User Review : The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim

A game? No. An adventure...

I went to the midnight launch for Skyrim. It was cold, and I had a box of Papa Johns pizza on my lap. I had been waiting for what felt like forever, when finally, Gamestop let open its doors and started letting people grab their copies. Me and my friend had been singing songs that would help us let out some Nordic excitement but nothing was as exciting as when I finally put the disc in my Xbox and heard the deep drums and murmurs of the main menu.

That was an adventure in its own. When the game started, it started with a gritty bang. In the fashion as Morrowind and Oblivion started, Skyrim begins with you as a prisoner going to get executed. You talk to the startled prisoners that are accompanying you towards imminent death. When you arrive at the town, the guards take role. Upon calling your name, the character customization opens up.

There are many races to choose from - Nord, Dunmer(dark elf), Khajiit,Orismer (orc), male or femal. There is a vast improvement over Oblivion's character creation this time around. The models for one are much better rendered, and they don't all look like chubby babies.You can add scars and war paint to give your created character a bit more soul. There aren't too many hairstyles, but it is not an issue because throughout most of the game, you'll be wearing hoods or helmets.

After your first dungeon adventure (which I will not state here, for I hate plot spoilers), you are let loose to do whatever you'd like; and that is what makes Skyrim not so much a game as it is an actual epic adventure. You could literally not touch the main quest at all in 40+ hours until you finally decide you'd like to know what's going on in the world. However, I found myself utterly engrossed in the main quest. Not because I wanted to "beat" the game, but because it was genuinely interesting this time around. Good thing too, because as much of a fan I am of Oblivion, the main quest was by no means amazing. I was not interested in much of it, and those damn Oblivion Gates really made the veins in my temples throb with anger.

The main quest is only main in name however. What really makes Skyrim's world come alive are it's side-quests. Maybe you'll walk around a town and hear an argument going down; you'll step up and ask one of the NPCs what the matter is and BAM! A new sidequest for you. They may be very short,or very elaborate. The more intricate sidequests are given to you by factions, or guilds: The Companions which is Skyrim's version of the Fighter's Guild, The College of Winterhold (mages guild), the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood are all there to give you sprawling side-quests that not only interest you, but allow you to explore various types of gameplay. Not only that, but they'll mostly send you to the various and numerous dungeons there are in Skyrim.

Bethesda really outdid themselves with the Dungeons in TESV. They all feel handcrafted and original. Gone are the monotonous designs of Oblivion's caverns. Skyrim feels real because nothing is ever really the same. The environments in every part of the province look beautiful and believable. There are not only snowy tundras; hot springs with geysers bubbling and spraying, wooded areas with beautiful brooks and streams, and mountainous trails lead by cobblestones dress Skyrim to a perfect fit. And all of this is available for you to loot, discover and maim in.

How's the combat? I can tell you that it still feels like The Elder Scrolls. Only this time Bethesda amped up the magic engine and allowed you to dual wield and assign what item goes in which hand. It allowed me to be what I've always wanted to be in an ES game; an all powerful, all rounded "Battle Mage" as Todd Howard perfectly describes it. I'd be shooting fire and hacking at an undead foe, while boosting both aspects I love so much. Oh, and it has some pretty brutal finishing moves. Did I mention you can finally decapitate people in the ES world? Yeah, you'll see it quite a bit.

And the dragons. Oh, the dragons. They are scary, they breathe fire, and fly around in circles and try to kill you. Luckily, since you are a special dude, you get to kill them and harness their souls for power. Nice. There are many types of dragons to fight, but they all pretty much do the same thing. Some breathe fire, others breathe ice. What is admirable about them is that they have free will. They don't only attack you. You will walk up to some fighting giants or attacking towns. It not only adds to the immersion, but it adds to the fun.

So far all you've heard is all of the good things about Skyrim. Yes, this is a Bethesda produced and developed game; yes there are bugs and glitches. But it does not detract from the game whatsoever. At least, not in my case. My game did not freeze once, I was never put into a position where I could not progress, I never found anything game breaking. Sure, there'd be your occassional flying mammoth, but nothing crazy.

If you love RPGs and if you love adventure, buy The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Not only will you lose your real life for some time, you will never want see RPGs the same way again.