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
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  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.
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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

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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.
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  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.
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  3. Cynamite
    Dec 16, 2011
    90
    Quotation forthcoming.
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