The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC
User Score
8.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4568 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,837 out of 4568
  2. Mixed: 288 out of 4568
  3. Negative: 443 out of 4568

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  1. ColdBrew
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    It could be the best game of all time. I need to finish it first and I'm sure that is going to take a LONG time. But it takes all of the great changes from Fallout 3 and updates them to make a master piece for the Elder Scroll Series. The story seems to work better that all the previous Elder games.

    It is a shame there are so many great games coming out at the same time, but this one will     be played more than the rest.

    For those of you that like Bethesda RPG's, this is the best one of them all. Get it.    … Expand
  2. thebrunfail
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    I'm 17 hours into Skyrim, and more than anything, there is only one problem I have with it. The more I play, the better it gets, and the better it gets, the more I play. If you have any respect for Video Games, or Fantasy in general, you need to play this game. It's unquestionably the best game I have ever played - so much depth, an impressive world, that feels very much alive, and some of the best combat in a first person RPG to date. Just Play it. Sure, the PC port isn't the greatest, and the User Interface takes some getting used too, but these are minor issues when you look at how much Skyrim has to offer.… Expand
  3. Joeyy
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    This is a great game, as a previous mod developer for oblivion/heavy mod user, it does make me smile to see how much the developers listened to the community and Incorporated ideas and systems from mods. It feels like oblivion streamlined and made a lot better, and is a great game overall, i have enjoyed the storyline, although I am not done yet, and there is a huge amount of gameplay possibilities.


    The only thing that prevents me from giving this a ten is that the textures are too low rez for a gaming pc that runs bf3 on ultra, however it still looks nice and I don't doubt that a HD texture pack and perhaps even tools to increase view distance (before LOD kicks in) will be available in the foreseeable future. The freedom in TES titles is about mod-ability as much as vanilla gameplay choices.    … Expand
  4. SP3333D-O
    Nov 12, 2011
    10
    I have played the PC version 18 hours in the last two days (because it is that great) and have had almost no issues (1 quit to desktop).

    I am (maybe I should now say "was") not an Elder Scrolls fanatic. In fact, my first was Oblivion, which I got because of my interest in Skyrim. I hated Oblivion. I found it buggy, ugly, and boring, even with mods. I tried Fallout 3 after that, but only f    ound it less ugly and boring but still just as buggy. I almost didn't get Skyrim after this, but I am VERY glad I did. It has exceeded my expectations and is deserving of the hype and accolades.

    The graphics on Ultra @ 1080p (thanks to SLI 560 TIs) are beautiful and smooth, and using a 360 controller lets me sit on the couch and enjoy it on the big screen.

    I'm not a big RPG fan. I loved Red Dead Redemption, but I think Skyrim is even better. There may be some die-hard E.S. fans that will give this a bad rating because it may not be similar enough to the previous titles, but my guess is that is why I am enjoying it so much.

    Great game. Get it now if you have any interest.    … Expand
  5. ivnelsif
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    This game is fun, it's pretty much they took everything that made Oblivion fun and made another game with better graphics. There is also a lot less class customization required at the start, for someone who finds it hard to pick the perfect class this was icing on the cake.
  6. Areiston
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    I've been playing for around 13 hours now. And I have to say it's a fantastic game. At first I was a little disappointed, but as I progressed I realised how much of a great game it is. I haven't encountered any problems except for 1 or 2 texture glitches. There are some similarities with Oblivion and Morrowind that some people may hate, but you can easily see past it. The game is huge step forward from previous titles no matter what others say. I'm not going to go into any detail as many have already done that

    Instead of agreeing or disagreeing with peoples reviews, try the game for yourself. Rent it(on PS3 or Xbox 360) or play it in a friends house first, just in-case you have regrets buying it and wasting your money.    … Expand
  7. Guitarclassic
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    Let me begin by saying that I love open-world games. I wasn't a huge fan of Oblivion though, I much prefer Gothic 2 and 3 and Risen. This is my first review, and I feel compelled to write it because in the span of two or three hours I became hooked by Skyrim. The experience began very weak in my opinion, partially because of the way it was delivered and partially because my NVidia drivers weren't up to date so I was getting a strobe effect with sky shadows. Having resolved the graphics issue with the latest drivers and turning down my monitor contrast, I found a beautifully rendered world with many immersive atmospheric touches. I restarted the game from the beginning and chose this time to follow the convict/rebel out of the burning settlement... much more interesting path. Many WOW moments since then, largely to do with the world itself.

    Skyrim receives a 9 from me because the UI did take some time to get used to... since I'm left-handed, I remapped some keys and got stuck over-encumbered and unable to drop anything. That took a while to figure out... and just getting out of books and maps etc. seems counter-intuitive and I still occasionally get stumped. Graphically there are some ugly textures as many have mentioned but the overall effect is quite nice, particularly the water rendering. I have had no crashes in my eight hours of play. I'm only at level 4 (I like to take my time) so time will tell but I'm anything but bored at the moment. On the one hand I can't seem to get enough, yet part of me worries that this will eat into my real life. That fact alone tells me that this is a powerful game.    … Expand
  8. DonTrixster
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Amazing game, Has surely surpassed previous Bethesda masterpieces such as Fallout or Oblivion. The storyline is AMAZING, the graphics is AMAZING, the game-play and whole leveling up and combat speciality system is AMAZING. Just playing the game on my pc with Maxed-out graphics is an honour alone.
    Besides the main storyline missions, which has at least 10hours playing on it at least, there'    s loads of side quests which are actually fun and interesting, which altogether makes up for the lack of a multi-player feature

    Highly recommended, game of the year material here!    … Expand
  9. Bitercup
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Every game gets me bored after 2-3 days but not Skyrim, and with all that mods i will play it forever.
    And for those who care only about graphic, play some other game, in Skyrim graphic is not that important.
    This game must be GOTY (Game Of The Year).
  10. kylerbizzle
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    It is a rare day when I give a game a perfect rating. However, Skyrim is incredible. The combat and dialogue may be spotty, but for such a wide world, most of it is seamless. I love it, it's so good. It's the best. I could give so many reasons why, but there is way too many. The randomness of everything is incredible. I've started a character twice and each play through is completely different. I'm in love.… Expand
  11. Elderstealth
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Skyrim
    After 40 hours of gameplay I still love this game. I give it 9 out of 10 due to the menu system been console based. I have selected 10 out of 10 to try an balance unfairly bad ratings that I feel are unfounded. The graphics in this game are incredible. The leveling system is awesome leveling up what you actually do i.e my first character is a mage but often i run out of magic so I     hit enemies with a one handed "Axe of fear" this increases One handed weapon skill while my mage cast in creasing conjuration, destruction and restoration (the only schools of what I cast). Getting of track to whats important. This is a fantastic game upgrade to large screens fast video cards and buy the game :)… Expand
  12. Colrum
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    I sat down to play Skyrim after a long wait following Oblivion, I played, I played, I played. I explored, I did side quests, I did some of the main quest, got distracted by shiny things in the distance and went off to do other things. I was utterly entranced. My housemate knocked on my bedroom door and asked me "What skills you gone for?" he had just finished installing it after getting home from work, I, had the day off. He came in and looked at me, exclaiming only "It's 10pm dude..." I had been played since 7am, and had absolutely, no, idea.… Expand
  13. mjas
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    I'm 25 hours into Skyrim so far and I still enjoy it, now this game has a bit of everything in it and almost everything in Skyrim is nothing less than amazing. Now don't think that it's perfect because it's not there are some bugs but nobody / nothing is perfect! I do feel that the quests are a little short and you could feel a bit more important in this world a lot of things you do in the end don't give a lot of "Yeahhh I'm a badass!!" kind of feeling. All in all I give it a 9/10 good job Bethesda! (Also I see a few people saying you can not key bind on the pc version! WRONG you can! 1-8 which can also be remapped with your mouse, simply put a spell or a item that you want key bound on your favorites list then open up the list (Q button) and highlight it with your cursor and press 1-8 tada keybinds! yes I know it's not the best ever but it works. =) )… Expand
  14. Godmodder
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Okay. So to me, this game is near enough perfect. The things that are getting the bad reviews are as follows; Bad textures, bugs, No feeling of epic, and the good old favourite, the menu system. Let's start with menus. I had absolutely no problem with the menu's. At all. Not once. What I do is, I read. And umm occasionally I click. It's amazing really. Honestly I don't get what the problem is, frankly they've done a great job in creating a system which works well on PC AND consoles, the only way I could see you having a problem with this is if you're sitting literally looking to hate it. So I've put a solid 42 hours into this game now, and literally the only bug I've encountered was my companion continuing to fight someone who stopped. But as soon as the character fell to their knees, she stopped and everything was nice again. I've had 2 crash to desktops, but frankly I'm running very slightly above minimum, so it's expected of any game of this standard. I get that there are and will be other bugs, but frankly a single bug every 13 hours or so does me just fine, that's a lot better than most games and a LOT better than any other Bathesda game. People saying the graphics are the same as oblivion or morrowind are just naunces, they really are. I don't remember the last time I read such **** I'm playing on low graphics settings and it's /beautiful/. I'll get to see what Ultra is like this weekend and I'm sure I'll be stunned. Super sharp textures wouldn't work well in a game like this anyway, there needs to be a certain level of blending so that everything sits together in the world, as opposed to having some standalone Mammoth who would just look like a cartoon. As for epicness, I can almost see where that's coming from, but when I sit back and think about it, it makes sense that you're not being rewarded for absolutely everything. So what? I helped General Tullius take Windhelm, if it weren't for him and Legate Rikke I'd have no idea what I was doing. He's the general, I'm just a soldier; why would I get all the fame? Maybe the game should play so that you DO deserve it, but people DO recognise you for it, it's just more realistic. The best killers in our world don't go about getting worshipped now, do they? I DO understand that however, that might be the one thing Oblivion done right. In any case this game is astonishing. It's honestly brilliant in every way imaginable. The detail Bathesda have went into is unbelievable, a real masterpiece. Don't listen to the whiny little **** giving this game 0's, they're talking pish. Get this game.… Expand
  15. E_K_H
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Overall the best game I have ever played. Great game-play, very beautiful graphics, and a good solid storyline. The guys at Bethesda has really outdone them self this time. However I have experienced a few bugs in the game, mainly game crashes. I have played around 25 hours, and the game has crashed approximately 10 times. Not a big problem, but annoying.
  16. Lutojar
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    when game was only announced my only hope was that it will be on same level as obsidian's New Vegas (that was good enough game). But now I can honestly say, Skyrim is better. It even better than Morrowind an even Daggerfall (my previously best game in TES). Bethesda fixed most mistakes of their Oblivion and Fallout 3 and deliver us, in my opinion, best RPG at this moment. I don't want describe all new features - new great dialogues, non-linear quests (that really on close level to witcher 2) all these aspects made on very high level, so you just need to play and enjoy. But there three main themes that people are afraid of: simplification of rpg system, graphic and one I called "It is the same oblivion". I don't understand people who blame skyrim about this. New RPG system is not simplified - it become more variate and more organically fits into gameplay. Yes there are less skills but I like it very much (in spite of me as big fan of most hardcore system as it was in Daggerall). Graphics... all who say that graphics is bad and same as in oblivion, first I advise play in Skyrim couple hours then asap play in Oblivion (without graphic mods) to compare. Second I advise to understand - it is ONE HUGE WORLD, where you can't just make fake stage where game strictly controls you - where you can see and where not (like COD, Uncharted and even Witcher and ME sometimes). BUT even with all this difficulties game looks great on consoles from 2006! Also if you play on good modern PC there are lots of additional graphic options like additional shadows, Ambient occlusion etc., that make picture even better. My main poit is - this isn't "same as Oblivion", it is BIG step forward in all aspects and best game in TES for me now. This game shows what other series like DA, ME of Witcher can't - big really living world… Expand
  17. Tornero001
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    It's a great game whitout mods (in fact my GOTY regarding BF3 and Deus EX). And surely better with future mods & official/non-official patchs. Few bugs appear but like all other games.
  18. lolfactor1000
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    First i would like to say that if you don't like this type of game don't play it. second don't say it looks worse then Morrowind, if you play on PC like you should and have it set to ultra this game makes everything else look like crap. now that i have the rambling out of the way lets get to the game itself. This game is amazing! I couldn't believe my eyes looking on the vast and beautiful of Skyrim. Everything has be greatly upgraded from Oblivion. The only reason i couldn't give this a 10 out of 10 was because of the poor scripting of the kill scenes. Half of the time your sword wouldn't even be touching the enemy. But besides that the game is perfect. can't wait to see what DLC comes out for it.… Expand
  19. zigmovezig
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    As of this post, i have 51 hours of playtime in Skyrim. This game deserves every 10/10 review it can get.
    I haven't been this engrossed in a game ever, period. For those of you who are unsure due to the 0/10 reviews, allow me to point out the BS.

    Common complaint number 1, the UI - Yes, the UI was based for a console game. But its honestly not that big of a problem so long as you (and let     me stress this to the morons out there who didnt bother to even look at the options menu) TURN OFF 360 CONTROLLER in the options menu. this allows for the use of your mouse inside the interface and makes looking for things much easier.

    Common complaint number 2, the graphics. Certain textures in the game are low-res and kind of crap. But you really only notice this when you plant your face into the nearest wall and stare at it. While you are moving around and doing other things they blend together and look great. With as much content as is in this game, the lack of high-end top of the line "Good god my eyes are bleeding from awesome" can be overlooked very, very easily. Common complaint number 3, The "Its not morrowind its oblivion" crap. And thats just what it is, crap. This game is far closer to Morrowind that it is to Oblivion, it just is. I loved (and still do) Morrowind for how it allowed you to do whatever you wanted without complaint and the sheer amount of things to do inside of its world, Oblivion made a step back from that, as well as turn the world into a fast-travel debacle with cut/paste environments and the like. Fast travel does make a return in Skyrim, but once more, its optional, and with the environments being worth seeing and far from copy/paste its worth forgoing the fast-travel. I could go on about this point, but seriously. Game is more like Morrowind. Deal with it.

    Common complaint number 4, glitches, issues etc.. First off, this is a Bethesda game, if you expected a bug-free game... wtf are you on? They make huge worlds that makes it really hard to find alot of the bugs. So minor ones are found sometimes. Horses are however, a bit buggy in this game. Unless you get one of two horses in the game that are.. well, not average. Game crashes and the like do happen from time to time, but you really wont lose much. Worst case you start over in the room of the dungeon you were in. Big deal. You also need to have a machine that can handle pc-gaming to play a pc-game. Ive seen people posting low-end machine specs complaining about issues with Skyrim, bottom line. If you cant run it, dont complain like its Skyrims fault.

    Common complaint number 5, Quests. This is where i start wondering exactly how many times some posters were dropped on their heads as a child. The quests in this game are amazing. Sure you have your minimal side-quests of fetching and kill this. But those are the "well, i need money.. may as well do a few quick quests" they arent the meat of the game by a long shot. Each of the larger quest chains could be a stand-alone game by itself. And there are a few of them, trust me. if you dont believe me check out the Dark Brotherhood, Mage College, and Thiefs Guild chains (Oh, and the Daedric Artifact quests when you find them) Then tell me quests in this game are crap. Some other random people just never bothered to read the booklet for the game, or open a single options menu with feeling the need to rage-face all over any review site they can.    … Expand
  20. JackBurton
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Amazingly addicted and fun. Massive and gorgeous. My only negative is the controls on the PC can be tricky and take a bit of getting used to. Once you get going after a few hours you hardly notice the controls though and it becomes pretty fluid game play.
  21. RascalNag
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Absolutely astounding. Definitely the best game I have ever played. The atmosphere is perfect. The scenery is beautiful. I almost can't believe what Bethesda has pulled off here. Everything just seems right, it's a perfect blend of traditional medieval style and fantasy elements. The combat is much more varied than Oblivion's, and far more fun to take part in with the shouts, dual wielding and improved handling of weapon skills. The work stations in the game are a great addition ,adding a sense of accomplishment; for example when you craft yourself the weapon of your choosing. Dungeons no longer feel exactly the same anymore, and I often stumble upon little but entertaining side quests in them while searching for new words for my shouts. Though there are bugs, it's far better in terms of just working than recent Bethesda games. Though challenging, battling dragons is extremely enjoyable and I have many times hoped that I would be found by a dragon while traveling to spice things up a bit. I couldn't be more impressed with this game. It's a 10 for sure. Definitely deserves Game of the Year, too.… Expand
  22. Egger3rd
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    This game redefines what games can be. Morrowind and Oblivion tried to do this, but they failed in execution. The numerous shortcomings and wonkiness that plagued Morrowind and Oblivion have been revamped, and this game is a polished and amazing beacon of hope for the gaming industry in general. This is the closest I've come to playing a perfect video game. It is an open-ended fantasy world RPG Action Adventure game and simulator. I love this game.… Expand
  23. Waddles
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Its the next elder scrolls game. so what do you expect? does it feel like the others? gamplay wise yes, not a bad thing. Lore and setting no, its all feels fresh and new. and being set 200 years after TES 4 there are alot of nice lore tid bits for fans who got in to the story. The land of skyrim its self is massive, its what you expect from bethesda. the faction quests and man story arcs are tight and much more story driven that in previous Elder Scrolls games and the world is littered with dungons that promote exploration while on other tasks. if anything the content is overwhelming. the Npc's are simple but feel some what genuine. you realy feel these people are strong and vikeing like but not uniform in there personalities. The PC interface is clunky to say the least. while the "Q" quick change menu would work for a few things. there are to many things (even worse if you play a mage type) such as shouts, wepons, potions, etc. you want to use. And while you can key bind things for most of the game when gear or item rewards are failrly constent and ungrades frequent its more trouble than its worth. a breif text pop up out of sight at the top left of your screen is the only warning you get if your character is in realy harm from spells or effects. otherwise you need to constent cheek your "active effects" tab... in your magic tab... in your overall menu tab... by pressing tab. on the bright side inventory is still 'i'?

    then you have the famous bethesda launch bugs. Alot of people are dealing with memory leak issues that is causeing crash to desktop issues and vanishing textures. Bodies with floating eyes and teeth now haunt my dreams. and to play through a major event with one of the characters as a purple skinless mesh was a little sad.

    So why a 9? well.. 8.5 isn't posable. and if the launch bugs were fixed this game would be a solid 9 - 9.5 yes it has issues, but nothing that stops the game elements of this game from being the most fun and rewarding elder scrolls to date. and hopefully once a few of these issues are fixed it could deserve the 9.5 I would want to give it.    … Expand
  24. Legitopinion
    Nov 14, 2011
    10
    A lot of these reviews contain complaints about the UI. Don't get stuck on small issues like this. Ya its built for consoles but despite that, this game is great. The graphics are not the best, especially after we all played BF3, however the actual world is stunning and beautiful. I like all the new combat mechanics seen in this game. I don't think I will ever get tired of sneaking up on someone and slitting their throat. The quest literally go on forever. The world is huge. You have complete power on how you experience this game. That is why skyrim is a great game. Yes there are some glitches but I don't those into account when reviewing games anymore unless they are game breaking. What release doesn't have glitches anyway? All in all if you like rpg's and you like to play the game your own way then buy this game! The content is massive, the detail is nothing short of amazing, and the experiences are just plain fun. Definitely my choice for game of the year.… Expand
  25. YellowBelly
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    In my opinion this is the best game of the series of scrolls. Graphics up to date. Huge options for the main character. I hope for large-scale additions.
  26. quitmyjob
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    While there are bugs with the game and there are problems with the combat system, Bethesda has made significant improvements to leveling and other areas that were lacking in Oblivion. It's important that they keep improving these games but the sheer scale of this thing alone is incredible. They've greatly improved the dungeons over Oblivion and added a lot of side quests which will keep you busy. Despite playing for hours, I've only seen one bug and it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the ones in Oblivion. The game has stunning graphics, even on my low-end computer. The best thing about the Bethesda games is that you can just wander if you want or blaze through a quest line in a few hours. That's their strength but also their weakness. Some people hate that style of game play. That's okay but they can't complain when they get a game that does that. I don't like the fact that the combat seems to have become more like Fallout's in that there are slow-motion portions when your character finishes off the enemy in some cases. That said, this game is still fantastic.… Expand
  27. MattC
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    Graphics: While some of the up close textures may be a tad blurry, and you might get some pop in; this game looks absolutely wonderful with a decent PC rig with all the settings on ultra. For a game with environments this vast you are going to see some hiccups, but overall the level of detail is remarkable.

    Sound: With some old ES favorites mixed into an original score, the music in t    his game is top notch and comes to a crescendo during high action parts, yet drops off to a soothing melody as you walk around towns. The ambient sounds are also top notch and brings another level to this world when played through a surround sound system. Gameplay: In previous ES games I always found that the combat was rather lacking and got very stale after a while, especially melee characters. While Skyrim doesn't exactly implement a brand new combat system, they have however, refined their combat system into a much more enjoyable experience. It seems Bethesda has taken a page out of the Bioshock book, because in Skyrim your character now can dual wield weapons, magic, or in the case of my character one of each. Many magic spells can be combined to create a much more powerful version of which ever spell you are dual-wielding. Melee still feels a bit flat when compared to the dual casting magic system, but with the inclusion of gruesome finishing moves and the ability to wield two one-handed weapons, as well as a more effective sword and board style, melee combat feels much better than in previous iterations of the ES series.

    Leveling up in Skyrim has also been streamlined, (i know i know many construe streamlined as being "dumbed down", and I assure you it's not) which in my opinion was a very welcome addition. It still follows the "level up by doing" formula of previous games in the ES series. but instead of trying to divide 10 points into 50+ skills, you now choose to put points into Magic, Health, or Stamina every time you gain a level. In addition to choosing a base stat to boost, you also get a perk point every level, which you can than put into a specialty area, such as destruction/restoration/illusion if you use magic or one-hand/two-hand/shield for people who like to hit things. Menus/UI: While these are serviceable for PC users who use a mouse and keyboard, it is very evident that these were designed with controllers in mind. I also don't like that the ability to bind different keys is restricted. While I can still remap certain keys I can't assign my number keys to various potions, abilities, magic, etc. which is a bit of a let down. That being said, the menus themselves have a very slick look to them, especially the skills menu where you spend your points once you level.

    Playability/Re-playability: This area is where Skyrim really shines. The amount of quests in this game is absolutely staggering, and many are in places that you might not think to look. For example I was reading random books in a random dungeon, and one of the books gave me a quest to find an ancient sword. I'm not sure if that one book is the only way you can get the quest, but it goes to show that you should leave no stone unturned when it comes to exploring. Skyrim also continues the ES tradition that ensures that no player will experience Skyrim the exact same way as another. Now the main quests are the same, but the game leaves it up to you in how and in which order you want to tackle each one. Another interesting aspect of the Skyrim quest system is that it will continue to spawn random kill/search/rescue/deliver quests that will in theory keep you going forever.

    Bugs/Glitches: For any of you familiar with the ES or (new)Fallout series you know that these games can be full of bugs from something as simple as textures not loading to something as game-breaking as a corrupted save file. Skyrim seems for the most part to be game-breaking bug free, but still has a few annoyances such as NPCs caught in a loop, or wooly mammoths being launched hundreds of feet in the air. Luckily the auto save feature in Skyrim activates each time you enter or exit a new area, so if you are unfortunate enough to experience a major bug that requires a reset, hopefully it won't set you back to far. Another issue worth mentioning is that Skyrim can crash randomly, and while I haven't experienced it first hand, my roommate has had a few.

    Overall: Skyrim is the pinnacle of the ES series, it remedies many issues of the past games, and presents you with an open world experience unparallelled in the RPG realm. The quests are fun and engaging, the world feels alive as npc's walk around and do their day to day chores, the combat has been tightened up and feels much better, especially as a melee character. If you have never played an ES game before and are looking for an open world rpg than this game is for you, and if you are familiar with and enjoyed previous games in the ES series Skyrim will blow you away.    … Expand
  28. Death
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    First off, ignore all the haters. All they care about is graphics, and probebly only play COD. This is not some game where you run around shooting people, this is a thinking mans game. Its smart, and has a wealth of content. Litterally 100's of hours woth, and I for one will be playing it at least that long. Yes, the graphics arnt perfect, but thats not the point. They are actually a huge step up from the previous Bethesda games. This is a amazing game, and is a perfect 10/10.… Expand
  29. iMaNeRD
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    This is an absolutely fantastic game. I have sunk 20 hours into it and barely scratched the main story line. There is so much to do. Bethesda have really improved the graphics and gameplay over oblivion. The character models and facial expressions are a huge improvement as are the voice acting and dialogue. The only thing so far I don't like about the game is the fact they got rid of durability and repairing on items. however this is really nit picking. Absolutely fantastic game, one you dont want to miss!… Expand
  30. KorVegor
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Simply the most amazing world created this game generation. It's alive, well detailed and filled with interesting lore and quests.

    The only downsides are some graphical imperfections like low texture resolution on PC, and the interface which doesn't work perfectly with a mouse. I expect this to be patched.

    Even with those downsides, it's still a 10/10 because the world and extreme amount    s of content more than make up for the small downsides.… Expand
  31. SMKS
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    Such a brilliant game so much to explore. first played it weren't really into it but eventually you love it. The game lets you upgrade on so many things. you can travel to many destinations and constantly be impressed by the landscapes.

    Do not waste your money on MW3 because it has failed this year in terms of innovation it is the same thing as MW2. Skyrim have put the effort into this g    ame and I admire them for this.… Expand
  32. TheGamer89
    Nov 30, 2011
    9
    Unbelievable good. Skyrim takes everything that was brilliant about previous Elder Scrolls titles and expands upon them tenfold. This game has pulled me away from all other games until I am happy I have "completed" it. There is no shortage of content and things to do, and 80 hours in I don't even feel like i'm near any sort of end.
  33. Decoy1207
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    The game is amazing! The world is massive like it should be there are tons and tons of things to do and explore. The people giving bad ratings are the ones that simply can't play because they are to dumb and don't know how a game works or their system is simply to outdated to run it properly. I've been playing this game for about 48 hours now and it looks and feels amazing. No complains on my side, neither did i find massive bugs some claim to have seen. (I've explored almost everything already). If you like RPG games this is a must play for you.… Expand
  34. Speedhorn
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    In my opinion, this is the best game of the year. The game is massive, biggest Iv'e seen yet! Most reviews already cover the great bits, so I'll just mention the parts I don't like.(I am aware I have given it 10/10. But the problems I found were not huge). First problem is the shadows. They are pretty poor even on everything up on max. This can be fixed though by editing the shadow resolution in the skyrimpref file. Next was some of the animations. For example, I noticed that when some of the NPCs are eating, their mouth doesn't move at all which makes it look kinda silly. Last thing that I noticed was......skeletons bleed? Hmmm, I guess this doesn't bug me. I just noticed it and it made me a tad confused.… Expand
  35. iAGR
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    Great game! Definitely deserves the spot for GOTY. I haven't even played the game yet, and it seems amazing. Not only the graphics but all the interaction around you, and how "doing this and doing that, can lead to this". You really get to live your own life in the game, you can make decisions and all that. For sure the greatest game from Bethesda so far. People will spend a long time on this one, especially on the PC with all the mods that expand the game!… Expand
  36. WadeWilson
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    This game looks amazing. It's worth the money and I feel it has that replayability to it. There are lots of things to do in Skyrim. You can smith your own armor, enchant your weapons, train in magic AND use swords, axes, hammers, bows and more. I'm going to play this game til 2099.
  37. Mudget
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    I can't in good conscience rate Skyrim a perfect 10. I really believe 10's should be reserved for flawless, new-generation, absolutely unique games. The kind that set trends rather than follow them. While Skyrim is absolutely amazing, another gem from Bethesda for sure, it is not flawless, it is still using last-gen technology (most notably dx9), and although it's certainly a vast and unique Elder Scrolls world to explore, it really only incrementally ups the ante from Oblivion, not quite the Holy-Mother-of-God! reactions we're seeing from a lot of the mainstream press. You'll notice this within minutes of playing. On the flip-side, giving this game a 0 is ludicrous and makes absolutely no sense. Zeros should be reserved for bottom-of-the-barrel trash games thrown together in a few months, with a nice mix of horrendous graphics, game-breaking bugs, unplayable controls and unusable UI. If any of these things are so messed up for you that you honestly rated Skyrim a 0, then I might encourage you to update your computer, because on a top-of-the-line system, this game runs great, even with slightly goofy mouse-keyboard translations from the console port. The scope of the world alone would grant a game like this a 5 or 6 at the very least. Add in endless quests, overall great graphics, dialogue for every line in the game, a stellar soundtrack, a well-thought-out progression scheme, and improvements in almost every area over the correctly, universally-rated 9+ Oblivion, and anyone with any experience in gaming whatsoever would -have- to give Skyrim at least an 8. On the other hand, if you didn't care for the previous games in the series, you won't like this one, because it's more of the same, but better. Way more, and largely better. And for most of us, this is a very good thing.

    PROS
    This is an RPG addict's dream, as were the previous Elder Scrolls games. Most of us will get lost in this world for many months before the luster fades. And by then, creative modders will have designed new ways for us to enjoy the game and extend the lifespan probably up to the release of the next ES entry. I was still playing Oblivion off and on right up until Skyrim's release, and still felt I hadn't explored the entire game world, and that is one of the key highlights of any Elder Scrolls game. After about 30-40 hours of gameplay already (did I mention that this game is addicting?) I have probably only uncovered about 15-20% of the overall map. Unlike in Oblivion, where things became fairly repetitious fairly early on, Skyrim seems much more able to keep things fresh. This many hours in, and I'm still being surprised by things left and right. This world is big, there are quests at every turn, and it is without question the most "alive" feeling ES game to date, with characters going beyond just wandering around and really adding flavor to the overall world. There are a lot more moving parts here, too. From waterfalls and rivers that actually spray "foam", to birds and butterflies that cast real shadows causing you to look up at them (I'll get to dragons later, that is an awesome way to discover that you've got one above you), to spells that cause environmental effects like burning or freezing, to in-menu, fully-realized 3D items that are awesome just to look at - Skyrim feels very organic and "alive", especially when compared to its predecessors. Yes, there are better looking games out there, heck, there are better looking role-playing games (The Witcher 2 comes to mind). But there are NO games out there of this scope and size that look this good. It is an incredible accomplishment, and if you can crank your settings up to ultra, it's pretty delicious. Without a doubt there a lot of "ooh" and "ahh" moments. Combat, while not perfect, is adequate. The menus are vastly improved over Oblivion. Character models and shading are also vastly improved. Textures in most areas are improved, too, but occasionally they can be ugly. If you're running through the game having a good time, they're hardly worth a comment, though. Still, there are some problems.

    CONS
    As so many people have said already, PC menu controls are ticklish. It's easy to click the wrong thing, especially in the skills menus, but Beth says they are working on a fix, and it's really not an immersion-breaker. Between the new Favorites button (brilliant) and the ability to assign numerical hotkeys, I find control in almost every area about 80% fluid, and a huge improvement over Oblivion.

    I miss a few things. I miss acrobatics (which seemingly would have fit into a mountainous region very well). I miss spell crafting. I miss being able to place items absolutely anywhere I want, with precision. But mods will fix this stuff.

    Bottom line, this is the very best of the current gen as far as RPGs go. It's not next-gen, I'm anxious for a future dx11 Elder Scrolls. But make no mistake, this game is WIN.    … Expand
  38. Icemelt
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    If you're looking for a game that achieves virtually full immersion in a vastly open world, Skyrim is your game. If you want to just play a character in a game that has many in game, living choices, but few exterior and boring "stats" to worry about, Skyrim is your game. If you're looking for a fully polished game with zero flaws, you're probably over critical and shouldn't be reviewing games.

    Here's the skinny on Skyrim: It's graphics are fantastic if you have a computer that can handle it. If you don't, again, you probably shouldn't be writing graphics reviews if you can't max the settings. I'm not saying Skyrim is perfect, but my perfect is being jacked in Matrix style and literally living a game.. so let's get real, these graphics are great.

    The game play is two sided depending on your peripheral style, keyboard & mouse vs. controller. I personally prefer K&M for aiming even in this game, but I give up that luxury, because literally everything else in the game is made for the controller.. including the menus (especially the menus). This is really the first and only real problem I've found with the game. If you can get past the interface, you'll be fine. If you like using a controller or are playing on a console, this will not effect you in the least and you should read this review as a +10

    The actual game is outstanding! If you're obsessed with "specs" and "talent points" and "builds", this game may not be for you, but I do suggest you open your mind to ideas outside the world of onewaytodothings.

    Simply put, this game (with a controller) is almost idiot proof. You just sit down and play it. It's even pretty enjoyable to sit and watch a novice gamer play through (though I suggest not giving hints if you expect bedroom love in the real life guys).. A great game for ANYONE who loves fantasy story-lines.    … Expand
  39. Mal81
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    This is the first Elder Scroll game I have played, and I regret that I haven't dipped in before. I have been in love with this game since the moment i walked into it's beautiful world. I have no past bias, no delusions that this game doesn't have rough edges. There are bugs, some funny, some ugly, but the sheer wonder and joy inherent in the game are excellent. After years of playing MMOs and Linear storyline type games, this open ended rpg has won a special place in my heart.… Expand
  40. Strange_New_Day
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    More and more modern games sacrifice content for graphics, Betheseda's Skyrim is fortunately not one of them. Skyrim is a massive, multifaceted world that really pushes the strengths of previous Elder Scrolls games. The quests are a step above what we have seen before, the world aesthetics are beautiful though the graphics do bennifit from the latest mods that are available. The ambient noises blend well with the over arching music themes and character noises. The lighting and sound mesh together in dungeons to really give the gamer a feeling of danger. Whilst Skyrim offers an unprecedented sandbox style fantasy world rpg, possibly unrivaled in the modern genre it isn't all a bed of rose petals. The interface for the PC is atrocious. Bugs abound all over the game. The game is pathetically easy and whilst the world is stunning and the cities gorgeous, the larger cities feel like they consist of a handful of houses consisting of barely a handful of people. The writing fails at times and could of used a bit more work. This is an excellent game but through silly mistakes, glitches and the heavy handed UI console port I cannot see how it could be rated above an 8 out of 10. Skyrim is desperately in need of the upcoming mods the PC community will put together.… Expand
  41. Mohobie
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Open world, free to be explored with many hidden "gems" to find. The story is both engaging and direct for those seeking a more linier path to "completing" this game. However for most of us the game will literally have no ending. It has the bonus of an unending(litteraly) supply of quests for those who want them. It's vast, and it's options are even more so. Anyone who gives this game a low rating would likely be doing so because the game is not an MMO. It is a single player game plain and simple. Impressive grafix and a mostly intuative control system allow users to jump right in and begin their journey. This game becomes what you want of it. Desire a life of bravery and justice for all... you can make it so... Want to pinch the pocket of every noble you can find...go ahead.
    There really is no wrong way to play skyrim other then to not play it at all ;) If you want todo it then you can. Ok spent to much time here... I'm going back to being the archmage! ;)    … Expand
  42. SketchyGalore
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    I've noticed that a lot of negative reviews about Skyrim have mentioned a lack of a good story. This gave me pause since, when I think about it, if someone wrote everything I was doing in Skyrim down in a novel, it would suck. And indeed, there have been moments in the game where I look at what's happening around me and doubt the feasibility of my epic tale ("You really want me to take your dead friend's ashes? Uh... I just got into town..."). But then, it struck me. Skyrim isn't a story. Skyrim is a world. And that is absolutely perfect for an Elder Scrolls game.

    What do I mean by that? I mean that this game was never meant to be enjoyed like a book. Skyrim is at its best when you let yourself simply drift off the path and do whatever seems interesting. The game begs you to just live in its world, explore areas, get involved in things, and generally make yourself at home in a beautiful world full of things that want to kill you. Ironically, the "main quest" can easily end up feeling like a side quest to the more important task of... whatever you think the most important task is. Skyrim is not a game of shocking twists and turns, in depth characters, or climactic endings like a more linear, adventure based RPG, such as the recent Bioware games. Thus, I can see a certain type of person frustrated by the lack of a single intriguing path to follow. For most of us, though, this serves as a perfect setting to get lost in for countless hours; a world to experience, not just a story to read or a game to beat.

    This review was mostly made to remark on the storyline, but I will say that the gameplay surrounding everything is remarkably solid. I've seen a lot of growth in Bethesda since Oblivion, including the advancements they've made in their Fallout games. Steadily, the company that once told me jumping and sleeping were the keys to character advancement is learning what makes a fun, balanced game. The systems that run the rules of the game (character advancement, equipment, etc) are masterfully crafted to support the aforementioned "life" style of gameplay, making sure that every one of your hundreds of thousands of choices is rewarded, one way or another. Combat, animations, sound effects, voice acting, and, of course, graphics all received the love and attention needed to make sure no one part of the game fell flat.

    Only a few things hold Skyrim back from perfection. Most of them are little issues, slightly unpolished moments, etc. The best way to sum it up is that Skyrim is a game that tries to do a LOT of stuff and, like most games of that nature, flaws and bugs big and small are going to creep up. It suffers from a bit of "console-ism" as well, where a game feels like it's made concessions in its development in order to make it function as a cross-console game compared to a game that was made strictly for PC. However, this is not nearly as bad as some.

    The future looks incredibly bright for Skyrim. In addition to the inevitable bug-squashing that comes with patches, a modding tool on par with what was available for Oblivion and the Fallout games is in the works. Assuming that people have as much control over things as they have in the past, it means great things are coming and, whatever problems aren't addressed by Bethesda themselves, the community will undoubtedly tackle.

    This is a game people will be playing until Elder Scrolls VI and beyond.    … Expand
  43. CharlieAB
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Absolutely brilliant. I love Skyrim and I think this game is a master piece. I see some negative reviews, but generally I think they are from fans of a different genre/style of video games. Skyrim requires patience and a brain. This isn't Call of Duty here. PC was patched on Day 1, and I love that Bethesda is supporting PC. The scenes and natural world are amazing. The fights and quests are really fun and I see that the devs put tons of time into every little aspect of the game. Skyrim represents a giant leap forwards in terms of video games, it will easily take GOTY imo.… Expand
  44. Voss
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    This latest addition to the Elder Scroll series brings a lot of new things to the table. One of them being the reworked Gamebryo graphics engine. I was completely disgusted upon hearing this was being developed with consoles as a main priority. I'll be honest, the graphics are not that great at times, sure, they look good at a distance(mountains, dragons, walls) but up close? God I can see the pixels, they are ingrained in my head. It looks like Oblivion all over again. But since they made this game for consoles, it's kinda hard to get real close and check them out on consoles anyways. Getting past graphics, which by the way does not hurt this game AT ALL, I will say I have never, NEVER sat down and played a game non-stop for as long as I do with Skyrim. Everything from meeting new NPCs, exploring new dungeons, receiving new quest, and random dragon encounters could not be any more immersive.… Expand
  45. misfireRM
    Nov 19, 2011
    10
    Game of the Year for the next few years -- this game is simply outstanding. As for the 100+ negative reviews... even if my wife divorced me, my kids hated me, I got fired from work and my dog peed on my laptop, I could not imagine being in such a deranged state of mind to as to give this game a "0" rating. For those of you who have experienced the issue of flickering shadows/sunlight, upgrading to the latest version of graphics drivers (nvidia) did the trick for me.… Expand
  46. x__ENGAGE__x
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    i havent played a game this long since GTA IV came out? Beautiful, thats all i can say about Skyrim, is that its so beautiful... ..............................................................................................................................................................
  47. joshyman
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    I normally get bored with games after about 10 hours. I'm 30 hours into Skyrim and everything feels new. There are bugs, but they add to the experience, because its an elder scrolls game. Which just makes them funny! The graphics are great, the gameplay mechanics are awesome. They have really improved on combat since Oblivion. Also, all the guilds in the game have a ton of quests, you can literally play this game forever. I'm a wearwolf, and love it. And the vampires are cool too. The story is great, killing dragons really feels epic, but it does kinda get stale after the same old dragon fight. However, all the unique dungeons......this is my favorite part. Running through a random place you find, killing a boss, getting the loot. Its just a wonderful FUN game. Nothing really gets boring. Voice acting is spot on, and you feel like a real bad ass when you climb up on a dragon and shove your axe in its forehead :)'



    great game, i love it, can't wait for DLC!    … Expand
  48. TazmanNZL
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is simply awesome and here is why.. I have to say that when I first saw the screenshots for this game I thought to myself "It doesn't look that flash, just another Morrowind". I then watched a video review of it over at gamespot. After seeing the video I simply had to have it!! The graphics are not pixel perfect but the world does look amazing. The UI is catered for console but who cares, there is already a mod out there that makes it more PC friendly but I don't have any trouble with it myself. I've been playing it for over 20 hours and am loving every minute. Two things stand out in this game for me, the first being the Dragons. Best I have seen in any game. They are loud, fierce and are stunning to look at. Not only this but you will come across more than one! The second thing is the abillity to do anything you want in the game. I purchased a horse for 1000g only to lose it in a fight with a Giant. No matter though I found another horse standing next to the road so I just stole it :) I couldn't believe how easy it was to take. Only problem is that whenever you dismount the horse it keeps wanting to return to the spot you took it. You don't have to be a thief to be able to lock pick. There is so much to find and do in this game it will keep you entertained for hours :) The game has yet to crash on me. Of course there are some glitches in the game but they are not game breakers. The shadow glitch which happens in daylight (shadows flicker every 30sec or so) I managed to fix with changing the ini file. I found a fix for this searching in google. I thought my video card was on the blink, phew! Overall I was expecting a lot less from this game and was surprisingly impressed with it. Now I am having trouble keeping away from it :) If you love Dragons you simply must have this game. If you are on the fence check out the video review and also youtube for first impressions of the game. I'm sold on it! Simply amazing!!… Expand
  49. PidoBear
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    I represent 'www.BreakMyGame.com'. SKYRIM has been given our hands down! It's a new stepping stone for a new Creation game engine for new titles to come out! Graphics is not to high end and enough to wow players, the score they generated for the game is a step up to give an exact life to the world, an excellent successor and worthy hands-on for new and old players for the series. Overall hour and hours of pure possibilities in how a High Exploring and Story Driven RPG game should be.… Expand
  50. ConnorMcCauley
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    I have played over a hundred hours of Skyrim if my steam's accounted time spent is anything to go by and after all this I will say, Skyrim is leaps and bounds an improvement over Oblivion and a great successor to its Elderscrolls heritage, the graphics are gorgeous and while not next gen, next gen was never what the developers were going for, they were going for an improvement over Oblivion which they certainly obtained. While there are some flaws, graphical bugs and a GUI that is oddly taken right out of the console even though it's a game so clearly made for the PC, these are all however relatively minute issues and really amount to nothing more than little annoyances for me and what's more as this is a Bethesda game they are all completely and entirely mod-able and changeable, further the game is leagues more stable than Oblivion or it's spiritual successor Fallout 3, after hours and hours of gameplay I only experienced crash to desktops on rare occassions or occasions where I'd abused alt tabbing.

    I therefore conclude that this game is 'very' deserving of my rating of 10.    … Expand
  51. SylarHRG
    Nov 23, 2011
    9
    From the moment you dive into Skyrim, from the opening sequence and beginning your journey through this beautiful world, you can already see the creative genius at work behind this game.
  52. darkecharlie
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    'I'm not gunna lie, this game is amazing, brilliant, outstanding, a masterpiece.'
    ^this :) is exactly how i feel about the game. now a few more characters :D
  53. Kirsteek
    Nov 24, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I play a lot of RPG games and this had to be the best of them all. You start the game and within 5 minutes, a dragon appears. The story line is brilliant. The amount of quests you can do without storyline is immaculate. The map size is incredible and the expanse of places you can explore is unbelievable. I've started my second save to explore the other side of Skyrim. For anyone thinking of buying this game, do it and enjoy.… Expand
  54. kozzy420
    Nov 24, 2011
    10
    Bethesda did a great job on this game here, I was a hue fan of there older games (Morrowind, Daggerfall and Arena), but Oblivion and Fallout3 did not impress me much at all.

    Now comes Skyrim and Bethesda has done an amazing job improving things since Oblivion. Nearly everything is improved, from the story to the combat to the controls and performance. Its almost like they heard all my iss    ues with Oblivion and fixed them for Skyrim, great effort Bethesda!

    The soundtrack is epic as usual and of course the gameworld and lore is extremely well made. This all came as a very nice surprise to me though as I was not expecting all that much, but whats here is an epic rpg.

    Skyrim joins The Witcher2 as the best rpgs of 2011, both extremely well made and awesome rpg's that I loved to death. Its great when companies can improve on past games as well as Bethesda has done here with Skyrim, which is the best game from the rpg giants since Morrowind!

    Buy this game now!

    Here is to Skyrim and the great job by Bethesda!    … Expand
  55. shot-link
    Nov 25, 2011
    10
    Game is fantastic!! Skyrim is a masterpiece!! pros - fantastic game over all 10/10 for game play and interesting and fun if you play the game with out rushing you have 100+ hours easy !its fantastic and outstanding (I HOPE THERE WORKING ON ALLOT OF DLC AND EXPANSIONS!!!!!) Cant wait!! woulds best single player RPG!!!!!!

    cons - few bugs and a few quests could be longer - using dx9
    but     they say future patches will fix bugs and dx11 update sounds promising!

    Random answer for some people for problems with with favorites well u can quickly switch them with pressing "Q" hover over the item with the mouse and press a number ( 1 - 9 ) =D done!    … Expand
  56. Appleman
    Nov 25, 2011
    10
    A lot of reviews seem to be from people having issues with bugs (graphical or otherwise). Let me start off by saying these reviews do not represent the majority by any means. I've discussed Skyrim in real life with 8 of my friends thus far. All 9 of us, myself included, have had no issues. I bought Skyrim pre-release off Steam and started playing 25 minutes after midnight. I expected quite a few bugs to be present for the first two weeks or so. That was not the case. I've spent 198 in-game days thus far and have only encountered one quest-breaking bug, which I was able to fix myself with the console. If you don't like using the console, Bethesda will send out a patch to address such issues. The PC controls are confusing at first, but so far other reviews have been over-exaggerating. Play the game for three hours or so and you'll have the controls down no problem. If you're too set in your ways to get used to new controls, then Skyrim allows you to change them. That being said, you need an external mouse. Playing Skyrim on a laptop without an external mouse is too awkward; although, that's the case with a lot of games these days.

    Another common issue seems to be the menus. There are a few issues in that area. Navigating the perk tree is awkward using the arrows; however, if you use the mouse there really isn't any issue. Navigating the main menu, especially if you wish to see "General Stats" is downright impossible without the mouse. You aren't able to see item stats (weight, cost, etc) without first selecting the item. Items aren't at all organized in containers, such as chests. I believe Fallout 3 did a better job of the trading-with-NPCs screen. Overall they could be better, but there aren't any deal-breaking issues. Personally, I actually like spending time going through everything I've collected. "Ooo I didn't notice I collected such-and-such item! Cool!"

    I could go on and on about stuff other people have said, but instead I'll keep this short and end by saying overall Oblivion was a great game. Skyrim is even better. The only score that makes sense is 10/10.    … Expand
  57. nowandever29
    Nov 25, 2011
    10
    Skyim, put simply, is a fantastic game, worthy of the undivided attention of any fan of role playing games. It is deep, well written and acted, well designed and beautiful. The game does have the occasional bug, and the characters still look fairly creepy, but those are quibbles - this is the best video game this year, and continually surprises. Honestly. thank you, Bethesda!
  58. Stimpy
    Nov 25, 2011
    9
    Like Morrowind and Oblivion before it, a damn good game. I could rave about all the things I love about this game, but will focus on the interface.

    It is an adjustment from the old way, and for the first day or two I thought it was a sacrifice to benefit the console players, but I have adapted and appreciated the change. One thing I appreciate, is that the E key not only picks up items, b    ut you hold down the button, to hold the item, a simple improvement. And the duel weapon/spell system is a great new idea, although I would like it a bit more polished, sometimes I need to go into my inventory to equip two of the same weapon and other minor issues. Hopefully that will change in a patch. Otherwise, no complaints.… Expand
  59. Mcad
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    Simply great game, can't fault it. Graphics look great, it plays well and the story is interesting and follows on from the 2 previous great games. Don't think bethsda has made a bad game yet.
  60. Caboosey
    Nov 26, 2011
    9
    Simply amazing. No words can describe the feeling you get as you roam the vast tundra of skyrim as a dragon circles overhead. Despite the unlimited list of amazing parts included into this game, its not perfect. Some really boring side quests and extremely repetitive voice acting among the cities (And you thought it couldn't get worse than talks of mudcrabs). On the other hand, there are amazing side quests and so many i haven't discovered yet. The diversity of virtually everything leaves me knowing i'll play this for years to come. And the modding community loves Bethseda's games just as much as i do. It is impossible to argue that this game isn't one of the best games ever.… Expand
  61. Insanityof-Dave
    Nov 26, 2011
    9
    Current Play Time: 52 Hours Review: Excellent Graphic's: 8/10 Sound effects and music: 9.5/10 Voice acting 8/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Content: 10/10 Controls: 9/10 Interface: 6/10 Replayability: 10/10 Value for money: 9.5/10 Overall an excellent game worth the £29.75 I paid for it. The interface is very poor as its a console port and quick swaping weapons/spells is terrible. However these are small issues as im sure they will get modded ON THE PC (HAHA to consoles who pay £50 for a game then have to pay for the DLC and can't mod the game)… Expand
  62. Grimloon
    Nov 27, 2011
    9
    It's not Oblivion, it certainly isn't Morrowind. Good fun though! This game is probably the most approachable Elder Scrolls game so far but it has to make sacrifices to be that. [Insert generic anti console rant here]. It's made anti RPG players pure fanatics for the genre by restricting the options. The ones that are left are glorious, just not as great as some of us are used to.
  63. Optim
    Nov 27, 2011
    10
    A fantastic game that will give you a run for it's money. It deserves all of it's critical acclaim because it has been improved so much by Bethesda it's actually insane. The main quest is fun, the side quests are numerous and the gameplay has been improved tenfold. The environment will change by your will, the people will talk about your deeds, random events will keep you occupied throughout the world and the endless amounts of towns and dungeons will keep you occupied forever. An amazing, captivating game that is worth EVERY penny. A ten out of ten for me.… Expand
  64. glddraco
    Dec 1, 2011
    10
    This game has to be the best game I've ever played. Sure its buggy but most games, especially complex games are going to have bugs. I've been rather down with fantasy rpg games ever since Dragon Age 2 came out and I almost gave up on games in general. I loved the details among the many things you can do in the world.
  65. Highlanderonly1
    Dec 5, 2011
    10
    I usually have my priorities in line and do not get addicted to games like this, but my upcoming finals might have to take a backseat to all of this awesome.
  66. JonnyZ
    Dec 9, 2011
    10
    Love the Game, absolutely positively the best game I've played ever. Loved Morrowind when i came out, Loved Oblivion when it came out too. Skyrim is amazing and it can only get better. I understand people's reasons for hating the game as it does have flaws but some people are incapable of looking past any negative aspects of any game. Graphics are beautiful, although more voice actors would be nice. Story is Good. Not amazing but it falls in line with all the previous games. More or less. I bought it for 360 but i intend to purchase it on Steam very soon. As soon as i finish upgrading my computer. So bottom line, Game is amazing, even if you have never played any of the previous games it could easily become one of your favorite games. Obvious choice for Game of the Year on all platforms.… Expand
  67. silversun
    Dec 11, 2011
    10
    THE best game out there right now- possibly ever made. For how much playing time you get it is well worth the price and whatever bugs are happening. Truth is- bugs will get fixed, and mods and patches will be made. It's only going to get better. So you better jump on the skyrim train to tamriel because this game is great for everyone. If you hate fighting badass creatures and adventuring for treasure, you can sit in Whiterun and smith to level 40 :)… Expand
  68. LynchSimon
    Dec 18, 2011
    10
    The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is simply one of the greatest single player games of all time! The graphics are absolutely astounding in every aspect. The gameplay is incredible. You really do feel like your apart of the story and that it's up to you to make the decision at the right times. There are some very minor flaws with this game but i stress only minor, plus what game is perfect? Some of the very few flaws with this game, and other Bethesda games is the Save system. The seem to follow the old school save system where the "auto save" feature for this game is very scarce and you must remember to save the game manually before entering specific areas or you'll find yourself 30 minutes behind should you be slane. Another old school errer which they make is the invisible barrier. Personally I thought that this feature would have been made obsolete. Clearly not the case but it does exist within the game. Moving onto positives tho, the thought of fighting a dragon 1 vs 1 would generally frighten people, but in Skyrim you really do crave the opportunity battling with them and also giants with their humerous "pet Mammoths" as I like to call them. There is so much to do in Skyrim I wot spoil anything for you now but if ther is ANY game that you buy this year, i emplore you, PLEASE buy Skyrim, you will not be disappointed!… Expand
  69. Herpedus
    Dec 19, 2011
    10
    After 100 hours of Skyrim I have to say that Bethesda Softworks has made a big leap with Skyrim. It has ALOT of content ingame. There's alot of things to do. You can explore dungeons, do quests, join guilds, master your skills and even try to kill everyone in the world.
    The sidequests are good, but guild quests aren't so good. (Possible spoiler alert!!) Like in Mage guild, there wasn't muc    h time as a pupil. In oblivion you had to do quests to gain ranks and when you were high ranked enough, the "main" part of the questline starts. In Skyrim, you sign up as a pupil to the guild, but after 2 quests you're already on way to become the archmage. There isn't a feeling of progress, it's pretty disappointing.
    The holds (cities) are very interesting. Maybe the first hold you'll see is Whiterun. The first time I got there, I was amazed by the views, there's great mountains close by and they're veeery nice looking. Sometimes you just go somewhere just to see the nice scenery of Skyrim.
    Even though Skyrim has glitches, I haven't encountered glitches that would ruin my game experience. All the glitches that I encountered were rather funny! Like a mammoth dropping from the sky or giant hitting you to the skies.
    The combat is alot better than Oblivions. They could have done it better, but it doesn't care so much.
    So I have played Skyrim for 100 hours now and there's still pretty much to do. Just gotta do quests before the Construction Set (the same program that dev's used to make Skyrim) comes out, which means that everyone can make their own mods easily.
    Overall Skyrim is a great game! I have always loved Elder Scrolls and always will. If you have PC and console, buy it on PC. PC has mods, consoles doesn't.    … Expand
  70. Personal_Jambi
    Dec 24, 2011
    10
    I'd like to give this game an 8/10 but I can't help but see that an amazing number of users are giving this a 0/10 simply to offset the good scores. This game isn't perfect as the critics rave, but it is still amazing. I could go on and repeat everything that has already been said, but it would just feel too redundant. The Elder Scrolls franchise defines single-player RPG's, and Skyrim is no exception. Huge world, many play-styles, beautiful scenery, and entertaining quests are among a few of the high points for this game. Sure, there are bugs, but that is to be expected from a Bethesda game. Mods for PC users fix most problems and will improve the game. While this may be the closest thing to a console port in TES's history, it doesn't make this a bad game. Anyone with sense will know that while this game may have it's flaws, it is still a fantastic experience.… Expand
  71. Panisher99
    Dec 29, 2011
    10
    It is one of the best games in which I played! Skirim simply bomb in series The elder scrolls! World research gives unknown pleasure, the world lives! Certainly there are some bugs, but with patches they are gradually corrected! Manually fulfilled vaults, a drawing, all in this game is ideal. Magnificence Skirim can be compared only to magnificence Oblivion in due time!!
  72. FryGuy
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Absolutely one of the best RPG I've ever played. There is so much to do, many places to explore and you can be anything you want. I have played over 150 hours now in total and there is still some side quests to be found. There is still some bugs and personally I miss multiplayer but these things doesnt ruin much.
  73. Rodnix
    May 17, 2012
    9
    Its a mixed feeling really, the game graphics and physics, terrain access, the lighting and shadows!! It truly remarkable... You can see the amount of work put into making this game. But, somehow when you start the game, you feel let down, by the console like transfers/selection, you wanted a prehistoric book like feel and it wasn't there... and as you level up you somehow feel that you can't make that tiny variation in your skills, without the attributes that you normally have in all Elder Scroll Games prior to Skyrim... And the popular saying is, "its been dumbed down".

    But then you play for 5 hours... And you get used to it! Slowly you start liking the sheer amount of content! And with the creation kit launched... The variations with the number of people willing to put in dedicated amount of work hours to take the game to a whole new level! I guess its something like reading LOTR, you start with the dreary old patterns, where all the descriptions really gets to you. until it sticks to you! And then you will be in the virtual world for a lot more time that you actually thought you would spend. And you will end up like me, when i was adamant that i would not rate it more than 7... i've already marked it to 9. The more you play the more you want to play. three cheers to the Modders though! 9 on 10    … Expand
  74. GREW50ME
    Jul 15, 2012
    10
    What can I say about Skyrim that has not already been said? If you have played the Elder Scrolls before, and thought, "Gee, I wish I could fight dragons and absorb their powers in a Viking-esque portion of the world of Tamriel", then this is your game.
    The grapics are stellar, but if you don't like them, you can mod them for higher textures, and that is where the greatness starts. This     game is fully moddable and changeable. If you had the controls, plug in a controller or download one of the control mods. Or, get up off your can and write one yourself.
    Want lightsabers? My little pony? Warcraft? Naked girls? You can put any or all of this in the game, and way, way more.
    Even the game mechanics themselves have mods that you can make or download.

    Underneath the layers and layers of customization, the game is the classic Elder Scrolls series, but with added streamlining learned from the creation of the Fallout games. Added are kill shot animations, and a much smoother looking interface. As in all Elder scrolls games, you can really craft the type of hero you want, and adventure in your own way. Want to be a simple wood cutter? A massive orc warrior? A sly rogue? A flower picker? A mass murderer? A powerful wizard? Decide as you go? You can do it all and more. It's this level of choice and freedom that makes Skyrim one of my favorite games of all time. Sure, there are some parts where the action is drab and the quests are predictable, and the game does have some bugs... but the sheer amount of AAA content and options in the game is so impressive that it more than compensates for the shortcomings. You can literally play this game for years and find new content every time and have a unique experience! STOP READING AND BUY IT NOW!!! I give Skyrim my highest recommendations!    … Expand
  75. Doctortony
    Dec 26, 2012
    10
    I'm gonna keep this simple: BUY IT. As a lover of medieval RPGs, including Runescape and Dungeon Siege, I felt that I'd never be able to relive the beauty and freedom in games again. Until Skyrim came along. This game is absolutely beautiful, incredibly expansive, and is like no other game I have played. It is absolutely everything you would want in a free-to-roam middle earth-esque hack-and-slash game. There are so many characters you can interact with, and so many quests. And it is true that later in the game it becomes a little repetitive, but by then you'll have wasted 100+ hours on the main quest and exploring the map. Most of the negative ratings come from a glitchy past, but with the most recent editions, you will very rarely find any . Stop being hesitant and buy this incredibly underrated game.… Expand
  76. FruitCakeHD
    Apr 3, 2013
    9
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
    A very good open-world free roam game allowing players to switch between 3rd Person as well as First Person. The story really engages you in a story plot that makes you feel like a real role-playing person. With nice visuals and movement, one thing i didn't like was the fact that one is unable to fast-travel without crossing a "certain" area before unlocking th    e destination for fast-travel. Therefore, a lot of walking is done in the earlier missions.
    For a year 2011 game, this has really done a good job and it is recommended for players who enjoy RPGs. (Role Playing Games)

    As for the DLCs, there is currently quite some of it, and well worth the price if you liked the game. But i personally doesn't have that much of a patience to complete the whole game, as well as the time needed.

    Lastly, don't forget that not many games have "endless" replay-a-bility after completing it. Skyrim provides at least a few hundred hours worth of gameplay and missions, enough to keep you engaged for a really long time if you are really liking the game of course.

    9.5/10    … Expand
  77. bianconiglio
    Mar 7, 2013
    10
    This game is simply outstanding. The depth of the story, the details of the world, the shocking beauty of the various environments the character met during his/her journey, the music, the characterization of the several NPC you met make a mix only games may hope to reach. My opinion: superlative.
  78. Y4nk33
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    Perfect RPG game. Limitless quests, good main story and good side quest stories, amazing graphics, lots of items, lots of thigs to do, huge map, this game wont be forgotten.
  79. Woulong
    Apr 7, 2013
    10
    I would feel simply wrong if id rate this game lower then 10, it is simply epic and i dont know what else to say... It prooves me all over again how important optimizations are for games.. Simply put, game came out, 35 fps in whiterun.... Game now, 60 fps static in whiterun and EVERYWHERE, in ANY situations, with 2k textures, lots and lots of hd retextures, fxaa injector and downsampling... And it is still better looking and better artwork wise then almost/if not every game that gets released or is released nowadays... It prooves me just how so many other companys cant fix their games and just abandon them... I swear john carmack is behind all this.. lol... I hope for lots and lots more patches/dlc´s in the future, hell, id spend every cent on this game..It can still grow so much bigger and can still expanded so, SO much more.. Patch 1.9 just helped push it over the line again.. AND it is only 29.99$ on steam. Another fact that helps pushing it knee-deep is the mod support... Thousands and thousands are out there and they become more hour per hour.. And for completion, my words to this game? AWESOME, in ANY aspect... simple as that!!...… Expand
  80. toth9050
    Mar 31, 2013
    10
    After playing all of the older elder scrolls games and many other RPGs, i was ecstatic to hear about Skyrim, and it did not disappoint. with all of the rich lore and masterful graphics, Skyrim takes the franchise to a whole new level. after spending over two hundred hours on this game i am not in the least bit board, and i will continue to play until TESO comes out. I highly recommend this game to all gamers.… Expand
  81. Writerwithamout
    Mar 31, 2013
    10
    The best RPG ever made. I have been playing for 500 hours and still haven't done everything there is to do. The world is immersive and fun and the mod community make for almost unlimited potential. This might be the best game made, ever.
  82. MCZaphelon
    Apr 3, 2013
    9
    Before I bought Skyrim, I was wondering what all the fuss was with the Elder Scrolls series. I mean, I'm not the world's greatest RPG fan. I bought the game, and I was instantly absorbed in it. It has a dynamic storyline and an incredible level of immersion I'd never experienced before! A must-have for any gamer.
  83. uvazquez
    Apr 4, 2013
    9
    At the moment of writing this I have over 86 hours played in this game and still I'm not even near 50% of completion. Dragons, swords, bows, magic, being the chosen one in a land full of mistery, I mean, what else do you need in a game? The gameplay is perfect, the graphics are gorgeous except for the ocassional shadow glitch, but nothing you can't fix with a mod and it has Steam Workshop for easy mod installation to make it even longer and better and prettier.

    Each DLC is worth every single cent, because it expands the gameplay A LOT, and by A LOT, take my word, I mean several hours more for you to waste on this game. Even though it has the bugs you can expect in a game developed by Bethesda and yes, there are lots of bugs and glitches you DON'T EVEN CARE because THE GAME IS SO AWESOME you'll not be paying attention to the bugs.

    A giant map, literally thousands of quests to do, skills to master, monsters to kill, books to read, dragons to slay, spells to learn, and places to explore, from dungeons to towns, a lot of replayability believe me, you won't finish this game with only one character, you will be creating several to choose every single side possible in each conflict and making each choice you can to learn the whole story a magnificent lore, and the amount of mods available, make this game along with its DLCs and expansions one of the BEST GAMES EVER and a MUST BUY, from casual to hardcore gamers.    … Expand
  84. Deific
    May 25, 2012
    9
    Bethesda have created a fantastic game, an immersive and expansive world, and a strong piece of fantasy fiction storytelling. More importantly though, they've created a near-perfect base for endless customisation and creation by the gaming community. I simply can't put into words how much of a success this game is in terms of appeasing the modding community and creating both an epic vanilla game and a highly versatile experience for any gamer. Will keep me busy for a very long time indeed. (and I was someone highly dissapointed by Oblivion - so no fanboy).… Expand
  85. rucknrun
    Dec 17, 2011
    9
    Amazing game. I run into some crashes on the PS3 on occasion but the game plays well and looks great. I spend half my day at work emailing friends about what they got into in game. An improvement over Oblivion.
  86. camb198
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    In the week I have had this game I have played over 30 hours! I still haven't completed the main quest and I am loving it. The new leveling system is really nice and all the perks seem to "perk" my interest. Even the skills I wasn't going to level up, I want to level up due to the cool perks! I know the graphics are not ultra crazy but I am happy with the gameplay and to me that's what count's. Especially when modders can "upgrade" the graphics with the addition of the Creation Kit. This will consume most of my free time for a long long long time! I can't wait for MERP! Middle Earth Roleplay Project! Everyone check out this mod they are porting to Skyrim! 10/10! Long live Skyrim ;-)… Expand
  87. spmxvc
    Dec 16, 2011
    10
    Yeah, you need to tweak the game via console and the .ini files. Yeah, you need to get into the modding scene to fix some of the bugs and problems. Yeah, the game didn't run with over 2GB memory without some kind of third party application. Well guess what... that's what the dedicated Elder Scrolls players are used to. And we LOVE Bethesda for it. They let us play the game the way WE want to play it. Do we want to modify the way we level up? quite often we do. Do we want to modify the difficulty and scaling of the game? Of course we do. Do we want to tweak the graphics, overhaul the system, get the most out of our real gaming machines? You're bloody well right we do! The fifth installation in the Elder Scrolls series allows the gamer to play and change the game to suit them. Why did Skyrim win GotY 2011? Pretty simple. Bethesda created a game that let the user decide how they wanted to play. The Elder Scrolls series is one of the very few games that allow the user the utmost control over how the game works. Game developers need to understand, you give the community a development kit and you will have them work for free, creating new content, fixing bugs. That's the kind of community that dedicated PC gamers are, we love these games because they give us almost unparalleled control over the way in which the game functions. I don't like being locked to 65 FoV because the developers didn't want to put the option in the game for PC gamers. I don't like being locked to certain keys because the developers didn't want to make the code for remapping keys. I hate being forced to play a game in a linear style without any deviations from the path. Does the game have problems? Yes. Can these problems be fixed by the user? YES! Nothing short of a 10 out of 10.… Expand
  88. Fuzz
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    Finally a game I've been anticipating for a long time doesn't disappoint me and, in fact, surpasses my initial expectations. Incredible game, a TON of content, engaging story and amazing gameplay choices. WARNING: Will cause sleep deprivation.
  89. cryhax
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    This game is definitely worth your time. It doesn't contain the ingenuity of portal 1 but it's a welcome change from the constant stream of perpetually disappointing releases emanating from the offices of Activision and EA. There are some fairly obvious visual glitches and the UI is a bit clunky but it hardly takes away from the fun of this game.
  90. Wisper7
    Jan 14, 2012
    9
    Amazingly huge game that, when compared to all other games out to date, deserves much better than many people are giving it the credit for. I mean, COME ON people, you whine and complain about how it's not perfect...well, has there EVER EVER been a game that was perfect? Absolutely not. Many negative reviews are from people who want something more, but they fail to realize this is a project that is way more than any other game out there. Yes, there are flaws, but they pale in comparison to its virtues. Pros: Amazing world, ALL dungeons are different, I'm not getting bored exploring them like in oblivion. Graphics are pretty good, although we still have people whining about that...it's Bethesda for gods sake! And overall hours and hours of possible gameplay. Quests are relatively interesting, with a good variety as far as i'm concerned. Overall, loving it.

    Cons: Menu system does suck, but mods are out (and coming out) already to improve it. Have gotten one crash...but compared to oblivion this is Mac versus Windows...    … Expand
  91. 0235
    Nov 19, 2011
    9
    ignoring all the bad stuff, the random crashes, the awful map and UI i can imagine that this is definately a game wortyh of the ederscrolls series. so far im only 30hours in so cant give a decent review but this game not only looks very nice (its no crysis or battlefield 3 but the graphics work) and the world is so intriguing and envolving that you can waste away hours in it.
  92. Trashware
    Nov 19, 2011
    9
    After eleven hours of gameplay I'm starting to really like Skyrim. But it's not without it's faults, so let's go over these before the praise.

    On the whole the game Skyrim feels a bit rushed out on the market. There are a lot of rough edges that should have been worked out, but somehow weren't. That's a shame, although I'm sure patches and the modding community will take care of these.

    T    o begin with, The main menu looks uninspired and put in at the very last minute. Morrowind had this right, Oblivion had this right, Fallout 3 even better. So why not Skyrim? It's like wrapping Lord of The Rings in recycled toilet paper and calling it a book cover.
    It took me over two hours of googling and tweaking the .ini files to get the optimal amount of detail out of the graphics. While I like tweaking and the results are quite impressive now, I don't understand why this hasn't been integrated in the launch menu; yes there is a ultra mode, but the water still looked blocky when selected. Why present such underwhelming results as 'ultra' while the real ultra *is* out there?


    But when fully optimized Skyrim looks really pretty. The outer world seems a bit too barren for my taste at some points. Not enough grass or dead trees, but I guess that's something a mod could take care of later on. Inside the caves it's a different story though. Huge amounts of detail and pretty atmospheric lights, and lots of interesting loot, traps and enemies to keep you occupied. The engine runs smooth on my system so far, which is very good. I do think the running is a bit too fast compared to Oblivion or Morrowind, kinda makes me wonder what I would need a horse for anyway. Also I wish the combat system would be a bit harder. Spells or shouts don't seem that special to me when cast so easily, and I seem to have quite powerful arrows already. Maybe things will get tougher later on though, I don't know about that yet.


    So far the story goes well and I quite like all the hundreds of sidequests found in books or talking to people. The scripting could have done with some refining though, as people sometimes just start to talk at the same time, or people act like I've already talked to them before while I haven't. But on the whole it's an enjoyable experience.

    Skyrim is a great game that could have been awesome. To me it's still a 8 right now, but I'll rate it a 9 in advance, for I trust the bumps will be smoothed out either way or another in the near future.    … Expand
  93. Dougeye-Master
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    First off Epic!! is an understatment. What Bethesda have done here is everything they said they would, nothing more and nothing less, people seem to forget this and had too high expectations. Since the game was announced Todd Howard has been clear in interviews etc that the game graphicly would still be dx9 with a few improvements! The approach of improving what you already know has proved to be successful rather than trying to rush out a game this big with new tech, so what it hasnt got dx11 graphics and massive textures!! I still looks good and means you can have an absolutly massive world on one disk!! aside from this, radient story = win characters = win new unique looking and sounding races = win epic views and scenery = win even the damn horses have been sorted out! and oh did i meantion dragons are absolutly epic!!!, dont get me wrong there are a few tiny little flaws like npcs gettign stuck etc in the game but compared to what they have achieved and the scope of this emmense emmersive world they fade into Oblivion!! Right im going to loose a week of my life playing it now lol… Expand
  94. Petrovita
    May 10, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing. If you haven't heard of it, you've missed something. But don't worry! That's why you need to buy it and try it. You'll never regret it. The best RPG in a decade!
  95. LonelySheep
    Feb 18, 2012
    9
    Without writing an essay, most of you know what to expect from Skyrim so i'll skip all that and just say that this game loses two points for two reasons to earn 8/10 and they are: 1.Too many bugs to poke a stick at (can recall having to reload earlier saves at least twice due to game-breaking glitches). 2. An extremely primitive combat system, especially by today's standards. Besides these, Skyrim is a beautiful, rich and very immersive game that one should take their time to fully absorb its content.… Expand
  96. Siegfriedm
    Dec 9, 2011
    9
    Bethesda, as always, make a great game with many bugs. It's so strange that a game with so many bugs is also so great! Honestly, I never had many bugs with the game, maybe I was lucky. Now with patch 1.3 things are also better.
    I suggest to everyone to make this experience! This game is infinite. You have realy many many things to do and the main story is much better than that of Oblivion.
    After the disappointment of Dragon Age 2, I was feared that also this could disappoint me, but I was happily wrong :) Buy it!    … Expand
  97. Enshia
    Nov 18, 2011
    9
    Seems that Bethesda has learned from the past especially with Oblivion and Morrowind. The game itself takes good points from both, removes the rather broken leveling system from Oblivion, and fixes the story. Adding the scale and scope from morrowind, and leaving you to do your own thing. Before I had started the main quest, I'd already picked up 10 other main quests and had nearly 30 misc quests in my log simply from meeting and exploring. Graphics on it's own, are breathtaking. The combat system has been changed, some may like it, others may hate it. That doesn't mean there aren't flaws. Some textures are low res, blood, overlays for snow, there's a few problems with FXAA, quest failures because it can't find voice files(rare), but can be fixed by extracting the BSA. The AI is smarter than in previous games, but will still do silly things. Like keep a ward up for a long period if you charge a spell. There are some curious bugs, like CTD's if you're using a higher sound output than 24bit@41k, and some people report TDR problems with nvidia cards. On ultra high, performance wise on a 965x4 w/evga 560, is very good. Lots of light sources can cause it to choke, so can shadows. Though the difference between high and ultra shadows is minimal. The UI is very consolish, hopefully some folks like DaRN will fix that soon. If I could give partial points I would. The game is more of an 8.2-8.75 than a 9.

    As it stands now I have nearly 60 hours in gameplay, and am still enjoying it.    … Expand
  98. ihatt
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    One of the best RPG games ever, it's nice that Bethesda really made it so awesome! Obviously, Skyrim is the game of the year. I wish, BioWare will ever make such masterpiece
  99. allquixotic
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    Combines the best elements of Oblivion and the Fallout 3 series with even better graphics, even more interesting AI, even more robust quests, a much more stable game (I've never crashed, not even once!), and a strong central story that, while you're free to go exploring in the sandbox, the intrigue of the story pulls you in and makes you want to go to the next location for the primary story arc.

    I find the magic system somewhat disappointing because it's not as flexible as that from previous games; I feel like we missed out on the ability to create any spell effect at any strength with any of the casting modes (sustained, bolt, PBAoE, cloak, rune, just to name a few). It would be amazing to be able to create a Master level spell that combines sustained lightning and sustained flames :)

    But, the Magic system is my ONLY gripe, and only a slight one at that. The entire face of the Elder Scrolls series has changed, here; it plays a lot more like a combination of Fallout 3 and Mass Effect than Oblivion, except for the sandbox world. But now we have cinematic mini-cutscenes that occur sometimes when you (or even NPCs!) get the killing blow on enemies, which is awesome.

    BethSoft has done something rather surprising: they have put out a game with enough depth and complexity to satisfy the die-hard PC gamers who love to tweak stats and explore every last corner of a huge, open world; and they've also crafted a cohesive, grappling story that is strong enough that casual gamers can pretty much follow the mission markers that gently guide you from one primary quest to the next, without exploring. So depending on the player style, you can play this game as if it were as non-linear as Morrowind or Oblivion (almost! -- the magic system!), or you can play it as if it were a fantasy rendition of the cinematic, movie-like Mass Effect 2, and never stray from the linear path. It's your choice.

    I don't usually rate things a 10, but man, this game is going to keep me entertained for a long time. It deserves a strong 10 because I can't think of any other game in history that does what Skyrim does, quite as well as it does it. This game will raise the bar for all future RPGs.    … Expand
  100. Webwolf
    Nov 21, 2011
    10
    This game is one of the best! its so much fun! i have played only 21 hours, and there is so much to do! there so much to explore, fight, lvl, and so much more. only one word to say MASTERPIECE!
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 29, 2012
    90
    Unfortunately, Skyrim trips and falls on its own (most probably, to make the cool-sounding deadline of 11-11-11) and just before it reaches perfection as the ultimate specimen of its genre, it self-destructs in a crucial aspect of game design: the interface and the peripheral components (inventory, journal, map, etc)... but that is not to say that Skyrim is anything but a truly majestic, epic RPG that will suck you right in its cosmos.
    Read full review
  2. Armchair Empire
    Feb 14, 2012
    100
    Skyrim is definitely one of the best games of 2011, but if the DLC holds out, it might just be one of the best games of 2012 as well.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 19, 2012
    90
    Skyrim is the best open world RPG you can get. A true evolution of genre is not flawless but still it is the game you love to live in. [Christmas 2011]
See all critic reviews »