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. jo_powell_77
    Nov 30, 2011
    10
    i didn't like oblivion very much,so i had low expectations but upon starting the game i loved it! the quests are fun and not all the same,enemies and npc's are smart and don't just stand there when being attacked but the best thing buy far is the dragons,one on its own isn't hard,but when 3 attack at once it gets hard,and even then it's pretty cool because people nearby join in andi didn't like oblivion very much,so i had low expectations but upon starting the game i loved it! the quests are fun and not all the same,enemies and npc's are smart and don't just stand there when being attacked but the best thing buy far is the dragons,one on its own isn't hard,but when 3 attack at once it gets hard,and even then it's pretty cool because people nearby join in and help,game of the year in my book,10/10… Expand
  2. ninjapirate
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    out of this world its simply amazing so much to do places to go and people to talk to 100 hours plus with out any problem and dragons big flying fire breathing monsters what else do you want oh grate story's every were
  3. IceBK
    Nov 29, 2011
    8
    While i really like this kind of game (RPG Elements, exploring, some kind of immersive epic story) it feels a bit incomplete. Skyrim falls in the same pit of other rpg's (you will find a lot of repetitive quests, non charismatic npc's). In my lust to do everything in the game i already lost the interest without advancing the main quest. Another thing that has been bothering is the horribleWhile i really like this kind of game (RPG Elements, exploring, some kind of immersive epic story) it feels a bit incomplete. Skyrim falls in the same pit of other rpg's (you will find a lot of repetitive quests, non charismatic npc's). In my lust to do everything in the game i already lost the interest without advancing the main quest. Another thing that has been bothering is the horrible textures found in the game, for this year of 2011 i would expect some much better than what i saw. Elder Scrolls has the potential to be a excellent game, but it lacks a lot of polishment.… Expand
  4. Richeh
    Dec 1, 2011
    10
    If I had to use one word to describe Skyrim, it would probably have to be "generous". It's a game that utterly immerses you in its setting. Oblivion was a game with a fairly cut-and-paste landscape in which you could create a classed character organically and in your own mould. Fallout 3, ironically enough, was game that *featured* more mould in a more fleshed-out albeit manky world,butIf I had to use one word to describe Skyrim, it would probably have to be "generous". It's a game that utterly immerses you in its setting. Oblivion was a game with a fairly cut-and-paste landscape in which you could create a classed character organically and in your own mould. Fallout 3, ironically enough, was game that *featured* more mould in a more fleshed-out albeit manky world,but characters tended to be some combination of "punch man", "shoot man", "pick lock" and "fix computer". Skyrim's world is built of vastly distinct biomes ranging from verdant tundra to snowy wastes to REALLY freaking snowy wastes. Its character development is three dimensional; in fact it's more like seven dimensional. It's a vast, freeform in quality of what could increasingly be called a genre of its own, the "Bethesda RPG" - which was already a watchword in If there's a solid criticism of the game, it's the melee combat; Bethesda's yet to find a first-person melee system that really works; up-close skirmishing just doesn't work through a restricted point of view and with limited manipulation of your pointy things. Dead Island's oar-swingy system may have played like a drunk remote control retard, but it could at least be said to be pushing the boundaries.

    Apart from dodgy manpunching, Skyrim deserves the title of Instant Classic just for the seemingly bottomless grab-bag of interesting, unique missions handsculpted from its immersive continent. When you've poured in two weeks of nightly gameplay are still being surprised with new enemies and weapons, and you've just run into Max Von Sydow, it's really hard to complain about value for money, even having paid the premium fourty pounds on release. When the price comes down, there should be no-one with facial hair who hasn't played, and loved, this game.    … Expand
  5. Shinoxic
    Dec 1, 2011
    10
    Absolutely one of the most beautiful and amazing free world RPGs I've ever played. It may not be the most stable games out there... but you have to remember just the INSANE amount of content this game has. And for all that, you get beautiful graphics, a chilling soundtrack, and great gameplay. I never really got that much into Oblivion, but there's just something special about Skyrim whenAbsolutely one of the most beautiful and amazing free world RPGs I've ever played. It may not be the most stable games out there... but you have to remember just the INSANE amount of content this game has. And for all that, you get beautiful graphics, a chilling soundtrack, and great gameplay. I never really got that much into Oblivion, but there's just something special about Skyrim when you are traveling across the tundra. Or when you enter a dungeon and you sneak behind a group of bandits. Or when you fend off against angry townspeople. Skyrim isn't just a game... it's an experience.… Expand
  6. 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
  7. ACardboardBox
    Dec 17, 2011
    10
    Simply put the best RPG of the decade. Over 300+ hours of gameplay and a vast, open world where you can explore to your heart's desire. Only bad part is that the game is that there are some glitches that can ruin the experience. For example, while trying to enter the Mage College, I couldn't because of the test glitch. But even with these bugs Skyrim still is epic in the finest sense ofSimply put the best RPG of the decade. Over 300+ hours of gameplay and a vast, open world where you can explore to your heart's desire. Only bad part is that the game is that there are some glitches that can ruin the experience. For example, while trying to enter the Mage College, I couldn't because of the test glitch. But even with these bugs Skyrim still is epic in the finest sense of the word. One of the best games I have ever played.… Expand
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. IC3MANBAND1T
    Nov 19, 2012
    10
    EPIC IT IS SUCH A COOL GAME. THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO FIGHT, HUNT, PUT POTS OVER PEOPLES HEAD AND STEAL ALL THERE STUFF, THERE IS JUST SO MUCH TO Do. and if you don't like it, I don't like you
  13. Stephen1758
    Jan 16, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is an RPG adventure game, and is the next game to be released in the series from Oblivion. Skyrim is set in the Tamerial County in a place that is self explanatory called Skyrim, by lore Skyrim belongs to the Nords but as the same as the others there are also many different races that roam the lands. Character customisation has been widened to what it was in Oblivion, you have the exact same races but they have all been altered to look more lifelike and are very detailed and you are free to chose which ever race you like, another thing that I found good is that different races can sometimes cause NPCs to say different dialogues to you as the player which I found interesting and I liked the idea. Other new customisations allow you to add face paint option and chose you style and colour, how muscular is your character.

    When you have finished creating and finalising him/her, you are born into the world of Skyrim and are immediately are shown the graphics and how hard Bethesda have worked to create this beautiful landscape.

    You start off as a prisoner which is the exact same in previous elder scrolls game they really do just change the scenario from being in a dungeon and rescued     … Expand
  14. Jay_Sherman
    Feb 24, 2013
    5
    It's been over a year since Skyrim came out. I eagerly threw down money towards a pre-order of the game in mid-2011 and waited in line for over an hour to pick it up on release day at the EB Games I often took my business to. When I first played it, I was excited! Even on a console, where the inability to swap graphics cards limits the quality of the visuals, I was stunned by the game'sIt's been over a year since Skyrim came out. I eagerly threw down money towards a pre-order of the game in mid-2011 and waited in line for over an hour to pick it up on release day at the EB Games I often took my business to. When I first played it, I was excited! Even on a console, where the inability to swap graphics cards limits the quality of the visuals, I was stunned by the game's aesthetic beauty! I found the character creation system much improved when compared to Oblivion and the NPC character models had improved greatly! Now I could dual-wield, arming myself with a weapon in each hand, or a weapon in one, leaving the other free to cast spells, or I could cast two different spells at once! There was a whole new world for me to explore and it looked like a massive improvement over previous Elder Scrolls games and even when compared to more recent titles like Fallout 3 and Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas! And there were dragons! Gorgeous, terrifying dragons!!

    I played for many hours, enjoying quests, dungeon crawls, or just the simple joy of exploration. Crafting was better than it had ever been and I enjoyed enchanting and naming items of clothing and weapons. I bought Hearthfire and Dawnguard almost immediately when they came out.

    ... and then somewhere down the line, something happened. I lost interest.

    This has happened to me before with previous Bethesda games. Well, not just any Bethesda games, but Elder Scrolls games in particular. I had no trouble finishing Fallout 3 with all the DLC. Ditto for the Bethesda published, Obsidian developed Fallout: New Vegas (which I think is better than FO3 in many ways). I had been burned before with TES and I should have known better, but I'd gotten caught up in the hype. "This Elder Scrolls game is going to be different!"

    The fundamental problem at the core of Elder Scrolls games, and to a larger extent their other massive open-world RPGs, is that Bethesda don't give a flying f*** about story and plot. They simply don't feel it's important. They see it as merely a hook to get players into games which they feel are all about exploration and freeform gameplay, which is fine for some people, but for me it creates a barrier. I find myself unmotivated to advance towards the end of the game, whether I'm allowed to continue after the main story is done or whether I need to do everything I want to do before finishing the main story because once it's done, the credits roll and I have to load from an earlier save. Generic, dull stock fantasy "save the world from ancient evil" stories don't really do it for me unless they are written by clever, masterful writers who are knowledgeable about the genre and are aware of cliches and tropes and how to use them in refreshing ways. Bethesda's writers either don't have a gift for this, are told to keep it simple, or simply don't care because good storytelling isn't a part of Bethsoft's mandate.

    This story problem was something of an issue with FO3. The main character was a vault dweller, like in the first game. The Enclave was brought back because Bethesda needed a main baddie faction and the Enclave are popular with Fallout fans, rather than coming up with a faction they could truly call their own. The G.E.C.K., the MacGuffin in Fallout 2, was recycled because it was easier to do that then for Bethesda's writing team to come up with something new. Fallout 3, though, at least boasted an interesting setting and it wasn't 300+ hours long BEFORE the DLC. Non-player characters are another major gripe of mine with every Elder Scrolls game I have ever played (Morrowind onwards). The NPCs in Skyrim are all uniformly bland. They don't have anything interesting or humorous to say (lines that accidentally go memetic, notwithstanding). It seems the writers have a tin ear for dialogue, but that might be their attempt to stay within the confines of the heroic fantasy genre, where a lot of people expect dialogue to be stilted and contain archaic words or turns of phrase. The voice acting, apart from Hollywood actors Bethesda hires for bit roles, is solid but unremarkable.

    In the absence of interesting NPCs, I find myself having a hard time giving a crap about the world or any threats to it. Why should I care what happens to the world when NPCs and even recruitable don't feel like people I can relate to. Would it kill them to try and make the companions in TES at least remotely interesting or give the sense that these are individuals and not just copy and pasted templates?

    I think I'm going to take a pass on whatever banal new land Bethesda wants us to fart around in next time they make an Elder Scrolls game. P.S. I really wish Bethesda would let Obsidian do all their Fallout games. Obsidian do a better job and Bethsoft could focus more time and effort on IPs they actually seem to care the most about. Bethesda collects royalties, Obsidian makes better games, fans are happy, everybody wins!!    … Expand
  15. SAMF2000
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    It's rare that a game comes along to not only improve on previous games of its kind but exceeds them. Skyrim improves in nearly all areas from oblivion from graphics to Talking to the characters and their interaction. The menu system and the leveling up system is also improved. But the most amazing thing IMO is EVERY object you collect from food to weapons can be looked at in high detailIt's rare that a game comes along to not only improve on previous games of its kind but exceeds them. Skyrim improves in nearly all areas from oblivion from graphics to Talking to the characters and their interaction. The menu system and the leveling up system is also improved. But the most amazing thing IMO is EVERY object you collect from food to weapons can be looked at in high detail in a 3d area. People giving this game a 0 are either brain dead or work for competing game companies… Expand
  16. tankwilliams
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    About 10 hours into this game, and having a blast. If you enjoy RPG's of any sort, you will absolutely love this game. Bethesda, as always, impresses with their latest release.
  17. bharathitman
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    this gave gives me no chance for complaining , everything has been done well , everything ! , a perfect RPG. GOTY for me . Sound track and voice acting - kick ***. The immersion factor is just huge. would have written more , sorry gotta get back to playing
  18. satire
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Epic, incredible how much depth there is this game. To be fair its not without the usual Bethesda glitches and random freezes every now and then. It doesn't really effect the gameplay that much because the game is breathtaking and highly addictive. I WA playing it for something like 14 hours yesterday and didn't even really notice that the time had past.
  19. MoistPenguin
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    A absolute work of genius so far found nothing wrong with the game is you remotely like any RPG game you will love this. i would highly recommend this game
  20. Dormont
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    This is simply the greatest game I have ever played. If you are a fan, in any way, of RPG's you should play this. If you enjoyed Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout NV, you will love this game. It is so good that there are already thousands of reviews saying as much so I will leave you to them. Just rest assured, it is a god among games.
  21. laxer33
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    This game is amazing whoever is giving it bad ratings should not be playing video games. The graphics are great the fighting and magic are great, and the story is on point.
  22. Ways
    Jan 17, 2014
    7
    A big, expansive open world RPG with lots to do and nice graphics, let down by the forgettable plot and dated combat system.

    I did all main Qs plus all but a couple of sides and clocked about 60 hours which is a big plus. Some 'AAA' games only manage 5 or 6 hours of single player. Like all Elder Scrolls games, get used to caves. You'll be seeing a lot of them. Plot is tired 'you are    A big, expansive open world RPG with lots to do and nice graphics, let down by the forgettable plot and dated combat system.

    I did all main Qs plus all but a couple of sides and clocked about 60 hours which is a big plus. Some 'AAA' games only manage 5 or 6 hours of single player.

    Like all Elder Scrolls games, get used to caves. You'll be seeing a lot of them. Plot is tired 'you are the chosen one ' as always with TES. Dull colours, forgettable NPCs. A result of having such a large game world? Obsidian did OK with New Vegas.

    That aside (and I can forgive all that), my major gripe is the dated combat TES has had since way back. No active dodge, no target lock. Blocking seems pointless, dodging means you move slowly backwards or to the side and hope you don't get hit. Or just charge in with power attacks and potions; you'll be fine. Magic has been simplified to the point of having little use beyond healing spells.

    And of course, dragons; less would mean more. Towards the end of the game I just ran away because I was so bored of them.

    Another Elder scrolls game that sticks to the generic fantasy formula but has a lot of value for money. If Bethesda had taken a chance on some changes to that formula, this game could have really deserved all that hype.    … Expand
  23. MrMassakka
    Apr 16, 2012
    9
    Simply amazing! In my opinion clearly the best in the series and my personal GOTY. The limitless freedom of exploration returns and lets you experience an unique adventure that is setting milestones in the RPG genre. You have the complete freedom in what you do, there is not even a real class you choose: You build up your complete own in the flow of the game. The huge environment invitesSimply amazing! In my opinion clearly the best in the series and my personal GOTY. The limitless freedom of exploration returns and lets you experience an unique adventure that is setting milestones in the RPG genre. You have the complete freedom in what you do, there is not even a real class you choose: You build up your complete own in the flow of the game. The huge environment invites you to explore every single part of it with beautiful landscapes, an amazing soundtrack and interesting sidequests around every corner. It has been a long time since I was this satisfied with a game.… Expand
  24. BattlefieldMAN
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    I will never see the sun again nuff said



    Also this game is amazing..... i don't want to unleash my wave of how awesome this game is..... i end there... OOOOMMMGGG no don't do it. hahaha im not going to do it. im gonna hold in my excitement. everytime i think about this game. it makes me happy
  25. Higher_Standard
    Dec 15, 2011
    9
    Patch arrived and my issues are fixed. As promised, an updated review. Skyrim is just huge you can spend countless hour walking around and finding things to do virtually everywhere you go. The simplified systems make character creation fast and not nearly so easy to mess up. Visuals are stunning at every turn. The lack of acrobatics/athletic skill takes any reward from walking from placePatch arrived and my issues are fixed. As promised, an updated review. Skyrim is just huge you can spend countless hour walking around and finding things to do virtually everywhere you go. The simplified systems make character creation fast and not nearly so easy to mess up. Visuals are stunning at every turn. The lack of acrobatics/athletic skill takes any reward from walking from place to place, but not everything is instantly lit up on the map either so you get in some good foot time and that's good for the immersion. Combat is refined and magic is now fixed. You even get your fallout combat moments every now and then, albeit they are less gory and explody but still epic. The thing that keeps this from a 10 (Perfect) is a coop. Because even with all that they add. There is always that thought in the back of your head of how many more times amazing it would be if you could blast a real player with magic or share with them your equipment.… Expand
  26. Levardos
    Apr 19, 2012
    6
    I must admit that Skyrim has disappointed me. It didn't live up to my expectations. This game is an improved version of TES IV: Oblivion. It doesn't really show any innovation. Just improvements... What this game is only good for is exploring. And even if caves and ruins all differ, it still quickly gets repetitive. There's not enough types of opponents. Dragons on the other hand, I mustI must admit that Skyrim has disappointed me. It didn't live up to my expectations. This game is an improved version of TES IV: Oblivion. It doesn't really show any innovation. Just improvements... What this game is only good for is exploring. And even if caves and ruins all differ, it still quickly gets repetitive. There's not enough types of opponents. Dragons on the other hand, I must admit, are epicly made. They are innovative.. But other than that... Well, ok, random events, these are fun as well. But besides that, the story and all of the side quests are really boring. I was seriously hoping that they'll make the story really entertaining... They had so many years to work on that. But all they've done is that they have improved few things, and added dragons. Graphic-wise they've done a good job. I really think this game is far too hyped up. Comparing it to oblivion, it just doesn't offer enough of new things. I got bored sooner than I expected. Oh, and also... "Romancing" is the most shallow in the history of games here. And the only purpose of having a wife is that she may start a shop, and give you money every once in a while... Pros: -Huge open world, which is fun to explore... until it gets boring. -Graphics. -Dragons. Cons: -Just doesn't offer a lot of new things, compared to Oblivion. -Boring main story and side quests. -Could use more types of enemies.… Expand
  27. GeneralJewel
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    The game is absolutely mind blowing from the scenary , to the sound , to the graphics. The game is packed with overwhelming content that would take your life away. I see there are 48 minority trolls who are votingdown the game they are nobodies.
  28. wynams
    Aug 4, 2012
    6
    With each new chapter in the Elder Scrolls, it has become increasingly polished at the expense of being watered down.

    TES V is a polished RPG for the masses. Easy to get in to, yet rather un-rewarding to demanding gamers. There is no choice and consequence outside of picking a side in the civil war or becoming/not becoming a vampire and/or werewolf. The story is passable, but much of    With each new chapter in the Elder Scrolls, it has become increasingly polished at the expense of being watered down.

    TES V is a polished RPG for the masses. Easy to get in to, yet rather un-rewarding to demanding gamers.
    There is no choice and consequence outside of picking a side in the civil war or becoming/not becoming a vampire and/or werewolf.
    The story is passable, but much of the content is based on "radiant" or randomly generated content vs monster type to get item from location. While it is a great way to generate nearly endless content, random will always be a less great option than specific structure and purpose.
    Many bugs exist in the game. You will lose followers, scripted quest events will bug, however, in a game of this scope ... bugs are just few enough to not be a major pain.
    Magic is terribly underpowered (that or melee is imba) ... the synergy that exists between smithing, enchanting and alchemy is game-breaking (your player will become a god, even on master).
    Combat is sloppy ... if you have allies, summoned pets, followers etc ... it is nearly impossible to actively contribute to a fight and not inflict friendly fire damage regardless if you are playing a warrior, mage, thief or hybrid.
    Most quest items have a weight and cannot be dropped (adding to the frustration of what to loot).
    Graphics look nice, especially the world at large and weather events. The ragdoll physics are a bit over the top. Animations are average ... I always thought this was not Bethesda's strong suit, but they have improved slightly. Music is the biggest plus for me in this game. I do like the perk/skill system although I find it to be another aspect of imbalance. That's about all I have ...

    Decent game, wildly popular because it looks nice, caters to the masses, some frustrating bugs (that remain in version 1.7), virtually no choice and consequences for the user, excellent game sound track.

    This review was based on 400 hours I spent with it. While I did finish both sides of the Dawnguard expansion, I have never had the desire to finish the main story. I have several level 40 characters.

    THANKS for reading!    … Expand
  29. Kris_d
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I loved Morrowind and i loved Oblivion. Even though the last one got criticised a lot for things i do understand. But Skyrim... this... this game is just so incredibly good i have no words for it. Got the game on monday too, around 30 hours in now and i have only seen the tip of the iceberg. There is so ridiculously much content, the world design is so well done and feels alive , theI loved Morrowind and i loved Oblivion. Even though the last one got criticised a lot for things i do understand. But Skyrim... this... this game is just so incredibly good i have no words for it. Got the game on monday too, around 30 hours in now and i have only seen the tip of the iceberg. There is so ridiculously much content, the world design is so well done and feels alive , the combat is so much more fun, the radiant ai is so much better, i could keep going. And the atmosphere... oh my god. I was afraid too buy the xbox version, as i always bought the pc versions. But since my pc isn't up to date anymore i went for the xbox version. How they can manage to squeeze such beauty out of so dated hardware is beyond me. anyway, i give the game a 10. It is NOT glitch free. There are definately some issues, but it's easily forgivable once you're several hours in and see how ambitious and great this game is. I have played hundreds of games and loads of rpg's, but this just might be one of the best gamign experience of my life. I see myself sinking hundreds of hours in this game and playing it for years to come. It is not overhyped. The only bad reviews are coming from people who are experiencing bugs or people who have always hate bethesda anyway.… Expand
  30. RagingDean
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is one of those games that people are going to either **** and complain about endlessly, or proclaim to be flawless and without error. It is neither of those.
    The bad:
    Visually; the lighting can make certain things hard to see at times, the text is too small(especially on a standard def TV, some of it being unreadable), there are quite a few low res textures and pop-ins.    Skyrim is one of those games that people are going to either **** and complain about endlessly, or proclaim to be flawless and without error. It is neither of those.
    The bad:
    Visually; the lighting can make certain things hard to see at times, the text is too small(especially on a standard def TV, some of it being unreadable), there are quite a few low res textures and pop-ins.
    Gameplay; The controls can feel a bit clunky at times, and you may find yourself missing every other power attack. The implementation of dual wielding weapons, while cool, doesn't always work well. Arrows, just like in Oblivion, feel far too weak to be used for anything but stealth. Most enemies are too easy, with the occasional creature that pops out of nowhere and kills you in two hits. Spellmaking has been removed from the game, and there isn't much variety in the spells that are left.
    The good:
    Visuals; this game is absolutely beautiful. The draw distance they have achieved is incredible, and the attention to detail of the world is insane. You'll see a lot of people comparing the visuals to Fallout 3, but they are infinitely superior. All of the interiors, caves, mines, etc, are done by hand. All of the exteriors have more foliage and feel more alive. The water flows realistically, like it has a destination, and is close to perfect. Despite the fact that some of the textures don't look so great up close, walking through the world of this game is more immersive than Oblivion, and on par with Morrowind. Gameplay; Everything is overhauled. Everything is better. The combat feels like you're hitting a creature with your sword, instead of swinging it mindlessly through the air. Shield bashing adds some much needed strategy into the blocking system. Spells, though they have less variety, are much more useful, and playing a character that tows the line between two specialties is much easier. The leveling system is much better than Oblivion, and doesn't force you to plan out your character before you even start the game. Items are more expensive, alchemy is more difficult, and to become a powerful character you really have to explore. Everything about Skyrim is improved over Oblivion other than the spellmaking system.
    Bottom line: Skyrim is not a perfect game, but it is so much more than the sum of its parts. It does nothing perfectly, but does everything better than most other games released today. Bethesda took the best parts of Morrowind, Oblivion, and Fallout 3, and made a game that may surpass all of them.
    I give this game a 9 because it needs to be patched. Once that has happened, it will truly be everything Elder Scrolls fans could have hoped for, and maybe a lot more.    … Expand
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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

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.
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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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