The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Let's not waste any time, and get into the review I meant to do last week. Get your sword and shield, and put on your boots, Skyrim awaits!.. And it might pay to bring a coat and pants or something. Your privates will freeze off otherwise.

STORY
The game begins with your character on a prison carriage with a group of men headed for execution. It is revealed that civil war has broken out in Skyrim, between the empire and the Stormcloak Rebels (a group who wish for an independant Skyrim). Being mistaken for one of these rebels, your character is taken to the executioners block, but a chance dragon attack facilitates your escape.

Through the earlier quests in the game, we learn that your character is Dragonborn, a being with the ability to slay dragons and absorb thier souls. It is up to the player to fulfill their destiny, and stop the world from being destroyed.

As far as stories go, Skyrim is a fairly interesting one. It uses the old story telling gimmick of "Destiny" but ESV:S never forcesm players to follow its interesting, yet cliched story. Players have the freedom to go and make thier own stories, without ever having to do a proper quest, outside of the opening one.

PRESENTATION
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is by no means the best looking game of this generation. It probably doesn't even stand up well against other games released this month. What it does do, however, is far surpass the technology used in Oblivion, the last Elder Scrolls game.

Thats not to say Skyrim looks bad, however. The environments are varied, and the weather effects make the land feel almost alive. Also there's a substantial amount of detail in the game, whether it be on flowers or in-game items such as swords or books. The occasional texture pop in ruins this slightly, but not too much.

The sound design is fantastic, with the Dohva chants being delivered with force, while very subtle orchestral music punctuates the more quiet times in Skyrim. Beastly noises deliver a suitable sense of danger when your character is initially weak, and voice acting has vastly improved since the last game.

On e last point of interest; Skyrim's menu system is one of the best and easiest to use that I've seen in some time. The map, Skill trees, Magic inventory and item inventory are all mapped to directional buttons after pressing B or Circle. Its a visually interesting and intuitive way of presenting the games options.

GAMEPLAY
Skyrim is, first and foremost, an RPG. As hardcore as they come. And Skyrim offers a multitude of choices and skills with which to personalize the way you play. Do you play as a sneaky khajit thief with a penchant for archery? Or maybe you make a Breton battlemage, wielding a blade in one hand and fiery destruction magic in the other? The choice is yours, and most choices are completely viable.

While an RPG at heart, Skyrim has solid action elements when it comes to combat. Strikes have a realistic weight behind them, whether you're dealing out the damage or blocking it with a shield. As far as first person combat goes, I've seen far worse in games that relied on it. Speaking of which, while playing in third person looked like a crap sandwich in Oblivion, its a perfectly viable choice here, especially if you want to see that new Daedric armour your character is sporting.

One feature that I really like is the levelling system. TES V never ties you to a class. You pick the skills you want to excel at, and you use them. Want to pick locks better? Pick more and more, til you get better. levelling up skills through repetition raises your level, and at each level you get a skill point to spend on a perk. It's a useful and logical way to make a strong, personalised character.

REPLAYABILITY
Skyrim is one of those games that you could play through many, many times with each playthrough being different. With the different starting races and play styles, coupled with the near infinite quests and dungeons, here you have a game that basically allows you to make your own story and adventure. Or follow the main path; player choice is truly paramount in this game.

OVERVIEW
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a fantasy RPG buff's wet dream. Player customization is truly impressive, both on the appearance and skillset sides, and the world has a lot of character to it. The amount of quests in Skyrim means that 100%ers are going to go absolutely mad, and theres a lot of sweet loot for those kinds of players too.

The game also looks and sounds impressive, and the gameplay is damn solid. If you're looking for a massive time sink, then Skyrim is the game for you.

Alright, Next week will be my last review for this year; with Assassin's Creed: Revelations on the way. After that I'll be back on January 1st with my yearly recap. See you next time!