Game Review: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

Price Range: £24.99 - £39.99

Age Rating: 15

Genre: Fantasy RPG

Design


The Elder Scrolls franchise continues with the latest edition; Skyrim. You begin your journey in a horse drawn carriage and soon find yourself on a action packed journey to rid your world of dragons as the fabled Dragonborn a legendary warrior who harnesses the power of a dragon's soul after he has killed it and turning the soul into a powerful shout known as a Th'um which can be customised depending on which words of power you find throughout the land. The world of Skyrim is huge and it isn't long before you find yourself looking in all kinds of different places across the world map for potions, armour and various other treasures whilst bashing bad guys over the head with your epic war axe of doom. As far as combat goes I feel it has been re-vamped since the days of Oblivion, with spells and weapons being assigned to the trigger buttons it makes for pleasant and at times intense combat sequences. Your character's skills are set out in the stars of Skyrim which can be accessed by pressing up on your d-pad. Each skill has its own level for example the Destruction Magic skill set can be levelled up by killing enemies with spells, this goes towards your overall level which levels up quicker depending on how many other different skills you train in, for example archery, lockpicking and two-handed combat to name just a few. Finding weapons and armours isn't exactly uncommon but making the most of them along with certain stat boosting temples dotted around the place can take an experienced approach, especially if you are wanting to boost your defence but still use magic.The storyline really draws you in from the very start however if you want to divert off the storyline path there is nothing stopping you doing other quests and exploring the world and coming back to it later, its easy to pick up on and enjoyable to resume playing.

Gameplay:


Skyrim really sets the benchmark for games of it's type with its vast landscapes and mythical creatures populating the map, it really does rival the big names in its genre such as the likes of the Fable series. Combat obviously plays a big part with so many skills to be developed, for example if you are training up your magic skill and wearing mage robes, when you get hit by an enemy it will also increase your light armour skill, similarly if you wear heavier armour it will increase your heavy armour skill, it's all about finding the right balance between the skills you want to train and the weapons and armour you wish to equip. Quests around Skyrim aren't exactly in short supply, it seems as though you cant discover a new area without taking part in a side-quest or something similar. Quests are stored in your journal which can be accessed by pressing the start button where you can view your objectives, it comes in handy when you are in the middle of nowhere after venturing off and wanting to return to the task at hand. The only downside about Skyrim's gameplay is it's glitches, I have heard many complaints that people are trying to do quests but cant because the person they need to speak to or kill is either halfway up a mountain or upside down inside another character, I also found that at times it can lag when moving through the more graphically demanding landscapes but doesn't really halt the progress of the game in any way.

Presentation

You really get a feel that you are actually in the game with Skyrim, the fantastic first person camera view gives you a real hands on approach to combat and quests alike and with the third person view available as well it appears to suit all markets. Characters look as true to life as they could do however the voice acting dangles on the edge of poor at times with guards in every single town having the same accent, which seems unlikely with the vastness of the map. The menu system works well when buying or selling goods with vendors; items can be easily navigated through and selected and having your speech skill increased to it's more higher levels really helps when bartering for better prices. The favourites selection is a fantastic add on as it allows you to change weapons, spells or items on the fly or in the heat of battle, pressing the action button in the item's menu will allow it to be equipped by using the d-pad, a handy tool if you find yourself using the wrong weapon against an enemy. The soundtrack really matches the intended era of the game with dramatic swells and sound effects that sound incredibly realistic you would find it hard to find another game on the market that gives you such value for money.

Coming Soon


Kinect compatibility has just been announced for Skyrim allowing you to use voice commands for selecting items and saving the game as well as using your shouts, however you do have to make sure you say these words clearly otherwise you will find yourself battered by an oncoming giant in two seconds flat.

Summary


Not very often do I say this but what a fantastic game, it really strives to get the player as close to the action as is possible, it only has minor faults that let it down, these being the voice acting, glitches and having to make sure you save regularly for fear of being killed and having to start from your last save point. Apart from these three points Skyrim has got to be one of the top games of this year and a great follow up to Oblivion, if you love Fable or are simply new to this kind of game you really can't go wrong with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim


Ratings


Design: 9.5

Gameplay: 9.4

Presentation: 8.9


Overall: 9.2