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As the flood gates were opened to the show floor of the first day of “Pax Prime 2011”, our first course of action was to line up for “Skyrim”.  The booth itself, the opposite of subtle.  As you walk up a huge Dragon hangs above you, wings spread, mouth agape, daring you to play.  Not to be swayed we proceeded to the line that encircled the booth nearly three times.

The wait itself was over three hours.  But this being still the opening hours of “Pax” everything was still fresh, so we took the time to take in the sights and sounds of the other booths, and the mad fans who were queuing in nearby lines.

Finally as we reached the end and the prize came in sight the real excitement began.  We were seconds away from our first game of “Pax” and personally, one of the ones I’m most excited for.  Now we could see everyone creating their characters, with all races and sexes available, as well as a good selection of armor and weapons.

This is also the time for one of my favorite aspects of “Pax”…  Talking with developers.  Nothing compares to getting to ask all the questions about your favorite games to the people who make them.  Of course more often than not you get the old answer, “We aren’t speaking about that at this time”.  I did however get a straight answer on companions.  They will be in the game.  There will be several you come across.  And they will serve several functions, although they would not elaborate on the last part.

Now finally after ages of waiting, we got hands on with the game itself.  For the most part it was exactly as expected.  Which is mostly good.  If you’ve played “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion”, you will feel right at home in “Skyrim”.  The world itself though has gone through quite a makeover.  The first thing you will notice is the game feels so much more alive.  Animals are everywhere for (Earmuffs PETA) the slaughter.  Or if you’re a pyro, the burning, as you can now wield spells in one hand, with sword in other.  Or you can do fire in both for double the effect.

The other thing you will notice is the lovely use of their new “Creation” engine to render out lovely mountain ranges, and hills and valleys, and everything in between.  Noticeably reduced is texture pop, which plagued “Oblivion” and “Fallout 3”, resulting in a much further draw distance.  Fine details of towns, ruins, and caves cover the landscape tempting you to adventure; making you instantly curse the fact you only have fifteen minutes to play.

During my time I tried getting as far as I could, but would keep running into creatures or bandits much more powerful than me and my starter sword.  And just like that, it was over.  Nearly half the day of “Pax” spent waiting to get my hands on “Skyrim”.  Spent but not wasted.  And I got a Barbarian plushy helmet.