Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is hands-down the best role-playing game that I have ever played. Having been in the running for Game of the Year even before its release date, the open world of Skyrim offers countless hours of rich content and gameplay. I am over 20 hours in, and I still have barely scratched the surface of what Skyrim has to offer.
It’s obvious you’re playing an Elder Scrolls game when your character starts out in a prison. The opening scene alone is incredible, and had me hooked right from the start. The character-creation has improved from the last game, with more options that truly allow the player to customize his character to the fullest.
The graphics are absolutely gorgeous. The snow-covered mountain tops of Skyrim are some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. When I find myself stopping in the middle of my trek to my quest location to look at the landscape, I know Bethesda has outdone themselves. The game doesn’t just look realistic: it looks real.
The non-playable characters no longer have a flat, standard personality as seen in the previous Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Each non-playable character has identifiable traits—a personality, that really enriches the storyline. Skyrim also offers the opportunity for the player’s character to get married, which is an exciting new detail. There is an orphanage in the game; however, its existence has mislead players into thinking that adoption is possible.
The Elder Scrolls series has always offered amazing plotlines for stories, and has been able to tell them in captivating ways. The main quest of Skyrim is no different, and is mind-blowing in its revealing. The events of the previous installment are also apparent and mentioned, bringing a sense of a true continuation.
Because of its open-world format, there are seemingly infinite amounts of side-quests and dungeons. The realm of Skyrim does not let anyone get bored, that’s for sure. I found it almost impossible to stick to one storyline without being able to resist the temptation on another quest that popped up along the way.
The detail does not stop with the main storyline, however: the side-quests are well-done and exciting. One to point out is the Dark Brotherhood: a “family” of assassins whose in-depth and murderous plotline offers one of the best that I have seen from the Elder Scrolls series.
And, of course, there are dragons. The dragons are done so perfectly to match the gamestyle , and are absolutely stunning when they aren’t trying to kill you, and are often still stunning when they are. Fighting them is enjoyable, and Bethesda giving them a mind of their own has led to interesting fights in all sorts of locations. Some dragons prefer to fight from the skies, while others land to do battle. The variety of dragons and their fighting style only adds to their existence in the game.
Every game, though, has its cons. There are some major glitches that can’t be ignored. There is a texture glitch that affects some graphics of the game. For example, I was fighting a dragon and instead of his scaly back, it was a flat green-screen-esque body. There are also some instances of characters freezing, which is why I recommend to save often.
Every game has its glitches, and I am sure Bethesda will fix them in an update. Skyrim has by far met and exceeded expectations with everything it has to offer. As far as I am concerned, the flaws are forgiven.
After playing Skyrim , it is clear why people are screaming “Game of the Year.”
