Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Introduction

In the world of western RPG's, nothing tops the Elder Scrolls. Each release sets the standard for open environments, variety of missions, and magnificently epic battles. The last Elder Scrolls, Oblivion, is still my choice for the best game of this generation. Needless to say, I've been awaiting the new game, Skyrim, with baited breath. Let's see what it brings to the table.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

200 years after the events of Oblivion, Skyrim takes you north to the titular land, where you begin as a prisoner of a weakened imperium. Moments before the axeman takes off your head, a dragon swings by and wreaks havoc all over the village. Making your escape, you find yourself thrust into the battle between the Nords, natives of Skyrim, and the Empire they wish to secede from. To make matters a little more complicated, you're not just any old prisoner. No, you're a dragonborn, with the ability to absorb the souls of dragons and use them to power ancient and devastating magic.

Skyrim should be immediately comfortable to anyone who's played the last two Elder Scrolls games, Oblivion or Morrowind. After choosing a race and creating a character, you find yourself inhabiting a vast, open world. As you progress, you activate an increasing number of missions. And in the case of Skyrim, the available missions are actually endless. Developer Bethesda has created an infinite mission system, which means that over time the game will create new missions to keep your character occupied.

Of course, even without an infinite amount of missions, Skyrim is a massive game, encompassing many types of terrain and many types of gameplay. The game focuses on three major areas: Combat, magic and stealth. Your character can use any of these at will, and each one has several subcategories that you can upgrade to enhance your style of playing. For example, if you like to use stealth, you can upgrade bonuses for attacking while sneaking, or make yourself better at lockpicking and pickpocketing. If combat is your thing, damage and armor bonuses would be your thing. And of course, you can mix and match as you see fit.

Not everything about Skyrim has remained the same as before. The leveling and perk system has been streamlined in a very attractive interface designed around constellations. Some hardcore role players may find this to be too simplistic, but I think it allows you to get to the action even more quickly. A less attractive change is to the menu system, which does feel too simplistic and makes it difficult to compare items when you're looking to buy and sell with merchants.

That minor quibble aside, Skyrim is a beautiful and addicting game. The inclusion of dragons (long considered extinct within the fictional game universe) adds an exciting and unpredictable element. It's breathtaking to feel the ground shake beneath you as a see a massive winged shadow fly past you. And actually fighting them is a whole new experience for the Elder Scrolls series. These massive creatures are dangerous from almost all sides, and if you're not careful they will simply chomp you in half.

As with all Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim rewards exploration. There are more hidden gems tucked away in nooks and crannies than one person could ever reasonably hope to find. Additionally, many of the missions are unexpected and hilarious, including one where you black out in a bar, wake up in another city, and have to recreate the events of the night before, a la The Hangover. With so much to do, you'll never get bored with Skyrim.