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. elhive
    May 7, 2012
    8
    You can say Skyrim's biggest advantage is also it's biggest flaw. I love sandbox games, and although I never really was a big fan of the Elder scrolls series I thought the freedom was certainly entertaining. But Oblivion was flawed on so many levels that I simply can't compare it to Skyrim. Yes, Skyrim is a much better game on every single way. Weapons and armor disintegration is gone andYou can say Skyrim's biggest advantage is also it's biggest flaw. I love sandbox games, and although I never really was a big fan of the Elder scrolls series I thought the freedom was certainly entertaining. But Oblivion was flawed on so many levels that I simply can't compare it to Skyrim. Yes, Skyrim is a much better game on every single way. Weapons and armor disintegration is gone and the dungeons are much more varied and interesting. Instead of repetative Oblivion gates you now have dragon fights but more importantly',the game looks and feels much better then it's laggy, buggy predecessor. The game has a ton of quests and will last for months,But here is the big problem: the game never has true high points. It's addicting, I'l give it that, but it doesn't have deep characters nor does it have an interesting story. It relies on it's endless replay value and sacrifices quality. It lacks focus and, as such, it was never memorable for me. Despite this, the game is fun and entertaining. The combat is excellent and the quests can be really grand and fun. The politics in Skyrim are actualy interesting and somehow held my interest of the story. The game is great, but it lacks focus, and Bethesda released it so buggy (let's not forget the broken PS3 version) that it's really a mixed bag here. People rave and praise it, and I can understand where the love is coming from, but it has it's flaws that shouldn't be passed by.… Expand
  2. IcoNat20
    Jul 17, 2012
    9
    All the great expansive game of Morrowind, and the artistic direction of oblivion, but... better? Every place is like a photo, or a work of art on a canvas. I shall not go into further detail.

    Downside, quests are short.
  3. UberGoat
    May 21, 2012
    10
    The most amazing game I have played in years. It is so immersive with so much to do. I am not the kind of person who enjoys playing single player games, but this game and Elder Scrolls in general is always an exception to that.
  4. madrigal
    May 16, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. You get out of it what you put into it. If you're going to cry about the obvious stuff, then go play Sims. Go make real choices. Go get 1000 different voice-over people and re-write the dialogue. I'm about 20 hours into it. I've read some of the other user reviews and there is some valid stuff to be said about Skyrim. I've rarely played this D&D type genre before. Last D&D style game I played was on the 3DO. Just not my gig. I have no idea about the Elder Scrolls before this so I can't speak to it. But I know that in this genre, there are spells and dungeons and caves and kill the yellow dragon, kill the red dragon, use the blue key for the blue dungeon...etc. etc. etc. There is a proven formula for this genre and their own family of games and Bethesda is just sticking to it. I have no problem with it. The truth is, this game is absolutely enrapturing in it's beauty and form (if you have the right PC and mods to run it) and fun as heck to play...if you are playing on Master difficulty. Therein lies the problem for many of these critics. They play an easy game and expect genius. When it takes you an hour to kill a dragon because you are out of arrows and running for your life, then a game gets fun. If you want more out of Skyrim, kick it up a notch. And a last word on "making choices" in a story-driven game. If you haven't already learned from Mass Effect....there are no REAL CHOICES. No matter what the game devs say, there is NO WAY to make a story-driven game with real choices. So get over it.… Expand
  5. WaterWoman
    May 18, 2012
    9
    This game is definitely either an 8 or 9. It's just weirdly addicting, and it looks pretty amazing. Sure, Witcher 2 looks great also, but that game, for me, got old and I never finished it. Skyrim, well, I had to keep playing (only level 40 I think). None of the bugs bothered me, and the mods were great.
  6. Qwerto227
    May 21, 2012
    10
    I enjoyed this game hugely, is that not all you need from a game, I loved the characters, the atmosphere, the combat, the sneaking however what really makes it for me is the huge variety of awesome mods
  7. HumanMale
    May 21, 2012
    9
    A nicely balanced and well-crafted game. Many customization options and seemingly endless quests and locations to explore. In fact, it's only when you find the borders and small flaws (e.g. getting stuck in certain locations) that the charisma and immersion of the world that is Skyrim fades. Those minor errors and missing polish left behind, excellent RPG.
  8. teshia
    May 31, 2013
    10
    Wow. I really didn't like Elder Scrolls 3 or 4 and could never figure out what all the fuss was about. I always thought Gothic 1 and 2 were WAY better at implementing an immersive open world RPG. To me, Oblivion just seemed bland and repetitive (ie. tower after tower being closed and they all seem to be designed the same way it got tiring for me). Skyrim changed my mind though. IWow. I really didn't like Elder Scrolls 3 or 4 and could never figure out what all the fuss was about. I always thought Gothic 1 and 2 were WAY better at implementing an immersive open world RPG. To me, Oblivion just seemed bland and repetitive (ie. tower after tower being closed and they all seem to be designed the same way it got tiring for me). Skyrim changed my mind though. I think they finally figured it out. The world looks great, the quests are pretty good. It has a nice big playtime on it yet you still feel like you can play it casually in 30 minute chunks. The open world design is fantastic. Traversing the world just feels fantastic, believable, and fun. I haven't seen an open world this well designed since the Gothic games. The factions, races and classes are fun without seeming unnecessary. Yeah it's pretty hard to say anything negative about the game. I will say that as a PC player, I absolutely hated the menu system. It wouldn't have taken that much work to make a nice PC based menu system that doesn't feel like a console system. Or maybe it could have been added in as a menu option in case you wanted to play on PC with a controller. That said, their support of mods has allowed me to add in PC friendly menu systems to replace theirs, so at least I have options and can't really complain, as I'm not locked into it. Thank you Bethesda for a great gaming experience. All the accolades are well deserved.… Expand
  9. Adrianf84
    May 24, 2012
    10
    Most EPIC, GREATEST sand box game i ever played ! Despite its bugs, it is nearly a perfect game. The only things u would complain is definitely its bugs, but bugs can be fix in later patch. This game totally deserve to have 10 score.
  10. Plamotaku
    May 27, 2012
    9
    Brief: 93% score from Plamotaku.
    A brilliant game that provided 144 hours, and probably more, of enjoyment. Through lush and beautiful graphics, you set out to carve your way as the Dragonborn, a special blooded human that has the power to control, command, and outright kill dragons. Enjoy this healthily saturated RPG, full of deeply packed content, quests, and a boastable stats system    Brief: 93% score from Plamotaku.
    A brilliant game that provided 144 hours, and probably more, of enjoyment. Through lush and beautiful graphics, you set out to carve your way as the Dragonborn, a special blooded human that has the power to control, command, and outright kill dragons. Enjoy this healthily saturated RPG, full of deeply packed content, quests, and a boastable stats system that makes playing this game an addicting treat.
    There is not much to complain about in Skyrim, except for occasional spouts of minor lag and terrain clipping issues.    … Expand
  11. Indrigis
    Oct 12, 2013
    5
    I was initially hesitant to pick this up. Reported bugs and all.

    Well, after two years, three expansions and a number of patches... It still sucks, despite the rave reviews (note how like 80% of those are from 11.11.11-13.11.11 fanboys are so fan). The idea is kind of good an open world RPG with a lot of freedom to do and be done to. The implementation, however, is atrocious.    I was initially hesitant to pick this up. Reported bugs and all.

    Well, after two years, three expansions and a number of patches... It still sucks, despite the rave reviews (note how like 80% of those are from 11.11.11-13.11.11 fanboys are so fan).

    The idea is kind of good an open world RPG with a lot of freedom to do and be done to. The implementation, however, is atrocious.

    The PC version's interface is STILL limited to the capabilities of a console and the keyboard/mouse is STILL pretty much being shoved aside. I can't even use any keyboard/mouse controls unless I unplug the x360 gamepad. But entering the character name no, can't do THAT with a gamepad. Not allowed! Bad gamer! Get up from your chair and TYPE!

    The in-game UI is bad. I mean, seriously bad. The compass shows a number of weird symbols with no indication of what they are or how far they are. So, there's this... barbed spear ahead. Okay, let's go see. Oh, joy, I've discovered the Dreaded Asswind Glade. What do I do with this discovery? Is it somehow useful? Now, my character is weakened by the sunrise. Yeah, I know, I've been bitten by a vampire fledgling, I reckon. But... No character status page. Where do I verify my suspicions and find a cure? Right, under "Magic Active effects" oh, ok. And a cure? Google that, Prisoner.

    The melee combat is so uninspired it hurts. I mean, the whole idea of having first-person view combat without auto-aim using a gamepad is a perversion but whatever. I can swing a sword, it might hit someone, they will grunt maybe and then they'll swing back. The level of combat interactivity is sooooooo amazing. Battletoads on SMD had a similar one. And if you want to be able to block with a one-handed weapon, you'd better forget about using an off-hand weapon or magic spell. No point in having an empty hand there grab a shield for blocking (and blocking doesn't even do anything a lot of the time. Backpedaling while slinging arrows or spells is a LOT more effective). I know this is not Devil May Cry, but god forbid melee combat was actually fun to do or watch.

    But wait, there's magic. It's also pretty meh. You have a right spell, a left spell and a shout (with a huge cooldown). If your spells are identical, you have a special perk AND you manage to press both triggers at once you get a stronger version of the spell. Combining different spells for a variety of effects? NO! THIS IS NOT SOME ANIME CRAP! GET BACK INTO YOUR SEAT, PRISO... GAMER! Summon familiar costs 89 magicka. But I can't get it to work. It drains my magicka bar and does nothing. I know, I must have less magicka than is necessary to cast that. Hi, I'm Tellah, anime crap reporting for duty! Nope, my max magicka is 100, so?..

    Speaking of combat in general no numbers. So have fun guessing if your weapon/magic is ineffective against the target or they just have a boatload of health.

    I'm not touching the story because it's more or less an industry standard open-world games must only have an excuse plot so that the player is not inhibited in their actions by some stupid story advancement or anything. And Skyrim is no exception meet people, kill people, go on randomly generated quests... Much like a single player MMORPG. Just without the MMO part that could give the player some really big and challenging fights.

    In conclusion: Skyrim is not a bad game. It's just not worth the money or the time.    … Expand
  12. Urillusion
    Jun 7, 2012
    9
    RPG? Check! Filled with countless tales of lore in the world of Tamriel. Sandbox? Check! There is no linearity unless you want to experience a particular story line from start to end. It is a visual and auditory masterpiece! The UI is different than past TES games, but I can not call the new leveling system or the UI sub-par compared to its older siblings. Add the thousands of Mods outRPG? Check! Filled with countless tales of lore in the world of Tamriel. Sandbox? Check! There is no linearity unless you want to experience a particular story line from start to end. It is a visual and auditory masterpiece! The UI is different than past TES games, but I can not call the new leveling system or the UI sub-par compared to its older siblings. Add the thousands of Mods out there capable of making your Skyrim experience that much more immersive, and you have a champion! The only reason I do not give Skyrim a perfect score, is because of a fair amount of bugs, many of which are comical. Also, the game may not be friendly to some PC hardware, but it will still play on any system.… Expand
  13. Hadrian
    Jul 13, 2012
    10
    I love the game. I have been a huge TES fan for a while. I liked Oblivion better but would have to say that this game is very, very good. Pick it up for sure!
  14. Indomidable
    Aug 8, 2012
    10
    Unmodded I'd call it a 8/10... Without Sky UI this wasn't a PC release just a console port.... I have a lot of fun playing this game. Particularly modding it. I find it interesting with some of these people reviewing a sandbox RPG... like it was a purely story driven one... It's open ended you don't have to do the quest lines an any particular order. Adding in the radiant AI (quest on theUnmodded I'd call it a 8/10... Without Sky UI this wasn't a PC release just a console port.... I have a lot of fun playing this game. Particularly modding it. I find it interesting with some of these people reviewing a sandbox RPG... like it was a purely story driven one... It's open ended you don't have to do the quest lines an any particular order. Adding in the radiant AI (quest on the fly) it's very well done!… Expand
  15. Dazaras
    Aug 12, 2012
    9
    A great improvement over previous Elder Scrolls games. The faces weren't creepy, and the dungeons felt suitably different. The enormous world has a lot of fun things no matter where you start looking, and the level system makes it possible to build a large variety of characters without the risk of making an inept character that existed in previous games. The main reason why this didn'tA great improvement over previous Elder Scrolls games. The faces weren't creepy, and the dungeons felt suitably different. The enormous world has a lot of fun things no matter where you start looking, and the level system makes it possible to build a large variety of characters without the risk of making an inept character that existed in previous games. The main reason why this didn't get a 10 from me was because of the bugs. It was almost impossible for me to complete all but the most simple questlines without encountering one or several. A lesser reason, although one which I hear far more people complaining about, was the huge number of NPCs that were considered "important" and therefore could not be killed. There were many situations in which an annoying or outright evil NPC could not be killed, at least until a certain point in a questline. This may just be an instance of a larger problem, as there are a large number of points in the game where the player is forced into a single course of action, or an event is triggered regardless of how you attempt to avoid it. This was annoying, but did not prevent me from enjoying the game.… Expand
  16. Karnos
    Sep 24, 2012
    10
    Skyrim is one of the legendary games, the games of the decade. Until this moment i believe it's the best of its time ou there. The graphics are phenomenal, as is the beautiful music and sounds. The map is huge and you can go wherever you like right from the start. There is a huge plethora of quests and a very small amount of them is boring "kill those", "fetch me that" style. There areSkyrim is one of the legendary games, the games of the decade. Until this moment i believe it's the best of its time ou there. The graphics are phenomenal, as is the beautiful music and sounds. The map is huge and you can go wherever you like right from the start. There is a huge plethora of quests and a very small amount of them is boring "kill those", "fetch me that" style. There are also a lot less bugs than in the previous elder scrolls games. The inventory needed improvement, but who cares! skyUI mod takes care of that. And now i'm getting to the point. The best part about this game besides making your character from scratch and besides your ability to do almost anything you can imagine is the mods. There are countless of mods and expansions that take the game to a whole new level literally. This really is a game that is hard not to enjoy. I urge you to try it! FUS RO DAH!… Expand
  17. Gamecritic0111
    Sep 22, 2012
    9
    An amazing experience. Great graphics, storyline, and attention to detail. There are so many different ways to play the game. Even after the ending of the game, the game still doesn't actually end. So many side quest to do, and a variety of weapons and armor. A great game, definitely worth $60.
  18. Paulo-Maciel
    Oct 20, 2012
    10
    There are people writing user reviews that are complete idiots! A big and complex fantasy world like I never saw in other games, and better that I thought possible in this hardware generation. This game is awesome!
  19. treedude
    Jun 1, 2013
    6
    Perfect games do not exist, idiots only give out 10s.

    This game is good, but it is ruined by a couple of things, vampires are really weak in this game. There aren't alot of quests only about 100, a small amount of random events. They did a bad job balancing level enemies ratio. I do like the Daedric artifacts however it was a nice touch. The fact that Dragonbone weapons was    Perfect games do not exist, idiots only give out 10s.

    This game is good, but it is ruined by a couple of things, vampires are really weak in this game. There aren't alot of quests only about 100, a small amount of random events.

    They did a bad job balancing level enemies ratio.

    I do like the Daedric artifacts however it was a nice touch.

    The fact that Dragonbone weapons was dlc is just bad, since shields were already in the base game.

    I think it's kind of idiotic that dragon is the highest lvl armor but daedric is 2nd highest but way more effective.

    This game needed some PC love, it's a sloppy console port to spell it out for ya. 1 core low resolution textures. The characters look a bit inhuman at times, some of the women's faces look entirely geometrical at times.

    Dragons scale horribly in this game, once you reach lvl 40 it becomes too hard to fight normal monsters even if you upgrade your weapons.

    You must rely entirely on exploits if you want to kill anything at high levels, like using the Fus Ro Dah shout because single enemies deal too much dmg.

    Voice actors are recycled.

    Only a couple of quests are good like the thief's guild quest and the vampire bloodlines dlc.

    Smithing is unpractical in this game since theres no mining woodcutting skills, things weigh too much and you usually find yourself finding equipment off of dead bodies anyway.

    This game is mediocre at best, nothing close to a masterpiece.

    All guards sound the same, many nice looking areas of the game have no quests at all, like the abandoned mill with 1 lady tending to the mill. A room full of cobwebs nothing.

    You can't decapitate anyone unless it's scripted with a skill, These scripted finishing moves don't even touch the enemy, it seems like experimental finishing moves. You can jump while you are knocked down, clearly not tested that well before release.

    I like archery in this game, except not on horses because they messed up there....

    Shield Bashing looks ridiculous they just sped up the animation it is lazy.

    No polearms spears.

    Lack of Amulets

    Only a limited number of magic spells, making melee weapons the strongest in the game.

    The dual magic spells stun ruin the game.

    Story was bland dungeons are entirely recycled with the exception of 10% of them.

    Animations are very stiff for mages enemy taunts.

    I am bugged that you can only be a werewolf vampire only once.

    This game lacks so many features that Oblivion had, fast travel ruins the game.

    Too easy for a RPG. Lack of weapons. Speechcraft is a joke, intimidation is a joke, game is just too easy. You can push dragon priests off cliffs and instant kill them with gravity FFS. Jumping 8 feet in the air will instant kill you. ADD MINING AND WOODCUTTING FLETCHING SKILLS TO MAKE A REAL GAME. AND NO MORE CONSOLE PORTS. 6.8/10    … Expand
  20. Klewer
    Nov 15, 2012
    8
    One of the best modern RPG's released recently. Interesting quests and a strong story make it a must have for any RPG fan. Only falls down in the general nerfing of the gameplay compared to previous Elder Scrolls to cater to a console/casual gamer crowd.
  21. Derpy_hooves123
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    I personally have put over 400 hours into this game and still enjoy it! to solve all the graphical "problems" which kill the game, get mods! to fix lack of excitement, get mods! with the right combination of mods this game looks better than crysis AND has incredible gameplay! *TES GAMES ARE MADE TO BE MODDED THERES A REASON ALL THE GAMES COME WITH A MODLOADER*
  22. YazzleDazzle
    Dec 9, 2012
    6
    While many people hail this game as one of the best games released for PC, i simply cannot agree. The world is huge and the number of choices in how to spend your time is staggering. The land is beautifully carved and the enemies are incredibly varied and fun. However, the dungeons all feel the same, the story is poorly delivered and game play is incredibly flat and dull. The game boastsWhile many people hail this game as one of the best games released for PC, i simply cannot agree. The world is huge and the number of choices in how to spend your time is staggering. The land is beautifully carved and the enemies are incredibly varied and fun. However, the dungeons all feel the same, the story is poorly delivered and game play is incredibly flat and dull. The game boasts hundreds of hand crafted dungeons. What they don't mention is that they all look the same, have similar enemies and will be where you spend most of your time. The open world is beautiful but its hard to appreciate that when you've just defeated your thousandth skeleton and can't see more than a few meters away from you in a cave. When you do get to spend some time outside, the game is incredibly fun. Running around the countryside is enjoyable and often my favorite parts are traveling between quests. Outside is where you'll find all the fun enemies and where the open area makes combat much more enjoyable (Although still note fantastic). The beautifully crafted world can't count for much when you spend so much of your time under it. As far as quests go, Skyrim has a huge amount to do. Most of them are well designed and do a fairly good job at engrossing you in the world. However, there are a few that will frustrate you to the point where you resort to walkthroughs or a few where you're forced to save and reload so many times that you just can't get into the game anymore. The different guilds provide neat stories with pretty nice rewards. A few of the missions are, as mentioned before, frustrating, but overall fun and a good thing to check out. The story is... pretty lame. There are no plot twists, almost no character development and pretty little to do as far as the main story line is concerned. That being said, I won't gripe on it too much since im fairly certain the main focus of the game is the open world, do what you want, thing and a lengthy, twist ridden plot would interfere with that. Just don't expect much from the storyline. Now for my biggest issue with Skyrim and the biggest reason I gave it as low a rating as I did. The gameplay... sucks. The combat feels incredibly clunky and while it may have worked for previous Elder Scrolls games, it needed to be revamped. This becomes especially apparent if you choose a pure melee character. This is nothing compared to how poorly balanced the game is. I'd go as far as to say that it is broken like no other. Leveling up is trivial once you find a few tricks. Crafting daggers makes getting the highest level armor a breeze. You can spend hours playing the game properly and gain maybe a level or two. If you have enough of the most common crafting materials, make a few hundred daggers and boom, you're a Skyrim god. The crafting isn't the only unbalanced thing in the game. The combat needs some balancing as well. As a pure mage, any other non-melee unit would slay me in seconds while melee units would drop like flies. This makes the mages guild incredibly difficult and the legion incredibly easy. Additionally, the enemies don't scale well either. The game scales almost all the enemies to make sure you never get bored flicking enemies away, however, this gives you no sense of progression. You can go back to the very first dungeon you went to and you'll have only a slightly easier time with the enemies. Sure a few more new types of stronger ones will probably appear but still, the sense of overwhelming strength you expect isn't there. On the flip-side, there were cases where i'd run into a new enemy that made me fear my chances of defeating it, only to kill it in seconds. Here is a perfect example of this:

    I was skipping along through a dungeon i had stumbled upon and was delving deeper and deeper to discover its treasures. The floors were littered with skeleton corpses (redundant?) and i was looking forward to finally finishing it up. I approached a gate and opened it and strolled through carelessly. I was ambushed by a skeleton that appeared behind me as i walked through the door and after quickly dispatching it, i turned to face the center of the room. There was a bone dragon. The first i'd seen. It was a towering skeletal beast that made me turn around, book it through the gate and shut the door. I was paniced and had no idea how to take on this dragon. I spent minutes searching through my arsenal of spells and weapons while checking regularely to make sure the dragon hadn't somehow figured out how to get at me. I finally decided to take the cowards way out and test the waters safely. I summoned an elemental, opened the door, let the elemental walk through.... and shut the gate behind it. Then the dragon died. Wait... WHAT?! Just like that, all this build up, all this suspense, the sense of panic and the the dragon i was looking forward to defeating was dead. Very anticlimactic

    Overall, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but a devout Elder Scrolls fan.    … Expand
  23. Sneetches
    Dec 19, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. TL;DR I would say that Skyrim IS better than Oblivion, but as soon as you begin, you realize its simply Oblivion with a cool looking cover on it.

    The good things are the fact that the graphics have been improved, the engine is improved, and... that's about it. The gameplay does not feel improved, but rather, it feels "cooler" to do things than it did in Oblivion. First off, the game has been simplified to the point of being dumbed down, which is very apparent. Combat has been molested by kill cams, which will force you to watch almost every and any enemy get executed. Its "cool" at first, but the problem arises that combat has also been reduced to "swing/shoot arrows/spam mage spells until you get the kill cam at half health". Your inventory interface was designed by Apple it would seem. The map would be great with its current design if it felt like I wasn't looking at an inaccurate 800x600 looking texture.

    The new "talent trees" have also been simplified, and honestly, some of them do not belong. Smithing, for example, seems so out of place as a talent tree. The choices for combat are basic "10% more damage", "10% chance to bleed (utterly useless because enemies die quickly enough before the bleeds even work) or the good old "Your power attacks do 25% more damage and have a chance to decapitate", which should read "keep power attacking until someone dies or gets decapitated, 50/50 chance. Mages have it worse in a sense that every new tier of spells requires the corresponding talent. Overall, the trees were a good idea that failed in execution.

    The story, oh god what a travesty. Alduin is arguably one of the worst "world ending ancient evils" i've seen in a while. This ancient dragon, with knowledge to destroy the world and the power to easily wipe out Skyrim, Cyrodil, and beyond, LETS YOU PROGRESS ALONG UNTIL YOU CAN KILL HIM. The story is one of these things that feels like it was the last minute addition, like "Well we got this RPG, and we have 7 days for release, now we just need a story". Hell, at least you could have some attachment to the fight between Martin and Mehrunes Dagon, it felt great at least. At no point in Skyrim's story will you go "wow, I feel so immersed in this!" Dragons were also hyped up and failed because there will be multiple times where you'll have more than 1 "random dragon" attacking, resulting in them being some "supposedly special but actually very common monsters" that end up being more of an annoyance.

    The NPC's and their "radiant AI" have not been improved, but character models are at least much much better. I could go on and on, but i'll keep these last complaints short...Skills can be abused for unlimited gold, armor design goes from normal -> dark, spikes -> spikier grimdark. Skills are still grinded in the same way as Oblivion. Combat difficulty has 2 settings, murder everyone, and then come across a mage that one shots you. The world is nice but seemingly empty, save for certain quest dungeons. Quests are no more than they were in Oblivion. There are many others, but i'll stop there.

    Overall, Skyrim seems to appear as though it would be Oblivion's big brother. Under close inspection, it is simply a prettier looking Oblivion, plagued with its own problems, built on hype, and marketed to the "casual" gamer. I guess you can say that some things can easily be fixed with a couple mods though, right?    … Expand
  24. itwasthatguy
    Dec 23, 2012
    4
    Skyrim is a very ambitious game, just like the other Elder Scrolls games. Once again, I'm amazed by the main concepts of the game. The combat system is a very nice concept. The ability to wander the world and do whatever you feel like is another amazing concept. The item creation and enchanting are great concepts.

    Unfortunately, that's about where Skyrim stops being amazing. When    Skyrim is a very ambitious game, just like the other Elder Scrolls games. Once again, I'm amazed by the main concepts of the game. The combat system is a very nice concept. The ability to wander the world and do whatever you feel like is another amazing concept. The item creation and enchanting are great concepts.

    Unfortunately, that's about where Skyrim stops being amazing. When the concepts become reality, everything falls apart. Overall, the game is incredibly buggy. Between the constant crashes, several broken/incompletable quests, some minor glitches, and game balance, the game is a complete wreck. I'm really impressed with the concepts of this game. The raw ideas for Skyrim are truly brilliant. The actual execution is so bad, I'm often physically sickened.

    Let's start with the glitches. First of all, the game won't stop crashing. Enough said. The menus are very unresponsive and overall poorly designed. Often, my character will say something despite the fact that I chose a different dialogue option. I've had several quests become impossible to finish due to bugs. Again, enough said. Enemies are often able to attack again while in mid-attack. They can also attack backwards now and then. This is just a very very small fraction of the bugs in Skyrim.

    Now let's get to game balance. The dungeons are a complete cakewalk until you get to the boss. Once you find the boss, you MUST exploit the game in some way to win. Otherwise, you simply lack the health and damage output to even have a chance of winning. An example of this would be a draugr boss which I was fighting. I would injure him to about 9/10ths of his health, and he would immediately heal himself back up to full health. An impossible fight. (I never ended up beating him, by the way). Basically, the enemies are either too easy or too hard. Most fights aren't even very fun. Even the dragon fights turn into cover based shooters, as dragons are often capable of 1-hit kills.

    Once again, I applaud whoever was smart enough to come up with the concepts of this game. That said, Skyrim didn't even touch its potential. It's such a shame how it turned out.    … Expand
  25. vectranon
    Feb 22, 2013
    10
    "EPICKA FANTASY POWRACA" i się nie mylili. Gra posiada 75 osiągnięć Steam i 94 ze skali od jeden do stu. System: walki i kamery mnie zaintrygował. Jednym słowem polecam Wam kupno tej epickiej fantasy!
  26. SergioEngles86
    Apr 21, 2013
    9
    Skyrim is by far the best single player first person perspective RPG on the planet.

    This game offers a ton of freedom to play your character how you want to play it.

    I am so glad to have play Skyrim even though I am from Spain and dont speak so good english.
  27. judgefx
    Mar 12, 2013
    9
    How many awards, accolades, reviews?
    This really is a work of art with only a few minor flaws.
    Menu system could be better. (Just mod it)
    Some errors in quests. (Just mod it)
    An open world but a little too guided at times while playing "follow the marker". (Just mod it)
    Buy it, then mod it, and love it. At over 1100 play hours I can say it is a good game.
  28. Clementines
    May 28, 2013
    6
    How to play Skyrim: Accept a quest, fast travel to an area, do one of three things (kill someone, talk to someone, get an item), return to the quest-giver, and get a leveled item and another quest. Repeat.

    A nice followup to Oblivion. Fun, but nothing innovative or special.
  29. Pillz4111
    Sep 14, 2013
    9
    This is no doubt, absolutely the best game I've ever played. The visuals look beautiful, the scale of the world, the number of quests, which is MILLIONS. There is absolutely no way to stop playing this masterpiece. And with the two additional DLCs, there is absolutely NO WAY you'll sleep at all! However, there are a lot of bugs, and glitches, so I'm rating it a nine. I wish I could rate it a 10.
  30. Nerokin
    Nov 24, 2015
    9
    Discover An Awesome Open-World Fantasy RPG

    Overall: 85% (119.4/140) Atmosphere: 9.5/10 Graphics: 9.4/10 Level Design: 9.8/10 Sound: 9.8/10 Balance: 7.1/10 Controls: 7.5/10 Fighting System: 8.6/10 Mysteries: 9.3/10 Animations: 8.4/10 Artificial Intelligence: 6.7/10 Replay Value: 8.8/10 Story: 7.3/10 Tutorial: 3.5/5 Variety in Items: 9.7/10 Cost-Benefit Ratio: 3/4    Discover An Awesome Open-World Fantasy RPG

    Overall: 85% (119.4/140)

    Atmosphere: 9.5/10
    Graphics: 9.4/10
    Level Design: 9.8/10
    Sound: 9.8/10

    Balance: 7.1/10
    Controls: 7.5/10
    Fighting System: 8.6/10
    Mysteries: 9.3/10

    Animations: 8.4/10
    Artificial Intelligence: 6.7/10

    Replay Value: 8.8/10
    Story: 7.3/10
    Tutorial: 3.5/5
    Variety in Items: 9.7/10

    Cost-Benefit Ratio: 3/4
    System Requirements: 1/1    … Expand
  31. tsakiym
    May 21, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it.................................… Expand
  32. omalley
    Jul 24, 2015
    10
    No game has kept me hooked as long as Skyrim has. It took me about 3 years to finally retire from playing it. Far more than any game I have ever played ever. There is seemingly endless content and it is always fun, even when you start a new game. Best game ever. Eagerly waiting an Elder Scrolls 6. This is one of the few games that deserves a perfect 10.
  33. AbdulMalik
    Jul 24, 2015
    9
     The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an action role-playing open world video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth installment in The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series, following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Skyrim was released on November 11, 2011, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Three downloadable The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an action role-playing open world video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth installment in The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series, following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Skyrim was released on November 11, 2011, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Three downloadable content add-ons were released—Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn—which were repackaged into The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Legendary Edition, which released on June 4, 2013.
    Skyrim's main story revolves around the player character and his/her efforts to defeat Alduin the World-Eater, a dragon who is prophesied to destroy the world. The game is set approximately two hundred years after the events of Oblivion and takes place in the fictional province of Skyrim. Over the course of the game, the player completes quests and develops the character by improving skills. Unlike previous Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim does not require the player to select a character class at the beginning of the game, negating a problem which the development team felt that previous entries had by forcing the player into a rigid play-style too early into the game. Skyrim continues the open world tradition of its predecessors by allowing the player to travel anywhere in the game world at any time, and to ignore or postpone the main storyline indefinitely.
    The game was developed using the in-house Creation Engine, built specifically for the game. The team opted for a more unique and diverse game world than Oblivion's Cyrodiil, which game director and executive producer Todd Howard considered less interesting by comparison. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released to critical acclaim and is often considered among the greatest video games of all time, with reviewers who particularly have acclaimed the refined character development and the great setting. The game shipped over seven million copies to retailers within the first week of its release, and sold over 20 million copies across all three platforms.
    Gameplay
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an action role-playing game, playable from either a first- or third-person perspective. The player may freely roam over the land of Skyrim, which is an open world environment consisting of wilderness expanses, dungeons, cities, towns, fortresses and villages. Players may navigate the game world more quickly by riding horses, or by utilizing a fast-travel system which allows them to warp to previously discovered locations .. The game's main quest can be completed or ignored at the player's preference after the first stage of the quest is finished. However, some quests rely on the main storyline being at least partially completed. Non-player characters populate the world and can be interacted with in a number of ways; the player may engage them in conversation, marry an eligible NPC, or kill them. . As in previous Elder Scrolls games, killing certain NPCs can make some quests or items unobtainable. Some NPCs cannot be killed. If witnessed, crimes like murder and theft accrue the player bounty points in each of the world's nine districts. Should the player be stopped by a guard, they may wipe their bounty with gold or jail time, or may resist arrest which will trigger an aggressive pursuit. NPCs may allocate the player additional side-quests, and some side-quests have parameters adjusted based on nearby dungeons which the player has yet to explore. Some NPCs who are befriended or hired by the player may act as companions who will accompany the player and provide aid in combat. The player may choose to join factions, which are organized groups of NPCs -- such as the Dark Brotherhood, a band of assassins -- or the player may choose to destroy them. Each of the factions has an associated quest path to progress through. Each city and town in the game world each has an economy which the player can stimulate by completing jobs such as farming.
    A perpetual objective for players is to develop their character. At the beginning of the game, players create their character by selecting one of several races, including humans, orcs, elves and anthropomorphic creatures, and then customizing their character's appearance. A head-up display appears when any of the player's three main attributes are being depleted. Attributes regenerate over time, although this process can be accelerated by using potions or regenerative spells. Health is depleted primarily when the player takes damage, and the loss of all health results in death. Magicka is depleted by the use of spells, certain poisons and by being struck by lightning-based attacks. Stamina determines the player's effectiveness in combat and is depleted by sprinting, power attacking, and being struck by frost-based attacks. The player's inventory can be accessed from the menu and items can be viewed in 3D, which may prove essential in solving puzzles found in dungeons.    … Expand
  34. Howmaster
    Aug 28, 2015
    8
    This game rocks, but it also has a few key issues.

    Lacks the customization and great story like Morrowind, but combat has been improved and fighting dragons is a lot of fun. There is a ton of content here and the world is amazing! My main gripes about this game are the voice acting, lack of difficulty and bugs. As with all Elder Scroll games, it has a ton of bugs which is a huge    This game rocks, but it also has a few key issues.

    Lacks the customization and great story like Morrowind, but combat has been improved and fighting dragons is a lot of fun. There is a ton of content here and the world is amazing!

    My main gripes about this game are the voice acting, lack of difficulty and bugs. As with all Elder Scroll games, it has a ton of bugs which is a huge pain and eye sore. As for the difficulty, once you get crafting down the game becomes incredibly easy and this also deters from the fun of exploring because you will not get any loot better than what you can make. I think Bethesda only hired about five voice actors for this game. There are waaaaaaay too many characters who sound the same throughout this huge world! Seriously hire more voice actors! After about 100 hours this game becomes boring, but that being said, this is a game you can easily put 100 hours into so its gotta be good!

    Not as great as Morrowind, but better than Oblivion, Skyrim is definitely a must have for RPG and adventure gamers!    … Expand
  35. RelentIess
    Dec 5, 2015
    10
    I love this game, spend my whole entire summer playing it, the amount of work that was put into this game was no joke. 10/10 one of the best game I've ever play
  36. Lokidos
    Feb 29, 2016
    10
    10 simply because it dragged me in when it was released..and I never bothered with its bugs or bad ai or some poor graphics some people said...I only can remember me playing the game for 2 weeks making a score of 155 hours played..Same as morrowind did back then (althought I was much younger to understand what I was playing)..I could say its one of the best games

    In the negatives id put    10 simply because it dragged me in when it was released..and I never bothered with its bugs or bad ai or some poor graphics some people said...I only can remember me playing the game for 2 weeks making a score of 155 hours played..Same as morrowind did back then (althought I was much younger to understand what I was playing)..I could say its one of the best games

    In the negatives id put the gearing that makes u almost invincible ;p    … Expand
  37. Mats2468
    Dec 4, 2017
    6
    Remember! I have never been a RPG lover.

    I want to be honest now, the game is highly overrated. Why? People do not see what's going to be in a game, simply, and when I say this, I think it's important things that are missing here. Cutscenes in some part, at least, got to be in a game, I don't se anything of that, very rarely. And one of the most important thing, the combat system, is so    Remember! I have never been a RPG lover.

    I want to be honest now, the game is highly overrated. Why? People do not see what's going to be in a game, simply, and when I say this, I think it's important things that are missing here. Cutscenes in some part, at least, got to be in a game, I don't se anything of that, very rarely. And one of the most important thing, the combat system, is so bad that you just want to quit, seriously and the story itself is not interesting enough. Skyrim is a good game otherwise, don't let me wrong about that.    … Expand
  38. Ferociousmite
    Apr 9, 2019
    0
    1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000/1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 IGN
  39. Locusthorde300
    Jun 27, 2020
    4
    They'll advertise this game as an Open World RPG, but it's really just an action adventure game. They dumbed down pretty much everything regarding the roleplaying and RPG mechanics. Puzzles are stupid simple, the game basically holds your hand the whole time, and the story is so bad one of the most popular mods removes you from said plotline. Bethesda really stopped caring about theirThey'll advertise this game as an Open World RPG, but it's really just an action adventure game. They dumbed down pretty much everything regarding the roleplaying and RPG mechanics. Puzzles are stupid simple, the game basically holds your hand the whole time, and the story is so bad one of the most popular mods removes you from said plotline. Bethesda really stopped caring about their games once they worked on this.… Expand
  40. manabog
    Nov 15, 2011
    4
    I just made a account to review this game , played 5 hours of this game but no more !!!Will never play this game in my life i thrown the copy away ,never will i but a bethesta game first day !!
    Enterd the game for the first time i got blown away and not by the average graphics but by the thought of playing another Elder Scrolls ,loved oblivion ,fallout 3 all dlc's and new vegas. but this    I just made a account to review this game , played 5 hours of this game but no more !!!Will never play this game in my life i thrown the copy away ,never will i but a bethesta game first day !!
    Enterd the game for the first time i got blown away and not by the average graphics but by the thought of playing another Elder Scrolls ,loved oblivion ,fallout 3 all dlc's and new vegas. but this game is full of bugs .
    the game recomanded settings were medium , the game ran at 40 fps i really liked it ,then it droped down to 20 ,turned everything on low it runs at 80 fps but after a while it gets down to 24-30 WTF?!!?
    sometimes game crashes without any error whatsoever,searched the web and found out i was not the only one experiencing this .Technical issues made this game simply unplayable for me .Save yourself the headache and buy the 360 version please,on pc this is the lazyest port i've seen in 3 years. Leaving all the pc unplayable version, this game is pretty good,open world ,intense fights,lots of weapon models,lots of exploring,lots of quests , great nordic setting. The core gameplay is utter garbage for a AAA game the sequel to tes oblivion and morrowind,a multi million budget game, the gameplay is nothing more of garbage every swing feels floaty you dont know if u missed to hit ,i always look at enemy hp to see if i hit him ,when u hit someone it feels like u hit air ,collision detection is off and very bad,Please bethesta elarn from that INDIE developer that developed ZENO CLASH or the one who developed Dead Islands . I feel bad that people rate this game so high only because it's a TES this only encourages lazy console porting. bad bad game it deserves a 4 maybe a 6 or 7 without the tehnical problems.    … Expand
  41. Enlet
    Nov 16, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm sorry but Bethesda just stop. Quit now before you piss everyone off with the elder scrolls VI. The game crashes every few hours. The combat is left click to win. After obtaining 900 armor rating because of how over powered the perks are in LIGHT ARMOR absolutely nothing. And I do literally mean nothing could do damage to me before I out regened it with no bonus to health regen. The only time I ever dropped below 95% health was when I either took on 5+ targets at once. (This happens once every 100 fights because the game is too care bear even for a console game.) or when I jumped off a small cliff. Dragons were a joke; until you got dragonrend you couldn't touch them. Quest items had so much weight (one weighing 20!!!) and you cannot even remove them or store them away. Even after finishing the quest they stayed with you. Cooking and enchanting are horrible, cooking being the worst; they put no effort into it apart from "here's a set amount of food you can make you CANNOT make anything else, oh and your going to need salt for everything." The main quest line for the factions was so short and the â… Expand
  42. Sanguinesun
    Nov 15, 2011
    0
    Bethesda touted this as a "World Wide Release". It was a lie. Anyone living in Japan is prevented from playing this game for 4 weeks from the "world wide release" until December 8th. The -only- country facing this. It doesnt matter if you bought a copy from the US in English or you buy a Japanese copy in Japan(they're having to pay the equivalent of over 90 bucks for the priviledge toBethesda touted this as a "World Wide Release". It was a lie. Anyone living in Japan is prevented from playing this game for 4 weeks from the "world wide release" until December 8th. The -only- country facing this. It doesnt matter if you bought a copy from the US in English or you buy a Japanese copy in Japan(they're having to pay the equivalent of over 90 bucks for the priviledge to wait 4 weeks btw). All are restricted via the draconian DRM via Steam and Steamworks. I used to think EA was bad for such practices but Bethesda has really crowned themselves king on this one.

    I've lost all enthusiasm to play this game now. Sympathetic friends etc have even tried to get me cracked versions of the game to play. I really just dont see a point when Bethesda considers Japan and those living there to be exploitable in this manner like second class citizens. And why should I stoop to Bethesda's level of dirtiness? I 100% regret having gotten this game and wish I could return it.    … Expand
  43. spacecaptain
    Dec 2, 2011
    0
    How do you say overrated in 150 characters(?), because that's all you really need to know. If you like running around and looking at pretty, fake places, you'll love it. If you're looking for a rich, deep roleplaying game experience, you'd be far better off playing um, er.... Oh, that's right. They don't make those anymore.
  44. Sunder_Prime
    Nov 18, 2011
    4
    I had a lot of hope for this game & having played the previous two (Oblivion until there was literally nothing left to do) Skyrim seemed like a no-brainer to me. Unfortunately, the game does not rise to meet expectations at all. Let me honestly say that I actually went about for the first while delibrately ignoring faults in this game - the dragon flicking to & from wire-frame repeatedlyI had a lot of hope for this game & having played the previous two (Oblivion until there was literally nothing left to do) Skyrim seemed like a no-brainer to me. Unfortunately, the game does not rise to meet expectations at all. Let me honestly say that I actually went about for the first while delibrately ignoring faults in this game - the dragon flicking to & from wire-frame repeatedly at the beginning, non-player-characters' movements being very stiff & odd looking, constant clipping with everything from seats half-sticking into walls to axes worn on NPC belts sticking through their coats & at times THEMSELVES, a woodcutter whose logs would stick to his axe as if magnetized! I really wanted to ignore this stuff (which you really shouldn't do - or HAVE to do) and enjoy the game and I did so semi-effectively for a few days of (not-solid) gameplay. But at every turn I found myself being pulled out of what was suposed to be an immersive game. Problems show up constantly like the fact that despite what level you are or how well armed or menacing you look your horse is apparently always going to look like the bigger threat to your enemies & so you often find yourself trying to get between your enemies and your horse to kept it from dying. And if you leave it at the bottom of a hill and go to fight a mob, be fully prepared for your horse to charge off past you and engage them, forcing you to use up stamina (which you need to do any decent weapon attack) so you can sprint forward & save your horse. This would be less annoying if it didn't happen all the time & didn't take the fun out of in-game fighting. You could argue that a horse would attack an aggressor or charge off against a perceived threat in real life, but to this I'd have to say: "if we're going to play at realism, then why can't a tether the bugger?!" But despite every bug that they didn't to fix from the last game (and there's a lot), & every new one that makes the game less & less fun, the worst is still the game's RECOGNITION. At one point, I was a Thane in a major city (a position of some serious importance). I asked my new housecarl (the follower given to a Thane) what it meant & she told me I was important to the community and had been recognised as such, for eg, "guards would know me & look the other way if I told them who I was". Well, this ability doesn't actually exist &, even tho I'm not stealing anything, when I use my SHOUT power guards regularly walk up & command me to stop - to which I can either wimpishly comply or dickishly stick my tongue out at them (verbally speaking). No option exists for them to know I'm a Thane & when I travel, having become Thane of a major city, the Fabled Dragonborn everyone is talking about, and the leader of the land's ancient & most famous mercenary group, to go & enlist under the rebel king - THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHO I AM! I'm treated like a nobody who has to prove himself all over again and is often referred to as "Unblooded" by name. By this point, many enemies go down with just one hit - so how am I unblooded exactly? But the worst thing of all, is that when I take news from the rebel king to the Jarl (earl) of the town I've set up in (the one where my Thane-ship and Mercenary status exist) he responds to me like he doesn't know me. And finally, when it comes down to the rebels versus my town, and I march on the town with my Housecarl (who owes allegiance to the Jarl) nothing is said, not a word of complaint, no segment where she protests at least a little about having to attack her own town, nothing (for a character who Bethesda said would feel like a "real, fleshed out person, not just a follower"). No one even comments on the idea of me attacking the place where I have set up so many roots, not even the Jarl when I face him down. In fact, the town isn't even damaged for a place we where just launching boulders at only moments before. Then the NEW Jarl says that to thank me he can give me a title - in fact, he can make me a Thane (hair-pulling out time!) and give me a housecarl (she's standing right behind you, numb-nuts!). This sucked out all realism for me & any feeling of accomplishment. Bethesda also said that as a guild leader you would always have something to do - this just turns out to be pest ctrl missions with the mission giver repeating the same phrase each time: "I've never seen a dragon before, are they real?" ("Yes, you just killed one a moment ago with me for the last mission!!"). The graphics constantly suffer faults even with everything at full on a high-end PC (don't get me started on that), the controls are extremely sub-par - the tip of the cursor & where the mouse will actually click are quite a surprising distance apart. All in all (& this is really just the tip of the iceberg) not enough testing was done, not enough effort was put in, it feels like half a game & plays like one too. Get it if it's £10 or $15. Otherwise, you WILL feel cheated.… Expand
  45. beemer127
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I've already spent several hours with this game, and I have to admit that I am impressed. The audio score, the visuals, and the introductory quest immediately pulled me in. I have already spent over three hours with the game, and I look forward to spending many more hours with it!

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

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

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

    Dynamic quests:

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

    Crafting:

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

    Weaponry:

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

    AI:

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

    My one complaint so far:

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

    Conclusion:

    While the game still has its quirks, I believe this to be a vast improvement over its predecessors in the Elder Scrolls series. If you have the machine for it, it will run smooth, and look good. The AI still has a few quirks. The combat has some mechanics that are still not quite as smooth as I would like, but over overall, this is an amazing game thus far. I love the new atmosphere of Skyrim.    … Expand
  46. Marcusghost
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Maybe skyrim don´t have an incredible graphics on pc like others games(the witcher 2) but the incredible gameplay and other things make that you forget all this and just be pleased to play the game.
  47. CinderellaMan
    Apr 22, 2013
    10
    The PC version of Skyrim, combined with the current mods available through Skyrim Nexus or Steam Workshop, is an absolutely stunning game and much better than the original. With mods I can finally get the hardcore RPG experience: adding the need for eat/drink/sleep, exposure to the elements can kill you, no fast travel, horses that actually are useful, companions with their own questlinesThe PC version of Skyrim, combined with the current mods available through Skyrim Nexus or Steam Workshop, is an absolutely stunning game and much better than the original. With mods I can finally get the hardcore RPG experience: adding the need for eat/drink/sleep, exposure to the elements can kill you, no fast travel, horses that actually are useful, companions with their own questlines and personalities, more road signs for navigation, slow the time scale, camping equipment, more armors and weapons... its unbelievable how much the game improves with these additions. If you own a PC and are an RPG fan, you must get this game immediately. If you don't have a PC, go buy one just for this game.… Expand
  48. luna
    Nov 29, 2011
    0
    First the basics: This is a sandbox role playing game played in a first person view where you run around and are free to do whatever you want. You have many options, but in the it all comes down to killing stuff with weapons or magic and obtaining loot. The game is decent by itself and probably deserves a 7/10 if you are new to the series. The following is for the veterans:

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

    This is just a dumbed down Oblivion. I have no idea what they have spent all these years working on, but it sure wasn't to improve the previous game in any way. There are some cute quests, there are some dragons to kill, but on the other hand everything looks like oblivion, the stats were removed and replaced with health, magicka, and stamina. Skills are no longer tied to stats, so there is no point in using light armor for anything but sneaking. When leveling up the world still levels up with you, and you get to picka a perk for every level. Most of them are of the character "hey, i want to be able to use my spells", "please make irrelevant things easier for me", and a few obviously useful ones, among them a sneak perk that lets you not make any noise when wearing heavy armor completely offsetting the last point of using light armor. Combat is more slow paced, difficulty seems to only affect the hp of things where killing a dragon or troll on the hardest is basically impossible as they regenerate faster than you can hurt them. If this wasn't part 5 of the elder scrolls series I think it would deserve a 7/10, but I'm giving it a 0 as there is no point in wasting your time on this worse experience if you already played oblivion or morrowind. Go download some mods for them and hope than bethesda cleans up their act for future games.    … Expand
  49. Rottencore
    Jan 7, 2012
    6
    I have to change my intial score of this game. I orginally made my previous score of 10 after playing this game for just over 40 hours. After I had put 80 hours into the game I find myself disappointed. I can say that the effect they were going for in Skyrim has been achieved, but the fact Skyrim is so utter repetitous and cliche in its design makes the game disappointing. On a gameplayI have to change my intial score of this game. I orginally made my previous score of 10 after playing this game for just over 40 hours. After I had put 80 hours into the game I find myself disappointed. I can say that the effect they were going for in Skyrim has been achieved, but the fact Skyrim is so utter repetitous and cliche in its design makes the game disappointing. On a gameplay level its ok, not too hard to grasp and easy to find some interesting place to explore. The storyline and characters are a little bland, a lot of the time I found myself lacking the initiative to continue into that dungeon or cave because I found the enemies tedious. The engine seems to struggle quite a bit on my computer, (my computer can play The Witcher 2 on close to high). I think it plays like the engine has been pushed to its graphical limit TBH. It is hard to find a comfortable framerate in this game, it jerks between 10-45 frames constantly. I encountered some bugs (notably a bug where I was unable to proceed through a gate), but nothing to cry about. Please Bethesda, concentrate on trying to find that little place in your minds that wants to take people to another world. So what if the fans want dragons.… Expand
  50. Digitalkid
    Dec 9, 2011
    10
    Really surprised with all that whining. Shame that some people have glitches, but I'm more then 120 hours in game, and it works great! Sure Skyrim is my GOTY and one of the most atmospheric games since Might and Magic 6-7. Skyrim not only revives all the best traditions of true oldstyle RPGs, but although adds some beautiful stylish looks to a detailed and well written story of Tamriel.Really surprised with all that whining. Shame that some people have glitches, but I'm more then 120 hours in game, and it works great! Sure Skyrim is my GOTY and one of the most atmospheric games since Might and Magic 6-7. Skyrim not only revives all the best traditions of true oldstyle RPGs, but although adds some beautiful stylish looks to a detailed and well written story of Tamriel.

    Ah, and look at those people with 0 ratings.. they mostly have all zeroes in their reviews. It's just impossible for them to get some positive emotions. Whiners))    … Expand
  51. darkballz_pl
    Aug 18, 2012
    4
    After lots of hours in game, i've changed my mind and gave it generously 4. This game was made for console lemmings and pokemons. Fallout-like perk system makes Skyrim far too easy. It has nothing to do with an RPG, except sharing Elder Scrolls name. Playing as Adept in Skyrim is like playing as Novice in Oblivion, no fun at all. Buggy and glitchy textures, dumb and weak opponents, poorAfter lots of hours in game, i've changed my mind and gave it generously 4. This game was made for console lemmings and pokemons. Fallout-like perk system makes Skyrim far too easy. It has nothing to do with an RPG, except sharing Elder Scrolls name. Playing as Adept in Skyrim is like playing as Novice in Oblivion, no fun at all. Buggy and glitchy textures, dumb and weak opponents, poor and short story, boring and repetitious side quests. Shame on you Bethesda, take this lazy mix of great Morrowind and very good Oblivion with you and don't you dare to come back, ever.… Expand
  52. KsidE
    Nov 16, 2011
    6
    Hurray! The next Elder's Scrolls is here. Too bad is a shameless port, using a dated graphic engine, sold to gullible PC users as the holy-grail of single-player RPGs. * Game is better than Oblivion but has plenty of CTDs (crashes to desktop) quest bugs, audio-bugs, and numerous graphic-glitches. * This 2012 title is DX9 only, renders horrible shadows (not GPU-accelerated), has noHurray! The next Elder's Scrolls is here. Too bad is a shameless port, using a dated graphic engine, sold to gullible PC users as the holy-grail of single-player RPGs. * Game is better than Oblivion but has plenty of CTDs (crashes to desktop) quest bugs, audio-bugs, and numerous graphic-glitches. * This 2012 title is DX9 only, renders horrible shadows (not GPU-accelerated), has no Occlusion Mapping, and LOW-Textures up-close. (The Withcer 2 is ages ahead !!!) * The UI (interface) is simplified in detriment to functionality and what should take 2 clicks takes 11.
    * Gameplay-wise is nice to have so much to do (smithing, mining etc). It was expected that all MetaCritic indexed sites to give it 100%, 5/5, all the praise. Most of them never even played the PC version, basing the review on XBox360 review copies. Go see the offcial forums in the PC section to read up on all the "praise" - There isn't one HAPPY review - NOT ONE !!!. It is sad to see how the big-boys get a free pass on a 50 EUR (yes, here in Europe is ~70 $ USD) for a PC (Steam-only) game that is far from perfect. It's still a great RPG just not so far from Fallout 3, and for a me a let-down. Please DON'T BUY this NOW, wait for it to get a GOTY edition, some patches and then maybe 30 EUR would be fair.    … Expand
  53. JunasLB
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Game is brilliant. I've played Elder Scrolls: Morrowind and Oblivion and didn't really ever like those games - however, Skyrim is just perfect. Beautiful world, exciting history and great gameplay.
  54. jaward1
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Epic, fantastic, incredible, amazing, insane, huge, beautiful, wicked, gigantic, stunning, superb, mindblowing, lifechanging fantasy game. The best thing since oblivion
  55. hootis
    Aug 22, 2012
    0
    These are not my words reposting from another website
    " More copypasta about Skyrim:
    I think Skyrim's biggest flaw can be explained by describing how the game would handle quests from Oblivion. Oblivion; Some women are robbing and blackmailing married men, I need you to find the suspects, let them try to seduce you, catch them in the act Skyrim; Some women are robbing and blackmailing    These are not my words reposting from another website
    " More copypasta about Skyrim:
    I think Skyrim's biggest flaw can be explained by describing how the game would handle quests from Oblivion.
    Oblivion; Some women are robbing and blackmailing married men, I need you to find the suspects, let them try to seduce you, catch them in the act
    Skyrim; Some women are robbing and blackmailing married men. I need you to go into this dungeon ful of necromancers and kill them.

    Oblivion; These ghost are haunting my ship bro. Here's a silver sword can you go and get rid of them?
    Skyrim; These ghosts are haunting my ship bro. here's the location of a dungeon full of Draugr. Can you go and find me an item that I can use to drive them away?

    Oblivion; BRO KVATCH IS GETTING **** RAPED, GET INTHERE AND SAVE EVERYONE DOG
    Skyrim; BRO THIS DUNGEON IS GETTING **** DRAUGR'D. GET IN THERE AND KILL EVERYONE DOG

    Oblivion; Climb into the well out back and fetch me a right that sunk to the bottom. JOKES ON YOU HOMBRE THAT RING IS GONNA MAKE YOU DROWN, OH GOD STOP EXPOSING ME AS A NECROMANCR
    Skyrim; A **** bandit stole my ring man, go into this dungeon and get it back. Watch out for Draugr!

    Oblivion: Guess what **** you're trapped on an island where hunters hunt people for fun, and you're the prey. Have Fun!
    Skyrim: Some **** is running a game on an island somewhere where people hunt other people for fun. Word has it that he's in a dungeon nearby looking for treasure to fund his game. Go and kill him. What? You wnat to see this game yourself? Nonsense, this dungeon will be far more convenient. Off you go. Try not to trip over any Draugr.    … Expand
  56. TidWop
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    While I could ramble about how ridiculous certain "reviewers" are being, I'll simply state my opinion. Skyrim is essentially exactly what I wanted from the next installment in The Elder Scrolls series. What exactly dictates that? Basically, a polished, improved Oblivion. Being a huge fan of Oblivion, this game is pinpoint accurate on returning to the formula I love, while also sprucing itWhile I could ramble about how ridiculous certain "reviewers" are being, I'll simply state my opinion. Skyrim is essentially exactly what I wanted from the next installment in The Elder Scrolls series. What exactly dictates that? Basically, a polished, improved Oblivion. Being a huge fan of Oblivion, this game is pinpoint accurate on returning to the formula I love, while also sprucing it up, and adding more in. To start, those who say this isn't a visually appealing game is diminishing two factors.; the first that it is certainly a step above Oblivion, and that it is a role playing game. While playing, I have all the details on Ultra, and I'm running it at a constant 60 frames per second. Needless to say, it looks fantastic. Even out of the context of it being a role playing game, it still looks great! People simply look for anything to pile onto their rage-reviews. Next, the sound. At first, I was skeptical about the new soundtrack Jeremy Soule laid out for me. I was a huge fan of Oblivion's soundtrack, so Skyrim's soundtrack was important to me from the introduction. While initially I wasn't too impressed, it definitely hit perfectly after the first few hours. The Nordic choruses, the compelling drums, the serene tavern backdrops, it does just as Oblivion did. It creates a soundtrack that handsomely compliments the immersion factor of the world around you. I suggest that anyone who appreciates a good musical score to edit your audio values, and turn the "music" bar up a notch; it truly makes the gameplay better. Lastly, the combat system that lets your dethrone dragons, and bash in skulls of unsuspecting (or foolish) bandits, and the like. Bethesda outdid themselves when it comes to innovating their combat system. While I enjoyed Oblivion, the fighting was robotic, and repetitive. Quite opposite of its older brother, Skyrim redefines how you take down your foes, or friendly citizens (yes, we all occasionally go on questionable rampages when we get new weapons.) From finishing moves, to spell casting that isn't sluggish, the new combat system is perfect for Skyrim. Casting fire while swinging with an enchanted sword is satisfying, to say the least.

    While I could continue to write an explicit review, I'll stop myself, and end with this. Skyrim is undoubtedly a role playing game experience all fans should experience. While it sticks to the same formula while revamping itself all the while, why should that be a bad thing? If you loved Oblivion, you'll adore Skyrim. (This isn't a console port either, people just love to whine. The controls are just fine, and the visuals are a half step above consoles.)    … Expand
  57. Elsingo
    Nov 11, 2011
    8
    This game deserves an 8, it has good graphics, voice acting can now and then be realy horrible imo. Cant judge on the whole story but from what ive seen so far it has a solid story and fun combat.
  58. xanell
    Nov 24, 2011
    0
    I cannot give this game a score as it does not run on my pc, even after reporting the problem and trolling through various forums for answers I have not found a solution as yet. It seems the game wasnâ
  59. Motoob
    Nov 26, 2011
    4
    The game plays well until it doesn't. Quite simply the game crashes constantly. On average with my computer set up the game crashes between 30-45 minutes of gameplay.
  60. Mr_Mouse
    Dec 2, 2011
    0
    So called professional reviewers that rated this game highly never saw the PC version. So much is 100% clear. Either that, or they were blind. The looks beautiful enough, from a distance, but the character animation is crude, with too small number of polygons. Voice acting is still not enough, with voices for different characters soon starting to be familiar, heard one bartender, heardSo called professional reviewers that rated this game highly never saw the PC version. So much is 100% clear. Either that, or they were blind. The looks beautiful enough, from a distance, but the character animation is crude, with too small number of polygons. Voice acting is still not enough, with voices for different characters soon starting to be familiar, heard one bartender, heard them all. The user interface is written for consoles, it is terrible on the pc. But worst of all, and not to be missed by any reviewer, is the huge number of bugs, freezes, crashes to desktop, stuck quests, immortal beings, ,issues with the loader, and on and on and on. You have to let Steam check the integrity of the local files constantly to be able to start it up again and hope you'll be able to play. And then if you do, you may find the game locks up yet again at some location, with nothing else to do but power down the computer and reboot. It shows to me that game sites, and game reviewers have no clue whatsoever, and are being led by the nose by companies. That, and they lied if they were saying they reviewed the PC version.… Expand
  61. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    3
    Skyrim is a beautiful, gigantic world full of diverse towns, dwemer ruin labyrinths, dragon lairs, and ancient tombs. Almost every location feels unique and hand-made, filled with tiny details and nuances. However, everything else is a letdown. Stripped of stats, the only enchantments you can put on equipment (or stats on found equip) are elemental damage/resistance, damage/skill boosts,Skyrim is a beautiful, gigantic world full of diverse towns, dwemer ruin labyrinths, dragon lairs, and ancient tombs. Almost every location feels unique and hand-made, filled with tiny details and nuances. However, everything else is a letdown. Stripped of stats, the only enchantments you can put on equipment (or stats on found equip) are elemental damage/resistance, damage/skill boosts, or stat drains/boosts. Magic and skills are very shallow and have zero scaling, resulting in mages being underpowered late game while meleers kill everything in 2 hits on the hardest difficulty. The game's best aspect, exploration, soon becomes unrewarding when you can craft & enchant better equip than can be found anywhere. The main questline, which will take you about 40 hours, is your typical YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE story (but still has some memorable moments given how much traveling you do). Sadly, Skyrim's world is trapped in a mediocre, dumbed down, DX9 console port.… Expand
  62. Bassnav
    Nov 19, 2011
    1
    Usless port.manny bugs.intro with no brain.menus are not made for pc.graphics are not what they are on screenshots (i have 2 gig on graphic memory).almost no help.i got no bond with the game or story within 15 mins as i had with other rpg games.stupid metod to see what better gear u get or have ...
    it gets 1 coz its an rpg title nothing more.THIS GAME SUCKS !!
  63. Angriest
    Nov 11, 2011
    7
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim offers the user new story content in a familiar world. Understanding of development: This is where the user is a fault, the urge for a new game in the series are insane. And development of a game, engine, story, characters takes years and years. So to expect a massive upgrade in every aspect of a game, in the short amount of time developers have is just absurd.The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim offers the user new story content in a familiar world. Understanding of development: This is where the user is a fault, the urge for a new game in the series are insane. And development of a game, engine, story, characters takes years and years. So to expect a massive upgrade in every aspect of a game, in the short amount of time developers have is just absurd. They provide us with new material/story, new characters, new enemies, slight graphic upgrades to quell our thirst for a new game, but we want more. How are they to survive while developing this uber game, that even the most common of users will enjoy ? e.i. Dad who started playing with the Xbox generation, not to mention his kids. Bugs are annoying agree, but they will be fixed.
    User interface friendliness, specially for PC users is bad I agree.
    Graphics are great, not mind-blowing but hey they were already so good to begin with.

    I think story needs to be the key instrument ALL gaming companies needs to be working on and F what corporate are saying. In game characters/monsters/neutrals/music should be well tweaked to fit the story and enhance authenticity. User interface should be optimized and game should be close to bug free. After these things, if graphics are great too hurray!    … Expand
  64. Makrish
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Controls are very easily adapted to, with favourite weapons able to be mapped to number keys (I discovered this purely by accident - hit 1 by accident after hitting 'q'), made for hot-swapping in fights. Textures I find are comparable to games like Witcher 2 and Divinity 2, and the view of the sunset/sunrise and Aurora Borealis is just amazing. I was climbing up the legendary 7,000 stepsControls are very easily adapted to, with favourite weapons able to be mapped to number keys (I discovered this purely by accident - hit 1 by accident after hitting 'q'), made for hot-swapping in fights. Textures I find are comparable to games like Witcher 2 and Divinity 2, and the view of the sunset/sunrise and Aurora Borealis is just amazing. I was climbing up the legendary 7,000 steps and stopped for five minutes just to watch the Aurora, with the moon in the background.

    This is probably the best RPG I've ever played.    … Expand
  65. Nian
    Nov 20, 2011
    3
    Skyrim is what all hard core PC game fans have feared the most, Almost complete unedited console ports with little visible enhancements in graphics or sound, a crippled GUI that is made for console game controllers and a performance hit due to obviously unoptimised console to windows conversion tools.

    This is and never will be considered a great game on the PC, if any fan of large open    Skyrim is what all hard core PC game fans have feared the most, Almost complete unedited console ports with little visible enhancements in graphics or sound, a crippled GUI that is made for console game controllers and a performance hit due to obviously unoptimised console to windows conversion tools.

    This is and never will be considered a great game on the PC, if any fan of large open areas with a plethora of dark fantasy is considering buying this, my advice. If you haven't already, Get yourself the free to play MMO: Age Of Conan. The added bonus to a free MMO beyond been FREE is that you can meet people in this vast wasteland of a game. Oh and if you don't like it. At least it didn't cost you $100 to find out its drivel.

    Skyrim, oh how the mighty have fallen.    … Expand
  66. IrishChai
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    This game is incredible. I first played the Elder Scrolls series with Morrowind and thought it was mediocre. I just couldn't play or enjoy anything about Oblivion. It felt incredibly boring and uninspired after trying to get in to it a dozen times, so I gambled with getting Skyrim on the first day after watching a couple of the live streaming sessions online. It looked too good to pass up,This game is incredible. I first played the Elder Scrolls series with Morrowind and thought it was mediocre. I just couldn't play or enjoy anything about Oblivion. It felt incredibly boring and uninspired after trying to get in to it a dozen times, so I gambled with getting Skyrim on the first day after watching a couple of the live streaming sessions online. It looked too good to pass up, and my gamble really paid off. Skyrim is way better than the last two, and I've never felt so truly immersed in an RPG like this before. I didn't experience a single bug or crash with the game, although there were minor flickering or clipping issues graphically. However, everything else from the sound and atmosphere, to the quality voice-over work and options of stuff to do and directions to go has redefined my interpretation of excellent game design for a true sandbox RPG. The only negatives leading me to rate it down to a 9 is for those who enjoy a linear story and direction, as I admittedly sometimes prefer also. The way it drops you at the end of the prologue/tutorial is pretty abrupt, but I had no problem just wandering off in a random direction and seeking out adventure. It found me as it turned out, allowing me to go in a few different directions depending on my whims, but for some it might not come as easily. Everything else is top notch and well worth the price of admission.… Expand
  67. VergilAF
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Fantastic. The game is created by the makers of Fallout, so it's an open world where we can do what they want. Contrary to Fallout, where the scenery is a barren terrain, we have luxuriant forests, rivers and snow-capped mountains. The graphics are wonderful even though sometimes the texture limp. Great combat system that will keep us glued to the screen, between creatures really well made â
  68. StarC
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Deacz, you need to learn to use favorites (RTFM). I agree with the point that the game isn't the prettiest and especially the lack of facial expressions is a pitty. I like the fact that you can now only sell items to vendors that they also sell (no you cannot sell a bow to a fruit vendor). I'm off to play a bit more now. caio
  69. Iluvatar21
    Nov 1, 2014
    4
    First let me start with saying that Skyrim's combat is sh*t. It takes away the feeling that you are developing a character, that you help contribute to your character, that this is Your character. I am talking about investing points into Agility and seeing your character hit more often, those sort of things that create attachment to the game. Skyrim lacks the attachment part because asFirst let me start with saying that Skyrim's combat is sh*t. It takes away the feeling that you are developing a character, that you help contribute to your character, that this is Your character. I am talking about investing points into Agility and seeing your character hit more often, those sort of things that create attachment to the game. Skyrim lacks the attachment part because as long as You have the skills, You can do anything (from picking master locks, to hitting every time with the bow) which leaves you without a reason to care for this world, no attachment...

    In Skyrim earlier perks completely say 'FU' to the difficulty and the need of finding better gear by giving you more damage, less mana requirements for spell usage (some perks are good).

    Why Morrowind is better: from finding your own way via reading the journal, to more interesting architecture, more diverse and interesting locations, better made dungeons, better weapons, armor and loot, loot with value (for example glass or daedric loot was nearly impossible to sell due to its high value (1 daedric bolt is 4000 gold!)), more diverse and interesting magics, better and deeper stories, harder and more interesting puzzles (lockpicking was level based and if your Security skill was low forget about lvl100 Master locks unless with a magic scroll), harsher consequences for your actions and therefore more choices (you can kill anyone for example plot characters rendering the main plot impossible to complete unless you reloaded a save or found some other way; also NPCs were interesting because you could do more with them - if you were to increase the disposition of an NPC and your Personality was high enough you might find newer quests for example and new dialog. NPCs would offend you if they didnt like you and shopkeepers wont barter with you if you had items they disapproved like Skooma; if you had no stamina and were under attack you would fall to the ground unable to act until some stamina comes back).    … Expand
  70. spmxvc
    Dec 16, 2011
    10
    Yeah, you need to tweak the game via console and the .ini files. Yeah, you need to get into the modding scene to fix some of the bugs and problems. Yeah, the game didn't run with over 2GB memory without some kind of third party application. Well guess what... that's what the dedicated Elder Scrolls players are used to. And we LOVE Bethesda for it. They let us play the game the way WE wantYeah, you need to tweak the game via console and the .ini files. Yeah, you need to get into the modding scene to fix some of the bugs and problems. Yeah, the game didn't run with over 2GB memory without some kind of third party application. Well guess what... that's what the dedicated Elder Scrolls players are used to. And we LOVE Bethesda for it. They let us play the game the way WE want to play it. Do we want to modify the way we level up? quite often we do. Do we want to modify the difficulty and scaling of the game? Of course we do. Do we want to tweak the graphics, overhaul the system, get the most out of our real gaming machines? You're bloody well right we do! The fifth installation in the Elder Scrolls series allows the gamer to play and change the game to suit them. Why did Skyrim win GotY 2011? Pretty simple. Bethesda created a game that let the user decide how they wanted to play. The Elder Scrolls series is one of the very few games that allow the user the utmost control over how the game works. Game developers need to understand, you give the community a development kit and you will have them work for free, creating new content, fixing bugs. That's the kind of community that dedicated PC gamers are, we love these games because they give us almost unparalleled control over the way in which the game functions. I don't like being locked to 65 FoV because the developers didn't want to put the option in the game for PC gamers. I don't like being locked to certain keys because the developers didn't want to make the code for remapping keys. I hate being forced to play a game in a linear style without any deviations from the path. Does the game have problems? Yes. Can these problems be fixed by the user? YES! Nothing short of a 10 out of 10.… Expand
  71. NedStark
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    The hype was justified. This isn't just the game of the year, but one of the best gaming experiences ever. Fantastic world and quite possibly the best soundtrack in a game I've ever heard. Do yourself a favour and buy this game. There is one negative thing though; your social life will suffer. Can't have everything.
  72. Tyrant_T100
    Nov 14, 2011
    8
    I preordered Skyrim hoping it to be better than Oblivion that was a flawed but fun game from Bethesda, in its own right it was good but compared to Morrowind from 2003 it was poor.
    After playing over 20 hours of Skyrim since the 11/11/11 I can say they have done a great job and Skyrim surpasses Oblivion and sits shoulder to shoulder with Morrowind.
    Many of the complex themes in Morrowind    I preordered Skyrim hoping it to be better than Oblivion that was a flawed but fun game from Bethesda, in its own right it was good but compared to Morrowind from 2003 it was poor.
    After playing over 20 hours of Skyrim since the 11/11/11 I can say they have done a great job and Skyrim surpasses Oblivion and sits shoulder to shoulder with Morrowind.

    Many of the complex themes in Morrowind such as the politics have returned and Skyrim is a better game because of it, the soundtrack is good but doesn't stand out as anything special. The game looks lovely graphically and the art direction is top-notch it avoids the ugly problems of Oblivion and Fallout 3.

    The game gets an 8 however due to occasional crashes that I'm sure will be patched as well as occasional memory leaks and fps drops. The game overall is excellent and feels like a true sequel to Morrowind.    … Expand
  73. sh4dow
    Jan 20, 2012
    6
    With Oblivion, I preordered the limited edition. This time, because of my experiences with Oblivion, I was not going to make the same mistake again. And boy am I happy I didn't. One might think they would learn from their last game. Instead, they made it even worse! Full of bugs, underwhelming graphics (especially if you've played Witcher 2 just a bit before - sure, you don't have an openWith Oblivion, I preordered the limited edition. This time, because of my experiences with Oblivion, I was not going to make the same mistake again. And boy am I happy I didn't. One might think they would learn from their last game. Instead, they made it even worse! Full of bugs, underwhelming graphics (especially if you've played Witcher 2 just a bit before - sure, you don't have an open world there but still... the difference is GIGANTIC! and because of texture mods and ini mods and whatnot, people know that bethesda could have done more... instead they let their fans do the work) and the leveling system which is supposed to accommodate any play style (although... didn't they say that about Oblivion already?) is about as screwed up as in Oblivion.
    When Skyrim was first announced, I told my friends I would wait for about a year after release before I will play it. But because of all the mods that are already released and very popular, I figured it might be time already. No it isn't. And with things as screwed up as they are in Skyrim, I wonder whether it ever will be.    … Expand
  74. keefbaker
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    If you didn't like Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas because that whole "exploring thing" was just too much bother then don;t go anywhere near this. If you want something that manages to take the best from all of those games and furnish them together in a massive, stunning package then yes, this is for you. I'm 20 hours in and it's only been out 2 days. In fact the onlyIf you didn't like Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas because that whole "exploring thing" was just too much bother then don;t go anywhere near this. If you want something that manages to take the best from all of those games and furnish them together in a massive, stunning package then yes, this is for you. I'm 20 hours in and it's only been out 2 days. In fact the only true worry i have about this game is that i may end up being more familiar with the world of skyrim than my own city.… Expand
  75. IHateFanboys
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    This game is a while lot of fun, I have been playing obsessively since its midnight release and I have been loving every minute. Clearing dungeons and slaying dragons are incredibly fun to do and leave the user with a feeling of accomplishment. Occasional glitches do little to detract from the hours of entertainment. Exploring is rewarding and challenging while interesting characters andThis game is a while lot of fun, I have been playing obsessively since its midnight release and I have been loving every minute. Clearing dungeons and slaying dragons are incredibly fun to do and leave the user with a feeling of accomplishment. Occasional glitches do little to detract from the hours of entertainment. Exploring is rewarding and challenging while interesting characters and unique characters make every encounter seem fresh and unusual. Its a really good game to eat up all your free time… Expand
  76. Demigodrick
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Where to start? I've clocked up about 15 hours, and like oblivion, will most likely go on to clock up over 350. I must point out though I've been using a 360 controller from the start, so have had no problems with the controls. Graphically, this game is a massive step up from oblivion. Other people seem to be comparing the graphics of Skyrim to those of a recently released fps. Maybe turn up your graphics, over clock your gpu or buy a better one? Some of the views are breathtaking, the draw distance is fantastic and I think I'm in love with the landscape. Bethesda games have never been known for their lifelike graphics, let's face it. But this is close enough for me to actually want to be there. The cities themselves are beautiful. From dwarves cities full of mechanics, to broken down castles and forts, each one feels unique. Gameplay wise, I'm slightly miffed about the dark brotherhood. And the thieves guild. Why are they in decline? They put it down to 'bad luck'. That feels like a cheap way of making a storyline. And from what I've played, not overly impressed. Listener straight away for TDB? And then she bosses you about? I'm pretty sure that has been my lowest moment in skyrim. Fighting dragons is cool. It's good they don't focus solely on the player and ignore NPR creatures. I had an epic fight where I teamed up with a troll and a wooly mammoth, only for the troll to turn on me because I may have accidentally killed his mammoth. Whoops. I'm also starting to see the radiant quest thing kick in, with bounties leading to unexplored caves etc. whether or not it's truly unlimited I don't know, but with modding, it may well be. As I said at the start, Im using a 360 controller. It was plugged in already (I use it for bf3, so a word for you kb/m elitists, you're wrong :) ) and recognised instantly, and is pretty awesome. Pc version has force feedback, so obviously a console rip there. My only downside is I can't pick stuff up. At least, I haven't figured it out yet. So no basket on the head stealing for me. A few people are saying its buggy - look at the size of the world. It will take years to find every bug, glitch, spelling mistake (I noticed one in the book about the events of oblivion) and if you thought its be releases bug free you obviously never played oblivion. I do have one bug (at least, I think it's a bug) where I'm one hit killed by a giant and thrown into space. But what Bethesda don't fix, modders will..

    Which leads onto modding. Being unique for pcs (which is why you should have the pc version), it probably adds another 300+ hours onto the play time. Looking at the quality of oblivious mods, I honestly can't wait for skyrim's mods. It'll be interesting to see how much Bethesda let modders tinker with, if it's all the way down to the radiant story thing. There'll be some epic quests then!

    All in all, I'm highly Impressed with what has been achieved, and can't wait to spend the next few years solidly exploring ever part of skyrim! It's definitely a must buy!    … Expand
  77. brindle88
    Nov 14, 2012
    0
    Piontless boring crap. Everything an RPG should not be. Never ending aimless wandering around vast areas just hoping for that small grasp of exitement to come your way to make the previous 40 mins of aimless wandering worth it. You can talk to basicaly any npc you come accross and 99% of the time the communication is completely piontless, eg a farmer telling you about his latest crop yieldPiontless boring crap. Everything an RPG should not be. Never ending aimless wandering around vast areas just hoping for that small grasp of exitement to come your way to make the previous 40 mins of aimless wandering worth it. You can talk to basicaly any npc you come accross and 99% of the time the communication is completely piontless, eg a farmer telling you about his latest crop yield or some similar irrevelevant information. COMBAT IS A DISGRACE, two hands sticking out in front of you that swing swords or magic from like some kind of wooden spoon that your mother used to smack you with when you where a child. I cannot comprehend how people could possibly rate this game highly, i think the only logical explanation is that sadly gaming studios are producing games for the "masses" now like hollywood is doing with its movies eg transformers, shrek, spiderman ect.........unfortunately I think the masses of there target audiences are young kids who do not want well thought out intelligent complicated games, they want crap like skyrim and other similar rubbish.… Expand
  78. Konflanz
    Mar 19, 2015
    10
    Deep, with a fascinating Lore, immense world to explore and amazing graphics for his era, it's not one of the best rpg games, but of all time. Go deep in Skyrim, you will not be regretful!
  79. PhoenixEX
    Jan 11, 2015
    10
    I would give this game more of a 9.7 but since I have to round, I will round up because this game deserves it. This game may be infamously filled with miner glitches due to its enormous size, but that doesn't stop it from being probably the best open world adventure I have ever experienced. I personally LOVE games that are almost impossible to complete, and this game does that well. InI would give this game more of a 9.7 but since I have to round, I will round up because this game deserves it. This game may be infamously filled with miner glitches due to its enormous size, but that doesn't stop it from being probably the best open world adventure I have ever experienced. I personally LOVE games that are almost impossible to complete, and this game does that well. In this game, you will find yourself replaying it over and over again. I generally do not have any thing to say about this game that is bad, but the glitches can be somewhat annoying if you find them, so that is why I don't give it a full 10.… Expand
  80. Animefuko
    Feb 15, 2015
    10
    Skyrim has it's ups and downs like most popular video games, but the ups tower over the negative. The storyline is amazing and on going gameplay meaning you will never get bored, as you have many other side quests. Great voice acting, and is very interactive. You will need to have a rather good pc to play this as the world is rather big. Most likely won't work on a laptop. There isn't alotSkyrim has it's ups and downs like most popular video games, but the ups tower over the negative. The storyline is amazing and on going gameplay meaning you will never get bored, as you have many other side quests. Great voice acting, and is very interactive. You will need to have a rather good pc to play this as the world is rather big. Most likely won't work on a laptop. There isn't alot of bugs, but there when there is you can use cheats to fix them and put them back in their place. Highly recomended.… Expand
  81. Apisteytos
    May 25, 2016
    0
    This is very good gameplay but it has bad influence to people.
    It gives subconscious demonic messages it has names of real life demons to game gods or game humans that you
    interact with, also the name dragonborn what does it really mean, it is refering to antichrist ,who will show himself as a saviour (but the truth is that he cant even save himself),so the dragonborn ingame is the    This is very good gameplay but it has bad influence to people.
    It gives subconscious demonic messages it has names of real life demons to game gods or game humans that you
    interact with, also the name dragonborn what does it really mean, it is refering to antichrist ,who will show himself as a saviour (but the truth is that he cant even save himself),so the dragonborn ingame is the saviour of skyrim from the dragons.
    weapons and armor that you wear and use in game have the 666 on them if you look carefully also many other demonic symbols in artfacts buildings doors everywhere ,necklaces and many other things
    its not the first time i see this in a game but i think bethesda is gone too far with it
    bethesda you could make this game the best ever ,but no you had to put all this demonic stuff in it and make us discuss with your evilness.
    I TOTALLY DONT RECOMMEND THIS GAME ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN UNDER 20 YEARS OLD I REGRET BUYING THIS GAME i feel ive been decieved
    heres some videos i found in youtube about this matter you should check them out
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGnwvUBrYU
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGnwvUBrYU    … Expand
  82. jediwolf
    Nov 11, 2011
    7
    Yo Bethesda idiots!! Why I cant block using dual wield??? Morons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  83. RAWRFACE
    Nov 14, 2011
    0
    The face animations bother me, the voice acting is terrible. I played this game for 10 minutes, I could not stand the graphics. They are terrible, it is sad do they just not think to update their textures for pc?
  84. beebeembopp
    Nov 20, 2011
    0
    Skyrim brings 'all flash no substance' to an entirely new level. Somehow people are impressed by having giant sub-par looking landscapes and tons of NPC's even if it substitutes an actually decent combat system, or basically any gameplay mechanic that's even remotely challenging or polished. If a game based around conflict doesn't have a good combat system, it has nothing. Plain andSkyrim brings 'all flash no substance' to an entirely new level. Somehow people are impressed by having giant sub-par looking landscapes and tons of NPC's even if it substitutes an actually decent combat system, or basically any gameplay mechanic that's even remotely challenging or polished. If a game based around conflict doesn't have a good combat system, it has nothing. Plain and simple. Bethesda opted for a big world instead of a well designed one, and that's what they got. I'd rather play several better smaller games then waste my time playing one bad big one.… Expand
  85. Necrotaur
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is amazing. The world is rich and expansive, the graphics are a huge improvement (especially the character's faces) and as is typical for a TES game, there is a lot to do. Throw eventual mods into the mix and your social life is pretty much gone. That being said I really wanted to give the game a 10/10 but there remain a few minor issues. There are some poor animations - I onceSkyrim is amazing. The world is rich and expansive, the graphics are a huge improvement (especially the character's faces) and as is typical for a TES game, there is a lot to do. Throw eventual mods into the mix and your social life is pretty much gone. That being said I really wanted to give the game a 10/10 but there remain a few minor issues. There are some poor animations - I once saw a guy sit down in mid air then slide sideways into a chair (lol)- and a some minor bugs. Skyrim has a few awesome voice actors while the rest are middling yet still far, far better than Oblivion, and the PC controls are also rather awkward. Bottom line though: Skyrim is great and will keep you entertained for hundreds of hours.… Expand
  86. xploited
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Bought in on day 1 and I am sure I am gonna enjoy the hell out of it. :D Had a chance to launch it only one only, and the beginning and it already looks epic. The only downside is that I have to finish this game in 4 days before Assassin's Creed is out. xD
  87. Fuzi0n
    Sep 5, 2012
    1
    I will try to sum up how bad this game is: 1.) The story sucks, actually is practically non existent 2.) 85% of the game is made up boring fetch quests 3.) The game is level scaled. When you level up, then the enemies do the same 4.) The game is simple, even a 6 year old could play this. It is not challenging at all 5.) The RPG elements have been dumbed down so far that they are nowI will try to sum up how bad this game is: 1.) The story sucks, actually is practically non existent 2.) 85% of the game is made up boring fetch quests 3.) The game is level scaled. When you level up, then the enemies do the same 4.) The game is simple, even a 6 year old could play this. It is not challenging at all 5.) The RPG elements have been dumbed down so far that they are now practically non existent. This game is just a standard hack and slash 6.) 98% of all caves, dungeons, etc. are 100% linear. There is only 1 path, thats it. 7.) The inventory system is HORRIBLE. Bethesda can sell millions of copies of this **** game, but they just do not have the professional pride to actually design an efficient inventory system. 8.) There are no challenging or super powerful enemies 9.) Money has no value in this game, it is worthless. 10.) To level up your skills (alchemy, blacksmith) you have to grind so much, that it is ridiculous. 11.) There are no super powerful items in the game. The best items can only be created by your character (with generic ingredients) 12.) Exploring does not reward you in any way. It is just a waste of time. 13.) Companions are only good as mules, because they are retarded 14.) The Dragons are a joke. Simple and way too many of them. 14.) Potions are worthles (except for crafting items) because the game is not challening at all. 15.) You can find everything in abundance, there is nothing rare in this game. 16.) Why are worthless plates, cups, goblets etc. collectable? All they do is clutter up your inventory and are totally worthless! --- I could go on forever. It doesn't matter though. This game is horrible, it is the pinacle of bad game design dumbed down to a level so that retards can play it. It is the worst "RPG" or "Hack and Slash" I have ever played, and one of the worst games I have ever played. It sucks. Thats it.… Expand
  88. TrickyC
    Nov 25, 2011
    0
    Oh boy was this game was a disappointment in The Elder Scrolls series whose downfall started with Battlespire and now continues with Skyrim. Where do I be begin? Let's start with the menus. The menus in Skrim can usually only be navigated with the keyboard and there is no notification or any type of feedback as to if you hit a menu item or not because all the goddamn menus are strictlyOh boy was this game was a disappointment in The Elder Scrolls series whose downfall started with Battlespire and now continues with Skyrim. Where do I be begin? Let's start with the menus. The menus in Skrim can usually only be navigated with the keyboard and there is no notification or any type of feedback as to if you hit a menu item or not because all the goddamn menus are strictly black, white, and grey! The inventory menu is an unintuitive mess. It's awkward to navigate, it doesn't show your character so you have no clue what the **** is on your character unless you go through every single goddamn menu with in the inventory screen. To make it even worse, menus overlap at times and its impossible at a single glance to tell which menu is active. As if all of this wasn't bad even enough, simply pressing "escape" will bring up the main menu screen over any other menu screen you have open but you can't save or load from it until you close what ever menu screen you had up under the main menu. The menus in Skyrim are the worst I've ever seen in a game hands down. -2 points

    Controls; The default controls can charitably described as: Passable. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but skyrim has a few 'holy grail' buttons that you CANNOT remap. Good examples of this are the left mouse button, F, E, R, and Q. Try remapping any of those functions and new key you mapped doesn't work AND what ever you mapped to any of those keys doesn't work! Outstanding programming here! Next the favorite menu has potential to be good, but fails miserably. The Favorites menu pauses the game has a list of all items/spells you want to be able to quickly equip without going through the cluster****ed inventory screen. You can also set the number keys 1 to 8 to quickly use or ready something, however that's it. You can't use any other keys than 1 to 8. What the **** Why cant you atleast use all of the keys in that row or atleast use keys other than the number keys for that **** As if this piss poor design wasn't already bad enough, You cannot block while; duel wielding or having magic ready in 1 hand. You cannot cast while having a bow, 2 handed weapon, or shield out. This **** wasn't a problem since Daggerfall and now it's back 15 years later? -4 points

    Graphics; Okay, so the graphics are mostly good in the towns and dungeons and around the main roads. Heaven forbid you go off the beaten path! Even with all settings maxed out, the mountain textures look like they were pulled from morrowind 10 years earlier! Using the excuse: no one goes there is a fallacy in that The Elderscrolls games have ALWAYS been about exploring. To salt the wounds, Skyrim also offers no option to turn off BLOOM or HDR, both of which are abused to the point that the UN would step if they were citizens of any 3rd world country. -2 points Next us the skill system which is an interesting but inherently flawed step forward. To make things more interesting bethesda decided to add perks to skills which is an amusing thought and certain adds some depth, but it fails to make up for the removing of several skills and attributes all together. What the **** were they thinking? There is no unarmed skills, no way to increase your jumping/falling abilities, no way to increase your movement speed, and for a final kick to your ribs while you're down; you can't fight or do anything while underwater anymore. -2 points

    Thanks for trying, better luck next time, game over! 0 out of 10. This game shows not only a lack of respect and care for the PC release of a game, but also pure enmity toward PC games as a whole. do not pay money for this monstrosity!    … Expand
  89. LilLoki
    Dec 1, 2011
    0
    NOT A GOOD GAME AT ALL! specially after playing the true GREAT RPGs that came out this years such as Witcher 2, Dark Souls and Skyward Sword. Skyrim does nothing better than the other RPGs, other than the cool title screen chant song. In fact when compared, one can easily tell how outdated it its, in its game play mechanics, and characters animations. Take heed, this game is worth nothingNOT A GOOD GAME AT ALL! specially after playing the true GREAT RPGs that came out this years such as Witcher 2, Dark Souls and Skyward Sword. Skyrim does nothing better than the other RPGs, other than the cool title screen chant song. In fact when compared, one can easily tell how outdated it its, in its game play mechanics, and characters animations. Take heed, this game is worth nothing more than a rental.… Expand
  90. fatman696
    Apr 27, 2015
    0
    The game without mods - 5/10
    The game with mods - 11/10
    The game with paid mods - 0/10

    The paid mods has caused the community to divide, and steam has shown that they can't into quality control.
  91. rucknrun
    Dec 17, 2011
    9
    Amazing game. I run into some crashes on the PS3 on occasion but the game plays well and looks great. I spend half my day at work emailing friends about what they got into in game. An improvement over Oblivion.
  92. HenryBukowski
    Jul 18, 2012
    8
    For all the breathtaking aesthetic beauty of Bethesda games, I feel they could really take a lesson from Bioware in storytelling and making people come to life. I say this as a huge fan of Bethesda, with Fallout 3 and Morrowind being some of my favourite games of all time. But in games like Knights of the old republic, mass effect, neverwinter nights, Bioware do so much more to enthrallFor all the breathtaking aesthetic beauty of Bethesda games, I feel they could really take a lesson from Bioware in storytelling and making people come to life. I say this as a huge fan of Bethesda, with Fallout 3 and Morrowind being some of my favourite games of all time. But in games like Knights of the old republic, mass effect, neverwinter nights, Bioware do so much more to enthrall you with a storyline, to develop relationships and make you care. The main problem for me in Skyrim is this storyline. Dragons! 15 year old boys may find the idea of battling dragons awesome, but Bethesda can do so much more than this. There's a fine line between generic fantasy games and the more impressive and stylized ones, and I worry that by importing the fantastic trope that is dragons into your game you really only de-value your own concept. Hoist by one's own Petard, as they say. Couple of other things: dungeons. In Oblivion and Morrowind there was variety in what you could find within. In skyrim, you always know it's going to be a sh*t load of Draugr, and if you're bloody lucky, a couple of frostbite spiders. Where did that variety go!? Quests: There are some really fantastic ones, but at times I feel there's a lack of invention. The go get me this item approach to quests only carries you so far. Bethesda needs to innovate rather than play it safe. Combat: Mods are a must for this, but only available to pc users. I really can't see that the combat has improved since oblivion, just evolved in a parallel direction. Still no inbuilt parry system or anything, a shame. But I'm saying these things as someone who loves the elder scrolls, and believes in it. Beautiful game, with loving attention given to its 'Nordic' Lore. What I'm trying to say though is that Bethesda has set its sights on making the ultimate 'immersive' experience; a game where you can do anything, go anywhere, be anyone. But for that to have been truly realised, more attention would have been needed to the depth of the 'being', the 'doing' and so forth. Just because I can go anywhere and do anything, does not mean I will want to if there's inadequate depth to those in-game acts. For me, the answer is making us care more about characters, relationships, be more shocked and gripped by plot. Skyrim calls out for this if only to do justice to the huge effort put into crafting its glorious world.… Expand
  93. Dougeye-Master
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    First off Epic!! is an understatment. What Bethesda have done here is everything they said they would, nothing more and nothing less, people seem to forget this and had too high expectations. Since the game was announced Todd Howard has been clear in interviews etc that the game graphicly would still be dx9 with a few improvements! The approach of improving what you already know has provedFirst off Epic!! is an understatment. What Bethesda have done here is everything they said they would, nothing more and nothing less, people seem to forget this and had too high expectations. Since the game was announced Todd Howard has been clear in interviews etc that the game graphicly would still be dx9 with a few improvements! The approach of improving what you already know has proved to be successful rather than trying to rush out a game this big with new tech, so what it hasnt got dx11 graphics and massive textures!! I still looks good and means you can have an absolutly massive world on one disk!! aside from this, radient story = win characters = win new unique looking and sounding races = win epic views and scenery = win even the damn horses have been sorted out! and oh did i meantion dragons are absolutly epic!!!, dont get me wrong there are a few tiny little flaws like npcs gettign stuck etc in the game but compared to what they have achieved and the scope of this emmense emmersive world they fade into Oblivion!! Right im going to loose a week of my life playing it now lol… Expand
  94. LonelySheep
    Feb 18, 2012
    9
    Without writing an essay, most of you know what to expect from Skyrim so i'll skip all that and just say that this game loses two points for two reasons to earn 8/10 and they are:

    1.Too many bugs to poke a stick at (can recall having to reload earlier saves at least twice due to game-breaking glitches). 2. An extremely primitive combat system, especially by today's standards. Besides    Without writing an essay, most of you know what to expect from Skyrim so i'll skip all that and just say that this game loses two points for two reasons to earn 8/10 and they are:

    1.Too many bugs to poke a stick at (can recall having to reload earlier saves at least twice due to game-breaking glitches).
    2. An extremely primitive combat system, especially by today's standards.

    Besides these, Skyrim is a beautiful, rich and very immersive game that one should take their time to fully absorb its content.    … Expand
  95. karmasleeper
    Dec 3, 2011
    5
    Skyrim follows in the vein of its predecessor Oblivion in providing an even more streamlined open world RPG experience. Attribute points are no more with racial traits the only factor defining a starting role for your character. Character progression is so streamlined that soon even these racial bonuses will mean little as the way you choose to play defines your character. This approachSkyrim follows in the vein of its predecessor Oblivion in providing an even more streamlined open world RPG experience. Attribute points are no more with racial traits the only factor defining a starting role for your character. Character progression is so streamlined that soon even these racial bonuses will mean little as the way you choose to play defines your character. This approach truly gives players the greatest freedom in how to approach the game but perhaps unintentionally lessens the replay value of the game. There is no reason to replay the game as a different character since you can grow your skills however you want. I can be a mage with a two handed battle axe or sneak effortlessly in full plate armor while picking pockets in broad daylight. There are fewer spells, fewer skills, fewer weapon types, and fewer armor slots than ever before. Like Fallout 3, players receive one point to invest in perks each time they level up. These perks are very bland compared to Fallout 3, however, and usually provide passive bonuses in the way of reducing the madicka required for spell casting or increasing weapon damage by a certain percentage. The UI is atrocious and designed around a console controller. It requires way too much scrolling and unnecessarily interrupts the flow of combat. "Favoriting" an item in your inventory reduces the amount of screens you have to mull through, but as your character progresses, results in another length list you have to scroll through to access what you want. The main quest is reasonably interesting but anyone who has played an Elder Scrolls game will find it recycled and painfully short. Fighters, thieves, and mages guild exist in various forms as does the Dark Brotherhood. Daedric quests are back and most towns have one or two side quests to explore. There's a lot to do in Skyrim, and the world is fairly big, but like previous games in the franchise suffers from repetition. The landscape varies only in token ways and dungeons feel bland and samey after a short while. From a performance strandpoint, the game runs well but things could be so much better. The game doesn't use more than 2gigs of RAM (though there is a mod to address this), it uses DX9, and it's the same engine as Oblivion contrary to Bethesda's claims. Once again, a developer has chosen to allow ancient console hardware to dictate what they can and cannot do with their game rather than innovate and explore new ways of doing things in the franchise. If you are a hardcore Elder Scrolls fan, wait for a price drop. This is not work $60.… Expand
  96. DigitalVeil
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Absolutely mind-blowing masterpiece. I have yet to find anything even remotely close to being a fault. Do yourself a favour and go buy this. This game brings me to tears it's so good.
  97. xEnAlex
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    I give this game a 9/10, There was a few things that were minor.
    Story: Amazing story, well thought out and room for MANY side quests that involve with the story.
    Graphics: This is whole entirely on computer, but on highest quality and settings, Skyrim literally blooms in your face in its fullest potential. You can't rate graphics down unless you've seen the best. Gameplay: Like Morrowind    I give this game a 9/10, There was a few things that were minor.
    Story: Amazing story, well thought out and room for MANY side quests that involve with the story.
    Graphics: This is whole entirely on computer, but on highest quality and settings, Skyrim literally blooms in your face in its fullest potential. You can't rate graphics down unless you've seen the best.

    Gameplay: Like Morrowind and Oblivion, the gameplay was almost the same, except they decided to tweak it with another engine, the Fallout engine. The end product was easily organized items and easily accessible spells. The game also had dual wielding and a new type of perk-building. While loyal fans of TES cried, casual TES fans rejoiced due to simplicity of the skill system. I preferred the old system, yet couldn't admire the new system.

    Lasting: Almost like Oblivion, YOUR SOCIAL LIFE ENDS. Even IGN mentioned that you should say goodbye to life. The game is that GOOD in dragging you back to Skyrim over and over. It's like fighting games, you try to get as many combos as you can and look at your own fruits of labor pay. Except in Skyrim, that's swords, magic, destruction, and dragon bones.    … Expand
  98. thesandiiman
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    The years of waiting has finally come to an end. And my verdict of the game? Absolutely amazing.
    I came into this fully knowing about the New ui, and that it was created as a multi platform game, that's why I will not complain about features that do not feel 'PC'. I am as big a PC gamer as the rest of em, but people have to realise that PC exclusive titles are going away, which in my    The years of waiting has finally come to an end. And my verdict of the game? Absolutely amazing.
    I came into this fully knowing about the New ui, and that it was created as a multi platform game, that's why I will not complain about features that do not feel 'PC'. I am as big a PC gamer as the rest of em, but people have to realise that PC exclusive titles are going away, which in my honest opinion earns the developers more money, and in the case of bethesda they totally deserve it.
    I spent my first few hours of the game literally looking around in amazement, standing still wondering... I have so many things to do, what to do first. Your character isn't limited by the choice of what skills to use, which strangely made me stop and think deeply about how to play my character. The graphics are beautiful and the new engine is amazingly stable. Not had a single glitch or crash, which for a day one Bethesda game is simply outstanding and would earn it a 10 on that merit alone.
    If you do not have this game, get it.. as fast as you can. Play it with an open mind and no expectations, and I guarantee it will be one of the best gaming experiences of your life.    … Expand
  99. Renu
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    This is easily one of the best games I have ever played and trust me, I have played a lot. Sure there are some bugs and glitches, but I haven't encountered any game breaking ones yet. Everything has been greatly improved from Oblivion, well except the UI part.

    UI is very stripped down. Where is sort function? Better highlights would have been great too, I have used potions by accident too    This is easily one of the best games I have ever played and trust me, I have played a lot. Sure there are some bugs and glitches, but I haven't encountered any game breaking ones yet. Everything has been greatly improved from Oblivion, well except the UI part.

    UI is very stripped down. Where is sort function? Better highlights would have been great too, I have used potions by accident too many times already. I can't see how much air I have left when I'm swimming underwater. I hope they release a patch to fix the UI or do I need to wait for a mod to do that?

    UI aside, the game is absolutely fantastic. Visuals are very beautiful, music is amazing, voice-acting is very well done. Story quests are much more interesting than in Oblivion. A pure masterpiece.    … Expand
  100. Ghjkl242
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    I'm really not entirely sure why this game is getting negative reviews. Some of them are negative due to lack of observation (ie. you CAN change the controls :p), others don't make much sense (the menu system works great with a mouse. I think they were looking for something that would work well on both console and pc), but some of them do have validity. In response to the graphics: theyI'm really not entirely sure why this game is getting negative reviews. Some of them are negative due to lack of observation (ie. you CAN change the controls :p), others don't make much sense (the menu system works great with a mouse. I think they were looking for something that would work well on both console and pc), but some of them do have validity. In response to the graphics: they aren't bad at all. It's not goddamned Crysis, but it's a humongous improvement over Oblivion, and a hell of a lot faster. It actually runs faster than Oblivion on my machine. In fact, considering how much landscape ends up on the screen at once, it looks really good. Even the indoor areas look good. In regards to "The story is bad", it's not just about the story given to you (which is pretty good in the first place), but the story that you create for yourself, so if the story sucks, you probably aren't playing the game as it was intended to be played. In response to "There are more voice actors, but not enough", are you serious? I think I've heard the same voice twice one or two times, and I've played the game quite a lot. In contrast to Oblivion, which had roughly 10 voice actors (not including Patrick Stewart and Sean Bean who only played one character each), although, according to Wikipedia there were only 6 total, Skyrim has more like 70 voice actors. Not to mention the quality of acting is much better. And what is this about the combat being bad? It may not be perfect, but it's loads better than Oblivion, and definitely better than Morrowind. The only downfalls of Skyrim I can find are the occasional glitches (which I personally see as comic relief), and no short-cut keys, which hopefully will be fixed in the next patch. If not, some modder will make it anyways. If you want to know the numerous good things about this game, just look at other positive reviews. Right now, I'm gonna go play Skyrim.… 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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