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Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer:  Bethesda Game Studios

Platforms:  PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Release Date:  November 11, 2011

The “Elder Scrolls” games are about as hardcore a game experience as it gets.  They ask  players to spend up to hundreds of hours of their lives delving into the world that has been crafted for them, while developing a character of and experience all their own along the way.  The worlds are rich and dripping with fantasy and lore and while each one comes from a similar mold, each game has become a legend of its own in the gaming world.  “Skyrim” is no exception.

Functionality

When you first step into the world of “Skyrim”, if you’ve ever played a “Scrolls” its like getting back on a bike.  In fact I don’t think they’ve changed the controls much since “Morrowind”.  Not a bad thing since they all function just fine.  I personally played the PC version with a Game Pad and changed my controls to suit my purpose, but each to their own.

You can still switch between first and third person, although first is definitely ideal for most of the game unless you’re checking out your sick armor you just crafted.  You cant ride horses in first person though which doesn’t really bother me, but I guess it rubs some people wrong.  The other advantage to playing first person is hiding some of the awful animations for your character.  Though they are better than previous “Scrolls” games, they are still a bit rigid for my liking.

Fighting has taken a big step forward through duel wielding.  Now you can switch out your loadout to your hearts desire, whether you want a sword and shield, or two blades, or a blade and magic or if you wanna cast two spells at the same time.  The ways to bring death in “Skyrim” are not lacking.  And with the handy addition of a favorites drop down menu it makes swapping through all your spells and weapons easy.  I would still have liked a quick swap button though.

Another addition to “Skyrim” is Shouts.  As you progress through the games story and many, many side quests, you will learn shouts.  Each shout consists of three separate dragon words, each when learned makes the shout more powerful.  Once you’ve discovered the new shout, you use a dragon soul, gained from killing one of the beasties, to unlock the new word.  Then when activated your character will scream out creating anything from a wall of fire to slowing down time or calling down a storm.  Its pretty nifty and doesn’t use magic.  Instead each shout has a cool down time.

The other big new feature to “Skyrim” is the skill tree, which most will find has been carried over from “Fallout 3″.  With each level you gain in the game you unlock a point to spend in the skill tree of your choice.  And there are tons so figure out what you wanna do early and stick to it or it will take you forever to max anything out.  Points will do anything form upping damage, to making the potions you make more powerful, to allowing you to invest in shops.   There are dozens of options and at first it can seem overwhelming.  But that’s kinda “Skyrim” in a nut shell.

I could go on for hours about all the things you can do in the game, but I think you get the point and id rather you just sit down and get to it yourself.  Besides you’ll need all the time you have to finish this sucker if you’re a completionist like me.

Presentation

Now I wanna say that the game is one of the best looking games of the year.  And in some ways it is.  When you look out into the sprawling distance or see a dragon strafing a town it is just astounding looking.  Unfortunately though the game only really shines after you max it our on a PC and let loose the multitude of mods.  On my particular version of the game, its one of the best looking things I’ve seen.  But there is hardly anything unchanged in my game at this point.  And I cant do a review based off my build because I know the vast majority aren’t experiencing that.  So to be fair, I have to go off what was shipped from the Developer.

So with all of that said, is “Skyrim” good looking?  Yes.  Is it the best this year?  Not even close.  The game suffers from stiff animations, texture pop, and some questionable character models.  Particularly the Elves.  Most of these problems have existed in any of the past “Elder Scrolls/Fallout 3″ games.  But this being a almost completely new engine, I was expecting a little more.  Now its not as bad as it sounds.  The game certainly isn’t broken by any means, and even at its base settings looks great, even breathtaking at times.  But nothing pulls you out of the world you’ve invested so many hours into like someone’s face not rendering in their cloths, or all the trees turning blue.

One of the places “Skyrim” really sets itself apart though is game design.  With literally hundreds of places to go in the game you would think you would run into repetition.  And in past similarBethesdagames you would be spot on.  But in “Skyrim” everything has been lovingly designed and placed.  No two caves are alike.  No town reminds you of the one you were just in.  There are so many places you may never even discover cause its hidden so well, and yet inside may be a beautiful sight, or an ornate puzzle, or strange quest leading to a cool prize.  Take your time and try to take it all in.  Its all the little things in the game that end up being the most satisfying.

Atmosphere

“Skyrim” oozes high fantasy.  And with a northern European setting it feels like something between “The 13th Warrior” and “Rohan”.  The weather completes it making you almost cold just playing it.  All the buildings, weapons and cloths feel like they were designed by “WETA” for the next “Lord of the Rings” film.  I cant say enough for how detailed it all is.  This is the game for ADHD people.  within minutes of being in the game, you will be frothing at the mouth trying to take in everything, and before you know it you will have forgotten what you were doing and have built up twenty quests but you don’t care cause you’ve been pestering Giants or just found another cave to wander into.

And the music.  Epic in every way.  Chanting voices and sweeping melodies help seal the deal for emersion in the game.  My only wish is that it was played throughout.  Most of the time when the music starts up, is because a dragon is about to swoop down on you.

Plot

Its easy to forget the plot in “Skyrim”.  Not because it sucks.  But because you might leave it and not get back to it for thirty hours or so.  Or get wrapped up in one of the side plots that on their own are sometimes longer than many games released this generation.  The overall experience is a lot for the main plot to compete with.  Throughout the game you are constantly reminded that there is a bigger plot afoot that you are supposed to be tending to, but nothing like joining the Dark Brotherhood or becoming a Werewolf to make you just not care.  There are so many plots within plots in this game I wouldn’t be surprised if some people never even get to finishing the main quest.

But as plots go, its quite good.  You are the “Dragon Born” who’s destiny it is to save the “Skyrim” from a new threat that has re-awakened the ancient Dragons who have been once again set loose on the world.  And within that there is a Civil War and a plot by the elves to re-establish their Dominion and about a dozen others, all intertwined.  When you take it all together there is enough content here to fill a book.  The plot is dense and sweeping and up to you to find it all and uncover all the paths and truths.  So when you think about it, its actually probably as good as a game plot can get.  Many strive for the amount of content in a novel.  Few make it, but “Skyrim” is close.

Legacy Rating

Will this game last through time?  The “Elder Scrolls” legacy is secure.  That much is certain.  Will anyone think back on “Skyrim” as the best of the franchise thus far?  It depends what you take away from it.  Its my personal favorite yet, and I’ve played them all.  But when a game is this big and open, each persons time with it is completely unique.  “Skyrim” has game of the year written all over it, so I’m sure it will at least stand out as a defining game for this generation.

How does it compare to other game?  Well unless its another “Elder Scrolls” game, not much can compare.  Few games have this much content packed into them.  And to refine it the wayBethesda has for “Skyrim” makes it a tough one to top within its genre.  And its not about hours in the experience, its about the amount of content in those hours.  Any MMO can beat out “Skyrim” for time invested.  But save maybe “SWTOR” I doubt there is any MMO to have this much content packed onto a disk.  It really is a something to behold.

Buy or Rent?  Well aside form the fact that you could only scratch the surface of the game in the time you rent it, if you like fantasy or being pulled into a huge living world, this is a must buy.  Be warned, this is not for the casual player.  This is for the be ready to have said one more hour twelve hours ago players.  The I just wanna see what’s at the bottom of this next dungeon players.  Its the anti Kenect.  To me “Skyrim” is why I play games.  Its not perfect, but when you have this much on the table it doesn’t need to be to be my game of the year.