The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4435 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,744 out of 4435
  2. Mixed: 344 out of 4435
  3. Negative: 347 out of 4435
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Gorzil
    Feb 7, 2012
    9
    Yes the game has its flaws, humans have their flaws everything does. But those flaws do nothing to affect this game. Know this, this isn't a game because what it does to you is unlike any game or movie. Skyrim is in a category of its own. It is hands down the best not only game, but adventure and experience you can live in your life. It will absolutely blow you away, if you ever caredYes the game has its flaws, humans have their flaws everything does. But those flaws do nothing to affect this game. Know this, this isn't a game because what it does to you is unlike any game or movie. Skyrim is in a category of its own. It is hands down the best not only game, but adventure and experience you can live in your life. It will absolutely blow you away, if you ever cared about being happy, dreamed of a different world, escaping reality into a realm of your own, this is the closest thing to being in the Matrix. Ii will absorb you, it will change you and it will please your every sense. The immersion factor is truly incredible, no medium can take you to another world as much a gaming machine with this software running. A parallel universe you will never want to return from. An absolute gem and must play for everyone. Perfect 10/10… Expand
  2. el_lic_Rivera
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    Hay que decirlo: Skyrim no es Oblivion, y menos Fallout 3. Pero si amaste esos juegos, es muy probable que adores este. Skyrim es un juego que empieza lento (lo que puede aburrir al amante de la accion y el combate) pero recompensa con graficas fabulosas durante todo el trayecto. De hecho, puede verse el esmero que pusieron en cada detalle, cada lugar, persona, villanos e historia, la cualHay que decirlo: Skyrim no es Oblivion, y menos Fallout 3. Pero si amaste esos juegos, es muy probable que adores este. Skyrim es un juego que empieza lento (lo que puede aburrir al amante de la accion y el combate) pero recompensa con graficas fabulosas durante todo el trayecto. De hecho, puede verse el esmero que pusieron en cada detalle, cada lugar, persona, villanos e historia, la cual puede parecer interminable para el jugador casual, pero quien aprecie escuchar cientos de conversaciones, explorar cada parte de su enorme escenario y recolectar todo, sera feliz en Skyrim. Aun asi, dejenme darles un consejo: hagan una cosa a la vez y no se llenen de misiones o terminaran con una lista enorme de objetivos. Completen todas las actividades de un pueblo antes de ir al siguiente y disfrutaran mas su aventura. Finalmente, y luego de jugar por más de 70 horas, se que Skyrim no es perfecto, pero te da lo suficiente para seguir adelante. Sus defectos no afectan la experiencia general, y por eso quienes saben lo califican con 9/10.… Expand
  3. xipher
    Feb 6, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There is lots and lots of stuff to do in skyrim from hundreds of quests to just walking though the forest, but after putting a lot of time into this game it all kind've feels empty and unsatisfying. I will admit they did an excellent job creating the world and the feel of the game. The music nature sounds and scope truly feel epic when your exploring above ground. The problem is that 75 to 80 percent of the game takes place in caves, underground ruins and castles. And aside from the occasional dwarven ruin almost all the dungeons and castles are just dark boring caves filled with weak annoying skeletons and crappy loot that you don't need. In fact the horrible loot system and lack of satisfying exploration are the biggest things holding this game back. For a game as big as skyrim the limited variety of armor and weapons to find is just sad. There is almost no point exploring for loot as the weapons and armor you can make and enchant yourself are better than anything you will find. The perk system also leaves much to be desired as most the perks simply buff what you can already do or give some little ability that barely makes a difference. It doesn't help that aside from the story quests and a few guild quests (mainly thieves guild) most of the quests are boring and unmemorable. Throw in some bad voice acting, wooden character animations, and annoying dragons and thats skyrim. Im disapointed that so many users posted 10/10 scores after barely playing the game. It looks amazing at first but the substance just isn't there. I played for around 230 hours before posting this.… Expand
  4. davogovernor
    Feb 6, 2012
    10
    This game is one of the best games of all time, of al time. I don't normally play RPGs in fact i didn't like fallout 3 but this is amazing go buy it now.
  5. ZatchCMM
    Feb 6, 2012
    10
    You Can turn into a werewolf and fight Dragons this is a very good game...buy it....now, WEREWOLF FIGHTING DRAGONS PEOPLE!!! Go to a gamestop and buy it already.
  6. deadmonkey76
    Feb 6, 2012
    8
    great game I would have given the game a perfect ten if the story was longer and had more depth felt shorter than oblivion and rushed for holiday sales just waiting for dlc dont get me wrong still a great game lots to do with side quest main story way to short
  7. Camay
    Feb 6, 2012
    10
    Finally completed all the main story-lines, daedra quests, factions and the majority of side-quests etc. Overall a true masterpiece of a game, in my opinion greatly improved on Oblivion which was an amazing game. Bethesda did very well here and hopefully they will release some form of DLC to improve a almost perfect game.
  8. purifico
    Feb 6, 2012
    5
    What a bug-fest. Average game at best. Like anything else coming from Bethesda though. The game looks ugly, the gameplay is kinda ok, but not really my thing, the bugs though made me give up after only a couple of hours of gameplay.
  9. SpunkyMonkey
    Feb 6, 2012
    6
    If this equation - Fallout 3>Morrowind>Oblivion - looks right to you then this may well be the review you're after. Having now played through Skyrim for over 100 hours I'd say that it fits into that equation like this - Fallout 3>Morrowind>Skryrim>Oblivion. For me Oblivion was a sidestep from Morrowind as opposed to a step forward and Skyrim is no different. On the plus side Skyrim's meleeIf this equation - Fallout 3>Morrowind>Oblivion - looks right to you then this may well be the review you're after. Having now played through Skyrim for over 100 hours I'd say that it fits into that equation like this - Fallout 3>Morrowind>Skryrim>Oblivion. For me Oblivion was a sidestep from Morrowind as opposed to a step forward and Skyrim is no different. On the plus side Skyrim's melee combat is deffinately getting there - the extra weight and overall feel is far more satisfying than it has been previously. The asthetics are superb with immensely atmospheric music, some lovely graphics, and dungeons that are no longer cookie-cutter bland. However, once you actually get into the game it's not all that long before it really starts to drag and those asthetics can no longer cover up what is just a souless and often boring game. Morrowind's main appeal was in it's exploration and sense that you were out in this big wide world where you could stumble across anything at anytime. However, thanks to the reliance on fast travel and the return of the compass which magically shows you things which you have yet to find the feeling of exploration is killed dead, and the game feels more like a test of your organisational skills than anything - not fun. The encumberance system just means you spend hours trudging back and forth collecting and selling loot and it just gets tiresome. Bethesda either have to dump the encumberance and persist with Skyrim's setup, or dump the fast travel and make the game more about exploration. The story is very thinley spread out too, and often handled badly with dragons swooping out of nowhere in the middle of an important conversation or other NPCs spouting some random BS at you during them instead. In fact the whole RPG element is nothing short of dire, with your choices and actions affecting very little - with a lot of quests often prevent you with 2 choices - "yes" or "yes". Throw in an essentially broken magic system, and a leveling system which kills the joy of finding any rare weapons, and suddenly you become aware of what a mishmash of gaming genres this is and how badley the series as evolved. Whilst not as mind-numbingly dull as Oblivionis, it's still something I couldn't recommend to folk. It's kinda like the Lost In Translation or Blaire Witch Project of games - a lot of hype and a empty husk of an experience. All Bethesda have to do is give Morrowind Skryim's combat feel and asthetics and you'll have a far greater game than the one served up here, which is a damn shame as I was so hoping they'd learnt there lesson from Oblivion. However, they most certainly have not. Less size, more substance next time Bethesda please.… Expand
  10. 1AddictedPlayer
    Feb 5, 2012
    8
    Very good game, but I will not just blurt out this is a good game and end it, since there is always some flaws decreasing it's score.
    I have had this game since it came out and enjoyed it, but there are a ton of glitches within, such as getting stuck between a rock. The graphics are not what was promised, don't get me wrong, they are great graphics, but the way they were putting the    Very good game, but I will not just blurt out this is a good game and end it, since there is always some flaws decreasing it's score.
    I have had this game since it came out and enjoyed it, but there are a ton of glitches within, such as getting stuck between a rock. The graphics are not what was promised, don't get me wrong, they are great graphics, but the way they were putting the graphics was like it would be real life.
    So, if you are buying this game for it's graphics you saw in a trailer or such, I would say forget it.
    The animations isn't that great, not many voice actors, but a lot of this can be fixed.
    I am rating this a high score mainly because this can easily be fixed with mods or updates.
    I would suggest you get this game, it is a great game, just don't expect it to be perfect.    … Expand
  11. dmprice25
    Feb 5, 2012
    10
    This game is definitely GOTY for me. There is so much to do in Skyrim. There is a main quest, four major factions (Companions, College of Winterhold, Thieves Guild, and Dark Brotherhood), a civil war in which you can take sides in and take forts, some minor factions (Blades, Greybeards, etc.), numerous side quests, and tons of misc quests. What is so amazing is so much of these 100s ofThis game is definitely GOTY for me. There is so much to do in Skyrim. There is a main quest, four major factions (Companions, College of Winterhold, Thieves Guild, and Dark Brotherhood), a civil war in which you can take sides in and take forts, some minor factions (Blades, Greybeards, etc.), numerous side quests, and tons of misc quests. What is so amazing is so much of these 100s of hours you'll be paying the game are so enjoyable. Technically, the game is fantastic as well. The game crashed on me two times and I ran into only a couple glitches (amazingly) during my 200+ hour play though. I am planning on playing it again and again. In short, it's a fantastic game that anyone with a console or PC should get their hands on. Preferably PC for the mods :)… Expand
  12. Kuzu
    Feb 5, 2012
    4
    SKYRIM is an amazingly open, free, and epic game. The graphics are of a good style and direction is consistent, but with enough variation to keep things interesting. As an RPG, many of it's systems work great - the level up and scaling system in this game is vastly improved over OBLIVION. The world begs to be explored and although the combat is no more impressive than many other RPGsSKYRIM is an amazingly open, free, and epic game. The graphics are of a good style and direction is consistent, but with enough variation to keep things interesting. As an RPG, many of it's systems work great - the level up and scaling system in this game is vastly improved over OBLIVION. The world begs to be explored and although the combat is no more impressive than many other RPGs (many RPGs have lackluster combat, including this one), the loot system and dungeons are fun and more varied than OBLIVION. Some things I found unpleasant about SKYRIM included the lack of ability to create custom spells, as in OBLIVION. I feel as though this is restrictive to mages. Additionally, there are less spells available in this game than there are in OBLIVION, which also put me off when it comes to mages. Further, although the crafting systems of blacksmithing and enchanting are wonderful ideas, these systems are poorly executed. It is not that the systems don't work well or aren;t satisfying in their own right, but rather that these skills are simply GAMEBREAKING in the worst way. Maxing the skills of blacksmithing and/or enchanting allow the player to create weapons and armor better than any that can be found through loot and in many cases even quests throughout the game. Mastering these skills will in fact make your character so strong that the game will be ruined regardless of difficulty setting. The brokenness of this game in its various forms is why i must rate this game low overall. Up to level 20-30 I played a stealth archer. I did NOT invest in blacksmithing or crafting at all, and yet by level 30-35 i was able to one-hit nearly any enemy with the exception of boss creatures and dragons, all while remaining completely undetected. I stopped playing at this point and did not even finish the main quest. The game was ruined for me. Although i felt powerful and the path towards levels 30-35 was fun and engaging, I quickly became so powerful that the game did not require me to think or strategize at all any more, killing the fun factor completely. In short, the skills of stealth(when combined with archery in particular), blacksmithing, and enchanting so grossly overpowered overpowered within the gameworld that the already lackluster combat becomes entirely boring, leaving no reason to play. Additionally, since weapons and armor can be crafted that exceed the most powerful that can be found naturally in the game, there is no reason to explore dungeons or even attempt to seek better equipment. This game had lots of promise, but is too easily broken by basic game mechanics intended to improve the gameplay.… Expand
  13. snacko12
    Feb 5, 2012
    8
    good game, boring until you beat the main story or discover at least 3 major cities. i'm level 54 i did pretty much everything , but my load times are sooooooo bad and it started around the time i reached lvl 40, 15 sec. to open favorites menu, 5 sec to get to pause menu. needs update for that ASAP, but lots of hours of playtime are possible, buggy though.
  14. GoldenReview
    Feb 5, 2012
    9
    Elder Scrolls V Skyrim is easily the best single player experience of the year. Instead of being confined to one class, your able to try everything before you find something that suits your play style. Skyrim even throws you in the middle of a civil war allowing you to pick either side or even stay neutral and take on the dragon threat. The only things that prevents this game getting aElder Scrolls V Skyrim is easily the best single player experience of the year. Instead of being confined to one class, your able to try everything before you find something that suits your play style. Skyrim even throws you in the middle of a civil war allowing you to pick either side or even stay neutral and take on the dragon threat. The only things that prevents this game getting a perfect ten was the huge amount of bugs the game had, it was easily one of the glitchiest games of the year.… Expand
  15. soulclone44
    Feb 4, 2012
    10
    This is the best longest lasting RPG game full of exciting adventure that will always give your tummy those butterflies. I highly recommend this game to all RPG lovers and fans of the Elder Scrolls series. This game has tons of objects and whatnot. Skyrim is sure to give you more bang for your buck whether you're buying it used or new, this game is worth over $100 thats for sure.
  16. whosgotthecrack
    Feb 4, 2012
    4
    I wanted to like this game, really bad. With all the hype surrounding it I was expecting a lot. However in recent years Bethesda seems to just be churning out mediocre games filled with bugs and ultimately feel unsatisfying. There's no real challenge here, just an extraordinary amount of things to do. The biggest fault of this game for me was the combat. Simply put, the combat is justI wanted to like this game, really bad. With all the hype surrounding it I was expecting a lot. However in recent years Bethesda seems to just be churning out mediocre games filled with bugs and ultimately feel unsatisfying. There's no real challenge here, just an extraordinary amount of things to do. The biggest fault of this game for me was the combat. Simply put, the combat is just boring and easy; no matter what type of combat you choose to specialize in you can do well, because there is little strategy at all to approaching fights. The game world, while beautiful, utilizes the same type of randomly generated events and encounters we've been seeing in these types of games for years now. Overall, the game isn't terrible, but it nots nearly as ground-breaking or flawless as people make it out to be.… Expand
  17. Evilganon3
    Feb 4, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Three months later and I personally still think it is one of my top 10 game's that I have ever played. It's a masterpiece. Very rarely nowadays do game's make you play for over 100 hours on the same save file. The scenery is just purely amazing and you really do have a choice of how YOU want to play the game. You don't have to do the storyline in order to play the game. You basically have everything unlocked as soon as you complete the first quest. You can go into caves and fight Frostbite Spider's and explore dwarven ruins and fight falmer. The game does reward you quite nicely that most dungeons and caves usually have a chest at the end which give you a fairly good amount of gold and useful items. Two thing's I really do want to get off my chest real quickly is that it is pretty easy to get yourself stuck in a place where you would never expect to get yourself stuck in the first place and the fact that the final boss was kind of a dissapointment. Alduin (the main antagonist) only died within about 1 minute when you fight him. Other than that I find Skyrim to be a really enjoyable game to play for another few months.… Expand
  18. boxster98
    Feb 4, 2012
    9
    AMAZING GAME! One of my favorite games of all time. I have played so many hours I am afraid to tell people. The expansive nature of the content as well as the graphics and detail on every single landscape is superb. The only critic is that I would like to see the individual towns (world) affected by the decisions that I make in the game. For example, I help a merchant becomeAMAZING GAME! One of my favorite games of all time. I have played so many hours I am afraid to tell people. The expansive nature of the content as well as the graphics and detail on every single landscape is superb. The only critic is that I would like to see the individual towns (world) affected by the decisions that I make in the game. For example, I help a merchant become successful by completing a sidequest, but throughout the game they are still struggling and their shop is still barren. Also, to many dragons popping out to attack you. This gets old after a while and gets annoying. However, these are small critics compared to my overral great satisfaction with the game.… Expand
  19. RonaldOVOXO
    Feb 3, 2012
    10
    This game is a classic. This game never ends which gives me more time to play and enjoy it. Dont buy MW3 Or SCV. This game will pass the time and u will love it. It takes 3000 hours to complete everything which will prob take 12-20 months or even more so ull enjoy it alot. It is worth $60.00
  20. SwanLee
    Feb 2, 2012
    3
    Skyrim looks marvellous, the attention to detail is nothing short of jaw-dropping, the landscape and sheer scale is a phenomenal achievement. It's a real shame then that this game fails in every other aspect. I won't bother going into the plethora of bugs and glitches that infect this game, because they've already been documented many many times by other more notable reviewers. Let's startSkyrim looks marvellous, the attention to detail is nothing short of jaw-dropping, the landscape and sheer scale is a phenomenal achievement. It's a real shame then that this game fails in every other aspect. I won't bother going into the plethora of bugs and glitches that infect this game, because they've already been documented many many times by other more notable reviewers. Let's start with the basic difficulty.... there is none. This game is an interactive story, nothing more than that, there is NO challenge here at all. I began my personal Skyrim adventure by increasing my smithing and enchanting skills, my that was boring... I have no idea how many iron daggers I had to make to get smithing up to max. When I did I went off and made the best weapon and best armour in the game and then strolled through the game swatting away enemies like annoying flies. Beating the final boss boiled down to hitting it about 8 times and that was it. The ending is befitting of the game, non-eventful and dull, dull, dull. Some of the dungeons are littered with elaborate traps which at first you feel like you should avoid, but after levelling up a few times you realise that they don't mean anything because you can just run right through them, take the tiny health hit and then simply heal or wait until your health regenerates (not that you'd need to). If you want your hand held whist playing through an interactive story, Skyrim is definitely for you. If you want a challenge and immersion, it most definitely is not. How can you immerse yourself in a game that allows you to simply fast-travel anywhere you've already been, and where you have to wait an age for the loading to finish every time you enter a building?

    Sorry Skyrim, you suck. I looked forward to playing you for so long but you've let me down. I'm off to play Dark Souls again instead.    … Expand
  21. Tweddlr
    Jan 30, 2012
    8
    With this being such an open game, so free for the player to do whatever, you could see there was going to be some slight issues with glitches on the map. That's not really a problem though, because the graphics, conversation, setting, quality and size make up for it. In terms of quality overall, this game definitely deserves a ten. It's a beautiful game; filled with many places andWith this being such an open game, so free for the player to do whatever, you could see there was going to be some slight issues with glitches on the map. That's not really a problem though, because the graphics, conversation, setting, quality and size make up for it. In terms of quality overall, this game definitely deserves a ten. It's a beautiful game; filled with many places and quests. The game is most certainly not something you could complete overnight, with around 500 hours of gaming experience. The only criticisms I can find are that the main-storyline could be a bit more well written - it seems that it's "too" easy to kill this Dragon, who's desire to end this world lingers. Especially when all ancestors in the past have valiantly tried and failed to. The second criticism is that the characters could have had a bit more to them - I'm sure the cast was made of around 10 different voices, which is sad because most Bethesda games have a huge variety of characters. Check out my review, for full details on the game - http://indigital.hubpages.com/hub/Skyrim-Review… Expand
  22. peanutguy
    Jan 30, 2012
    9
    Too many dungeons and random dragon in counters, if not for that this game would be perfect xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  23. pcf87
    Jan 29, 2012
    10
    Normally in a game that i love i will say that the only bad thing about it it that is has to end. In this case, the game does not end. I have played for 72 hours and I'm only level 35. The game satisfies all needs and it doesn't make you do the storyline. The world levels up with you which allows the game to always be a challenge, and i love the system that they have for leveling up. TheNormally in a game that i love i will say that the only bad thing about it it that is has to end. In this case, the game does not end. I have played for 72 hours and I'm only level 35. The game satisfies all needs and it doesn't make you do the storyline. The world levels up with you which allows the game to always be a challenge, and i love the system that they have for leveling up. The only thing wrong with this game is that the world is so big that it is bound to have some glitches. I honestly don't see how you could play this game and not love it.… Expand
  24. ps3sucks
    Jan 28, 2012
    9
    This is the First bethesda game i have ever played and it was a GREAT first impression i love how you can do anything you want theres no restrictions its just an awesome game im gonna have to give it a 9 though due to the fact that it gets boring after a while
  25. Onionspam
    Jan 28, 2012
    10
    There is not much I can say about Skyrim that hasn't been said already, so I will just try to compound certain points. First, I'm giving this game a ten, because I think it is the greatest ES game to date. Not my favorite, mind you, but the greatest. Therefore all these points i will mention did not in any way take away from my enjoyment of the game. Now you should be aware of a fewThere is not much I can say about Skyrim that hasn't been said already, so I will just try to compound certain points. First, I'm giving this game a ten, because I think it is the greatest ES game to date. Not my favorite, mind you, but the greatest. Therefore all these points i will mention did not in any way take away from my enjoyment of the game. Now you should be aware of a few things. There is no spell creation in this game. None. The main quest is considerably short. There is one large chunk of the main quest that is tied to another series of quests, and I completed it without realizing that it was tied to the main storyline, so by doing that when it came time for me to complete the main game I found that i had actually already completed about 50% of it accidentally. Also, weapons and armor no longer decay with use. Blacksmithing is now the CREATION of items, not their upkeep. Alchemy is pretty much useless now. It takes SO long to level using alchemy and the potions are nowhere near as powerful as they were before, so it feels more like a chore than an actual part of the game. Archery is still overpowered. Very overpowered in fact, especially when combined with stealth. Spells are underpowered and cost waaaaay too much magicka to cast. Many reviewers are saying that this is the first ES game where being a pure mage is a true option, but I honestly do not see how. And finally there is the difficulty spikes. And I'm talking BIG spikes. There were plenty of times that i would breeze through a dungeon full of weak baddies only to get killed in one second flat by the boss. There is no penalty for lowering the difficulty level to accommodate this problem, but it seems like a weak work-around by the developers. But in closing I once again want to draw your attention to that perfect score I'm giving this game. Believe me when I say that despite these small complaints the game has more than earned its perfect score in my opinion. I wouldn't take the 150 hours i put into this game for anything in the world.… Expand
  26. TwiztidTactics
    Jan 28, 2012
    10
    I agree with many people on here, this is the best game I have ever played. I have sunk almost a 100 hours into the game and I still have not been to every location. The games graphics are beautiful, the game play is outstanding, the storyline for all the quests is captivating. And the achievements while not being to challenging give you plenty to do. This is in my opinion the best game ofI agree with many people on here, this is the best game I have ever played. I have sunk almost a 100 hours into the game and I still have not been to every location. The games graphics are beautiful, the game play is outstanding, the storyline for all the quests is captivating. And the achievements while not being to challenging give you plenty to do. This is in my opinion the best game of the year easily and one of the best games I have ever played.… Expand
  27. porss
    Jan 27, 2012
    5
    Overall the game was alright and I have to give the devs credit where credit is due. Amazing graphics, very expansive world, decent (or maybe not so decent) story. It did definately give me a fair few hours of enjoyment.

    Now onto the bad. The main complaint I have (and one that can apply to many dev companies these days) is that it is very clear that little to no thought was put into    Overall the game was alright and I have to give the devs credit where credit is due. Amazing graphics, very expansive world, decent (or maybe not so decent) story. It did definately give me a fair few hours of enjoyment.

    Now onto the bad. The main complaint I have (and one that can apply to many dev companies these days) is that it is very clear that little to no thought was put into game mechanics and gameplay. I imagine the design team was populated entirely by very creative, artistic-minded individuals who love designing beautiful graphics and thinking up "creative" new ideas (i.e. dual-casting) but put absolutely no thought into how the elements of the game will actually play out. Will the player be able to use them? As an example, the spell-casting system is, in my mind, ruined. Sure the idea that you have to equip spells in each hand sounds cool but it in fact plays out as a regression from one of the few major improvements between morrowind and oblivion. That is, with the removal of equipping spells in oblivion a player could now better utilize magic in mixed classes. Alternating between spells that boost their combat style and swinging their sword, shooting their bow or even using their staff. Not to mention the need to go through a laborious unequip/equip action while an enemy is trying their best to swat you. This, of course, is only one example out of a myriad of poorly planned gameplay mechanics that make Skyrim, at best, a decent game.

    It seems too many dev companies these days are moving in the direction of making great interactive movies (read Skyrim and the original Assassin's Creed) instead of making fun games. They appear to use their projects as excuses for artistic self-indulgence ("Wow look how beautiful those graphics are. Good job all!") rather than creating something that will be enjoyable to their audience. These companies would do well to mix their design teams up a little. Sure, employ the talented artists but don't exclude the analytical individual. The one who will assess things like game balance and gameplay mechanics.    … Expand
  28. rotku
    Jan 23, 2012
    9
    Linear?....yes. Bugged?....yes. Repetitive?.....yes. However despite all the above this game is an absolute classic. The sheer size of the countryside and the fact that each area and character feels and looks different immerses you into the (weak) plot. With a huge number of side quests alongside the main quests and hundreds of different options and paths to choose (although most of theseLinear?....yes. Bugged?....yes. Repetitive?.....yes. However despite all the above this game is an absolute classic. The sheer size of the countryside and the fact that each area and character feels and looks different immerses you into the (weak) plot. With a huge number of side quests alongside the main quests and hundreds of different options and paths to choose (although most of these choices do not seem to change the plot much) be prepared to call work, your friends, your partner and anybody else you know to advise them they may not see you for a while!… Expand
  29. SinisterVortex
    Jan 22, 2012
    10
    This game has everything. A virtually unlimited number of quests ranging from the lengthy main quest to the guild quests to a seemingly numerous amount of miscellaneous quests. And I haven't even started talking about the dungeons. The world itself is massive. I've only even neared the edge of the game border once...in all my 60 hours of playing so far! And yet despite its size, it isThis game has everything. A virtually unlimited number of quests ranging from the lengthy main quest to the guild quests to a seemingly numerous amount of miscellaneous quests. And I haven't even started talking about the dungeons. The world itself is massive. I've only even neared the edge of the game border once...in all my 60 hours of playing so far! And yet despite its size, it is packed to the gills with stuff in each individual area of the game world. I can hardly go in one direction for more then a minute without stumbling upon a landmark, be it a miscellaneous quest opportunity and/or a dungeon or some other intriguing pastime. This game has more content then I have seen before...ever. Not even GTA4 came close to this. Each quest has been treated with a level of thought and detail that it hardly ever seems thrown in just for the sake of making the game longer. In each quest (be it main, guild, or miscellaneous) I always meet new characters who are colorful and diverse in personality, and a plot woven delicately enough to keep me engaged all the way through. And then there's the graphics. For the size of the game world, I am amazed to see the level of detail that each individual object of the game has been rendered with. The amount of detail, combined with how much there is detailed, is unbelievable. It has been six years since Oblivion came out, and I can easily believe that Bethesda has spent all that time perfecting every nook and cranny of Skyrim, from the quests to the graphics to the game world itself. This is a must buy, not just for RPG fans, but for any gamer out there. You cannot know what a perfect RPG is until you have played this game.… Expand
  30. Maximo
    Jan 21, 2012
    4
    The hours of gameplay left me dissapointed really. I cant see how can someone be entertained by doing the same routine over and over and over again. Everything is repetetive in this game, and it gets repetetive so quickly. The most fun I had was in the first 3-5 hours when I created my character, explored the map a little and made few quests.
  31. CharlieGCarr
    Jan 20, 2012
    9
    Brilliant story, graphics, music and voice acting all come together to make Skyrim one of the best games you will play in a long time, maybe the best you have and will EVER play.
    Even-though the story is great, the gameplay can get just a little repetitive and there can be some very occasional lagging problems although, this does not spoil the overall experience. A must buy for ANY gamer.
  32. alceste007
    Jan 19, 2012
    4
    I traded in my PS3 copy for the xbox copy. I The game is extremely easy. You can easily kill everything in the game. The AI is horrible. The bugs are very annoying, but not quite broken like the PS3 version. I am sorry that I went through all of the trouble and expense to play this game.
  33. MW3
    Jan 19, 2012
    10
    i want to buy thi s game it looks awesome but this isnt what im here for .. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THE STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT PASSED (SOPA) ?????? bcause if it did say goodbye to youtube facebook google wikipedia and other cool websites idk if xbox live and PSN will be affected.
  34. Nicho_Latte
    Jan 19, 2012
    10
    Absolutely amazing. This game has raised the bar for RPG's in the future. The graphics are not the greatest but they arenâ
  35. videophantom120
    Jan 19, 2012
    10
    The Elder Scrolls v: skyrim is the best ever RPG i have played. The Elder Scrolls IV: oblivion was amazing but they have improved it with skyrim i like how they add werewolves and the daedric armour have been improved but I think the best part of the game is the Dragons and the Dragon shouts. You can create your own character the argonian can breathe under water, 50% Resist to Disease soThe Elder Scrolls v: skyrim is the best ever RPG i have played. The Elder Scrolls IV: oblivion was amazing but they have improved it with skyrim i like how they add werewolves and the daedric armour have been improved but I think the best part of the game is the Dragons and the Dragon shouts. You can create your own character the argonian can breathe under water, 50% Resist to Disease so you cannot turn into a vampire and Dark Elves Resist Fire 50%, Wood Elves have a 50% Resist to Poison and Disease and the Khajiit a Claw Attacks and the Power of Night Eye which means you can see in the dark. To become a vampire whenever a vampire casts Vampiric Drain on you, there is a 10% chance for you to be infected. The best thing to level up is your black Smiting then you will be able to make the daedric armour and the heavy dragon armour and the low dragon armour. I found the best way to earn money is the dark brother hood. To join the dark brother hood you have to complete a quest Innocence Lost. Speaking to Innkeepers and later on you will get a horse that is completely black with red eyes I think the best weapons in the game is the dual daedric swords and the daedric bow. The game includes a lot of guilds which are called the dark brotherhood the thiefâ… Expand
  36. bobbob
    Jan 19, 2012
    10
    the elder scrolls v: skyrim is the best RPG game since the elder scrolls iv: oblivion it is the most freerom and the quest regenerate they have in proved the armours iron, steel, eleven, dwarven, daedric and they have add dragon armour that makes dragon do less damage on you but to get dragon armour you need to kill dragons there is over 150 hours of game play the game is glitches but isthe elder scrolls v: skyrim is the best RPG game since the elder scrolls iv: oblivion it is the most freerom and the quest regenerate they have in proved the armours iron, steel, eleven, dwarven, daedric and they have add dragon armour that makes dragon do less damage on you but to get dragon armour you need to kill dragons there is over 150 hours of game play the game is glitches but is expected on a massive RPG like this on the story is about a person how has to kill the lord of the dragons who is a daedric prince there are a lot of side quest that are good like in the games past during the time of the dragons rule there were people who thought the dragons to be gods and worshiped them they where called dragon priest they would have done any think to get the dragons back because of there this they were internally imprisoned but after thousands of years they become more powerful and began to break out they wear special masks made of dragon bones they are a fun enemy to kill because you get there masks that have special enchantment. The customization is the best I have seen of it type you select your character and then what age, hair, eyes, how dark there skin colour there are lots of guilds like the dark brotherhood the thiefâ… Expand
  37. sias
    Jan 18, 2012
    9
    A masterclass in game design. Stunning graphics and just so satisfyingly ambitious. In a market saturated with COD clones, Skyrim is just a massive breath of fresh air. Okay Skyrim has a lot of bugs, but I think it's impossible to create a game like this without them. In comparison to other games companies Bethesda are very good at addressing post-release issues, so most of the major bugsA masterclass in game design. Stunning graphics and just so satisfyingly ambitious. In a market saturated with COD clones, Skyrim is just a massive breath of fresh air. Okay Skyrim has a lot of bugs, but I think it's impossible to create a game like this without them. In comparison to other games companies Bethesda are very good at addressing post-release issues, so most of the major bugs will eventually be fixed. I personally had very little in the way of bugs - a few texture issues at first, some quests don't leave my quest list upon completion and some quest items are not removed from my inventory when I turn them in, but that's it really. So I have not taken the bugs into account with my review, as personally, I have found it easy to ignore them. There are many design choices in Skyrim which I'm not a fan of and the game does have a few balancing issues, but all those pale out of existence when I consider the scope of the game. This game is huge! At 180 hours of gameplay I have still got at least 150 hours of gameplay to go with all side-missions, guild missions and main quests etc. That's a lot of game and very good value for money. The interface is improved over Oblivion (on the 360 at least) and weapons and magic feel heavier and more satisfying to use.Voice acting has improved, and even though you do hear the same voice actor saying the same thing in different towns, it is much less frequent than Oblivion. The music is beautiful and really fits the dramatic landscape of Skyrim. Dragons are a welcome addition and add a new challenge to the way you fight. The locations you visit vary greatly from snowy mountains, to vast mammoth populated grassy tundras. A lot of criticism at this game will be at the bugs and the many low-res textures, but when one considers the vast amount of coding that must go into a game like this over, say, a more linear shorter title like Uncharted 3, and the fact that the xbox 360 is 6-7 years old now, you realise just how much work has gone into this game and just how lucky we are to be able to experience it. Skyrim is a real achievement and shouldn't be missed.… Expand
  38. clawbytes
    Jan 17, 2012
    6
    For a game that prides itself on exploration, customization and variety, it falls short on every category. I remember Todd Howard touting how much more diversity it has over Oblivion. That is true for the first 2 hours of the game. You'll immediately notice how much better the graphics are. People aren't as hideous looking as the lemon-shaped faces in Oblivion, the water effects areFor a game that prides itself on exploration, customization and variety, it falls short on every category. I remember Todd Howard touting how much more diversity it has over Oblivion. That is true for the first 2 hours of the game. You'll immediately notice how much better the graphics are. People aren't as hideous looking as the lemon-shaped faces in Oblivion, the water effects are amazing and Bethesda did try to make every dungeon as different from each other as possible, but after a while, all that means nothing when they offer the same boring experience. What's the point of all this extra space when every 10 miles is the same town with the same people with the same problems? My biggest gripe is the loot. Again, if you are familiar with Bethesda games, you'd know you can open every container and pick pocket every NPC or loot their corpse, but there's no incentive to do those when a Jarl carries nothing better than the next beggar and you can't steal the same items shop keepers are selling. I'm not going to further explain the stale main quest and bugs. It's not a bad game overall. If you've enjoyed the past Elder Scrolls/Fallout games, you'd know what to expect, if not, tread with caution.… Expand
  39. StorableSnail
    Jan 17, 2012
    9
    I don't see how someone could have such a poor experience that they felt the need to rate this game with a 0...
    Anyways, for starters, this game is not perfect. No game is ever perfect. Yes there is lag (only on a few occasions for me, it wasn't even that bad), bugs (never experienced any), and glitches (come on, glitches really make the game though), but that doesn't stop Skyrim from    I don't see how someone could have such a poor experience that they felt the need to rate this game with a 0...
    Anyways, for starters, this game is not perfect. No game is ever perfect. Yes there is lag (only on a few occasions for me, it wasn't even that bad), bugs (never experienced any), and glitches (come on, glitches really make the game though), but that doesn't stop Skyrim from being one of the greatest games of all time. When I first started Skyrim, I had mixed feelings. I personally didn't like Oblivion, so I had mixed feelings when starting out. Just like any RPG, the beginning is slow, so I expected that. After you get through the beginning though, wow. The game is just excellent. I think that people give up after investing such little time into it (which actually could be 7 hours...), or rushing through the main quest line. If you've never played an RPG before and you think they're dumb, then please, don't get the game...I was VERY impressed with everything in the game. There is so much to do! Between the colleges. the Dark Brotherhood (which I enjoy being involved in...), and the Thief's guild to name a few, there is virtually endless things to complete. Although, I do admit that the dungeons get a bit tedious after awhile, I never get tired of exploring the land, or turning into a...different thing...and killing a whole town, then reloading my save. I absolutely love this game, I (sadly...) have about 58 hours of gameplay invested into Skyrim, and I'm still finding things to do! I haven't even completed the main quest line yet. I totally recommend this game for anyone looking for something to wind down to after rage-quitting out of COD.    … Expand
  40. ColonelBoston
    Jan 17, 2012
    10
    Skyrim is a beautiful game that's ridiculously immersive. From the endless wandering to the seemingly never-ending number of quests, Skyrim will suck you in. The absolute perfection of Skyrim is that there is no perfect character or perfect way to play, just the character that fits your playstyle on the path you choose to take. This game is quite literally what you make of it -- doSkyrim is a beautiful game that's ridiculously immersive. From the endless wandering to the seemingly never-ending number of quests, Skyrim will suck you in. The absolute perfection of Skyrim is that there is no perfect character or perfect way to play, just the character that fits your playstyle on the path you choose to take. This game is quite literally what you make of it -- do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want and you don't need to be an old hand at fantasy RPGs to do so. The only criticism I have for the game is that there's no ultimate affect to anything. What I mean is that you can play both sides & it doesn't seem to affect anything: side w/ the Imperials & the Companions don't seem to mind; side w/ the Stormcloaks & wander around Solitude in the middle of the Civil War & no one bats an eyelash. Somehow, however, none of this seems to take away from the game or the gameplay. I've never played a fantasy-style RPG prior to Skyrim & I'd give it a solid, solid 9.8.… Expand
  41. DevilDafydd
    Jan 17, 2012
    9
    There is no other game out there which even comes close to the true scale of Skyrim. A fantastic fantasy world bursting with so much to do it will take you months to complete. The whole game world feels alive with activity. A new quest being found at every new location, which this game certainly does not lack. Hundreds of items to collect and unique artifacts to discover which almostThere is no other game out there which even comes close to the true scale of Skyrim. A fantastic fantasy world bursting with so much to do it will take you months to complete. The whole game world feels alive with activity. A new quest being found at every new location, which this game certainly does not lack. Hundreds of items to collect and unique artifacts to discover which almost always leads to something better to find. The main storyline defines fantasy epic setting you on a path which is common with the Elder Scrolls, involving yet again you saving all of Tamriel. Skyrim its self is a pleasure to explore with the games amazing graphics which is great for a game of this scale. Yes there are some niggles on the edges but these are bound to be fixed in no time at all. So this may not be the best game ever created, but it sure is one of the best. The only way to find out is to experience Skyrim for yourself.… Expand
  42. Writer
    Jan 17, 2012
    10
    Those who have scored Skyrim with a negative score, I would want to tell you one thing. First take of the game from the oven, microwave or where else you have put it, and insert it in the correct device. Wow it's a great game, isn't it?
  43. PhineasGraves
    Jan 16, 2012
    7
    If you've played Oblivion, Fallout 3 or New Vegas....You've played Skyrim. the new chapter to the Elder Scrolls series does nothing to move the series ahead. Same game play. Same lack luster story line. I'm not saying the game is all bad. It still has those really addicting properties you know the games for....it's just...feels the same. I felt bored after awhile and wished the gameIf you've played Oblivion, Fallout 3 or New Vegas....You've played Skyrim. the new chapter to the Elder Scrolls series does nothing to move the series ahead. Same game play. Same lack luster story line. I'm not saying the game is all bad. It still has those really addicting properties you know the games for....it's just...feels the same. I felt bored after awhile and wished the game was over. Everyone make a big hoopla about the graphics...meh. You can put new paint on it, but when the graphic design is still the same it does it no good. If you have never played a Elder Scrolls game you will love this game. If you HAVE played an Elder scrolls game before...Look to be playing the same game re-skinned.… Expand
  44. Hyperbole
    Jan 15, 2012
    7
    Skyrim is a good game and is should be played. But after a while I just found there wasn't much left to do. The Radiant quest system is a joke. The quality of the quests and side stories is decent though. The game looks lovely and I found combat a lot of fun. The user interface is horrible though. Having to pause every 5 seconds in the middle of combat to take a potion? Really?Skyrim is a good game and is should be played. But after a while I just found there wasn't much left to do. The Radiant quest system is a joke. The quality of the quests and side stories is decent though. The game looks lovely and I found combat a lot of fun. The user interface is horrible though. Having to pause every 5 seconds in the middle of combat to take a potion? Really? It's like a broken V.A.T.S system from Fallout 3. I feel the game really suffers from not waiting till the next generation of consoles arrived. But I get it from a economic point of view from Bethesda's side. Talking of Fallout 3 can't help but remind me of atmosphere, something which Skyrim has a had time at creating when it wanted to despite all it's major attempts. Any atmospheric moments I got from the game were moments that happened by accident.

    The shouts are fun, but the down time feels slightly too long. I didn't mind the bugs too much, it is to be expected with an open world game such as this, but the quest breaking bugs take some stomaching. The dungeons are very well done and much less cookie cutter than other Elder Scrolls game, but after a while they seem to become all the same again. The same few groups of enemies too. And I guess that's my main complain about the game as a whole, is that as much fun as the first 40 or so hours are, after that (least for me) there were no real new surprises or situations. Dragons just become an annoyance rather than an actually threat. With that said though, it's was worth purchase for those 40 hours, because you really do have a lot of fun within them. But, that's not an Elder Scrolls game for me. An Elder Scrolls game should be about spending hundreds and hundreds of hours building your character and mythos and immersing yourself. Skyrim just doesn't have enough content and there is really no excuse, since I spent 6 months on Morrowind and around 3-4 on Oblivion, there is no excuse why a game made 10 years after the former and 5 after the latter should have less to do. Everything feels a little forced and console feel never suited The Elder Scrolls series point blank.    … Expand
  45. Zyrocalt
    Jan 15, 2012
    10
    I have been a elder scrolls fan since daggerfall,But Morrowind was by far my favourite elder scrolls game,Then oblivion came out,I was dissapointed,DOnt get me wrong there! i loved oblivion,but i didnt get that elder scrolls feeling i used to get while playing daggerfall and morrowind,And it didnt have that fantasy element i loved.It was more medievel.I didnt like that,and more things iI have been a elder scrolls fan since daggerfall,But Morrowind was by far my favourite elder scrolls game,Then oblivion came out,I was dissapointed,DOnt get me wrong there! i loved oblivion,but i didnt get that elder scrolls feeling i used to get while playing daggerfall and morrowind,And it didnt have that fantasy element i loved.It was more medievel.I didnt like that,and more things i didnt like,bu i still loved that game.After playing years of oblivion,I got bored,And dreamed of a sequel..I did more and more research at the elder scrolls lore,and listened to the npcs in oblivion talking.I thougt the next elder scrolls game was going to take place on either summerset isles or skyrim.Every E3 i hoped bethesda would be there and announce the next elder scrolls game,They didnt.After every E3 i discussed about rmors on TES V on forums and chatted about it.I was thinking that a new elder scrolls game would never happen,But one day..I logged in on a gaming site,i didnt believe my eyes what it said " Elder scrolls v skyrim announced!
    I thaugt i was dreaming! i began to get excited,watched the trailer/teaser and got even more excited.And the land it took place on was skyrim! wich i hoped it would take place at! It was like a dream come true,i couldnt sleep that night,i could not sleep at all..Everything i was thinking about was skyrim,I couldnt wai,Now,after waiting for a long time.The game was finally in my hands,i loved it! and still love it! i have played more then 300 hours and i am not bored at all,and if i get bored i just create a new character, or roleplay the way i want,And also i love this game,a true masterpiece,the design,art of the game is just fantastic,and like every elder scrolls game this game has a rich story and a amazing lore wich you could gaze into for hours,I also think this game lived up to its hype,at least for me,I get that old classic morrowind feeling all over again,This Game is by far now my favourite elder scroll game along with morrowind,I love bethesda really much for creating this wonderful world,
    10/10.    … Expand
  46. ARDaalus
    Jan 15, 2012
    10
    This game is a memorable addition to the legendary Elder Scrolls series, and I believe the best yet. The graphics are epic, conveying the developer's dream for "Epic Reality" flawlessly. The quests are interesting, with branching stories and minor quests that actually feel alive. My best game of 2011, and possibly longer.
  47. HellzAssassin
    Jan 14, 2012
    8
    Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is a very wonderful game. One of Bethesda's greatest. An almost new engine in the game fits very well with the controls, and sprinting is my favorite part, (something I wish Fallout 3 had). One of the few games that not only randomly rains, pours, or drizzles, but also snows and blizzards. Skyrim is a game that almost anyone that enjoys to kick back and adventureElder Scrolls: Skyrim is a very wonderful game. One of Bethesda's greatest. An almost new engine in the game fits very well with the controls, and sprinting is my favorite part, (something I wish Fallout 3 had). One of the few games that not only randomly rains, pours, or drizzles, but also snows and blizzards. Skyrim is a game that almost anyone that enjoys to kick back and adventure through a campaign that could very well last hours. The main story being a little short, there are many many different side quests and misc. that you can do to keep you entertained. After playing for a while, you start to get a little bored on how many few enemy types there are, (or at least I did, after I realized I was fighting the same enemies for hours on end). But never-the-less, this game has hundreds of hours packed into it, and maybe even more.… Expand
  48. Yater
    Jan 13, 2012
    10
    I have been playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim nonstop since it came out. The game has so many different story lines that I often find myself starting the game with no goal in mind initially, then before I know it, diving into some unexpected and wonderful bit of the game only to resurface totally astounded from what I've just discovered. I've played many of Bethesda's games, but this isI have been playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim nonstop since it came out. The game has so many different story lines that I often find myself starting the game with no goal in mind initially, then before I know it, diving into some unexpected and wonderful bit of the game only to resurface totally astounded from what I've just discovered. I've played many of Bethesda's games, but this is by far the best I've experienced.… Expand
  49. BigDaveBlue
    Jan 12, 2012
    10
    Quite simply, Skyrim ousts Oblivion as the greatest game of all time.

    If you've ever liked FPS or 3rd person games, casting spells, swinging swords, chopping with a mighty axe, open world games, rpg's or mighty dragons then you'll absolutely love Skyrim. Im 100 hours into Skyrim so far and have barely scratched the surface of what's possible. There are a few glitches which will no doubt    Quite simply, Skyrim ousts Oblivion as the greatest game of all time.

    If you've ever liked FPS or 3rd person games, casting spells, swinging swords, chopping with a mighty axe, open world games, rpg's or mighty dragons then you'll absolutely love Skyrim.

    Im 100 hours into Skyrim so far and have barely scratched the surface of what's possible.

    There are a few glitches which will no doubt be fixed in future updates however none of them serious enough to really spoil your experience.

    In addition to the main quest involving dragons, kings and vacant thrones you'll spend months completing other questlines as a thief, mage, warrior, assassin, or all of those. Then will you be a rebel or imperial? Not to mention the hundreds of other random quests you can do.

    Then there's the exploration side of things, i doubt i will ever get to visit EVERY place, even now I have uncovered 150+ locations and the map still looks bare.

    With regular DLC to follow, as Bethesda did with Fallout, then there will be even MORE to do this year!

    The only downside to the game is that in a years time I'll be wanting Elder Scrolls 6, and I don't want to wait another 5 years for it ..... :(

    This game ended my COD addition, MW3 has been gathering dust for 4 weeks. And I like COD. A lot.

    If you like computer games and have a 360, buy Skyrim.    … Expand
  50. darthfredy
    Jan 10, 2012
    6
    A great experience if you like crafting and traveling in marvelous countrysides.If you look for a real deep story and to interact with NPC, don't buy this game.
  51. Sasquatch
    Jan 9, 2012
    10
    This game is so vast and immense it is impossible to do everything. The graphics are amazing and the story is great. You actually feel like you're apart of the game. The lore behind this game is so deep that you it feels like a real world. The magic system is fun and interesting. Combat is way better this time around and isn't hack and slash like before. This is an awesome game that I willThis game is so vast and immense it is impossible to do everything. The graphics are amazing and the story is great. You actually feel like you're apart of the game. The lore behind this game is so deep that you it feels like a real world. The magic system is fun and interesting. Combat is way better this time around and isn't hack and slash like before. This is an awesome game that I will be playing for many years to come. Easily the best game this year. Probably the last great game of this generation.… Expand
  52. Terrar
    Jan 9, 2012
    8
    Skyrim is no doubt an amazing game to any fan of the genre, the fantastic musical pieces accompanied with rich endless lore ontop of incredible graphics and a new 'meaty' combat system. Immersion is simple, and after only a couple of hours playing most fans will be completely in sync with the storyline and the feeling of absolute power their hero contains within this world. Combat feelsSkyrim is no doubt an amazing game to any fan of the genre, the fantastic musical pieces accompanied with rich endless lore ontop of incredible graphics and a new 'meaty' combat system. Immersion is simple, and after only a couple of hours playing most fans will be completely in sync with the storyline and the feeling of absolute power their hero contains within this world. Combat feels much 'smoother' than it did in the previous game, each sword blow and fireball hit actually feel like they are making an impact, although far from being a perfect system it is undoubtedly an improvement from the previous installment. However seemingly hastily put together 'Finisher' shorts can sometimes make you feel amazing for beheading a bandit or owning a spider, but other times the buggy scenes can ruin an otherwise fun fight, the apparent randomness of the finishers also does not help as it detracts from the feeling of 'Look, i just did that'.

    Within conversations your choices feel more like they actually contribute towards a larger goal, no longer is it "Cool response A" or "Cool response B" many of your choices help immerse yourself with your own character and sometimes contain ingame consequences which is a vitally important part of any RPG. But these game altering choices are few and far between, and more than often your decision on what to say barely alters the conversation at all. Conversation branches which lead to side quests are quite obviously placed making the 'Lore geeks' somewhat disapointed at the apparent lack of rewards from exhausting each topic within a conversation.

    The A.I is vastly improved with npc's now being able to complete more tasks at once making even small villages thrive with activity, Even small npc's with no real connection to major storylines can become lovable characters simply due to their voices, mannerisms, dispositions etc. So much goes on at any given time within main cities players may often feel overwhelmed. However although this A.I is definately an improvement, it is by no means perfect, A.I bugs are still commonplace with npc's running around areas when a clear route is available, dragons bugging out mid-air and your horse deciding to go on a killing spree in the middle of a village, alongside the inevitable bugs with npc's that are commonplace in every TES game these annoyances can very easily ruin immersion and make short of a play session.

    The 'Talent Tree' system although initially i cringed at the thought of, is very well put together and allows you to shape your character into the warrior/mage/rogue or any hybrid between you wish him to be allowing the feel of specializing into the area you prefer, while still being able to chop and change as you go along with relative ease.

    Quality over Quantity is a issue to raise, with hundreds of miscellanious quests existing all over the world, but with many of them feeling poorly put together and non-urgent, some would argue that not being forced or pressured to do a quest is a good thing but i feel a quest where i have to go and clear out a crypt or clean up some bandits is not as good if the guy handing me the quest does not care if i do it now or in 3 weeks. Even the guild quests do not 'feel' right, although many of the quests are amazing and the guilds themselves full of vibrant individuals once you have finished that story arch the world does not feel particulary affected by your struggles, par maybe passing comments from strangers.

    On the other hand there are the occassional quests which come with the feel of 'awesomeness' bundled in and the development of seemingly simple quests into epic missions, the main story itself is quite well put together with a feeling of urgency while at the same time being able to be completed whenever.

    Overall the game was beautifully put together with the music and combat offering particular enjoyment for me personally, definately worth a go from any fans of rpg but make sure to set aside many hours of your life to battle dragons and save the world. pretty buggy but bugs can be easily fixed so im not to concerned about that, if the game has any major flaw, it's that once you hype something up as much as this it becomes very hard for the real thing to live up to expectations.    … Expand
  53. Loco
    Jan 9, 2012
    6
    This game has been optimised for X360, so it's getting the highest score from me out of the 3 releases. Nevertheless, I'm underwhelmed. ...... I'm a huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series (I've been there since the beginning!), and I love my PS3 and PC versions of Oblivion (PC version is modded beyond belief, and still gets a lot of my time). However, there were niggling issues with thatThis game has been optimised for X360, so it's getting the highest score from me out of the 3 releases. Nevertheless, I'm underwhelmed. ...... I'm a huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series (I've been there since the beginning!), and I love my PS3 and PC versions of Oblivion (PC version is modded beyond belief, and still gets a lot of my time). However, there were niggling issues with that game that I hoped would be resolved. They haven't. ....... Combat is still clunky and unbalanced, dialogue is awful, the UI is appalling, quests are linear and forgetful, the game engine (Gamebryo not 'Creation'!) is as buggy and weak as ever, and the animations in the game are 2004-spec......... The music and sound, however, are VERY strong, the world is well realised (Bethesda actually had art direction this time!), and the allure of the big open gamespace is as strong as ever. Dragons are fun, if easy to kill and repetitive. Dragon-shouts differentiate the PC from the NPCs, which is important. These are the plus points, but there should really have been more........... Besthesda are not pushing themselves. Oblivion 1.5 is nice, but where's the innovation, guys? Deep inside i'll always know that this is not yet the RPG I know this dev can make.......... Next time- get a new engine (a REAL, new engine), redesign combat entirely, come up with decent stealth mechanics, hire new writers and build a better connection between the game world and the people that inhabit it (better AI, animations etc.). Because as much as I love the Elder Scrolls, I can't pretend forever that this isn't a bit of a mess. -Loco… Expand
  54. Swimming_MANGO
    Jan 6, 2012
    9
    Skyrim... Where to begin. Well lets begin with game play, the meatiest part of this game.
    The game play is very similar to other Bethesda games such as Oblivion, and the newest two Fallout titles. The game is an open world, fantasy, role-playing game set in the northern most province called Skyrim in the Elder Scrolls world known as Tamriel (and yes I am not only a huge fan of the series,    Skyrim... Where to begin. Well lets begin with game play, the meatiest part of this game.
    The game play is very similar to other Bethesda games such as Oblivion, and the newest two Fallout titles. The game is an open world, fantasy, role-playing game set in the northern most province called Skyrim in the Elder Scrolls world known as Tamriel (and yes I am not only a huge fan of the series, but a major nerd as well). You play as a legendary character known as the "Dovahkiin" or "Dragonborn" which will be explained later in my review, and get to play as 1 of 10 races, each with its own perks, and weaknesses. There is also a clever levelling system where by you level up after increasing any number of skills X number of times, which allows you to be any type of class you wish, and allows you to change class without having to start a new game, a generous plus in the games favour. From the first person perspective you can use either hand to either cast magic, use a weapon or shield, use both for two handed weapons, or use a bow. This also adds for a multitude of choices, and allows more people to play the game how they want. One added feature, which I prefer to the other recent Bethesda games, is the removal of an item wear system, now instead of weapons and armour degrading from use, they can be improved rather then fixed. Combat is fun, but dragon combat is where the game strives, as the beasts feel like they have power, and advantage over you, and fighting them feels just about as epic, as the idea of fighting dragons is. This is one of the first times dragons have been done right, and given justice in games. I could continue on for days on end, describing the quests, numberless items, and millions of ways to play the game, and still not come close to finishing just the game play of Skyrim, so instead I'll say that you can do pretty much anything you want (except that you sick perverts!) and from what I've already described, there's a lot to do.
    On to the presentation of the game, the graphics are outstanding. It is clear that Bethesda had spent some time on the look of the game as everything has detail, items can be inspected (key to some quests), character models are attractive, and the world itself is full of endless beauty. The sounds of the game are fantastic, and all well done, and dragons roar with intimidation, and it wont be uncommon to feel a chill do down your spine, and you begin frantically searching the skies for the winged beast. It should be noted though that it is clear that they had a limited staff of voice actors as the same voice will be heard multiple times from different characters, and when in conversation with characters, although not directly in their face like in other Bethesda titles, they still stand there with little emotion. Now I wish I could give this game a perfect score, but being honest and fair, I cannot as all games do have some flaws. For Skyrim, as with open world games in general, there are some glitches, and bugs that while not necessarily game breaking, are frustrating. Numerous times you will end up trapped in a rock or wall, and if you're not saving frequently, can be frustrating to have to go back because the only way to get unstuck is to load a save. My only other major gripe with the game is the whole concept of being the Dragonborn character. What the Dovahkiin is, is a character that is able to kill dragons, then adsorb their souls into them, and harness the dragons ability to spew fire, ice, shock waves, esc... by shouting. Let me explain, in Skyrim, dragons don't simply spew fire down at their enemies, they have some magical power to scream, or shout, and the energy of fire, of frost, of what ever that particular dragon is capable of doing radiates out from that shout. That's right, the first dragon you kill in the game isn't really fighting you, it's yelling at you. And after you kill it, you now have the ability to kill your enemies by yelling at them, and if you get into a fight with another dragon, you can make it nothing more then a yelling match. While it fits appropriately with a Norse based society, it's ridiculous to think about, and wasn't very necessary to the game.
    All in all, Skyrim is a great game, and with the amount of fun you can have, as well as an exponential amount of content for a $60 price tag, Skyrim is a must buy. FUS RO DAH! MOTHA#$%&ERS! (play the game if you don't get it)    … Expand
  55. eddible
    Jan 6, 2012
    10
    I simply cannot fault this game in any way. You pay the price of a standard game and get about 10 games worth of things to do. I've never particularly paid attention to the studios behind games, but since playing the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series, I'm a HUGE Bethesda fan. Their games are incredible, with hours and hours of content. Either way, Skyrim has endless amounts of fun; the plotI simply cannot fault this game in any way. You pay the price of a standard game and get about 10 games worth of things to do. I've never particularly paid attention to the studios behind games, but since playing the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series, I'm a HUGE Bethesda fan. Their games are incredible, with hours and hours of content. Either way, Skyrim has endless amounts of fun; the plot is excellent, the people that inhabit it are intriguing and the fact you can level up however you like to become whoever you want is brilliant. You need this game in your life - simple as.… Expand
  56. TristonDaShorty
    Jan 5, 2012
    9
    I love this game! A truly massive world that I cannot find in any other game. Its like an MMO except there aren't tens of thousands of mages and warriors running around. Its also a more rewarding experience than an MMO because the story revolves around you. Faces look a little weird. Some NPCs do strange things and combat can feel less intimate than other games. Otherwise I would giveI love this game! A truly massive world that I cannot find in any other game. Its like an MMO except there aren't tens of thousands of mages and warriors running around. Its also a more rewarding experience than an MMO because the story revolves around you. Faces look a little weird. Some NPCs do strange things and combat can feel less intimate than other games. Otherwise I would give this game a straight up 10/10… Expand
  57. TeenReviews
    Jan 4, 2012
    10
    when i got this game for Christmas, i planned to present a review in the following days. Now, i am presenting to Bethesda a thank you letter. Thank you Bethesda for this wonderful game you have presented to your fans, which has not only kept your fan base happy, but has brought forward a new generation of elder scroll fans, who would never have touched this type of game before. it iswhen i got this game for Christmas, i planned to present a review in the following days. Now, i am presenting to Bethesda a thank you letter. Thank you Bethesda for this wonderful game you have presented to your fans, which has not only kept your fan base happy, but has brought forward a new generation of elder scroll fans, who would never have touched this type of game before. it is simply a masterpiece, and everyone should at least try this game, for it is not just a game, but an epic adventure. thank you Bethesda thank and you Todd Howard for this fantastic adventure.… Expand
  58. 360gamer8302
    Jan 4, 2012
    9
    A fantastic game without a doubt, but with the bugs and slight lack of polish. This is what hinders its perfection. It is still a highly recommended game
  59. HarveyBirdman
    Jan 4, 2012
    5
    How can a game with so much to do feel so empty? Regardless of what you do, it never feels like you've impacted the game world in any meaningful way. Or forged an meaningful relationships. Or even had meaningful conversations. Let me get this straight: Skyrim's people --who supposedly thought dragons were a myth, like Godzilla-- find themslves in the midst of a FULL-FLEDGED DRAGONHow can a game with so much to do feel so empty? Regardless of what you do, it never feels like you've impacted the game world in any meaningful way. Or forged an meaningful relationships. Or even had meaningful conversations. Let me get this straight: Skyrim's people --who supposedly thought dragons were a myth, like Godzilla-- find themslves in the midst of a FULL-FLEDGED DRAGON INVASION, and it ranks maybe 5th on their conversational priority list, after the civil war, their lost amulet, the fact that you're wearing light armor, and the weather. And when you singlehandedly stop said invasion, what do you get? A few comments from guards to the effect of, "Hey, stopping that dragon crisis was awesome, bro." Then it's back to "I took an arrow in the knee." The faction quests, with the possible exception of the Thieves' Guild, are similarly uninspiring. Oh, and my wife in I have a sham marriage , in which I show up every week and she gives me gold. I'd like to converse with her, but she can only say four lines of dialogue. Bottom line: maybe this is the price of a truly open world -- i.e., it's miles wide and an inch deep. And to be fair, there's plenty of mindless fun to be had. But I'd trade most all of these random dungeons and dragon/troll/mammoth battle royales for some sense that what I'm doing matters. If it's an RPG, Bethesda, I want to play a role, not just be a roving bringer of destruction and taker of loot.… Expand
  60. LouRinHELL
    Jan 4, 2012
    10
    One of the greatest RPG games EVER!! I mean, a game with 300 hours of duration, an epic story line, good graphics and a solid game play? You must have it!!! That's all!
  61. MrWinner
    Jan 4, 2012
    10
    Skyrim is definitively a game I will be playing for a while. It is the best game I have played with its superior graphics, beautiful sound, and above all its outstanding gameplay. The storyline is immense considering all that you can do, from fighting in the civil war, doing side quests, companion quests, to the actual story campaign. There is always something to explore or do in Skyrim.Skyrim is definitively a game I will be playing for a while. It is the best game I have played with its superior graphics, beautiful sound, and above all its outstanding gameplay. The storyline is immense considering all that you can do, from fighting in the civil war, doing side quests, companion quests, to the actual story campaign. There is always something to explore or do in Skyrim. Perfect game for any person, and is impossible to not like.… Expand
  62. Redoer
    Jan 3, 2012
    9
    This game is awesome. There. I said it. Honestly, the levelling system in Oblivion drove me insane. I became so obsessed with levelling my character in the most optimal fashion the game became a chore. Skyrim removed the attributes and made the levelling simpler, which I suppose can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. It is dumbing it down. Also, its obviously madeThis game is awesome. There. I said it. Honestly, the levelling system in Oblivion drove me insane. I became so obsessed with levelling my character in the most optimal fashion the game became a chore. Skyrim removed the attributes and made the levelling simpler, which I suppose can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. It is dumbing it down. Also, its obviously made with console in mind. The UI is very console-y, but this is an elder scrolls game, there will be plenty of mods if there aren't already.… Expand
  63. JBeezy007
    Jan 3, 2012
    10
    You know a game is good when I can get my wife addicted to it. Now instead of watching TV we just play Skyrim. The graphics are amazing, the story is awesome, and the content seems to never end. This may be the greatest game ever made.
  64. ghorahn
    Jan 3, 2012
    8
    Despite all the hours I'd put in the previous Elder Scrolls games (especially Daggerfall), I'd yet to finish one. I was pleased to see that this game gave me the momentum I needed to see things through. (Really, the main quest chain isn't very long, so if you're motivated to finish it, you can certainly do it.) Now, I still have plenty of side-quests to do, and I hope to finish lots ofDespite all the hours I'd put in the previous Elder Scrolls games (especially Daggerfall), I'd yet to finish one. I was pleased to see that this game gave me the momentum I needed to see things through. (Really, the main quest chain isn't very long, so if you're motivated to finish it, you can certainly do it.) Now, I still have plenty of side-quests to do, and I hope to finish lots of them. (No promises about finishing everything....I'm not ~that~ motivated.) One thing has stuck out since I started playing the game...it was just so dreary for so long. Early on I was missing the option of light-hearted snarkiness that was always available in Dragon Age 2's dialog. But once I found some Daedra quests, I suppose the humor in the game showed up. Still....I feel like the game takes itself awfully seriously.

    I like the controls. I've been playing as a strict caster for a while now, and dual-casting with the triggers works well. I've had plenty of reason to get used to a wide variety of my spells (as I can still get quickly trounced by a bear if I don't have stoneflesh up). My in-game wife tanks stuff for me....which I enjoy to no end.

    Since the last patch, the game hasn't frozen my xbox at all, which is nice. And I don't feel I've been hearing the same npc comments every few minutes. One down-side....my character's level is approaching 40 right now, and I don't feel like I've had a particularly difficult fight in a while now. I mostly just die when I can't find the archer that has line of sight on me, and two good shots later (without me bothering to heal), I'm down. I can't say I like the Sierra-style 'you can die a lot, then you get to reload and try again.' (Which I contend is why LucasArts won the battle of adventure games.) But without the peril, there wouldn't be any suspense. So I suppose the occasional seemingly-random death is how you keep a player on his/her toes, when the designers don't have a better way to do it.

    I dunno, I have mixed feelings about this game. The more I think about it, the less great is seems to me. Yet I'm still putting some time into it each day, working on side quests. I imagine that says something.    … Expand
  65. DarrkHawk
    Dec 31, 2011
    9
    Having put over 100 hours into this game and completed most (if not all) major quest lines, I feel that I can write an honest review about this game. Everyone knows that Skyrim is THE biggest game of the year (fans or haters), there's truly no denying it. Although saying this for myself, I found the game getting extremely boring 40 - 50 hours in. Once the main storyline and the 3 obviousHaving put over 100 hours into this game and completed most (if not all) major quest lines, I feel that I can write an honest review about this game. Everyone knows that Skyrim is THE biggest game of the year (fans or haters), there's truly no denying it. Although saying this for myself, I found the game getting extremely boring 40 - 50 hours in. Once the main storyline and the 3 obvious side lines, the game just becomes too repetitive. All misc missions seem to carry the seem pattern and the dragon attacks, although highly hyped about before the game was released, become extremely annoying and tedious.

    Don't get me wrong, the game is simply AMAZING. The wide open world with amazing scenery, interesting stories and awesome combat, I just can't help overlook the flaws of the games. And there are loads. Glitches are really the major enemy of any game of this size. It happened in fallout: New Vegas, it happens in battlefield, it is just something that can't be ignored. I have encountered many glitches in my time playing from minor graphical glitches to game breaking glitches costing me over 5 - 10 hours of game play.

    All-in-all, the game is amazing, gets fairly boring quickly and has its fair share of glitches. A definite game to play but just be prepared for it.    … Expand
  66. FakeLies
    Dec 31, 2011
    6
    I had HUGE expectations in this after oblivion...and now im twisted...there are a lot of sidequests and places to visit..the world truely is huge, and i think it´s better set alive than in oblivion by the random encounters you will have on roads, like talmor carrying a prisoner ( you could walk by or rescue him), and there are a lot of these moments...the dragons wereI had HUGE expectations in this after oblivion...and now im twisted...there are a lot of sidequests and places to visit..the world truely is huge, and i think it´s better set alive than in oblivion by the random encounters you will have on roads, like talmor carrying a prisoner ( you could walk by or rescue him), and there are a lot of these moments...the dragons were impressive, i had a lot of fun only watching the random fights between dragons and giants :D...the Thuums can be used tactically by setting the power of the individual Thuum and by thinking about its cooling-time...the graphics are nice. But then again there really are reasons to not like this game...the world is huge, but you will end up in a rotation of town-dungeon-town-dungeon etc....money really has nothing to say anymore, the only things worth buying were some potions if you run low on them and spells,youll end up with thousands of septimes just hanging in your inventory unused because the loot is practically all you need...the character-creation was dumped down to be more actionlike,it really is more action than before, but it has lost a lot of its roleplaying by deleting classes and stats...the perks do add and are usefull, but not necessary, so leveling only becomes intresting for raising health/magicka/stamina...the quests are simply repetitive, go get that, kill him, walk there, kill dragon, learn word nr. 56 etc....the quests where you had npcs fighting at your side were rather annoying, i would have apretiated doing those quests alone, for the npcs always seemed to die really fast or break down if they were immortal,and they only mindlessly charged forward into battle without making use of tactics/stealth or anything...although there are random moments adding to the whole plot, the story seems just poorly thought out...dragon x wants to destroy the world, the land is twisted because of a civil war, and the quests are just poor in storytelling...the guilds seem rather pointless, i felt dumb being guildleader after 3 quest, being raised from a little fish to the leader of the famous and legendary companions guild, and all those guildquests are like that... the civil war is a joke,2 or 3 quests to prove your loyalty, then some quests just slicing through hordes of enemies in castles to conquer them--> civil war won yuhey!...the game seems awesome and stunning at first, but it gets boring really fast...many people complained about the smithing perk being owerpowered, the whole difficulty being to low if you got your hands on this uberequipment which is fairly easy, but i dont understand those...if the game is too easy for your taste, set the difficulty higher...if you hate the uberequipment because it kills the challenge, then dont use it...simple as that...i always had challenging fights, but you really have to be one patient guy if you want to play this through with sidequests etc.... especially for i see no replayability in this due to a lack of classes,stat costumization and a general lack of options in every case...from my point of view its far from a metascore of 96, i would have given it 9 points after the first 2 hours, but the first impression in this case, even if its sad, is wrong.… Expand
  67. Artomoz
    Dec 31, 2011
    8
    While The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim does not revolutionize the RPG genre it sure does bring fresh new content to the table. From epic scenery to ferocious dragon battles. The world of Skyrim left more to desire though, wishing for a more ambient and interactive world to explore. Don't get me wrong the world itself and detail of design of this game is amongst the best I've ever seen theseWhile The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim does not revolutionize the RPG genre it sure does bring fresh new content to the table. From epic scenery to ferocious dragon battles. The world of Skyrim left more to desire though, wishing for a more ambient and interactive world to explore. Don't get me wrong the world itself and detail of design of this game is amongst the best I've ever seen these past years. That's the main reason why I did not give this game a 10/10. Lost 1 point for lack of ambiance amongst the world. Exploring the world itself can take time and not to mention playing on "Master" difficulty will add plenty of hours to main quests and side quests. Whilst playing on anything below "Master" will definitely leave you wanting for more since the main quest is a bit short but can be elongated if the difficulty setting is changed. Then again, there are plenty of other quests the game provides you that will keep you busy through months, that is if you're the perfectionist or adventurer type. There are plenty of crafts to master from smithing to enchanting weaponry. I took another point off due to the basic level up system Skyrim has, while there are a variety of options there's not enough to say it is a true RPG leveling system. It follows more of the likes of Dragon Age, which is simplistic and does not really leave room to create unique characters from pures to hybrids. The giants are stronger than dragons debate I can say it is the difficulty level you're playing and the dragon you're fighting. A regular dragon is amongst the easiest, whilst a frost dragon can 1 hit KO the character. Most of these people complaining about the length obviously didn't take the time to change the difficulty setting of the game and just basically rushed through the main story instead of allowing themselves to enjoy this game. There's tons of books scattered around to collect that provide knowledge of certain areas, characters, history, organizations, and ect that can keep you busy reading if you're the person who enjoys expanding you're knowledge about Skyrim. I have to agree with some people stating some side quests left more to desire and that's another reason why I'm not giving this game a 10/10. About glitches and bugs found in Skyrim, we have to understand this is an open world sand box game so expect plenty of bugs and glitches. There's really nothing game breaking other than some words cannot be learned due to a bug on the game but does not necessarily impair you from completing quests.Overall this game is worth the $60.00 for players who are RPG fans. Many people claim this game is repetitive but which game isn't? FPS games = shoot/mission over/ cinematic/ infiltrate shoot/ mission over/ cinematic. That debate loses plenty of credibility fast as this game provides plenty of other options to keep yourself busy and away from monotonous dungeon clearing.… Expand
  68. Mathew952
    Dec 30, 2011
    10
    This is by all measures an epic game. It's a massive world to explore, it's got hundreds of stories to tell, and hundreds of possible ways of doing it all. It can be both cinematic and open ended, and the sound track and graphics really aid this; the game is gorgeous. In terms of it's own merits, this game is an incredible value, offering hundreds of hours of game time in an open endedThis is by all measures an epic game. It's a massive world to explore, it's got hundreds of stories to tell, and hundreds of possible ways of doing it all. It can be both cinematic and open ended, and the sound track and graphics really aid this; the game is gorgeous. In terms of it's own merits, this game is an incredible value, offering hundreds of hours of game time in an open ended world, with sound and video to match, and a pretty good main story. Even some of the side quests are epic on a level that would make Indiana Jones blush. For Those of you who have played Oblivion, it stacks up very well, but does change quite a few things. On the one hand, the game has many more cinematic moments, thanks to revamped graphics, a wider variety of scenery, and much improved script writing and voice acting. However, in terms of leveling , experience, and perks, this is much more like a Fallout game than an Elder Scrolls game, but not in a bad way. You still pick a race, but the perks and attributes are somewhat reversed from Oblivion; rather than picking a class and attributes then playing to suit them, you play and pick perks and classes to fit how you play, and with a possible total of 60 perks, plus countless blessings, guardian stones, signs etc. there is plenty of opportunity to customise. The only real negative with Skyrim is the introduction of some grinding while moving through the guilds; You're often required to do quite a few "run here, do X, come back" missions that are randomly generated before the next real quest; This does give you opportunities to explore and to gain XP, but it can also be very demoralizing when you just want to get on with the story and you're stuck fast travelling, pressing A, and fast travelling back for upwards of 40 minutes. That being said, this is a remarkable game in all aspects, and for 43 dollars (only 35 or so at game trader for a used copy) It is an unbeatable value.… Expand
  69. Montecarlo10254
    Dec 30, 2011
    8
    This is a review based on completion and almost everything done. This does not contain spoilers, so feel free to read fully without spoiling the game.

    Skyrim is a massive RPG, one which can take you well over 150 hours to see most of the content. I'll separate the contents of the review into multiple factors. Visuals: Visually, the game is stunning on all platforms. Not many games have    This is a review based on completion and almost everything done. This does not contain spoilers, so feel free to read fully without spoiling the game.

    Skyrim is a massive RPG, one which can take you well over 150 hours to see most of the content. I'll separate the contents of the review into multiple factors.

    Visuals: Visually, the game is stunning on all platforms. Not many games have you feeling like you are exploring a world, but Skyrim manages to do just that. Only when you start looking for graphical flaws will you find them, such as low textured grounds and houses. As a whole however, the game is visually sound. Naturally, the PC version has the edge in visuals, but that is to be expected with updated hardware.

    Gameplay: Gameplay is great. The amount of things you can do is simply endless. You can fight dragons, giants, go exploring in caves, dungeons, towers, or simply craft. It's a MMO, without the monthly content, and the griefing players. Combat is fluid, and you have many different types of combat styles to suit almost anyone. While not every combat style is perfect, all have a great feel, and I can easily see some people playing multiple characters to try them all. However, gameplay is not perfect. I fell victim to a glitch that would not allow me to continue the main story, and had to restart the game, losing about 15 hours of progress. While I did not really mind too much, as it gave me a chance to refine a new character, I can see how others would find this very frustrating. Also, it is well known the PS3 version has issues of freezing, and laggy gameplay due to the memory bug. This happens by having a long played game, and is from the PS3's 512/512 mb memory, which is a well known issue. Every version has glitches, but for the amount of content you get, I can understand some glitches, and Bethesda is working on patches weekly.

    Sound: Sadly, the voice acting still feels a little scripted, and poorly acted at times. It also feels like there should be more voice actors. Not every guard should be talking about taking a arrow to the knee. The sounds of fighting are right on, shields sound like they are taking the hit, and sword attacks sound like they are actually hitting a monster. Summary: A great RPG that should keep you busy for weeks, if not months, to explore through completely.

    Score: Xbox 360: 8.0/10
    Playstation 3: 7.0/10
    PC: 8.5/10    … Expand
  70. newbzoors
    Dec 29, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is a massive game. Itâ
  71. RogerWilco2099
    Dec 29, 2011
    10
    Well I am now 120 hours in level 40 and still dont feel I scratched the surface this game is amazing and fully deserves the GOTY award it got. Yes some bugs are there. Followers can get stuck, weapons can remain hovering, but after all this time these are the only issues I found and on a game this massive in size and scope its inevitable. Anyway I think im about halfway through theWell I am now 120 hours in level 40 and still dont feel I scratched the surface this game is amazing and fully deserves the GOTY award it got. Yes some bugs are there. Followers can get stuck, weapons can remain hovering, but after all this time these are the only issues I found and on a game this massive in size and scope its inevitable. Anyway I think im about halfway through the main quest and College, im yet to start the companions, thieves guild, dark brotherhood or the civil war line!! The soundtack, landscapes, environments and interactions are amazing. Im going to be playing this for months, if not years and I know it has already become one my favourite games of all time.… Expand
  72. BrianM
    Dec 29, 2011
    9
    Great Game but definitely over rated The main and Companion's questlines were terrible. boring and short.The Dark Brotherhood was different which i liked. College of Winterhold was fun and the end was oh so satisfying BUT The Thieves Guild stole the show it was a beautifully crafted questline this game has its bugs it has annoying characters (Cicero,Lydia,Orcs) but in all it's a wonderfulGreat Game but definitely over rated The main and Companion's questlines were terrible. boring and short.The Dark Brotherhood was different which i liked. College of Winterhold was fun and the end was oh so satisfying BUT The Thieves Guild stole the show it was a beautifully crafted questline this game has its bugs it has annoying characters (Cicero,Lydia,Orcs) but in all it's a wonderful experience.
    Skyrim =    … Expand
  73. bgreen
    Dec 29, 2011
    9
    Rented this game at redbox, not sure whether I would like it. Within hours I was hooked. I went out and bought it the next day. The graphics are superb, the story line amazing. Game of the year in my opinion. Worth every cent.
  74. LordSeferoth
    Dec 29, 2011
    0
    Horrible and disapointing game. Skyrim is everything Elder Scrolls fans did not want. Its smaller,stripped,mainstreamed,buggy and ugly game. If this is the new direction of Elder Scrolls then this serie is dead for me. It certainly won my FOTY(Fail of the year) award this year.
  75. RichardFR12
    Dec 29, 2011
    8
    I think this is one of the masterpieces of 2011, because the world is much bigger than oblivion and the graphics are beautiful. But... the combat is stiff and there are some bugs that not belong in such a game with uch a fan-base
  76. mattbtheg
    Dec 29, 2011
    9
    If you haven't bought it yet, just do it. This game is absolutely phenomenal. The only problem I had with the game was the pacing. An early part of the main quest asks for you to travel up a mountain to speak to some wizards. There is a frost troll that will 2 shot you at the level the quest is given to you. Immediately after, you are sent to some catacombs with very low level monsters.If you haven't bought it yet, just do it. This game is absolutely phenomenal. The only problem I had with the game was the pacing. An early part of the main quest asks for you to travel up a mountain to speak to some wizards. There is a frost troll that will 2 shot you at the level the quest is given to you. Immediately after, you are sent to some catacombs with very low level monsters. This sort of inconsistency happens frequently. However, this gives you the opportunity to do quests for the various guilds and level up through these side quests. Even if you only complete the quests for one guild, difficulty spikes will not be nearly as obvious. As a result, i would give the game a perfect score, as everything is expertly crafted, and the difficulty of the start of the game nudges you towards even more content. I think this game deserves game of the year, and I think it is well worth the $60 to buy it.… Expand
  77. SchroederRock
    Dec 28, 2011
    10
    Having never played an Elder Scrolls game outside of a demo back when the 360 was released, I had only the reputation and high remarks for the game to set any kind of expectation. After around 50 hours invested into Skyrim, and having done only 7 of the main store quests at the moment, I can safely say Skyrim is the game of the year for me. Other titles were good this year, but for aHaving never played an Elder Scrolls game outside of a demo back when the 360 was released, I had only the reputation and high remarks for the game to set any kind of expectation. After around 50 hours invested into Skyrim, and having done only 7 of the main store quests at the moment, I can safely say Skyrim is the game of the year for me. Other titles were good this year, but for a single-player experience, Skyrim really knocks all the others out of the park when it comes to quality. Even with several noticeable bugs scattered throughout the game, it still supremely impresses over and over again. It may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy action/adventure games and are looking to get lost in a big world full of customization and plenty of bunny trails to divert from the main objective: Skyrim is more than worth a look.… Expand
  78. FizzBickets
    Dec 27, 2011
    10
    Never before has a game captured an entire month of my life. I have been playing this game at almost every available opportunity and I still have another week or two left in me. If you have yet to pick up this game, I strongly encourage you to experience the Game of the Year, and probably the next, too.
  79. WLink
    Dec 27, 2011
    10
    I sat down six hours straight for one session, this game is truly a masterpiece. Best game in a long time. One of my all time favorites. Warning: Can be addictive :)
  80. usslaver
    Dec 26, 2011
    10
    The absolute best game in its class. There is nothing that compares to this game. There is non-stop things to do, amazing story-line, amazing graphics, amazing combat system. This is all around a stunning game, Bethesda absolutely out-did themselves with this game.
  81. some_guy
    Dec 25, 2011
    9
    Like Oblivion, Skyrim has a well-developed plot-line and graphics as well as a deliciously open world. If I have one complaint about the game it's that there is almost too much to do.
  82. subsonik
    Dec 25, 2011
    10
    If you love the Fallout games from Bethesda you will appreciate the depth that was created for your pleasure. I often reflect on the sheer immensity and technical prowess that must have been employed to make this game a reality--and on only one disc. This proves that this Bethesda has the craft of game creation down to a near science. Of course there has to be patience on your part toIf you love the Fallout games from Bethesda you will appreciate the depth that was created for your pleasure. I often reflect on the sheer immensity and technical prowess that must have been employed to make this game a reality--and on only one disc. This proves that this Bethesda has the craft of game creation down to a near science. Of course there has to be patience on your part to enjoy this game...ready to put in 200+ hours of game play? If not, I would rent this game first--and it takes about 5-10 hours before you truly stand back and smile to what you are really in for. I was a level 28 before I fought my first dragon (infuriated my daughter--she fought her first dragon before level 5.) And that's exactly what makes this game a sheer joy to play. If you find yourself wondering if you can transition from the military take on story telling of Fallout to the more primitive story-line of ancient lore, I thought the same; but within that first important 10 hours of game play i was entirely hooked on this experience. A sheer masterpiece.… Expand
  83. IIFloodyII
    Dec 24, 2011
    10
    one of the greatest game of all time keep your BF3 and that other shooter game Skyrim deserved all it awards and then some.
  84. DSouls_guy
    Dec 23, 2011
    10
    SKYRIM IS A MASTERPIECE,

    This is one of the greatest games ever made.I have played many rpg's in my 30 years and this game is by far the best rpg yet,the story,graphics,game play is epic all in it's own and the voice acting is much better then it was in oblivion although oblivion is a great game as well.Skyrim get's a perfect 10.however I can not say the same thing for the ps3 version    SKYRIM IS A MASTERPIECE,

    This is one of the greatest games ever made.I have played many rpg's in my 30 years and this game is by far the best rpg yet,the story,graphics,game play is epic all in it's own and the voice acting is much better then it was in oblivion although oblivion is a great game as well.Skyrim get's a perfect 10.however I can not say the same thing for the ps3 version since it's plagued by crashes,bug's and frame rate problems.but seeing as how this is the xbox 360 version review I must say it's the more stable version.    … Expand
  85. yumdumpster
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    This game filled the gap of time between my quitting WOW and the release of TOR, basically hundreds of hours of my life that I am never going to get back, and i don't regret a second of it. Its amazing that an RPG can have this amount of content in it, and the Graphics are absolutely stunning.
  86. BradleyBondage
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    A magical game, such a great experience one of the best games I've ever encountered I really hope bethesda keep up the amazing work and release some mind blowing DLC.
  87. hellsaint111
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    The elder scrolls franchise has always been one of the most amazing series' of all time, all of the games in this series have been extremely popular in the gaming community and greatly loved by many gamers and Skyrim does not differ. After it's announcement in december 2010, the hype began. It continued to grow and skyrim became what was probably one the most anticipated games of 2011.The elder scrolls franchise has always been one of the most amazing series' of all time, all of the games in this series have been extremely popular in the gaming community and greatly loved by many gamers and Skyrim does not differ. After it's announcement in december 2010, the hype began. It continued to grow and skyrim became what was probably one the most anticipated games of 2011. Upon it's release millions of gamers, including long-time fans and those new to the series spent hours of their lives in the living, breathing fantasy world of skyrim, which lived up to all of it's expectations and well deserved hype. With its stunning graphics, amazing story telling, almost infinite amount of content and its expansive world and lore. Skyrim is just one of those games that will live on, and be remembered for a long time. But on a more personal level, I look at skyrim as more than a game, I see it as a work of art because wherever you look in skyrim you can see it's true artistic Beauty. You can walk through a field and everyone will have a different experience, one may see a dragon soar overhead, one may meet a trader or bandits, or see a butterfly float past. Each dungeon in skyrim is uniquely crafted and they all tell a story, with the simple placement. An rpg should be about playing a role and in skyrim you can play many, it's up to you, and telling a story which skyrim does both verbally and physically. With the perfect AI, perfectly crafted environment and the way they have replicated nature and society, Bethesda has made alot more than a game, they have made a whole world. Perfection 10/10… Expand
  88. theJexster
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    Every few years a game comes along that elevates the genre and sets a new bar. This game has some bugs and glitches, but the overall product is so enjoyable you easily look past them. It's a game changer, and will be a defining game the likes of Mario 3, Zelda, and Halo.
  89. Susano
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is an amazing, jaw-droppingly vast RPG, with spells, swords, axes, quests and monsters galore. It isn't perfect (but what is?) thanks to repeated phrases and voice actors. And like all Bethesda game, it's got a crap-ton of glitches. BUT, Skyrim is very, very big, and it's only matched by it's quality. A trip down a forest with a talking dog. A quest reminiscent of The Hangover. EpicSkyrim is an amazing, jaw-droppingly vast RPG, with spells, swords, axes, quests and monsters galore. It isn't perfect (but what is?) thanks to repeated phrases and voice actors. And like all Bethesda game, it's got a crap-ton of glitches. BUT, Skyrim is very, very big, and it's only matched by it's quality. A trip down a forest with a talking dog. A quest reminiscent of The Hangover. Epic Dark Brotherhood questlines. Skyrim packs a lifetime of content into one game-giving astonishing value for money. The Xbox 360 game of the year.… Expand
  90. GhostBox223
    Dec 22, 2011
    7
    i hate to say it but pcforever had way too many good points...i absolutely love the game i have spent waaaay too much time playing but but like he said..i basically ran through it on auto pilot...didnt have to read a book or listen to an npc i just clicked through the convo raided the cave or dungeon killed everything then proceeded..i actually wanted to give this game a 10 i swear righti hate to say it but pcforever had way too many good points...i absolutely love the game i have spent waaaay too much time playing but but like he said..i basically ran through it on auto pilot...didnt have to read a book or listen to an npc i just clicked through the convo raided the cave or dungeon killed everything then proceeded..i actually wanted to give this game a 10 i swear right hand to god but after reading pcforever's review i actually cant...im not a pc player so graphics a perfect to meand i like the story and i dont know what kind of stuff he was doing but i constantly found myself running out of gold and i had made all daedric armor and weapons early on before 25% of main quest was even done so i needed to buy nothing but houses and crap....definitely cant go without giving this game a playthrough it is an absolute must ....Hopefully the make it a little more interactive in a sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!… Expand
  91. Sciencedance
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is a revolutionary game. It's High definition clouds, Battle sequences and Interactive environment is astounding. For an example, if you see a mountain, that's not for show. You can climb that every environmental structure. As for the combat, Bethesda has taken the essence of Oblivion, but added power attacks, finishing moves and actual cut-scenes to make it feel more like realSkyrim is a revolutionary game. It's High definition clouds, Battle sequences and Interactive environment is astounding. For an example, if you see a mountain, that's not for show. You can climb that every environmental structure. As for the combat, Bethesda has taken the essence of Oblivion, but added power attacks, finishing moves and actual cut-scenes to make it feel more like real life. There are minor glitches here and there, but they are usually for laughs and cannot harm your gameplay. The Dragons are incredibly marvelous, the texture, movement, AI, everything. Skyrim is an enjoyable, creative RPG, full of exploration, epic battle, and amazing spells at your disposal. I would recommend this game to anyone and everyone, as it is bewildering, no matter what age or gender you are.… Expand
  92. jon-h86
    Dec 21, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is a very atmospheric and engrossing experience that will keep you awake all night and neglecting your girlfriend. It is very easy and rewarding to become swallowed in the experience. The world is huge and most of the time it is beautiful. The quests can be very interesting with some clever twists. However there are bugs, the combat system is repetitive, the game punishes people whoSkyrim is a very atmospheric and engrossing experience that will keep you awake all night and neglecting your girlfriend. It is very easy and rewarding to become swallowed in the experience. The world is huge and most of the time it is beautiful. The quests can be very interesting with some clever twists. However there are bugs, the combat system is repetitive, the game punishes people who explore by not allowing the player to finish a quest if they have already visited an area and at times it is way too easy. The worst thing about the game is that it ends and there are times when you find yourself doubting weather that will happen.… Expand
  93. gooeycard
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    This game exceeds the gaming world to date the amazing graphics fighting character models the easter eggs and of course the arrow to the knee joke i am getting this game for christmas but my uncle had it i didnt come out for a day or two
  94. ManOfSteel
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    A brilliant masterpiece. Bethesda keeps getting better and better. A massive, beautiful rpg with an interesting story backdrop and a beautiful musical score that is truly epic. The statistics are there, and the detail is amazing. 150 hours in and maybe halfway done. One of the best games I have ever played.
  95. IniquitousForce
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    What can you say about Skyrim? It is an achievement in gaming. It is by far the best game this year. There are some bugs but Bethesda has been quick to work fixes for them. Regardless of these minor shortcomings, this is the best game this year, one of the greatest games of all time. Skyrim represents the next step in gaming, giving you choice to do as you please. In my humble opinion theWhat can you say about Skyrim? It is an achievement in gaming. It is by far the best game this year. There are some bugs but Bethesda has been quick to work fixes for them. Regardless of these minor shortcomings, this is the best game this year, one of the greatest games of all time. Skyrim represents the next step in gaming, giving you choice to do as you please. In my humble opinion the gaming moment of the year is when you realize you have spent 50 hours playing Skyrim, and you have done only side quests. This is what gaming is supposed to be; an engaging story, great graphics, great sound, good controls, and characters you care about. Who has not restarted a quest because Lydia has died? Who hasn't gone holy sh** when you kill a dragon, or get clobbered by a giant 100s of feet in the air? This game has more moments that wow you than moments that are dull. In one sentence Skyrim is the finest game this year, and one of the greatest of all time.… Expand
  96. BlasphemousBat
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    I had hoped for this game to be really engaging, but there's not much to do at all. The main quest is sweet but a bit short, the Companions questline was just forgettable, College of Winterhold Questline was boring, and the Dark brotherhood and Thieve's Guild questlines were alright. Miscellaneous quests are an absolute **** The textures aren't great at all, the animations were reallyI had hoped for this game to be really engaging, but there's not much to do at all. The main quest is sweet but a bit short, the Companions questline was just forgettable, College of Winterhold Questline was boring, and the Dark brotherhood and Thieve's Guild questlines were alright. Miscellaneous quests are an absolute **** The textures aren't great at all, the animations were really stiff. It's quite boring after you do a bunch of stuff, and apparently Giants are stronger than DRAGONS. Also, the dragons themselves aren't that big, and can EASILY be killed. Also, the amount of bugs are HUGE. This is quite a disappointment in terms of content. Everyone thinks this is the best game ever, but in truth it's far from it. Rage all you want fanboys.… Expand
  97. Foxxey86
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    100 hours in and still not fed up, its the game that just keeps giving. Its my GOTY without a doubt, perhaps even the game of this generation. If you dont have it and you like rpg's you are doing yourself a disservice by not playing this.
  98. FozzyTheForger
    Dec 19, 2011
    10
    It is true, Skyrim has issues, bugs, glitches and, if you're really unlucky, dragons that fly backwards. I have not yet seen the latter, but just about everything else - not all in the first playthrough, though.

    Yes, this is one of those titles where you can zip through the main story in around fifty hours, but the average time is about twice as much, and it is said there is enough    It is true, Skyrim has issues, bugs, glitches and, if you're really unlucky, dragons that fly backwards. I have not yet seen the latter, but just about everything else - not all in the first playthrough, though.

    Yes, this is one of those titles where you can zip through the main story in around fifty hours, but the average time is about twice as much, and it is said there is enough content to keep you busy for 300 to 400 hours. While I still miss a proper, decent revival of old-school RPG adventuring titles like Eye of the Beholder, Wizardry or even Dungeon Master, Skyrim is the best I've seen in quite some time. While that in itself is an easy accomplishment, simply for the lack of there being no competition whatsoever, it has to be said that a game that makes one forgive and forget the many, many flaws really must do some of the more important things right.

    Mind you, this game really is not without flaw, and I sincerely hope Bethesda will get rid of the underlying problems big and small, but I found my visit to Skyrim to be interesting, refreshing and very, very inspiring. It's one of those few games where starting over with a completely different character makes sense, to see how things would have turned out if you had chosen a different path, sided with 'that other side'. It is true that there are not quite enough of those game-changing options that have an impact on the whole game world. But, seeing as how exponentially complicated these things easily and quickly get, I was happy with what we got. If you manage to resist the temptation of exploiting any levelling shortcut or other cheating, Skyrim offers an astonishing amount of story and background, with an unequalled freedom to do as you please. Classes are not a one-time choice, you get better at whatever you choose to do by doing it. So your rogue could conjure up a tank or a decoy, or your mage could very well resort to maces or axes if things get rough and you find yourself in a closed quarters combat situation. Even your destruction mage could eventually be sneaky enough to silently pick off single foes with a deadly arrow before shooting fire and ice and lightning bolts, which makes for quite some diversified action. I admit: I really did not want to like this, but I ended up loving it.    … Expand
  99. Spawnah
    Dec 19, 2011
    10
    The game isn't flawless, but what game is? It's got its bugs, some small, some big, but even they can't take away from the experience I took away after playing this masterpiece. It's the first time I've ever seen a game live up to such hype. I love the combat, the plot, the lore, everything. Bethesda has raised the bar here and created the game that all RPGs will be judged by. It'll beThe game isn't flawless, but what game is? It's got its bugs, some small, some big, but even they can't take away from the experience I took away after playing this masterpiece. It's the first time I've ever seen a game live up to such hype. I love the combat, the plot, the lore, everything. Bethesda has raised the bar here and created the game that all RPGs will be judged by. It'll be tough to beat. Buy Skyrim.… Expand
  100. EastonReviews
    Dec 19, 2011
    9
    Wow. No wonder the Elder Scrolls only comes out with a new game every few years. This is completley brilliant and well, virtually stunning. It has it's awkward moments, but that's nothing too strange. It's one of those games you will NEVER forget. The lack of multiplayer might break an easy addiction, but this is something that you must at least test. Skyrim is already becoming a big hitWow. No wonder the Elder Scrolls only comes out with a new game every few years. This is completley brilliant and well, virtually stunning. It has it's awkward moments, but that's nothing too strange. It's one of those games you will NEVER forget. The lack of multiplayer might break an easy addiction, but this is something that you must at least test. Skyrim is already becoming a big hit and will break sales records like the also recommended Modern Warfare 3, and perhaps Battlefield will catch up someday.… Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
2
#2 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
1
#1 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 89 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 89
  3. Negative: 0 out of 89
  1. Gamer.no
    Feb 6, 2012
    100
    This epic role-playing game might be Bethesda's best game yet, and offers an unique and spectacular world filled with fun. The freedom ensures a great experience for both the casual and hardcore gamer, as you're free to play the game how you like.
    Read full review
  2. GameFocus
    Dec 16, 2011
    97
    Skyrim is the largest, and most compelling work that I've had the opportunity to play this year. It's engaging, engrossing, and will take over your gaming life for many months to come. Not only is Skyrim among the best that 2011 has to offer, but for me, this is, without hesitation, the Game of the Year.
    Read full review
  3. Cynamite
    Dec 16, 2011
    90
    Quotation forthcoming.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »