" wpns/spells so you can quickly change them, but you can't just bind them to 1,2,3 etc. Last think - menu and abilities management is not "transparent", for me it is a little bit confusing. But that's just it, after all i really like this game and looking forward to see more.… Expand
  37. BigScreen
    May 30, 2012
    4
    The most overrated game in RPG history. The world is grey, the combat boils down to hit the right trigger over and over , an the story is just dull. Sure the graphics are amazing but the game just lacked anything engaging . The dragons lacked the doing feel of the oblivion gates in Oblivion, and overall the characters where forgettable . Worst of all they dumbed down the skill system againThe most overrated game in RPG history. The world is grey, the combat boils down to hit the right trigger over and over , an the story is just dull. Sure the graphics are amazing but the game just lacked anything engaging . The dragons lacked the doing feel of the oblivion gates in Oblivion, and overall the characters where forgettable . Worst of all they dumbed down the skill system again making character creation only effect your appearance in the long run. For me skyrim was a backwards step for the elder scrolls series in every department.… Expand
  38. Mordobb
    Mar 25, 2012
    2
    Thid game is between HOrriblivion and Morrowind.
    History and plot wise it is quite weak average, 5
    Gameplay wise its merely a port from 360 so it lacks a lot, 2 Sound wise its good, 8 Grafic wise its past mediocre, 6 UI its total port useless to PC, 2 Exploring, as usual, 10 Character development bad, awesomely bas and anounced horrible since the start, but it s even worse, 1, Overall the    Thid game is between HOrriblivion and Morrowind.
    History and plot wise it is quite weak average, 5
    Gameplay wise its merely a port from 360 so it lacks a lot, 2
    Sound wise its good, 8
    Grafic wise its past mediocre, 6
    UI its total port useless to PC, 2
    Exploring, as usual, 10
    Character development bad, awesomely bas and anounced horrible since the start, but it s even worse, 1,

    Overall the game becaome shallow too fast, extremely repetitive, simplistic,    … Expand
  39. Slashed
    Feb 23, 2012
    1
    Most overrated game ever. I got about half way through the main quest, and did a few sidequests that didn't involve collecting about 50 of random items. I only did half of the main quest as I got bored every time I played this, and quit after a while, due to this. The reason I kept playing until then? It was a game I wanted to like, due to the reviews. But there were too many problems. TheMost overrated game ever. I got about half way through the main quest, and did a few sidequests that didn't involve collecting about 50 of random items. I only did half of the main quest as I got bored every time I played this, and quit after a while, due to this. The reason I kept playing until then? It was a game I wanted to like, due to the reviews. But there were too many problems. The menus are horrible to navigate, and the skill tree menu confused me.
    The AI are stupid, i'll usually find a few NPCs and enemies walking into walls.
    There are so many glitches in the game, it became unplayable at one point, and I had to re-install it because of it.
    The physics are so bad. Countless times I have picked a jug or something similar up, and it's bounced off a wall, and flown into me, killing me.
    The graphics are horrible on the max settings, even with the HD Texture Pack, recently released, which I re-installed the game for.
    And, my god, the fans. If I mention to some people on a forum or on a game online, i'll be called a troll. I am not a troll for disliking something you like. And don't even get me started on the "Arrow to the knee" fad.
    There are some good points, but only because they made me laugh. The Fus Ro Dah shout made my ribs hurt from laughter, mainly because of how the people ragdoll. Especially fun when you find a Goat on a mountain.
    The range of weapons and armor is massive and the map is huge.
    The Dragons are an interesting feature, but beyond broken.

    I wanted to like this game, but it was just one of the worst gaming experiences I have ever had.    … Expand
  40. Ferrante
    Nov 29, 2012
    4
    I really tried to like this game. I played it for 20 hours or more. I set the graphics to ULTRA and they are good. The character creation seems good too. So, why a low rating? good question. Lets see....... 1. Bugs Everywhere. If you think the world in Skyrim is Big, you must see its bug list. Even trying to make it run is painful. Dragon fly backward, NPCs unable to left a room, problemsI really tried to like this game. I played it for 20 hours or more. I set the graphics to ULTRA and they are good. The character creation seems good too. So, why a low rating? good question. Lets see....... 1. Bugs Everywhere. If you think the world in Skyrim is Big, you must see its bug list. Even trying to make it run is painful. Dragon fly backward, NPCs unable to left a room, problems with sound, etc... 2. Sandbox. I know, thats good sometimes but nor for a RPG, I really want a motivation for my character!. 3. Inventory. Do you want a game to spend 30% of your time looking for your stuff? I don't. 4. Weight. This game has a lot of items to build. Armors, Weapons, potions. But your character cant carry the "ingredients" because everything is too heavy. Even the flowers. 5. Menus. Everything is designed for Xbox. You don't want that on your PC. 6. Too easy. Troll regeneration: check, invincible NPCs to help you: check, dull A.I.: check. Oh, talking about NPCs... 7. Empty "party" NPCs . They dont chat with you, they dont have a life, they just fight everything you fight. So far from Minsc, Jan Jansen , even that mute guy from Out of this World. 8. Price. Why is so expensive when I can find good games cheaper? In the end, this game seems so good but is not fun. It has not soul. Was designed just to earn a few (or a lot of) bucks, not for the greatness.… Expand
  41. 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
  42. Sargul
    Nov 15, 2011
    6
    I've really waited for the release of Skyrim but in the end this game turns out be just average.

    The graphics look like a lazy console port with textures flickering in the distance. I have to admit that there's a lot to do in Skyrim (with a huge number of side quests and things to explore) however the main story remains boring and very predictable. The skill system looks nice at the    I've really waited for the release of Skyrim but in the end this game turns out be just average.

    The graphics look like a lazy console port with textures flickering in the distance. I have to admit that there's a lot to do in Skyrim (with a huge number of side quests and things to explore) however the main story remains boring and very predictable. The skill system looks nice at the beginning however I'm missing the feeling that the character improves on a level up.

    It seems that this is Oblivion 1.2 with slightly improved graphics and an enhanced skill system.    … Expand
  43. spoonfreak
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    What an achievement. A massive, stunning adventure in a rich, vast world filled with thousands of years of history. Gameplay is streamlined and varied at the same time. Exploration is endless, as are the quests and number of characters to meet and interact with. Visually, they've taken some slightly dated tech and cranked it up to 11, creating an atmosphere that draws you in and never letsWhat an achievement. A massive, stunning adventure in a rich, vast world filled with thousands of years of history. Gameplay is streamlined and varied at the same time. Exploration is endless, as are the quests and number of characters to meet and interact with. Visually, they've taken some slightly dated tech and cranked it up to 11, creating an atmosphere that draws you in and never lets you go. There's so much thought, care and artistry involved in every area of Skyrim, that you're more immersed than you are in the shiny Battlefields and Modern Warfares of the world. The Soundtrack is simply stunning, possibly the best game soundtrack I've ever come across. You have to admire the sheer audacity and ambition of a project like this and forgive the small glitches and problems that don't even come close to ruining the ultimate experience. A deserving 10.… Expand
  44. theNILE
    Oct 7, 2013
    0
    Good game but from an RPG I expected more. Quests aren't particularly creative. NPC dialogues and are okay but could of been better. The other problem I have with this game is that there is so much space but so little in regards to what's actually in it. The level-up system was simplified to health, mana and stamina. Weight is problematic sadly, you can hold barely anything heavy and youGood game but from an RPG I expected more. Quests aren't particularly creative. NPC dialogues and are okay but could of been better. The other problem I have with this game is that there is so much space but so little in regards to what's actually in it. The level-up system was simplified to health, mana and stamina. Weight is problematic sadly, you can hold barely anything heavy and you cannot increase strength. It improves on some aspects which other Elder Scrolls games lacked but in return loses a bit here and there but I'd say overall it's a step up as a modernized version.… Expand
  45. psychotic
    Feb 11, 2012
    3
    Ok i was expecting a great rpg but guess what it sucked was like wow except not even that fun seriusly bathesda i was hopping for a out of this world rpg but guess what you made **** you need to make a new series dammit
  46. MaDaStar
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    While no game really deserves a perfect score, I can't give Skyrim a mere 9 out of 10. There are a couple of minor issues with the PC version, but the only one that even bothers me at all, is the interface. It could be much better. There are some minor graphical glitches here and there, but looking at the game in the big picture, the 5th chapter in The Elder Scrolls series is worthy of aWhile no game really deserves a perfect score, I can't give Skyrim a mere 9 out of 10. There are a couple of minor issues with the PC version, but the only one that even bothers me at all, is the interface. It could be much better. There are some minor graphical glitches here and there, but looking at the game in the big picture, the 5th chapter in The Elder Scrolls series is worthy of a score in the high 90 percentile. There is so much to see and do. So many ways to develop your character, weapons, spells etc. that it boggles the mind. At first I was like a kid in a candy store. I didn't know where to start. Should I get a good start on the main quest or do just a little and then seek out the guilds and join one. Should I limit my exploring to one small area of the map, or check out a few far sections and see what was out there. Am I a hero with unwavering scruples, or will I do anything for more gold? Once I settled in, I got lost in Skyrim. Not in the "What the hell am I doing?" type of lost, but the "I should really go to bed / feed the dog / get to work" kind of lost. My video recorder is rapidly filling with TV shows that I've been ignoring, and the only time my wife has seen me during the past week is when we have dinner and do the dishes. Yes, this game is that good. There are plenty of places to find details on the game and the type of quests you will face, but I encourage anyone looking to pick up Skyrim, to play it without spoilers and discover a world where you can be the hero, thief, murderer, and dragon-slayer. Be one, or be them all. If you hate that the price of PC games are now averaging $60 for AAA titles, fret not with Skyrim, as you get your money's worth and more.… Expand
  47. Arkveveen
    Jan 17, 2012
    8
    Skyrim is a good game, but something about it doesn't seem right to me. Maybe it's because I am extremely tired of fantasy adventure settings, wonder why open world games are so good, or maybe it's because Skyrim has the same exact gameplay as Oblivion or Morrowind. Just repackaged with better music, sounds, animations, and graphics. But, in all honesty, it is still an excellent game thatSkyrim is a good game, but something about it doesn't seem right to me. Maybe it's because I am extremely tired of fantasy adventure settings, wonder why open world games are so good, or maybe it's because Skyrim has the same exact gameplay as Oblivion or Morrowind. Just repackaged with better music, sounds, animations, and graphics. But, in all honesty, it is still an excellent game that DOES take awhile for me to enjoy it thoroughly. One of my favorite aspects is the perk system, which does not fail in allowing you to use WHATEVER you want. As a fan of warriors who uses two handed swords and matching armor, this game REALLY caters to me! Let's see World of Warcraft or ANY OTHER RPG do that, as they only encourage you to use "what's best". Anyway, Skyrim is stellar in every aspect, but tough for people like me to get into...… Expand
  48. Ansatsu83
    Nov 14, 2011
    8
    First and foremost I am giving this game a fair and opinionated accurate review. I am a Morrowind Fanatic, Oblivion was a let down to me in terms of everything but combat. Skyrim is acceptable, it is not as good in terms of world/storyline/etc as Morrowind. Keep in mind I have beaten the game and I will not provide spoilers but I will explain some things regarding the end of theFirst and foremost I am giving this game a fair and opinionated accurate review. I am a Morrowind Fanatic, Oblivion was a let down to me in terms of everything but combat. Skyrim is acceptable, it is not as good in terms of world/storyline/etc as Morrowind. Keep in mind I have beaten the game and I will not provide spoilers but I will explain some things regarding the end of the storyline.

    Skyrim has an amazing world, brilliantly created in many ways, a few anatomy related errors, mainly the horses and glitchy animations at times. The combat has been refined from oblivion quite a bit but the melee feels like a cross between oblivion and dark messiah. The bows are also a lot more balanced and spell casting is not bad at all.

    Here is the bad news (which is why it gets a lower than perfect rating). 1. lack of athletics and acrobatics skill, this is self explanatory and Bethesda should be ashamed of not adding it. 2. The storyline ends up feeling too much like Eragon the movie (not the books). 3. Anti-climatic end boss fights. 4. Main storyline quest is obviously someones bad acid trip (e.g. the dwarf underground area). 5. Melee combat still feels a little clunky. 6. There seems to be a lack of places to explore similar to oblivion or Morrowind, and even when you do find a ton of them they tend to be a lot smaller than the other two games. For an elder scrolls game, this is a problem. 7. About three epic moments earlier on in the game that make me feel pride or honor but after that, nothing at all. Game just becomes a bad mash-up of cliche and horribly predictable plot-lines. 8. End boss made me feel unfulfilled when I beat him, its common for games these days to make the second to last boss more difficult than the last one. I am not sure why, but as a fellow game developer this is offensive. 9. The sound volume is extremely low for any given game, I have to turn my speakers up to almost max to be able to hear anything, if I try to play music in the background all game sounds are canceled out and I just get a soundless game. 10. Console to pc port. This is a mistake that I simply cannot look past. Since the game uses steam for Authentication and its a console to pc port, I would be very surprised if they actually have a large mod community which any TES and Fallout series of game ends up relying on at some point, more so for the TES games, though.

    Now for the good:

    1. The enchanting system is well done, I personally like it better than oblivon and morrowind. 2. Crafting is a good thing, this was long overdue and its not done too poorly. 3. Dual wield 4. Better graphics (I do factor in graphics as part of a review, I use the system from the early 90s)

    Here is the end rating:

    Graphics 9 out of 10
    Sound 7 out of 10
    Gameplay: 8 out of 10
    Longevity: 9 out of 10 (compared to other games in todays market)
    Fun Factor: 8 out of 10

    What would I personally set a value for what the game is worth?: $40.00 (usd)

    This game gets an 8 out of 10, it has a lot of issues that can easily be worked out with patches, but there are just some things I cannot get past. Oddly while I prefer Morrowind more I end up giving it a lower rating based on the early 90s rating system due to the horrible graphics it had out of the box. BTW this rating is all out of the box and for the game before its patched, please keep this in mind.    … Expand
  49. czerro
    Nov 12, 2011
    8
    Game looks spectacular. It's not as rewarding as Oblivion or Morrowind. Every quest requires that you trek across the map to one point to progress...only to have to trek to the furthest point on the map from that position to get to the next quest point. This is annoying for two reasons: 1.) Blockades ala Fallout 3 prevent you from shortcutting. Mountains will block your progress atGame looks spectacular. It's not as rewarding as Oblivion or Morrowind. Every quest requires that you trek across the map to one point to progress...only to have to trek to the furthest point on the map from that position to get to the next quest point. This is annoying for two reasons: 1.) Blockades ala Fallout 3 prevent you from shortcutting. Mountains will block your progress at every turn. 2.) Anticipate a lot of boring walking and getting dead-ended by cliffs.

    Two other gripes. The writing is well below Morrowind and Oblivion. Oddly the books you will find are 10 times bigger...of 10x poorer writing. The voice acting is all over the place, and most of the characters talk in a very slow, ponderous style. It takes forever to get through these character's monologues....just to discover you have to trek all the way to the other side of skyrim to progress in the quest. The characters say almost nothing of interest. For instance asking the Greybeards about the dragonborn, results in an almost 3 minute monologue that ends with, "we don't really know why some are dragonborn, but they come in a time of need." Wow thanks! That was rewarding!

    The speech options are weird. Over half of them are sarcastic and off-putting. You can either ask questions, or give d-bag responses. Really messes with the atmosphere of the game.

    Game looks like a million bucks. Questing is harder than Oblivion and Morrowind, in that they are harder to stumble upon. NPC's will talk your ear off...with no pay off. While I like the fact the books have been expanded...the writing is very poor. Quests essentially work like this: Go to place that is furthest possible from quest giver. After completing some minor task, trek all the way to the furthest possible place from that point in the quest. Complete some minor task. It just seems like they are stretching the play hours.

    The game looks and runs great. It's not Oblivion or Morrowind. This may be good or bad depending on how you like these games. Expect to get your ear talked off about a lot of unimportant information. Expect to criss-cross the map for quests designed to lengthen the game experience. This game is probably much shorter than Oblivion or Morrowind. Also, as great as the game looks, Morrowind and Cyrodill had more interesting architecture and environments.    … Expand
  50. Enshia
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Seems that Bethesda has learned from the past especially with Oblivion and Morrowind. The game itself takes good points from both, removes the rather broken leveling system from Oblivion, and fixes the story. Adding the scale and scope from morrowind, and leaving you to do your own thing. Before I had started the main quest, I'd already picked up 10 other main quests and had nearly 30Seems that Bethesda has learned from the past especially with Oblivion and Morrowind. The game itself takes good points from both, removes the rather broken leveling system from Oblivion, and fixes the story. Adding the scale and scope from morrowind, and leaving you to do your own thing. Before I had started the main quest, I'd already picked up 10 other main quests and had nearly 30 misc quests in my log simply from meeting and exploring. Graphics on it's own, are breathtaking. The combat system has been changed, some may like it, others may hate it. That doesn't mean there aren't flaws. Some textures are low res, blood, overlays for snow, there's a few problems with FXAA, quest failures because it can't find voice files(rare), but can be fixed by extracting the BSA. The AI is smarter than in previous games, but will still do silly things. Like keep a ward up for a long period if you charge a spell. There are some curious bugs, like CTD's if you're using a higher sound output than 24bit@41k, and some people report TDR problems with nvidia cards. On ultra high, performance wise on a 965x4 w/evga 560, is very good. Lots of light sources can cause it to choke, so can shadows. Though the difference between high and ultra shadows is minimal. The UI is very consolish, hopefully some folks like DaRN will fix that soon. If I could give partial points I would. The game is more of an 8.2-8.75 than a 9.

    As it stands now I have nearly 60 hours in gameplay, and am still enjoying it.    … Expand
  51. MustisTheCat
    Aug 25, 2015
    7
    Yeah maybe the game is huge but what else...not much. Boring, really. One can play through a game like Oblivion only so many times. Skyrim is very similar, only the story is even worse. As a gamer I expect the devs to treat me with respect that dictates them trying a bit harder than just adjusting and changing 10% of the recent game and release it as new title. I expect new story, I expectYeah maybe the game is huge but what else...not much. Boring, really. One can play through a game like Oblivion only so many times. Skyrim is very similar, only the story is even worse. As a gamer I expect the devs to treat me with respect that dictates them trying a bit harder than just adjusting and changing 10% of the recent game and release it as new title. I expect new story, I expect to be immersed, I expect great, interesting quests and characters. Nothing besides the music is above average in Skyrim plus I had to deal with the horrid console interface. What a joke.
    You can mod this game to hell and back and then it gains some color but vanilla Skyrim is a pale experience. Rating it based on mods would be giving credit to Bethesda instead where it is really due - the mod community. I feel that Skyrim brought me mediocre entertainment and in that term it is no better than Risen 2, yet it presents slighly higher production values, for example music and larger world.

    Story
    I hoped it would be something different, a lot better than Oblivion but I was dissapointed. The same jailed cutscene I can understand, that is TES franchise trademark so to say. But everything other besides that featured in the game. The Dovakhiin hero role playing is a lot worse than any TES earlier games. I literally had to force myself to sit through this and I consider the time lost forever.

    Graphics/Gameplay
    Dated on premiere day. Same console bull_____. Bad user interface ensures a pc player has trouble with smooth, fast action gameplay. The inventory is all over the place. Really a pain.
    Gaining skills and abilities has been changed for far far worse than in TES : Oblivion. It makes developing the character a chore and a needless, uninteresting grindfest. Few quests are good, hundreds do not deserve to take any self-respecting gamers` time.
    Actor models are horrific, bland robots. They did nothing to even help me submerge in the game`s world. They act in an incredibly scripted way, they are pathetic in showing any emotions at all, even the actor conversations are terrible.
    Maps/locations are huge and pretty, I give it that. But I haven`t come into anything remotely different than with any other rpg title. The same caves, same jail buildings, same castles, same tunnels I went through countless times before. The only thing that caught my attention are the open grounds like say waterfalls and some awesome sightseeing spots in the mountains.
    In the above locations are the same enemy types, all uncreative. I never came to meet an enemy I wouldn`t be able to characterise (strenght/health/magic etc.) at the plain first sight. Same ole spiders/zombies/thieves/monks/trolls/lions etc. What a waste of development time.

    Music
    Beautiful music, easily the strongest feature of Skyrim. Goes well with all character scenes. I caught myself exploring only due to the orchestra of different quite epic tunes.    … Expand
  52. Webwolf
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    This game is one of the best! its so much fun! i have played only 21 hours, and there is so much to do! there so much to explore, fight, lvl, and so much more. only one word to say MASTERPIECE!
  53. nopistons420
    Nov 12, 2011
    8
    like the game; a fresh direction for the elder scrolls series; there is some stuff i miss, allot is different but its a fresh change of pace, a fun single player experience and overall seems a good game;

    the engine is pretty impressive to me; and i enjoy the scenery and the role playing aspects of the game;
    in my mind its one of the best games to be released this year!
  54. Sussex_Man
    Dec 28, 2011
    8
    My ignorance might have won the day. I could have given this a 9 or even a 10 but I can't. Why? Because I've played the Witcher games and have discovered just how great an RPG really can be. Yes, Skyrim looks beautiful in those huge outdoor vistas. Just don't get too close to anything, though. Close-up details are not particularly good, even on the highest graphics settings.
    As for the    My ignorance might have won the day. I could have given this a 9 or even a 10 but I can't. Why? Because I've played the Witcher games and have discovered just how great an RPG really can be. Yes, Skyrim looks beautiful in those huge outdoor vistas. Just don't get too close to anything, though. Close-up details are not particularly good, even on the highest graphics settings.
    As for the main quest, I've been playing the game for about 10 hours and I'm really not getting engaged with the main plot at all. On the plus side it's because there are just so many side quests to do - this game is HUGE. On the minus side, the main quest is just not very interesting. Apparently the world might end. Really? In Oblivion it really felt that way. The hordes of the underworld had bled through and the ominous red glow in the sky was chilling and added a genuine feeling of peril. In this game I don't feel it at all. The world is full of dragons. They're pretty easy to kill, much easier than most dungeon bosses.
    Many of the side missions are retrieval quests - "I've lost X, go to Y and bring it back" - but they're fun for the most part, if not particularly challenging.
    The controls and combat are Ok but could be much better. A very obvious console port and not intuitive for mouse and keyboard but everything does run smoothly.
    Unfortunately there are tons of bugs - not too surprising for such a huge game and no real game-breakers. Just silly, laughable quirks like my horse becoming invisible at certain angles so it looks like I'm floating astride nothing. Sometimes dropped items don't land on the ground but sit three feet above my head, just floating there in space.
    I'm still enjoying it, hence the decent score, but it's just not engaging enough to give it full marks.    … Expand
  55. Sinloth
    Jan 5, 2012
    10
    Skyrim is truly awe inspiring. Firstly, I'd like to disregard all those trolls and fools, who bash the game down to grades bellow 5, because they obviously have no taste for RPGs or any ability to comprehend how vastly superior Skyrim is. I'll admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Oblivion and Morrowind came when I was still a little young for it, but Skyrim is a dream come true forSkyrim is truly awe inspiring. Firstly, I'd like to disregard all those trolls and fools, who bash the game down to grades bellow 5, because they obviously have no taste for RPGs or any ability to comprehend how vastly superior Skyrim is. I'll admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Oblivion and Morrowind came when I was still a little young for it, but Skyrim is a dream come true for anyone, who enjoys huge open fantasy worlds with a living, breathing society in it and dragons. Well, sure, there are some minor bugs, but in a game of this scale? It would have to be a miracle if there were none. So sometimes you'll ride your horse up a rocky mountain with some glitchy animations, sometimes some finishing move won't be nearly as glorious and neat as it should be, but who cares? Who could mind silly little things like this when there's a beautiful-beyond-tell world opening for them, where no dungeons look the same, where every step your horse takes through the vale of a night is an adventure on its own. Quests are rich, intriguing and entertaining, albeit the civil war wasn't as amazing as I had hoped. I've spent quite some time with the game already, up to the level 45 so far and I still love it, I still sometimes just stand still on a cliff at night, looking up to the starry sky with northern lights and gasp. One of the most immersive and probably the best RPG ever.… Expand
  56. Coflash
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    My GOTY no doubt. PC version. The only thing I didn't like in comparison to the previous two titles was the environment. I know it's Skyrim but I miss the vibrant landscapes in Oblivion.
  57. capiti
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    This game, like any other bethesda games, just suck!

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

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

    I feel like Im playing a 1997 PC game from a bad game maker. If I could, I would give -10. I dont give this bad score unless the game REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY deserves. Congratulations Skyrim!    … Expand
  58. Maningreen92
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    This is an amazing game, that's all it really takes to explain it. If you're not used to the story-based RPG genre, you will more than likely not enjoy this game. It, like the others in the series, is slower moving and more involved than what most ADD FPS Point-and-Click players can handle. And that's what I think most of the negative reviews are about. People like to point out theThis is an amazing game, that's all it really takes to explain it. If you're not used to the story-based RPG genre, you will more than likely not enjoy this game. It, like the others in the series, is slower moving and more involved than what most ADD FPS Point-and-Click players can handle. And that's what I think most of the negative reviews are about. People like to point out the smallest flaws and drastically reduce their rating because they were expecting a perfect, seamless game on release date. It doesn't happen, there is no such thing as a flawless game.

    Basically, this game requires patience. It is a massive world and it takes more than a few minutes to get from town to town, there's gonna be a few glitches and inconsistencies. Give'em a break. See a bug? Let Bethesda know.    … Expand
  59. Bitercup
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Every game gets me bored after 2-3 days but not Skyrim, and with all that mods i will play it forever.
    And for those who care only about graphic, play some other game, in Skyrim graphic is not that important.
    This game must be GOTY (Game Of The Year).
  60. E_K_H
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Overall the best game I have ever played. Great game-play, very beautiful graphics, and a good solid storyline. The guys at Bethesda has really outdone them self this time. However I have experienced a few bugs in the game, mainly game crashes. I have played around 25 hours, and the game has crashed approximately 10 times. Not a big problem, but annoying.
  61. Arvelayne
    Nov 14, 2011
    8
    For reference I've played 22 hours this weekend, and am level 17.

    Graphics In some ways they are better then Oblivion (although I haven't finished my little comparison screenshot project yet), but I side with those who say that Bethseda have slacked here. I think the modelling is better, but the textures are somewhat lacking. I also think the spell effects look cracking. Sound    For reference I've played 22 hours this weekend, and am level 17.

    Graphics In some ways they are better then Oblivion (although I haven't finished my little comparison screenshot project yet), but I side with those who say that Bethseda have slacked here. I think the modelling is better, but the textures are somewhat lacking.

    I also think the spell effects look cracking.

    Sound and Music

    Because sound is so important in a game like this, I deliberately went out and bought myself new speakers (a set of Creative T10s). This is was a damn good move, and it made a huge difference.

    The music I've heard so far is good. There are, however, some issues with characters talking over one another during conversations.

    The voice acting is fine, although some accents are a bit comical. Because of the scale of the game it is impossible to have every single character individually voiced, but it's certainly a lot better than Oblivion.

    Interface

    I actually like the new system. It's certainly a lot more usable than Oblivion, although very buggy. Container crash anyone? I like the favourites system, but I still haven't worked on number key bindings yet. Bethseda have slacked and should have opened up keymapping so that people could go the whole hog though.

    One thing I would also like to see is the ability to create sets of items, which could be named and accessed from favourites.

    Levelling, Skills and Perks

    I like the new system for levelling. I tried playing Oblivion three times (yes THREE), always got lost trying to min/max my stats. Simple is better in this case.

    The perks system is straightforward, and the reduction in the number of skills helps.

    Combat

    Again better than Oblivion, although I do get lost easily in close melee. Strafing is god where you can get space, as is line of sight, especially against hard/multiple opponents. I agree that it feels a bit detached at times though.

    Some mobs are ridiculously OP in melee, and can one or two shot you no matter what you try. It means that you have to adjust your play style, and run away or sneak more. It's just annoying to have to bounce back to the last save.

    In the end if you really want to kill something that's hard, turn the difficulty down.

    Magic

    The magic system is the same sort of thing as before, a tried an tested formula, although I disagree that a lack of custom spells is a bad thing. It makes you think about what you're doing, rather than power levelling (see later).

    I haven't gotten to the more complex spells so it does all seem a little samey right now, but I suspect things will improve.

    Also someone complained about the simplicity of the spells in another review. What were you expecting? Magic rabbits firing rainbows at unicorns? Or a Summon Bridge spell? Crafting/Enchanting

    Seems like a good system, although I haven't had much experience of it. I like that you have to destroy items to get enchants, which is fairer than the spellcasting based Oblivion system.

    Quests

    In general it's the normal type of thing. You're usually sent to the far side of the map from where you are (at least for main quests), but then that just allows you more reason to explore. I haven't had any experience of the new random quest system yet, but in general no complaints.

    Exploring and Dungeons

    Lots to see, and I like the placing of stuff just in sight of something else (at least if you have a long view distance), so you're always running off to check something. Someone complained about the lack of mobs between places, but to be honest there are some that are just OP in melee (see above), so I'm glad of the rest. Dungeons are generally fine, and I like that you seemingly have to wait 30 days for them to respawn rather than 3, which is much more sensible than the 3 days in Oblivion. Summary and Fixes This is a good game. It's not perfect, and it needs some work to make it brilliant. Bethseda need to get the really big Bug Squasher (tm) out quickly to make sure that their audience gets the attention it deserves. Patch 1.2 had better be out by the end of the month at the very latest if they don't want to alienate people. That also goes for the graphics as well, although at least part of the blame should lie with AMD, who have slacked on getting Crossfire and performance drivers out. One up for NVidia, and a pity I don't have NVidia graphics cards. DLC is coming, but I don't know when. Right now I think Bethseda have at least till Xmas before people start to get gnarly, although you'll always have the hardcore that finish it in days. But then you could release new content every other day and they'd still be complaining about it not being fast enough. I believe that the overall score at present (8.5) is fair, as it would all kind of balance out. It would increase to a 9 or so if all the actually bad bits were fixed, or at least alleviated.    … Expand
  62. btotheizzle
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After sinking 42 hours in to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim it's a proper time to finally time to give it the review it does. I will be the first to say that I love Bethesda Softworks games, the big worlds the stories, and I hold Fallout 3 being one of the best RPG of this era. That probably has to do with some things I am about to say.

    The Good:

    Fist off I am running the game on near max settings, and the game looks fabulous when compared to the Fallout series, it's lovely to see Bethesda step up the look of the game. It gives me faith that they will continue on that path. Rocks look like rocks, trees look like trees, the castle stone looks fantastic. The character modeling and weather effects are also excellent. After spending a few days playing BF3 maxed out I still felt like Skyrim was up to par graphically.

    They did some really good things when it comes to dialog to make it feel more natural, often times NPCs will speak without you actually having to talk to them. It's a little thing but it really worked.

    The voice acting is pretty good, I never felt like the lines where too cheesy or poorly done. You often run in to multiple characters having a conversation with each other which is nice to see.

    At least early in the game it feels like a thriller being attacked by a giant dragon and running for your life. The trill of learning the game was fun while it lasted.

    Many unique looking locations, from small towns to sprawling castle complexes. Architecture can differ so it doesn't feel like it's more of the same.

    You can learn some of the more advanced things in the games from NPCs, like for example smithing a weapon.

    A vast array of categories or attributes to build your character around. You can take basically any character and fit them to exactly how you want to play, which feels a lot more dynamic than Fallout.

    The Bad:

    If you never played a Bethesda RPG type game I'd expect you to be lost when you first start playing, I know I was a little at first. The menu system is a little clunky IMHO but I did get past that fairly quickly.

    Companions are utterly ridiculous. They will often times lag behind, get lost, block doorways, fall down holes, and yes die. There is no decent way to control them, even basically like in Fallout where you could tell them to use close range weapons or long range weapons, or to stay close or back off, or tell them to passive or aggressive. So as soon as an enemy appears your companions / conjured creatures will attack them even if you keep moving and try to run away from them. And if you keep running? Yep the just seem to get lost half the time. If I wasn't playing a conjuring type character I would have killed my companion and went on my way.

    There is no way, at least not from what I have found, to change weapon sets. It would have been a nice feature to be able to configure different sets to adjust to different enemies.

    Dungeons or caves, they are basically one in the same, and get extremely repetitive quickly. That's not to say they are all carbon copies of each of there, because they aren't, however they all follow the same basic principals. Generally small zig zagging corridors, leading to larger areas where combat takes place, and finishing in a final main chamber where you typically fight some sort of boss character and collect some nice loot. These make up the bulk of the quests in the game, or so it feels.

    I had no idea when I completed the main story line. You defeat the bad guy, and you get to go on your way. I like the fact that you can continue to play the game, but I kept playing aggressively because it didn't feel very anti-climatic and there where still dragons everywhere so I figured there was something else that needed to be done. It was just recently I ran out of mostly interesting quests and looked online for the main quest order to my dismay.

    Speaking of dismay, bugs. I found the game crashed on PC quite often and forced me to save early and save often otherwise I'd easily wipe out 20 min worth of work at a crack. The "Battle For Windhelm" quest was particularly painful. Also the quest "The Foresworn Conspiracy" also bugged out leading me to not be able to finish the quest. It should almost be expected these days that when games come out they are not truly done, but it's a very poor way to do business IMHO.

    Dragons, honestly just become a huge nuisance after a while, and I often times do not have the choice to fight them. They will block your fast travel from a wide area.

    In Closing:

    Bethesda has set the bar high in the recent years. Unfortunately Skyrim has a fairly boring story, poor game mechanics, and glitches that really kill the feel of an otherwise good game that looks fantastic. One day I hope to come back and re-evaluate it. I'm sure there will be DLC.    … Expand
  63. Stimpy
    Nov 25, 2011
    9
    Like Morrowind and Oblivion before it, a damn good game. I could rave about all the things I love about this game, but will focus on the interface.

    It is an adjustment from the old way, and for the first day or two I thought it was a sacrifice to benefit the console players, but I have adapted and appreciated the change. One thing I appreciate, is that the E key not only picks up items,    Like Morrowind and Oblivion before it, a damn good game. I could rave about all the things I love about this game, but will focus on the interface.

    It is an adjustment from the old way, and for the first day or two I thought it was a sacrifice to benefit the console players, but I have adapted and appreciated the change. One thing I appreciate, is that the E key not only picks up items, but you hold down the button, to hold the item, a simple improvement. And the duel weapon/spell system is a great new idea, although I would like it a bit more polished, sometimes I need to go into my inventory to equip two of the same weapon and other minor issues. Hopefully that will change in a patch. Otherwise, no complaints.    … Expand
  64. 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
  65. iloveFFC
    Nov 15, 2012
    0
    a horrible, horrible game, so unoriginal and utterly boring as hell. the graphics suck and so does the gameplay, never waste your money on this game, i wish i didn't make the mistake of buying this pile of crap
  66. Egomaniacal
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    The very best feature in Skyrim is ignoring what you're supposed to do. It's a compelling feature and one that also signifies shortcomings in different areas. It's an issue when the most fun you have is pointing your character in one direction and simply walking. Not because this isn't enjoyable -- it's mind blowing -- it's because it says that the main narrative isn't compelling enough toThe very best feature in Skyrim is ignoring what you're supposed to do. It's a compelling feature and one that also signifies shortcomings in different areas. It's an issue when the most fun you have is pointing your character in one direction and simply walking. Not because this isn't enjoyable -- it's mind blowing -- it's because it says that the main narrative isn't compelling enough to see through. There is more fun in exploring a random cave you stumbled upon and finding a new shout than it is exploring the civil conflict that is plaguing Skyrim. That said, doing whatever you want to do in a great setting is easily enough to sink triple digit hours into. In one playthrough I decided to head East for the majority of my questing and while many of the caves started to look the same, the little stories you find tucked away were unique. The game handles as one would expect of an Elder Scrolls title and in that it feels a little weak. Press a button and press it again and again and again and again. Once you're strong enough you simple charge up and smack things in one hit. Casting has a bit more variation but once you learn to summon certain companions the challenge evaporates here as well. Some of the skill trees are utterly worthless and should have been folded into others, but the game is still worth playing and getting lost it.… Expand
  67. Krovak
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    One of the best games I have ever played. I played it 3 times so far and spent there almost 200 hours. I´m looking forward to play some mods as well. It´s not perfect game but certainly best game of the year.
  68. stopdroplol
    Dec 25, 2011
    7
    I've been playing the series since Morrowind and I know it sounds elitist and unoriginal to say, but the games have been going downhill ever since. This latest game is by far the most repetitive and unoriginal game by far. The story really doesn't even feel TES, it's lacking on all fronts and is what I expect of a low budget Hollywood movie. The geography is almost universally the sameI've been playing the series since Morrowind and I know it sounds elitist and unoriginal to say, but the games have been going downhill ever since. This latest game is by far the most repetitive and unoriginal game by far. The story really doesn't even feel TES, it's lacking on all fronts and is what I expect of a low budget Hollywood movie. The geography is almost universally the same climate, i'd say a good 90% is covered in snow, 6% forest, 3% swamp, 1% badlands. Every city seems to be the same. The player really never gets a reason to feel sorry for the Stormcloaks yet it seems to be forced on us from the very beginging that they're the good guys. Dragons? Well they start off kinda ok, then you kill your first 5 and you think, "well they're nothing special." And by the time you kill the 12th or so you think, "Why'd they even put them in the game." Seriously, for a world in which dragons are suppose to be these ultimate beings, exceptionally rare, and rightfully feared by everyone, why does it only take 6 city guardsman to kill one? Why are do you seem to find one every 500 yards? Why do they rinse and repeat the same scripted attack patterns over and over? So why did I give it a 7? Well if its your first time playing an Elder Scrolls game you're gonna love it. But if you're a veteran of the series you probably couldn't play more than 30 hours before you had to give it up in boredom.… Expand
  69. CheeZ_Girl
    Feb 27, 2012
    10
    AMAZING! A lot better on PC than Xbox 360. It's especially better if you have it on steam since there you can download great mods. It's just a beautiful fun game!!!!!!!
  70. cossayos
    Nov 3, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After Bethesda's fallout 3 I had high hopes that the Elder Scrolls would finally come around to the same concept. Instead you still are John/Jane Doe whilst travelling through a - diversified - wilderness. The world doesn't react to your exploits. You stay a nobody throughout the game and even if you made it to the top of some guild, your underlings still treat you like the new stablehand. Same goes for the NPC population which mostly has just one line for you, regardless of who or what your character is. Some of the worst examples might be the mage at Whiterun, rambling on about you joining the mage guild, even if you're the head of said guild. The civil war, regardless of the side you picked, is bland and simply stops without further addo to throw you into Nobody territorry again. And then there are countless aspects where this game really could have shone if the devs added some depths. Marriage for example. A genius idea, but it stays a skeleton without any detail. All in all, a typical Elder Scroll game. I loved Morrowind when it came out in 2002, but the world moved on since then and what was good enough 10 years ago, isn't state of the art anymore. It's fun to play around a bit, but I never felt the compulsion to do a second playthrough.… Expand
  71. Zarzunabas
    Nov 23, 2014
    10
    There are 2 kinds of people in this world.
    1. People, who life their life without purpose, just to die one day without achieving anything.
    2. People, who dont achieve anything either. but played skyrim. As a member of the second variant of people i proudly announce that after 632 hours (thanks steam for creating this record) i finally found some time to write this review: One of    There are 2 kinds of people in this world.
    1. People, who life their life without purpose, just to die one day without achieving anything.

    2. People, who dont achieve anything either. but played skyrim.

    As a member of the second variant of people i proudly announce that after 632 hours (thanks steam for creating this record) i finally found some time to write this review:

    One of the best games i´ve ever played.

    Thank you for your time and if you would excuse me: I NEED TO SAVE THE WORLD OF TAMRIEL JUST ONE MORE TIME X)

    *is starting the skyrim.exe*    … Expand
  72. fifty2pickup
    Nov 24, 2014
    10
    This review is from the perspective of someone with a decent gaming PC and enough know-how to safely install/manage mods for the game.

    On a decent gaming PC with mods, there is no other gaming experience like Skyrim. According to Steam, I recently passed the 5000 hours mark and still playing. I probably spent 25% of my play time checking and updating mods and 75% actually playing the    This review is from the perspective of someone with a decent gaming PC and enough know-how to safely install/manage mods for the game.

    On a decent gaming PC with mods, there is no other gaming experience like Skyrim. According to Steam, I recently passed the 5000 hours mark and still playing. I probably spent 25% of my play time checking and updating mods and 75% actually playing the game.

    After 2 years of modding, I now run just under 200 mods and have reached a stable configuration for a script intensive, visually enhanced game with ENB post processor. All aspects of the game has been overhauled. I haven't done the normal start in 2 years. My character is sensitive to temperature/rain/snow/wetness, must eat and sleep, gets diseases. Enemies are smarter, there's more of them, can use magic and potions, equipped with enhance/tempered weapons, and even loot dead bodies. Weapons and armors for everyone degrades and can get destroyed during combat. I have to feed my followers. All NPC's responds to weather conditions by equipping proper gear or goes home. There are holidays that will caused NPC's that would normally be confined to some interior cells to come out to common area to celebrate. There are new lands, locations, new NPC's to meet, and new quests to do. If you want your game to really be rated M (or way beyond), there are mods for that, too.

    The based game has its problems and I can see why some people gave it low ratings. However, Bethesda gave PC gamers the Creation Kit. Creation Kit + awesome (international) modding community = one of the best sand box game to date. If you have good PC and haven't tried this yet, pick up the Legendary Edition at the next Steam sale and head on over nexusmods. Prepare for a gaming experience like no other.    … Expand
  73. Marco_AGJ
    Feb 3, 2015
    10
    Bethesda has taken the world exploration of The Elder Scrolls series to a whole new level with Skyrim. The world seems smaller than Oblivion's but a lot more consistent. Most of Oblivion plains felt sterile, more and more of the same copy and paste. Skyrim on the other hand seeks to make each corner memorable, it's easy to notice differences in vegetation and clime.

    As always the main    Bethesda has taken the world exploration of The Elder Scrolls series to a whole new level with Skyrim. The world seems smaller than Oblivion's but a lot more consistent. Most of Oblivion plains felt sterile, more and more of the same copy and paste. Skyrim on the other hand seeks to make each corner memorable, it's easy to notice differences in vegetation and clime.

    As always the main story is there but it's not the main focus, what's really important are the side quests. The main story is much better told than Oblivion and lasts a considerable longer time as well. Side-quests will really be the soul here often requiring extreme exploration in some of the hundreds of locales scattered around its colossal world.

    If I had to point out what I disled about this game would be the fact that caverns seems a lot simpler and less obscure than Oblivion's—even though they're much more fun to explore—, a mix of both world would be perfect. Also, even though side-quests are absolutely everywhere, the "infinite quests" system did not do it for me. A game this big shouldn't be infinite, and they could have exchanged the infinite system with more finite quests so we could actually reach an end for it.

    All in all, this came's scope is massive and easily one of the most immersive experiences I've ever had. Though I might not have agreed with all Bethesda's choices I can certainly see benefits in them. Still, a massive game deserves a massive score.    … Expand
  74. Bboygamer
    Dec 28, 2014
    10
    Arguably the best RPG ever made in recent years. It perfects its music, weather, scenery and filters to craft a splendid immersion, allowing you to trek through the large gameplay area without ever feeling a dull moment. After playing for a few hours you start to feel the character is really you. In addition the world is so organic that the player has complete freedom to be as creative asArguably the best RPG ever made in recent years. It perfects its music, weather, scenery and filters to craft a splendid immersion, allowing you to trek through the large gameplay area without ever feeling a dull moment. After playing for a few hours you start to feel the character is really you. In addition the world is so organic that the player has complete freedom to be as creative as possible with the objects and abilities around. This allows for variety and makes the gameworld feel real.

    Amazed by the smooth graphics as well when I first played 10/10. With mods 20/10    … Expand
  75. Bolt55545
    Jan 1, 2015
    10
    Skyrim is a big hit for Bethesda. To me this is one of the best elder scrolls games out of all. and yea i have played the previous two game Oblivion and Morrowind and I still think Skyrim is better. While I agree that the inventory is more designed at console gamers and the AI seemed to act bad sometimes this game is still one my top 5 with so much to do this game is one of the best.
  76. grom358
    Dec 19, 2011
    0
    Giving this game a 0 to offset all the 10/10 reviews because it is way overhyped. Its a decent and average game. I quickly started to find this game dull. The combat is really lacking. No dodge, no parry, no positional attacks, etc. Its boring and dull. The map is large but for me it felt I would run for ages only coming across the occasional enemy to fight. There may be hours and hours ofGiving this game a 0 to offset all the 10/10 reviews because it is way overhyped. Its a decent and average game. I quickly started to find this game dull. The combat is really lacking. No dodge, no parry, no positional attacks, etc. Its boring and dull. The map is large but for me it felt I would run for ages only coming across the occasional enemy to fight. There may be hours and hours of quests but majority of them are outright boring and remind me of the quests from a grindfest MMO. On the positive the game has a nice amount of freedom and is open world environment. But for me personally it is all rather pointless and uninteresting. Also there a number of noticeable bugs with this game. And I have had the occasional crash to desktop.… Expand
  77. UntoTheBreach
    Jan 1, 2013
    2
    The best thing I can say about Skyrim is that it makes a decent action game; even then there's much better to be had. Simply put, Skyrim pulls the "RPG" out of "action/RPG." RPGs are defined by the role-playing aspect that gives the genre its name. In a rather startling disconnect from previous Elder Scrolls installments and the Fallout series, very little about Skyrim actuallyThe best thing I can say about Skyrim is that it makes a decent action game; even then there's much better to be had. Simply put, Skyrim pulls the "RPG" out of "action/RPG." RPGs are defined by the role-playing aspect that gives the genre its name. In a rather startling disconnect from previous Elder Scrolls installments and the Fallout series, very little about Skyrim actually fosters a sense of immersion and attachment. Sure, you play the role of a hero or thief or whatever you decide Character creation, and its importance to most RPGs that feature this mechanic, is essentially written off as a minor hurdle in the beginning of the game; nothing about the process informs hardly anything save some inconsequential lines of dialogue. A given race has some minor initial bonuses in certain skills, but nothing a half hour of playing doesn't disrupt. Classes and specializations are nonexistent and skills are threadbare in an effort to make the game more "accessible" but instead serves to simplify the game to an insulting extent. You can roleplay as a given "class" only by choosing not to use other skills available and adhering to a certain gameplay style; ironic that a so-called RPG forces this to be the case. Combat is a bore; it basically revolves entirely around jumping to avoid attacks (or sometimes blocking, y'know, just to raise the skill to level up quicker) and pressing the attack button. Virtually no restrictions are in place in terms of gameplay: you can spend 30 hours playing as a warrior wielding greatswords then immediately begin your new life as a thief or mage with a little grinding (or if you're feeling lazy, exploitation of the level up system). This may appeal to some but those who enjoy depth of experience rather than breadth of content will probably be disappointed. This emphasis on amount of content over quality of experience spills over into the core game as well. The main quest is always there (without any sense of urgency behind it, by the way) but most of your time will likely be spent slogging through inconsequential fetch quests and contract killings that you can pick up barely interacting with anything, or by following the slightly more interesting yet still lackluster guild questlines. These are where the majority of the game's depth comes in, however little it is. Two days out of jail you can be the master of every faction and have singlehandedly won the war that ravaged the land. Two more aspects of RPGs Skryrim mostly abandoned, character and story development, are also one of its greatest offenses. I can count on one hand how many characters actually had a semblance of depth to them. Companion characters--more accurately called followers--do just that and not much else besides attack what you attack and haul your inventory. The importance of dialogue is negligible; you can learn everything about your active quest in the journal screen without having to hear the same recycled voice actors tell you. No choices with any narrative weight exist; the only choices I even noticed are ones that actually deprive you of achievements if you pick the wrong action (without the game even hinting to you of the consequence) and force you to reload a save or even replay the game to obtain them. Any fun there is to be had seems to be on the PC version if you install some cool mods, and even those can't fix what's already broken. With such a large world and so much to do in it, Skyrim tricks you into thinking it has scale where it counts, when in fact, it is nothing more than an expanse of content with the depth of a wheelchair ramp. I wasn't immersed; I wasn't entertained; but, as a fan of the RPG, I certainly did feel more than a little cheated.… Expand
  78. HazardPrime
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Played the game for four hours, release night and I was blown away. The graphics of Skyrim are beautiful and Vibrant, well not the best looking PC game it could have been Bethesda did a great job none the less. The story is looking interesting and the world is just huge with so much to do. During my play through I've only experience one CTD in four hours making this the most stablePlayed the game for four hours, release night and I was blown away. The graphics of Skyrim are beautiful and Vibrant, well not the best looking PC game it could have been Bethesda did a great job none the less. The story is looking interesting and the world is just huge with so much to do. During my play through I've only experience one CTD in four hours making this the most stable Bethesda game release I've played. Despite how amazing of an RPG I think Skyrim is it still has its share of problems. It's no secret that for the first time Bethesda has made an Elder Scrolls game with console as its main focus of the games development. Put simply the've might have "simplified" Skyrim a little to much. The interface has been dumb down to a very simple items menu that lacks any RPG feel and sorting options. Bethesda has chosen to ignore the number keys and can't switch weapons/spells on the go instead having to pause the game and go into the menu breaking the immersion. Well not game breaking changes these are still annoyances that bother me and unfortunately I'm sure to find more of these.… Expand
  79. reanimatrix
    Feb 19, 2012
    0
    Everything that is wrong with fantasy and sandbox mmos-- no plot, bad voice acting, no character development. Bad combat, clunky and nearly impossible UI for PC. Biggest waste of $60. Don't listen to the hype, that was my mistake. I even tried playing it again recently to see if I had maybe misjudged it. Still boring and unrelateable.
  80. Valleymsx
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I started to play videogames 27 years ago. The RPG was my favourite type of games... In 1997 my life was chenged when i played The legend of Zelda - Ocarina of time. 11 / 11 / 11 today is another most important day in my life. I playing in the BEST video game on history. SKYRIM, is awesome. 100% recomended. If you have Windows updated, and "normal" graphics card with updated drivers...I started to play videogames 27 years ago. The RPG was my favourite type of games... In 1997 my life was chenged when i played The legend of Zelda - Ocarina of time. 11 / 11 / 11 today is another most important day in my life. I playing in the BEST video game on history. SKYRIM, is awesome. 100% recomended. If you have Windows updated, and "normal" graphics card with updated drivers... don't read bad opinions, this game is on of the best game in the history.... [10/10]… Expand
  81. Coffeesipper24
    Feb 19, 2012
    4
    I fully understand that Im going to cop a lot of flak for this one, but I fully intend to review this game as I experienced. The game starts off rather well, but soon loses momentum as the game leaves the player to choose their own adventure. Perhaps, what I thought was the most enjoyable aspect of the game, was exploring the huge world the Bethesda has created, yet this would likelyI fully understand that Im going to cop a lot of flak for this one, but I fully intend to review this game as I experienced. The game starts off rather well, but soon loses momentum as the game leaves the player to choose their own adventure. Perhaps, what I thought was the most enjoyable aspect of the game, was exploring the huge world the Bethesda has created, yet this would likely appeal to very few people. Combat is simple, yet at times a bit clumsy, and graphics, on the whole, I found to be rather underwhelming. By no means has Bethesda mishandled a good concept though perhaps I wish that they had done a little bit more with it. If youâ… Expand
  82. LordSeferoth
    Dec 29, 2011
    0
    Horrible and disapointing game. Skyrim is everything Elder Scrolls fans did not want. Its smaller,stripped,mainstreamed,buggy and ugly game. If this is the new direction of Elder Scrolls then this serie is dead for me. It certainly won my FOTY(Fail of the year) award this year.
  83. Chupwn
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Pure awesomeness. Wish the dragons put up more of a fight though. The graphics are a big improvement over Oblivion, and the game is running crash free on my Intel/AMD PC.
  84. CaptainChaos
    Dec 17, 2011
    10
    Ok, after 110 hours I am prepared to change my review from an 8 to a 10. I gave it an 8 originally because (1) I was cheesed off that Bethesda still largely blew off the PC community with its interface design and limit for 2GB for memory (2) and also there were a number of things that really should have been better since Oblivion, and some were and others not so much. All that said, lookOk, after 110 hours I am prepared to change my review from an 8 to a 10. I gave it an 8 originally because (1) I was cheesed off that Bethesda still largely blew off the PC community with its interface design and limit for 2GB for memory (2) and also there were a number of things that really should have been better since Oblivion, and some were and others not so much. All that said, look - Bethy makes its games totally open source and supports PC people mucking around, so of course, the modding community fixed everything, Bethy is trying harder to make good in some ways for PC users after the fact, and finally - look, I spent 110 hours in the game, and it's not perfect but it STILL SURPRISES me, which I thought impossible. It could always be better and it should be slightly better, but maybe there is no way to make a game this big, that responsive to so many diff players. I mean, I've only finished 20% of the game, so what's that going to be? 1,000 hours? and 3 years from now, I will play it as a diff character with 100 mods. If that's not a 10 what is? Thanks Bethy.… Expand
  85. Metalsand
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Like every TES game, Skyrim comes back again, takes a good look at it's predesessor, and vastly improves upon it. Everything is pretty, combat mechanics are MUCH better than Oblivion, and the 70+ voice actors compared to Oblivion's 12 is astounding. I couldn't have asked for more from Bethesda.
  86. Monte28
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Stop busting their balls about the graphics! The game has low texture quality but everything else is awesome. Even though my game crashed twice now...its still crazy good. The graphics are only bad wehen you walk really close to the object, and because its optimized fights can range from you and one enemy, to you, 10 companions, and 20 enemies! Hell even higher but i havent seen it yet.Stop busting their balls about the graphics! The game has low texture quality but everything else is awesome. Even though my game crashed twice now...its still crazy good. The graphics are only bad wehen you walk really close to the object, and because its optimized fights can range from you and one enemy, to you, 10 companions, and 20 enemies! Hell even higher but i havent seen it yet. All in all the game is an instant classic and to not buy it or say it sucks cuz the graphics arent the greatest its just wrong. The content is slowly fed to you. There is alot there, you just wont see it all at once. Every hour i find something new and unique. But the story is kind of boring. Overall it has GOTY written all over it!… Expand
  87. hexaae
    Jun 1, 2015
    6
    Unfortunately it's poorly done, with an ancient engine and FULL of over 2000 bugs. It could have been potentially a masterpiece. No, no mods can fix some broken engine mechanics and bugs.
  88. Ursadorable
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    While the interface suffers some console dumbing down, this game easily jockeys itself to "Game of the Year" status. I hear some people complaining the graphics aren't as stellar as Witcher 2, but to me the scope of the game far outweighs said criticism. I look forward to all the mods that will be available on the PC version in the future. Kudos Bethesda on a worth successor in theWhile the interface suffers some console dumbing down, this game easily jockeys itself to "Game of the Year" status. I hear some people complaining the graphics aren't as stellar as Witcher 2, but to me the scope of the game far outweighs said criticism. I look forward to all the mods that will be available on the PC version in the future. Kudos Bethesda on a worth successor in the Elder Scrolls franchise.… Expand
  89. Half-lifeer
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    What can i say... This is the best Rpg game i have ever played and probably the Best in Gaming history.

    Buy it, you wont regret it, and if you do, your not sane.
  90. ysmir
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    This game truly is amazing it deserves game of the year. There are flaws just as in any game but its no reason to give it a score of 0, because your a troll. I can't wait to see what modders are able to do with the new engine, then it will be the best game ever.
  91. Rakka
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    To all the negative critics: THIS IS WHAT AN ACTUAL RPG SHOULD BE! I find it saddening that people are crying about idiot things such as "I can't kill everyone" or "I get no hollywood story with choices", because they seem to rate a brilliant game as it should be some sort of FPS or dating-sim. Skyrim is RPGs at it's best, amazing, well detailed world, truly free gameplay, and mind-blowingTo all the negative critics: THIS IS WHAT AN ACTUAL RPG SHOULD BE! I find it saddening that people are crying about idiot things such as "I can't kill everyone" or "I get no hollywood story with choices", because they seem to rate a brilliant game as it should be some sort of FPS or dating-sim. Skyrim is RPGs at it's best, amazing, well detailed world, truly free gameplay, and mind-blowing atmosphere. Will likely spend hundreds of hours with it. Good job Bethesda!… Expand
  92. Ancient
    May 29, 2012
    3
    Storytelling and quests in this game are insult to intelligence! I don' understand how people can not see this? Only thing that is big in this game is map!
  93. Ewoko
    Jul 14, 2012
    4
    I was severely disappointed with this game, as much as I hate to say it. I bought this game hoping for an entirely new experience, a great story and game-play, but it was stunted by quite a few things. Firstly, the story was very linear and boring in terms of quests. Things like, "Go to cave X to find a clue about the whereabouts of Y." When you then go to the cave, there are a fewI was severely disappointed with this game, as much as I hate to say it. I bought this game hoping for an entirely new experience, a great story and game-play, but it was stunted by quite a few things. Firstly, the story was very linear and boring in terms of quests. Things like, "Go to cave X to find a clue about the whereabouts of Y." When you then go to the cave, there are a few monsters and a straight path to the end, as well as some recurring puzzles that you see in almost every major cave. The side quests are even worse, and are often just fetch quests and, "Go kill X," quests. You can join groups like the dark brotherhood, but the result is the same, boring, linear quest pattern. As for combat, most of the time is spent in the inventory switching spells, drinking potions, switching weapons, while there is little focus on the actual combat. It's no kind of fighting we haven't seen before, just make your character face the enemy, select from your wide variety of weapons, and hit the attack button. Done. Have I mentioned that the game is very slow paced? Outside of dungeons, you barely fight anything other than a bandit here and there, and on rare occasions, you will encounter a dragon. The game-play is mostly looking at your inventory and traversing large spans of land. I've never really cared much about graphics in game, but if you do, these are sub par for how much hype they received pre-release. Overall, I was very disappointed. I'll stick with BIT.TRIP and The Binding. Much more satisfying on every level.… Expand
  94. lode07
    Jul 16, 2012
    4
    I would have rated this game 10/10 had it not been released with so many bugs!

    story so far, I played for many hours getting my character to level 29, only to find that a patch that was supposed to fix the game, instead corrupted my saved games. Finally, I managed to get back into my save game after trying numerous suggested fixes on forums. I continued playing for a couple of days    I would have rated this game 10/10 had it not been released with so many bugs!

    story so far, I played for many hours getting my character to level 29, only to find that a patch that was supposed to fix the game, instead corrupted my saved games. Finally, I managed to get back into my save game after trying numerous suggested fixes on forums. I continued playing for a couple of days until all of a sudden I could no longer talk to NPCs, mine or use switches. Refusing to start a new game, I left the game for a couple of months and logged back in recently. After logging in, I received an error message that appeared on starting a new game or logging into a saved game. I went off in search of a fix and after reading numerous forum articles each with a different solution I decided to give up. After a brief period of time spent swearing at my PC, I did find a solution and finally managed to get into my save game. However, the fleeting moment of joy was replaced with yet more misery. The graphics were glitched, the game world looked like the brightness had been turned up to full and the color palette had been replaced with monochrome. After checking all my drivers were up to date and verifying the game cache, I tried logging into the game the next evening only to find it kept bombing out before reaching the main menu....

    I have never had so many issues trying to play a game before and I really do want to rate it higher! However, due to the fact that I have not been able to play it for a good few months plus I have spent countless hours trying to troubleshoot issues, wasting away my life..... i can't give it more than 4/10.    … Expand
  95. 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
  96. Jaman
    Nov 14, 2011
    6
    Loved Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3. I find Skyrim to be more of the same. Some people will like that. Clearly a huge effort has been spent in creating the beautiful world to explore and the storyline, but the game really falls down in gameplay mechanics, which have barely changed and are as clunky as ever. Melee combat is unacceptably bad (c'mon now folks). I fail to see how characterLoved Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3. I find Skyrim to be more of the same. Some people will like that. Clearly a huge effort has been spent in creating the beautiful world to explore and the storyline, but the game really falls down in gameplay mechanics, which have barely changed and are as clunky as ever. Melee combat is unacceptably bad (c'mon now folks). I fail to see how character interaction has changed - they hype suggested that this would be an area for improvement but the characters are still as dumb as ever. I went for the PC version because of the amazing modding community. It runs fine for me on highest quality, but I took it down a to medium to prevent my GPU from frying. It still looks good and plays even smoother. Yes there are noticeable and annoying glitches - YMMV.

    Based on the commercial release, the quality control team should be fired. I enjoyed the20+ hours I spent in skyrim, but it has now become extremely tedious and I have no desire to invest more of my time there.

    Shame that so many people blithely give a 0 or 10. It's not that bad, neither is it that good. Users should try to be more objective with their reviews otherwise companies like Bethesda will not feel compelled to make the necessary improvements to gameplay. In this day and age, gamers should be more demanding. That's how we progress.

    The gaming press has been bought.    … Expand
  97. xDaNx
    Feb 1, 2012
    4
    This game is highly over-rated. Most suitable comparison would be saying that this game industry's Avatar (film). Impressive graphically at first, but once you see it clearly, it has a boring story, full of clichés and overall, not interesting enough. It has a great amount of items and weapons, but you won't need 80% of them because most of them are just useless. Quest becomeThis game is highly over-rated. Most suitable comparison would be saying that this game industry's Avatar (film). Impressive graphically at first, but once you see it clearly, it has a boring story, full of clichés and overall, not interesting enough. It has a great amount of items and weapons, but you won't need 80% of them because most of them are just useless. Quest become way too repetitive quickly, specially because most of them are just a copy & paste with different names and places, and besides, some skills make them too easy to complete. Main story itself isn't very interesting or original, and the fact that some side-quests may delay your progress in the main-quest makes it quite annoying. Enemies are poorly designed and there isn't enough variety of them for such a huge world. It may give you a few hours of entertainment, but unless for some strange reason you are like addicted to it, it will be hard for you to go further than 50% of the game, because by then you have noticed how repetitive it is. If you manage to complete 100% of the main quest, you won't really get a real reason to complete side-quests left, and that if you didn't accidentally ruined them by killing someone or doing something you shouldn't. The good: It has quite nice graphics, a huge world to explore and, if for some reason you actually like this game, you have a huge amount of things to do. The bad: Way too bugged (PC version got some of them solved by FANS even before they were officially solved), repetitive as hell, after main-quest is completed you have no real reason to keep playing, too many useless quests and items.… Expand
  98. Mikimax
    Feb 25, 2012
    3
    Game as any other Bethesda game.
    If you played Oblivion and Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, then you've seen it all. This is the same game with different theme. Been there, done that, that's it. I got bored after playing 8h of it, it's too repetitive. After playing Witcher 2 this game looks and plays like crap.
  99. kemutsemu
    Aug 8, 2012
    4
    I've spent probably about one thousand or so hours playing this game's predecessors. Unfortunately, this game failed to have that sort of drawing power for me-- I could only manage about thirty hours on this one before being completely bored.

    Graphics: To give you an idea of how well these graphics appealed/will appear to PC gamers, the first time I saw a certain snow texture (on the    I've spent probably about one thousand or so hours playing this game's predecessors. Unfortunately, this game failed to have that sort of drawing power for me-- I could only manage about thirty hours on this one before being completely bored.

    Graphics: To give you an idea of how well these graphics appealed/will appear to PC gamers, the first time I saw a certain snow texture (on the roof of that broken down fortress inhabited by bandits) I thought my game had glitched and that the snow hadn't fully rendered. To my surprise, that texture had loaded properly-- it was just intended to look completely flat and without any sort of real detail. Bethesda games have never really been known for high quality graphics or animation and I care more about gameplay than graphics, so this isn't that much of a detractor for me; but there's still a certain level of quality that you'd expect from a massive release such as this.

    Audio: The only complaint I have about the game's audio is that the soundtrack paled in comparison to its predecessors. The game's trailer probably had the best song related/in the game.

    Gameplay: Oh boy, here's where it all goes downhill. The combat has absolutely no depth-- what you do in one fight is what you'll be doing in every fight for the rest of the game.

    You'll use your strongest spell against every enemy because, save for one quest, elemental resistances are negligible-- not to mention that the spells in the destruction skill tree don't scale enough to keep them competitive with the melee trees or the conjured weapons.

    You'll use power attacks rather than normal attacks because there's no real consequence for using them when you're almost out of stamina, and you also won't be terribly active in combat-- you can't properly dodge attacks, so there's little reason to do anything other than standing in place, spamming power attacks.

    That being said, ranged combat works, although not as well as one would expect in a game made so recently-- there's no location-based damage. A headshot is as effective as a body shot, period.

    It also doesn't help that the game's iconic enemies (dragons) are severely outclassed by the game's most basic enemies (bandits) once you get to a certain level. Thanks to Skyrim's level-scaling, you'll eventually encounter bandits outfitted in daedric gear who will pose a greater threat to you than the big bads in this game. Certain enemies will also simply be damage sponges that you'll just have to whittle away at until they succumb to their tiny wounds.

    Then there's the world. It's largely empty, the towns are incredibly small (Skyrim's capital city only has eleven buildings), and all of the dungeons within the game are insanely streamlined-- more so than Oblivion's dungeons, which were already incredibly straightforward.

    Also, there's an insane amount of quest-breaking/game-breaking glitches in the game-- just one look at the Elderscrolls wiki will make you realize how lucky you are to have gotten so far without the game collapsing in on itself.

    In all, I'd give it an "at least jumping off of the throat of the world is fun" out of ten.    … Expand
  100. Starblind
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Awesome. I have noticed few bugs or crashes for this stable game. For those that forgot all pc games have minor bugs I'm sorry you forgot. I haven't even seen a minor bug yet anyway... oh yeah an NPC bumped into a wall for a second. OMG THE GAME IS BROKEN!!! nah It's super stable. And a dream to play. The controls are simple and you can be any character you want by equiping whateverAwesome. I have noticed few bugs or crashes for this stable game. For those that forgot all pc games have minor bugs I'm sorry you forgot. I haven't even seen a minor bug yet anyway... oh yeah an NPC bumped into a wall for a second. OMG THE GAME IS BROKEN!!! nah It's super stable. And a dream to play. The controls are simple and you can be any character you want by equiping whatever you want. Oh and for the people that think this is impossible and clunky it's called the "favorite" function of the game where you can fast equip spells, bows, swords, etc. This game is a dream and everything I have been dreaming a game would be for the past 10 years. Finally a game worth a perfect score.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

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