The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review: A Grand Experience

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Intro – About the game

It might just be the fact that I loved Morrowind and Oblivion so much that when I dived right into Skyrim I found it to be a perfect beginning for the game. What I do know for sure is that, yet again, we have another fantastic Elder Scrolls title with Skyrim.

I can’t remember much about Morrowind at this point, but I do know that it was a game that allowed me to play through it without restriction. Meaning that I could just go around doing anything and everything I wanted to. It was pure exploration for me and nothing more than that. As for Oblivion, I did follow the main quest for awhile until I got caught up in side quests as well as random exploration and doing anything and everything that I wanted to do again. However, when it comes to Skyrim, this is the first time I stuck closely with the main storyline of the game. The reasoning behind this is because of it’s very interesting storyline that engages you fully. The storyline is very captivating in Skyrim and you’ll be excited to play it out to see what happens next.

Let’s be honest though, no matter how good the story is it’s still an Elder Scrolls title which means you automatically have ADHD. Skyrim presents you with yet again another massive and beautiful world that you will want to go off on your own and explore everything that it has to offer. This is easily one of the best looking titles out there right now in so many ways. The games depicted vastness and variance of weather conditions while you are exploring through this world adds so much beauty to the experience overall. What makes that experience even better is that I think this is by large the best soundtrack we have heard in an Elder Scrolls title. I would even go as far as to say that this is one of the best soundtracks we have heard ever. Of course I may have gotten caught up in the world of Skyrim and it’s beauty so much that when I heard the wonderful melodies I just fell in love with the soundtrack a little bit too easily. But it must be said that the soundtrack simply compliments your journey through this game wonderfully well. For what ever the reason I can say for certain that I absolutely loved this soundtrack and it helped make this title great.

I found it to be nice that once again you have the quick travel to locations once you discover them. I actually forgot about that at first and continued traveling back and forth on foot or horse. But when you are traveling to new locations it comes about as even more of an adventure than what we have seen before. Looking at the map and knowing that you’ve traveled a long ways already and then noticing that you still have a ways to go will remind you of how big Skyrim really is and how much there is for you to see.

The characters that you will deal with randomly throughout the game, as well as for part of a quest, are usually interesting folk. Some of the quests these people set you up with are also interesting and you’ll find yourself getting into some fun situations. I’m not just talking about the side quests itself necessarily, but some of the littlest things that help you advance in a quest will have you smiling or at least enjoying the adventure. There is a lot of good interaction that helps make the game an even greater experience for you to play.

Gameplay – Controls

Skyrim is without a doubt a fun game to play that will steal hours of your time. The gameplay handles well with good combat and nice abilities. In Skyrim you are dragonborn and with that comes new and interesting abilities that adds to the fun of the gameplay. Such as a shout that will knock people back and stun them or the ability to run extremely fast. These things add another level of gameplay that makes it even more interesting and really helps in addition to the game’s story.

You learn many things along your journey and each time you fight and kill a dragon you will learn something from that as well. The dragon fights are great, though one heck of a challenge for you to go up against. They certainly don’t make it easy on you whatsoever. Thankfully you usually get some help from others during these battles, but it’s still a great challenge and rightfully so as it makes it very exciting to face these dragons.

When it comes to the abilities and leveling up in Skyrim it works in a more simple way. You will be given the choice to improve on your health, magic or stamina. Then you’ll choose from one of eighteen skills to improve on and add to those perks. It’s an easy process that I found to handle very well. There are eighteen options to help you mold your character to the way you play the game. I myself made sure to increase my ability to pick locks as there are many times when that skill is needed. I enjoy the way it works in this game, whereas I always cheated in Oblivion and used the automatic pick lock option. But each skill to choose from is important in different ways and you’ll have fun expanding on that.

You’ll come across some interesting monsters in addition to random thief’s to fight against as you make your way through the game. Some of the monsters had me running away a lot, so they can be very difficult as well. There will be times where you just don’t want to mess around with a particular monster before you are at a certain level of strength. But to each his own on how you want to handle those situations. The thieves are usually very easy to deal with but, again, never underestimate anyone in the world of Skyrim.

Sound – Graphics

Without a doubt this game has fantastic visuals and probably one of the best soundtracks ever. As you are out simply exploring and coming upon new areas or creatures the music flows with it so beautifully. It really has great melodies as well as deep tones for when you engage in battle. I was beyond impressed with the musical score of this game. Visually, in regards to so many details, the game is simply brilliant. Whether you are trekking up a mountain or along lakeside, the detail is wonderful. Yet again you have a fantastic world for you to go out and explore.

Enjoyment Level – Fun Factor – Final Notes

My enjoyment level with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was without a doubt through the roof. Morrowind and Oblivion where two of my favorite titles and they even found a way to improve on that! I had so much fun exploring this beautiful new world that was created for us. The main quest is beyond impressive and will really capture your attention well. There is so much detail in this title to rave about, but the bottom line is that it’s a great game. If you haven’t already, you need to drop what you are doing, go out and pick this one up, ASAP. Then you can proceed to put many hours into it. Actually, I don’t even think that “many hours” will suffice…this is a massive game which means you’ll put a massive amount of fun time into it. I like that better…now go pick this game up immediately!

Score: 5/5

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  1. What a well written review. I don’t have this game yet but after reading this I am certainly going to pick it up!