In my opinion one of the best games ever. This game feels great, looks great and has a fantastic open world atmosphere. Bethesda graphics are never perfect but they are still very very good. I really enjoy Bethesdas open world games and having now played this I can't wait for Fallout 4 !

Skyrim graphic is a bit poor compared to other games in that area and let fall a few stitches. But we were there within hours and used to have for the rest of the game as a heavy drawback experienced, though for himself how important the graphics are.

The graphics however, we have all had significant criticism. "Sure: For Elder Scrolls fans of the first hour, which did not even Oblivion, Skyrim will in many respects, not deep enough. Who Skyrim game itself looks like, however, no other conclusion than that this is a great rpg. The atmosphere of the game completely sucks you in and the story lines, with all the variety in it, strengthen it simply.

Rarely have we seen a game world that is so profound as elaborated Skyrim. The written specifically for this game dragon language to how villagers respond to you, watch the game with details and use them. Skyrim is everything an RPG should be for us, and more extensive than we can ever show in a review. The game is true on all sides and balance combined with ditto quests and a few impressive moments that in itself is worth to play this game. Whoever feels a little bit of fantasy should not miss this game.

Pros

+ Some views are superb
+ Open world, total freedom
+ Impressive moments, especially in the main quest
+ Many opportunities, many quests
+ Original quest lines
+ Better than Oblivion level system
+ Dragons, including their language
+ Shouts provide a powerful feeling

Cons

- Graphic moderate, especially animation and facial expressions of characters
- Some minor bugs, as well by patch release to be solved… Expand

Bethesda needs to face up to the fact that they deliver broken games to it's PS3 community. I have played Elder Scrolls:Oblivion, Fallout 3 & Fallout: New Vegas before purchasing Elder Scrolls Skyrim. I have put way too many hours into all these games. I will admit I love these games, but the fact that we are dealing with the same technical issues is disappointing. Especially for a game that wins awards. Interestingly enough the game I had the least problems with was Oblivion. But Fallout 3 had plenty of framerate & crash issues, followed by the mess that was New Vegas and now Skyrim, which was highly anticipated by me and other PS3 Elder Scrolls fans gets released with the same issues and frustrations we've dealt with in past titles using the same game engine. Its very discouraging and disappointing. Where is the quality assurance in the video game industry ? I can't in clear conscience recommend anybody buy this game on PS3. If this game ran without the freezing and problems, I would give it a 10 rating for sure, but as it stands it makes a better coaster for my beverage than a game to put into my PS3. Sorry Bethesda......that's the honest truth. Deal with it.… Expand

Rofl at anyone saying negative things about this game, it's a masterpiece. Big improvement from Oblivion, go and buy this game. Not saying that people don't have opinions, but when I see "graphics are bad" it makes me a little disappointed. Forget that nonsense, the graphics are unreal for this type of game, don't believe what all those negative reviews say.

Yes it lags. No I don't care. It doesn't matter because it's an amazing game. I have been absorbed into this game and I can't get out. It doesn't matter that there are glitches. I still deserves a 10/10 because in NO way can it get a 0 very VERY few games deserve a 0. IGN haven't ever given out a 0. What did you do? Plan this attack? Did you all decide to dislike it at once? Listen.
Graphics: 9.0
Sound: 10
Story: 9.0
Presentation: 8.5
Length: 10
Gameplay: 10
You can do anything at all. I don't know what I'll get other than hates but I'll still say it: Game of the Year.… Expand

Totally amazing!! the most important game of the year. WE ARE FREE to do all we want to is this virtual world, you dont like the history missions? go and kill everybody, hunt, marry someone, investigate, read books... grat graphics for this game (we cant wait por u3 graphics) absolutly amazing music, and a great world. maybe it's not a game for everyone, but if you come to skyrim, feel it's power, you'll see that this game is pure love.(sorry for my english)… Expand

I loved Morrowind and oblivion. This is no different. Absolutely sunning visuals and game play.

This draws from Morrowind's more graphic style and leans away from the quiet quaintness of Oblivion. It's a very very fun and detailed game.

This game is at the epitome of amazing RPG's. Games like Dark Souls and Mass Effect are close to the elder scrolls series but never succeed it. The graphics are tight, the gameplay (albeit still a bit floaty) has been improved vastly, the story not a great as morrowinds but has been improved from oblivions. And the general feeling of being able to have total freedom to do whatever you desire makes this a must have game.… Expand

In good ... This game has a very serious problem ... It is impossible to stop playing! I'm at level 22 and level 100 in conjuration and the more it evolves into something, the more you see that still has much in progress! It is a work of art, where the vaunted Nordic is from the soundtrack to the buildings and clothing. Who loves the Norse mythology, will delight every new place visited.

For Odin ... I'm speechless ...… Expand

Greatest game rver made. Breathtaking graphics/art design, epically good and perfectly fitting soundtrack. They took everything that worked best in the elder scrolls and fallout to make the best game they have ever done. Dont let the trolls fool you, the critics are right for once.

Easily one of my favorite games ever. So much to do, and no serious bugs (only glitchy things I've run into have been comical). Good work Bethesda... you delivered another classic.

I Love This Game!!! iam so turned on by it!!!
I wanna make love to it!!! I wanna make baby's with it!
I wanna worship it!! I wanna scream at it!!!!

Michel

Such a beautifully executed game. The world sis immense, the people are fun to play, talk and mess with. Caves are challenging and rewarding. The new lock pick system is very nice. Creating your character is a lot more in depth and satisfying. the snow covered mountains and great views are outstanding. It could be the next LOZ:OOt.

Only been playing a few hours and am completely hooked. Have never been a fan of the Fallout series or previous Elder Scrolls games but bought Skyrim hoping that this one would live up to the hype. It has. The amount of stuff there is to do on this game seems limitless. Great open world, solid gameplay (although using magic feels a lot more fluid than using weapons), and so much freedom of choice. I foresee myself spending hours and hours on Skyrim.… Expand

Up to this point, I have never been much of a Bethesda fan. Oblivion had some great features that didn't appear in its rival franchises, but it also feel into the same category as Grand Theft Auto for me, where despite having tons of stuff to do, I just didn't care to DO any of it. Fallout 3 was no different, and its wacky interface was such a turn-off to me that I failed to see how it reached mainstream success, unless that was due to its strong-arm marketing hype. And Brink did absolutely nothing for me, 'nuf said. However, Skyrim has managed to redeem Bethesda in my eyes, if only for this one game. Skyrim is not perfect, as it suffers from the same technical drawbacks as its predecessor, but its content is far more compelling. The first thing that I noticed was the fact that Skyrim has a lot more character and style than the dreadfully generic Oblivion, albeit a straight rip-off of Peter Jackson's depiction of Middle Earth (specifically The Two Towers, since some of Skyrim's regions look like they're recreations of actual Weta sets). That being said, character creation is much improved, graphic quality is much higher, Jeremy Soule's soundrack is astounding, menus have been streamlined, and the dialogue system is better. The only real downside to the improved play mechanics is a general lack of fulfillment in questing, as most results aren't even impactful enough to move NPCs from their rooted position atop a throne or behind a store counter. In other words, the world still feels pretty stiff, despite significant work to improve the AI. Animations are often unnatural, and many of the game's best features require a silly amount of aimless adventuring before they can be unlocked. In the end, much of the game's content feels like filler and time-sinks, which should come as little surprise to anyone who has played Oblivion. Among my favorite features is the active weather system, which has a powerful impact on your exploration and combat, and it often feels like the environment is a worse adversary than the [inexcusably sparse] enemy mobs. The weather, day-night cycle, housing, enhanced social interaction, and crafting systems are all genuinely enjoyable, and they all go far in immersing the gamer in what could have otherwise been a boring march through uninspired quests. Ultimately, it is a great open-world experience for wasting time and building a character that you like, but if you're looking for challenge or a sense of purpose in your game, Skyrim could do a lot better. I still like Dark Souls better, as it constantly provides a sense of accomplishment, but the two are pretty different overall. I would recommend Skyrim to any fan of adventuring and exploration (as long as they have a fair amount of patience), and I commend Bethesda for improving in the areas that annoyed me the most in previous games. RPG nerds rarely complain about boredom in a properly crafted virtual world, since we're pretty good at finding or creating our own entertainment within those worlds, so it's the enormous feature set that makes Skyrim stand tall as it gives you plenty of toys to play with even if you care little for the main story.… Expand

unbelievably massive game! outstanding graphics, amazing gameplay and the storyline is captivating, would definately recommend getting this game, top priority!!

This game has almost instantly grown to be one of my favorite games I have ever played. This by far is the best game in the series, taking lore, graphics, world, AI, gameplay, quests, characters, you name it to a whole new level. Even as it started it felt far superior to any Bethesda game released so far, the intro level alone had me hooked like a child that has opened up a christmas gift. Combat this time around has been more versatile and as sleek as ever, everthing feels weighted, magic effects are wonderful and diverse, bows and arrows along with stealth have improved. There are even finishing moves! The world ACTUALLY feels alive this time around, which is fresh change from the crap we got with Oblivion, animals hunt each other, people brawl and work and chat, and every place has a different- exotic feel that I could compare to Morrowind... but done much better even still. There are goodies for old fans as well, Dwemer ruins, Falmer, Sanguine, etc, etc. If you're looking for an Open world RPG to play, this is absolutely THE BEST one on the market, and although it is full of bugs and glitches, the positives outweigh the negatives so much I couldn't just give it a 9/10, it deserves a 10/10.
If you like to explore, fight, role play, fantasy, open world, anything of this nature, I would definitely buy it.… Expand

Western RPGs don't get much better than this. The amount of effort that has gone into this game is apparent. If this doesn't make game of the year I will be very surprised.

Amazing in short- the game is superb with freedom of choice, length of story etc etc... Bethesda seems to have nailed it. Everything is so refined from looking at a bottle of wine to climbing a mountain and every little step in between. Stop reading and buy it already...

Skyrim is everythimg i wanted it to be and everyone else. GOOD GRAPHICS MASSIVE WORLD AWESOME COMBAT SYSTEM.....THIS GAME IS DEF. WPRTH THE 60BUCKS AND MOST LIKELY WILL WHEN GAME OF THE YEAR......THE GAME WAS SO GOOD THAT THE MIDNIGHT RELEASE LINE WAS AS LONG AS A FOOTBALL FIELD..

Skyrim is the kind of game that really stands. The attention to detail is mind blowing. People will be playing this for days and months. On the PC load times are nearly nonexistent, I have yet to havethe chance to really read or admire the load screens, which is both a good and bad thing as they are interactive and have lore bits. The graphics on ultra running at 1920x1080 are flooring. This is truly a HUGE jump over Oblivion in regard to visual fidelity. Melee combat is also vastly improved and solid feeling, magic has a definite weight to it in SkyrimFinally the amount of content... Like I said days, weeks of gameplay and huge replayability. If I had to choose one game to have the rest of my life and only one, it would be The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.… Expand

One of the greatest game this decade. This game feels great, looks great and has a fantastic open world atmosphere. I hope it will win GOTY this year. It's sad to see all these MW3 fanboys giving it 0.

In good ... This game has a very serious problem ... It is impossible to stop playing! I'm at level 22 and level 100 in conjuration and the more it evolves into something, the more you see that still has much in progress! It is a work of art, where the vaunted Nordic is from the soundtrack to the buildings and clothing. Who loves the Norse mythology, will delight every new place visited. For Odin ... I'm speechless ...… Expand

this is the best game ever! this game is the phenom! it is "MUST BUY"!! i think battlefield 3 vs the elder scrolls v syrim wins SKYRIM !!
the graphics i think it's not very good for this game!

Paradna game free world happy as I am when I started this game ocakaval vyborne play was zazitok, completly fajna graphics happy environment paci me and strasne me surprised that it received from metacritic, 95, and from hracov 9,3 vynikajuce evaluation.Also congratulations to vyrobcom.

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 eve 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

This game is still being played, however on a pc not the ps3 due to lack of support. It is still playable, but there are several broken quests that cannot be completed. This game is so huge it should be rated on a scale of 0..15 not 10. I would still give it a 15 out of 15 because of the sheer beauty of the game on the PS3. it plays a bit soft though, I'm playing at the highest level and am challenged somewhat but not the Demons Souls level of challenge.… Expand

great game yes they're are bugs those will be sorted out, the only reason its not a perfect 10 is the bugs and the lack of real polish on the main quest

First off, I put over 135 hours into this game so far and the game runs as good as the first day that I started playing it. -This is most likely because of the update that I installed recently, but it's also because I create a new save file every-time that I save until I run out of save slots and simply start overwriting them-. Anyways, aside from what most "user" critics say, Skyrim in my opinion feels like the smoothest game to come from Bethesda in a very long time (smother than Oblivion and Fallout). Now there are a few bugs, but that barley even scratches the surface of this masterpiece. The graphics are better, the main story feels more significant, and combat has even improved. So honestly I would give this game atleast an 8-9 considering the minor flaws, but seriously? Even if Skyrim's bug were as bad as people claim they are, giving a game like this a 0 is just childish nonsense. Grow up people.… Expand

Not perfect but by far one the best open world RPGs ever made. The elder scrolls games have a long history or cramming 50+ hours into a single game making the games themself one of th efew games available that is actually a good deal for the amount of money you pay. I put over 150hours into Oblivion between the core story, side quests and expansions so yes they nay-Sayers can complain that Skyrim offers more of the same with some minor improvements, I see this as a testament to the fact that Oblivion was such a great game there was little that needed to be done to improve it. That being said Skyrim may initially feel the same but the deeper you get into the combat and creation systems the more you can see the improvements. I am only about 6 hours in and so far this game already stands out as a solid contender for GOTY at least RPG of the year. Fantastic visuals (a few areas of pop-up on textures), decent voice acting, better than most. Solid gameplay though a bit hectic in some of the most intense situations when you are surrounded it is easy to lose sight of your target. This few knocks keep it from total perfection but when tyou consider ther is close to 100 hours of gameplay on this disc for the same $60 that some other games give you 10 and 12 hours of gameplay you get more bang for your buck. If you are into this type of open world exploration rpg game you cannot pass this one up.… Expand

Everything that Oblivion was, this game has improved upon. This game will suck you in and never spit you out. Hundreds of quests are to be completed in this game. You could buy the game, start it up, and spend dozens of hours not even touching the main story. One of the best RPGs produced, period. The soundtrack is also amazing and really makes it feel like you're in the game. Just go out and buy it already.… Expand

Now this is a game. After the travesty that was MW3 this has been a godsend. Very immersive and fun to play. My game of the year. Looking forward to putting in another 100 hours.

If it's not broken, why fix it! Oblivion was a masterpiece and Skyrim is just a fine tuned and HEAVILY expanded version of it. I'm only about 10 hours in and have encountered minor bugs that otherwise do not take anything away from the experience! Mr Howard; TOP NOTCH WORK LADDY!

If there is any game that would make you want to leave this life and live and live within that instead has won the hearts of me and millions like me. Bethesda, do not stop creating, do not stop loving what you create, you really do put your "dragon soul" into these games every-time you design/ develop them, thank you.

I don't know how good or bad this game is on PC, and I don't know why there are PC Reviewers on the PS3 page. Skyrim on PS3 is amazing and I am having a ton of fun playing it and creating my character how I want to play him. I can't wait to play it again with a different type of character. Very few games can give you this many hours of gameplay. Buy it!!

I absolubtely despised RPG's. No RPG was good enough for me. Skyrim changed that. An absolutely great game that will keep you glued to the couch. Instead of being like most games ( follow a linear path, shoot, repeat) this game defines RPG's. One of the best games in the market.

The dilema giving Skyrim a score is the choice between 9 and 10. Its not perfect, It has flaws, a few patches are definately in order. And yet its the most incredable enviroment I've ever witnessed on a PC, The word game do'es not do it justice. SO... 10 it is.

What can be said about Skyrim? well I'll tell you,the game is awsome it has great graphics that I never thought could be done on consoles but Bethesda pulled it off and it's amazing.now skyrim does have it's Bugs and Glitches but that's okay seeing as how the game is open world and is huge enough to get lost in.If your an elder scrolls fan or an RPG fan or just like a great story you have got to play this game.… Expand

THE game of the decade. It has everything you could ever want in a videogame, and really a whole lot more. It has the best of everything it includes in the game, and it includes a whole hell of a lot.

There are times in this game where I just stop and stare at the world that it creates. A game as magical and absorbing as this deserves nothing less than a ten.

Epic game... Graphics are great... Gameplay is awesome... What more can you ask for :) Im really enjoying the dragon souls part of the game. I hope the addons are epic for this game.

Il est enfin la, le rpg ultime de betesda sur cette génération, j'adore, techniquement bon même si la version pc est bien meilleur, l'histoire du titre est classique mais reste interessante, comme d'habitude avec les elder scrolls, un grand jeu

This game is just amazing! I really enjoyed Oblivion loved it even. There is plenty to explore, many side missions that are available just by visiting cities. Some people have given this a bad score don't listen to them they have no idea what they are thinking. This is my favourite RPG game to date nothing in my mind can compere to it! The horses and water effects and how it works are better than before. It is the same for the menus and how you level up and become better. If you get this game you will not be disappointed.… Expand

so skyrim 1 word flawless. i used to think mass effect 2 was the best game ever until now skyrim is the BEST game ever made the story is amazing the combat is flawless fighting dragons is challenging yet still fun. this game will never end. my pick for game of the year and the best game ever made until mass effect 3 comes out.

Bethesda is well known by their massive huge worlds that are tantalizing to explore from begining to the end. What is left in here is a masterpiece that is impossible to resist. Hats off

I should give this game a 0 for hor the addiction level! This game is awsome! This is a game thats worth $60. Unlike other games that just release the same game every year to *Cough Mw3 Cough*

Yes, the game breaking bug was bad. Yes they shouldn't have released the game in such a state, but **** happens, and the main thing is they patched it. Buy the PS3 version safe in the knowledge that it is now entirely playable, and easily the best game ever released on the Playstation, it's THAT good.

Before i begin, i need to say that for all of those who have problems with the game lagging and freezing, there is a light for you. Bethesda heard your complaints and have announced a patch to fix it after Thanksgiving. Now, I should start by saying i wasn't the biggest fan of Oblivion. I didn't hate it, but i got it late, this year actually for the 5th anniversary. I saw what Skyrim was doing and got excited to see if they would deliver that fantasy experience that Lord of the Rings got me into when i was a kid. And im happy to say it did, every bit of it. It toke everything that I though Oblivion did ok at and made it great. Character animations are more natural, but still a bit stiff, though i let that pass when i can kick a Drugars ass in a cave. The open world feeling is there, with beautiful environments and sounds that are a joy to just sit back and listen to. Combat is miles above Oblivions, with hit detection, blood on your weapon of choice and some final finishes strait from Fallout 3, one of my all time favorite games. Magic is more fun in this game than any i have played, and a level up system that is much more natural than The Elder Scrolls past games. The story is very good as well, with some memorable characters and fantastic moments. Side missions can range from the simple retrieve this and that, to crazy "Didn't see that coming" missions. The only thing i can say that is wrong that DOESN'T involve small glitches that Bethesda is working on is some of the textures. This is a big picture game, and that big picture is amazing. But get up close to a mountain and tree and you can see the polygons and rough edges.Though the game isn't meant to be examined up close, its meant for you to look out over a cliff and see the mist at the top of a mountain, or the gloom of a cave. The only way you can hate this game is to go out and find the glitches, but sometimes a game is made from the glitches and laughing about them. Skyrim is the love letter from Bethesda. Did you love Oblivion? Here is a better story, graphics, combat, pretty much everything that is still the game you love. Did you love Fallout 3? We have the questing, finishers, and feel from that game. Did you love Fallout: New Vegas? We have the weight feel and spectacular writing from that game as well. A truly amazing game, one that you shouldn't hate because of its few short-comings, but should be loved for listening to the customer and giving them what they have wanted for 5 long years.… Expand

After 6 hours its safe to say this is my favourite game of all time. It has exceeded every single one of my expectations so far. Never before have i felt such joy from playing such a magnificent perfect game. Thank you Bethesda, I can now die a happy man, now that i have played your perfect game.

This is by far the best game out this year and should and by no means secure the Game of the Year award. You simply have to play the game to understand just how and why people are amazed and more or less bow down to the game devs for this one. Like its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has once again managed to capture the attention of the world and take us through its amazing world. I for one still stand amazed at the amount of work accomplished and truth be told, Bethesda deserve all the praise and glory they have earned because they worked hard and truly this has paid off well… Expand

Good, this game is diffidently worth the buy. Imagine a giant world that you can immerse yourself into and that's skyrim. You do not have to play the other games to understand Skyrim.

Great game.... environment is outstanding. I would give it a 9.5. The amount of quests you get can be overwhelming and you can get lost in the plot. Also there are a few crashes and bugs. But that doesn't ruin the experience. If you are looking for a pure RPG... get this game.

Skyrim, is far from a perfect game, but that doesn't detract from what it is, game of the year.

Visually, Skyrim is absolutely stunning. I can recall multiple times while running across the wilderness, i have stopped and stared off into the horizon as the sky lit up, reminiscent of the Norther Lights, with a mountain range with snow capped peaks and low cloud clover sat in the distance. All the creatures and characters as well, are very fleshed out to create a very lively world, a very lively beautiful world, for the player to do what they will in it. Now with my short time on the 360 version, there were a few screen tearing issues, but I've put in nearly double the time of the PS3, now at 80 hours, and haven't noticed a single time this has happened. There have been a few frame rate drops when there are a high amount of particle effects, but you have to remember, this game was designed and built on the 360 and ported to the PS3. So, for a ported game, it's not bad at all.

The gameplay has changed substantially as well. The combat system has had a overhaul to the point where you can duel wield daggers, swords, axes or even magic spells. You can even combine these spells to create an absolutely destruction spell to unleash on your enemies. The menu system has been overhauled too. It has been created to be used with minimal button pressing, but, can be navigated completely with any of the cardinal directions on either the d-pad or left joystick. Button pressing only comes on entering the system, to quick exit, or assign a weapon or item as a favorite or which hand to equip it too. It really is, a superb system that is easy to learn and fun to use.

Now the game, is massive. I've started quests, worked on them for a half hour, only to be given a new quest and go off and start on that one. And the amount of content, is staggering. So far, no two dungeons have been alike. They've all been very alive. From the old derelict crumbling fortresses populated and controlled by bandit tribes, to caves full of necromancers and their undead armies to ice caves with a very nice reference to Star Wars in which a dead Luke is hanging upside down. The game is massive, and will take weeks to complete completely.

As I said, there are bugs, from some physics glitches in which a giant can smack you into orbit as if you were a satellite to a dragon's carcass dancing if you load into a city and it's where you killed it. These, can be overlooked, for underneath these few minor annoyances, likes an artistic masterpiece that everyone should participate in.… Expand

One of the best games I have played. There is a few bugs here and there but the thousands of awesome features make up for those completely. This should get Game of the Year.

I have never been much into RPG's or any type of dragon/demon magic type game but holy cow this game has made me a follower. I would throw my wallet at the guys who made this I love it so much.

Still 0 lag after 60+hrs of play and a save file of 8MB+. Maybe all this QQ comes from outdated fail. This game is insane, the best game to date. A must buy.

Its the Mother of all RPG's. I am in 60+ Hours and I am still amazed at what they did. This is a world on its own. The detail, the story arc, the gameplay, the adventure is just mind blowing. It does have an occasional bug here and there but nothing that will stop the adventure. Thank you Bethesda for setting the bar as high as this. I wanted to give it a 9.5 but since there was no option I will say 10 compared to anything that is on the market. Do not deprive yourself from an epic adventure with a replay value of over 300+ hours. The soundtrack still makes me shiver and is stuck in my head.… Expand

The first hour is a bit disapointing. That said, Skyrim offers a better experience in every ways than Oblivion or Fallout. I love being lost in this tremendous world. A game where we dont count hours...

Skyrim's amazing, even with the bugs. The game offers so much, and you can do so much. It's an immense world and you're put in there to do whatever the hell you want. There are so many benefits to free roam, and there's so much beauty to see in the game that it's stunning.

TES Skyrim is nothing short of breath taking. From the initial battle in Helgen, to the open world you delve into just a few hours into the game. The map is MASSIVE, with a nearly unlimited amount of things to do. This is truly a sandbox style game with no linear game play element.

Dragon encounters are incredibly fun, yet challenging and the amount of different NPCs provides enough variety to keep things fresh.

Being a huge RPG fan, with Dragon Age Origins being one of my favorite games, Skyrim is quickly breaking that favoritism and becoming my new favorite game. I can absolutely see myself dumping 150+ hours into this game without batting an eye.

I HIGHLY recommend this game if you are into RPGs with fantastic history and story lines.… Expand

It's important to think about the terms 'vision' and 'commitment' when evaluating your own experience of Skyrim. Those two terms do not always mean 'new' or 'innovative' as some may expect, but instead connote selection, judgment, taste, quality, and balance; all of which are apparent in Skyrim. Using tools developed during the creation of other titles, Bethesda set out to realize the Elder Scrolls world more completely than ever before. The vision of the game demanded that Bethesda focus on mood, atmosphere, immersion, lore, and story, and the effects of this choice can be felt in nearly all the systems of the game. Combat is simple because the objective of the game is not to be a fantasy combat simulator, while crafting is simple because the game is not meant to model the workings of a pseudo-medieval society engaged in various handicrafts and manufacture. Skyrim is meant to display the incredible breadth of imagination and creation that is possible with a well-funded AA title; the scope of the title is something that other developers cannot match and I believe that 'scope' is the mission of this title - as well as its defining factor. All other systems in the game have been constrained and simplified to support this feeling of scope. Therefore, attacking Skyrim with the philosophy of 'kill everything, loot every dungeon' is going to drive you absolutely crazy. If you rate the entertainment value the game will provide after completing every challenge, it would probably be a 2 out of 10: you're in for a lot of tedium. You're not meant to grind combat for 20 hours during your playthrough, because that limits the scope of your experience. Furthermore, such an attitude violates the very spirit of an RPG: no character would ever stand around whacking monsters to achieve a '100' score in one handed weapons. Similarly, walking around picking flowers for alchemy will get fairly boring after the novelty wears off. However, the character would improve themselves so that they could kill an interesting Giant Frost Spider and see what goods lay behind the beast. The alchemy, combat, item, and crafting systems all model ancillary experiences to the main pleasure of exploring one of the most fully realized game worlds to come along, ever. If you focus on the secondary aspects of the game, your experience will be similarly second-rate. Picking goals that are important to you and playing to achieve them is just as important as following the main story line. However, the game does fall down somewhat in choosing to drastically simplify combat, as combat is the way that your character interacts with most of the game world's non-human speech incapable characters. If Bethesda had applied their vision of scope to the behaviors of creatures and vampires, where every encounter is both dangerous and different, then Skyrim would become something akin to religion or life-experience rather than mere game. I imagine a scenario where Bethesda purchases and integrates From Software's talent for deep combat into the next Elder Scrolls title. Maintaining Skyrim's amazing level of scope and adding an additional layer of danger, difficulty, and tenseness present in Dark Souls or Demon Souls would be a peerless combination. In summary, the fantastic far outweighs the flubbed in Skyrim. Everything from the graphics (they are clearly good enough), to the amazingly reactive soundtrack, to the little side conversations that happen around you as you stroll through a town, supports the feeling that you are involved in the goings-on of this land called Skyrim. As a player, you have a choice, and also a responsibility, to make your hours in the land of Skyrim count. Part of the charm and the difficulty of open world games is that there's no guiding hand to prevent you from ruining your own experience. The developers have made freedom readily available and if you want your play experience to be: 'I sifted through countless barrels in the hopes of finding a Doomsword! Then I gathered every flower in a four square mile radius to try all possible combinations!' your experience will be eclipsed by a player who reports 'Using whatever tools I had on hand, I slew a mighty dragon and gained the fabled power of the Voice...'… Expand

This is the best game ever. You can do anything you want go anywhere you want and kill Dragons. No other game on the ps3 has done this much in a single game. Overall its just an amazing game.

Oblivion stole about 300+ hours from my life and I have no doubt in my mind that Skyrim will do the same. I picked the game up on the PS3 and so far it looks absolutely beautiful, despite a few lazy textures the game is wonderful to look at. One of my favorite elements of the Elder Scrolls games is the rich immersion into the lore of the world and the unique way the story is told and Skyrim exceeded all my story expectations. I've already wasted at least 2 hours reading the in game story books. The world is so immersive that you may find yourself whispering to your friends on the couch while sneaking, or wanting to let out a battle cry after one of the many dragon fights, the game takes you in and doesn't let go. The combat took what we all loved from oblivion and improved the movements a lot, the magic feels fresh and new with the ability to dual wield spells and weapons, get ready to feel like a bad ass.

All good things aside there were some issues you may want to be ready for. There is some texture issues with the environments, noticed mostly on the cobblestone streets but its easy to ignore, graphical lag can occur every now and then. Many players fear the dreaded game freeze and I have to admit, I have had to restart my console to resolve one myself but so far its a one time thing. The voice acting has improved and the characters feel more real but there's still some pretty cheesy dialogue this also pretty rare.

Overall I'm going to go with about a 9, if Bethesda can spit out a few bug fixing patches in the near future my rating may go up, mainly because my only problems with the game are technical issues, and that its going to steal my social life away for god knows how long.… Expand

my words are unworthy to describe this game. it is simply a masterpiece. i've been playing for probably 20 hours yet it feels i've barely scratched the surface. the graphics are beautiful, the spells and weapons stylish, and the enemies epic.

There are only a few games I buy for $60, and this is definitely one of them. It is just simply amazing, great graphics/environment, good storyline, and very, very open world. Bugs are to be expected on occasion, and when the save file starts to get bigger expect glitches/freezing. They are in the process of fixing this, but seeing as New Vegas went, it might be a little while. I only have two issues with the title; Kids, and Quest NPC's. If you can't kill something then you shouldn't put it in a elder scrolls title should you? If you commit a crime, it stops you from being able to kill all witnesses...… Expand

Bugs should knock a gaming masterpiece down from a 10 to a 9, not from a 10 to a 0. The number of people that gave the game a 0 is truly indicative of one thing: trolls are truly whiny deep down. Big games will have a few glitches. Not every game will provide the instant gratification that Call of Duty does. Get over it.

Great game overall, have no idea what all the 0 are about, the game runs smooth for me. For people reading by date, read the professional critics page, the people here obviously do not know what they're talking about

after almost 6 years we finally get the next elder scrolls game and after much hype does it live uo to what i had hoped it would be? for the most part yes the game looks amazing in the graphics department , there is a ungodly amount of stuff to do , the game now feels more of a challange unlike oblivion did , fighting dragons is awsome the charcter models look great unlike oblivions and the creat a charicter has been streamlined . the game has a new level up system which is simaler to the old elder scrolls games but is differnt and took it awhile to grow on me as you no longer have a set of prefered skills that level you up faster. the games story isnt bad but like most ES games it doesnt stand out as most people just get sucked into all the extra stuff there is to do. there has been alot of raging on the games frame rate slowing down to near unplayable levels and ive had a friend tell me the same others have as well. i my self have over 120 hours into the game did pretty much almost every thing there is to do and have only encountered that slow down a few times and only lasted 1-2 minuites and went away so i cant complain about it personally.. but i can understand people raging against this game over it if they have gotten it alot. other then that one of my gripes is you still can not fly... well why the hell not? i miss that from morrowind. also the load times are abit long and i would think with the install to the ps3 you could speed that up alot more. over all i loved skyrim i put a 120 hours into it and had alot of fun and the game had me hooked from the first hour to the last.… Expand

Im playing the game since yestarday ... and i must say that is incredible ! No dought ! Is goty 2011, big map, big history, all is big, all work, all have life, i love this game! Goty 2011!!!

the sequel of oblivion is better, bigger ,and more amazing than elder scrolls IV ,dont miss up a dragon or a giant you don´t gonna like it enjey a beatifull , world full of live.

An awesome game, very fun. One of the only games that I've played that lived up to its hype. The game play is awesome and fun, the graphics are good not the best but still beautiful. The music fits perfectly with the scenic of the game, the only complaint I have is some of the sound effects sound low quality.

One word: Masterpiece. Amazing story, characters, sound design, etc. Bethesda really did a fantastic job. Only issue is the shadows are terrible on the PS3 version, they should have been shut off and had plain shadows but otherwise not a big deal. The graphics are incredible. All I will leave with you to decide if your un-sure of buying is when you fight the first dragon you feel like your in the shoes of the guy from the film Dragonslayer.. incredible and never felt so out of this world playing it. Look up at the sky and see constellations even.. attention to detail is incredible...ahh enough of me raving, check it out for yourselfs!… Expand

Spectacular game. Everyhting about it is awesome, after getting my third dragon shout the game got even better. Good job bethesda, keep up the good work and hopefully make a really good DLC for this game because im definitely getting it :)

It's an amazing game. From the set-pieces, such as the great intro, to the magnificent vistas and the populace of skyrim, it just makes you want to play more and more of it. Don't be surprised if at some point you've said "ok, i'm just going to finish this quest and then i'll put down the controller, have to wake up for work tomorrow" just to realize, after what seems to be maybe half an hour, that dawn is coming and you've been playing for hours and hours. In my opinion it's one of the games that I would fully recommend to anyone, whether they've played any of the other Elder Scrolls or not.… Expand

I bought this game on a whim, simply because I haven't had a game to play for ages and the simple conclusion is: This game is incredible! I'm not one to follow the main quest line in the elder scrolls games, so the first thing I usually do is head straight into the wild to see what the world throws at me. The world threw dragons, amazing dungeons, horses and epic quest lines at me. This game is a must have! I recommend you get it to PC as you will have the possibility to play using mods created by the vast community. Some glitches holds it from getting a perfect score.… Expand

Just as good if not better than oblivion. The character class system is amazing, and truly lets you play and do what YOU want, how YOU want to. I will definitely be spending many many hours in this game....and then...there's always the mods!

This game is better than oblivion in many ways. Interesting map to play on, hundreds of quests and locations, and a ton of things to do. Graphics are superb, voice acting is superb, sounds are superb. There are a few minor glitches i have encountered, but nothing that i haven't seen in Oblivion. When my game save got to around 8mb the framerate suffered a bit. Nothing in this game is broken. They released a patch that stopped the framerate drop. Dragon battles could be a lot more epic - or difficult for that matter. If you are a fan of role playing games, especially the western kind, you should get this game. This game seems to be a bit more difficult than the last in some instances which is a good thing because I dislike being unchallenged. If I had to choose one game this winter season, it would be Skyrim, unless your into multiplayer games, then id say go for battlefield 3.… Expand

Look. Doubtless you could spend a fair while nitpicking at all the negatives in the game, and admittedly, like ALL games there are a few. But it does not override the fact that this is a simply OUTSTANDING game that is easily up there with the biggest contenders this year, dare I say it even surpasses them by many miles. While some may see a broken, glitchy repeat, I see a game that thrusts a truly mesmerising world into your fingertips and shouts, "Go forth, Explore this land we hath created for you!". Say goodbye to fast-travel, because the soundtrack and the sheer beauty of it will make you want to walk everywhere.… Expand

Just perfect game.
Good story, improved game play, very good facial animation and outstanding graphics.
It is a way better game than oblivion!
GOTY!!!

Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,Awesome,

If you don't like long reviews - I like Skyrim. A lot. It's the Game of the Year and more. If you aren't playing it, you are missing out on hands-down the best game I've ever played. Period. Full stop.

I created an account here specifically because I was SHOCKED at the scores for Skyrim and because I wanted to add my voice to the chorus who loved it. So take what follows for what it's worth.

Skyrim feels like nothing short of a triumph of modern gaming. It is huge, interesting, and immersive like nothing that's come before, and more importantly, it is as deep as the ocean. I have put more than 50 hours into this game and I haven't even scratched the surface. It is as deep as the World of Warcraft except single player, if that makes sense. And every second is just a breathtaking testament to how much attention the design team paid to EVERYTHING. Characters interact in realistic ways - when I slayed a dragon on the main street of a town, two NPCs (a shopkeeper and another that I had seen walking around the town for days before) died forever and for the next week (in game) every one in town was in awe of the dragon fight and skeleton...it was a procedurally generated event (I *think*) that FELT scripted, which is the highest compliment I think I can pay. When the line blurs between story events designed by a truly outstanding creative team and story events designed by the game engine, that's a very good sign.

The graphics are lush and beautiful, the music and sound design is awe-inspiring. It makes the real world pale in comparison. Seriously.

The deepness in the game is truly stunning. I could (and have!) spent hours just creating weapons and armor with Smithing, hours Enchanting, hours practicing Alchemy...and that is all in excess of the tens of storylines, each epic, each deep, each amazing. The only complaint I have about the storylines and immersion of the game is that it sometimes seems like too much...it's hard to stay focused because there's just so much going on.

It is the most open experience I've ever had in any game, ever. That includes tabletop games, run by good GMs, who could literally respond to every thought and whim in real-time (and didn't have to generate a beautiful 3D world as well). The closest comparison that I can make, that almost no one will understand, is this: if you created a Rogue-like game, with infinite procedurally generated dungeons and combined it with the kind of 3D environments that you see on next gen consoles...that's awfully close to what Skyrim is. It scratches that itch very, very well. The difference of course is that the environment in Skyrim is hand designed - every inch of every game map has been touched by a designer, and it shows.

It's the first game that I would argue is almost past the point of art - it's so immerse, calling it art cheapens it. It really is just a triumph in every way.

So to show that I'm not completely blind, here are the things I don't like - I have several times seen glitches and errors pop up...but usually after I had been playing the game for six hours at a stretch or greater. I restarted my console and went on without a problem. Once or twice I've even had a 'hard' freeze on my console, but recovered with really no data loss. The inventory/magic menu system is elegant but not particularly user friendly - it can feel cumbersome, especially in the middle of a fight. This is due primarily to the huge number of things in your inventory, though. And I'm not sure how it could be better, just to say that it can be clunky at times. The combat system is tricky because it's deeper than it appears to be....you can't just walk up to a better-equipped opponent and wail away. Rather than stand in front of them and button mash, to not be instantly slaughtered you have to move, almost like a high level boxer, feinting and reacting to your opponents attacks. Probably fewer than 1 in 50 combat situations fall into this category, though. And for every shockingly hard combat, there are also multiple ways to win - sometimes a magical item, sometimes a spell, and sometimes through sneaking and surprise. Again, creativity from the player is encouraged.

None of these minor problems distract from an overall amazing experience.

I am not a typical Skyrim player. I didn't even know about the game until the day before its release, and got so stoked up that I actually went to the midnight release (my first time ever doing so). I went in with no particularly high expectations - maybe that's why some users are unimpressed? I just wanted a cool game to play. But Skyrim has exceeded everything I could have even imagined.

Buy it now. It's not a game, it's an alternate reality.… Expand

Fantastic game. Above and beyond oblivion and I loved that game. Graphics are very nice, game is seemingly endless with tons of play time, amazing scenery, and beautiful music. Recommend to anybody who enjoys RPGs.

Amazing! So much better than oblivion. A true masterpiece. Bethesda just keeps putting out some of the most amazing games. It will pull you in and take over your life. Thank you so much Bethesda.

I never played any of the Elder Scrolls games before Skyrim, and I admit that I rushed into buying it the day it came out but I am really glad I did because it really is an amazing game. Sure, there are a few things that need to be fixed up but that can be expected with a new release. I highly recommend buying Skyrim, you wont regret it.

This Game is completely 100% amazing, the graphics are superb, storytelling is fantastic and the gameplay is legendary. The Elder Scrolls is a world famnous gaming franchise, known for the complete freedom that it offers and just how purely fun it is. Arena, was an amazing game at the time, Daggerfall was HUUUGE, Morrowind was revolutionary, Oblivion was great, and now Skyrim is utterly perfect. I have been seriously gaming since i was 6, when Arena came out, and I honestly havent seen a game quite like Skyrim, ever. I highly reccommend this game for the casual gamers, serious gamers, posers, and posers who are posing to be posers. If you want a good game, please buy TES V Skyrim… Expand

I have spent around 80 hours in it, and have accomplished nothing of significance. I enjoy the beautiful sunset and sunrise like a goof. Read every damn book I can find. Cook everything I can muster. Talk to every single person, irrelevant or not. Work the mill, or the grain, not knowing what the hell it does. Why? Because this game lets me live and play exactly how I want too, and it is near perfection in every category. Well, kinda buggy. But those are often funny haha BUY or DIE.… Expand

well im already seeing 10s and 0s for user reviews for skyrim, and im shocked. this game, is a heavenly god blessed masterpiece of mankind that our species shall treasure for the rest of time!!! now im not gunna be another person who will give this game a 10 but i will give it a 10. the graphics are outstanding, but faces can be bad at times and expected glitches are still there. the gameplay is almost perfect, magic in one hand, an axe in the other, my favorite combo. story was good, yet the main quest was shorter than i thought, but all the side quests and exploring make up for it. overall skyrim is the greatest rpg ive played in my life. enough said… Expand

This game is amazing. Great graphics and endless possibilities are to be found in this game. Might be tough to get through some quests but that's the fun part, you gotta think to get through. I do recommend!

This game is fantastic on numerous levels! Yea its a bit buggy but that's to be expected with a game of this magnitude and already a patch has been released to fix several problems. I have had the game freeze a couple times but luckily you can set the auto save feature to save as frequently as you like so playing over whole levels and such isn't a problem. Otherwise I have logged nearly 80 to 90 hours of game play into it and still have a huge amount of stuff still to do.The game looks fantastic and the soundtrack is awesome! The menus are easy to navigate and weapon swapping has been made much easier. By far the most bang for your buck your going to see for a long time. I highly recommend every gamer to pick this up and just let it consume you.… Expand

SKYRIM...HOLY S**T

Pros:
-THIS GAME IS HUGE! Out of the all the games I played this year even some that I consider better than this, Skyrim is the only game I am playing that even after finishing important task there is still more to do. My Quest log is flooded with Side Quests and I just bought the game two days before this review. Not to mention there is DLC planned. Say goodbye to real life.
-Presentation is outstanding. Soundtrack is amazing and makes me pumped up. Graphics are gorgeous especially when played on a suped up PC.
-Combat is fun and dynamic. I don't exactly know how much combat has changed but overall, fighting in the game is a blast.
-The ability to do whatever you want. Spoiler-Free Example: I was told to kill someone, but when I approached him he had backup, and I was weak. Then he convinced me to help him which meant trapping and arresting the person that told me to kill him. It was at this moment that I felt that I made the wrong decision, I could no longer do the good deed that I wanted. However, when the trap was initiated, he was all alone, and it was at this moment I realized that I can kill this guy. Problem solved...This game kicks ass.

Cons:
-This game is too big...I not negating points but the game's massive scale does become overwhelming after a while especially when traveling in the game takes a great amount of time.
-NPCs are lifeless. Compare the NPCs in this game to the NPCs in Mass Effect 2. In ME2, NPCs were presented through cutscenes and had human like movements making you immersed in the actual game and it's world even if the conversations were from third-person perspective. In Skyrim, when you commit a crime, guards approach you in their battle stance while you stand still in your tracks. Come on Bethesda, haven't we come to that point in gaming were we actually want to care about what we are fighting for. Even in the first Dragon Age, your character was silent and yet I felt more engrossed in the game.
-The User Interface is hard to use and has steep learning curve. The ability to preview your character is no longer available for some odd reason. -Bethesda's Bug infamous launch bug problem, however, these can be fixed.
-While the game has some beautiful graphics, a lot of character models are unattractive and could've use a bit more clean-up. -Some of the voice acting, while excellent, is weird in the sense that character are trying to do accents and are failing.
-While improved from it's predecessors and advances the series forward, the game doesn't contain anything that could influence the way we play games unlike other games that I have played this year.

Overall, if you are a gamer then go purchase Skyrim, no questions asked. I myself am not a fan of most RPGs and yet this game is addicting. If you are a casual gamer, then forgive me because I can't recommend this game to you even if you want to try. GOTY? To you maybe, for me no. Game that will ruin my life? Yes.… Expand

This game is amazing. I sit and play it for hours but it only feels like a few minutes. All of the side quests make you feel like you are doing something important and that you really can influence this world. If you are not playing this game you are missing out.

I Love it how some nerd got completely angered by this game that he bothered to create tens of profiles with different names just to rag on this game. Honestly, did you not think it suspcious that every one of your posts is rated 0 and was enetered on the 5th of december? I mean really if you have nothing better to do than sit at home making fake names, you really need to take a look at your life. Skyrim is an excellent game, glitches aside this game it definately a contender for game of the year.… Expand

This game is amazing. The graphics are good, and it's a lot of fun to play. I see a lot of people complaining about problems with the PS3 version, but I haven't seen most of it. My game started to stutter after 60 hours and a 9mb+ save file, and the patch fixed it. It's froze once in the whole time I've been playing, and I haven't had any broken quests or NPC's. The combat is a a lot of fun, I love having magic in one hand and a sword in the other.… Expand

This game is amazing. I have not had any problems with bugs and I would recommend this highly. The sheer size of the world, the sheer amount of sidequests, the improvements to the gameplay, there's not much in the game that can go wrong.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST GAMES I'VE EVER PLAYED!!! Yes it has bugs, and it can be frustrating. BUT that is expected in a game of this calibre. Play for a few hours and you will be immersed in this game like you never thought possible. The massive world provides variety in creatures, towns and dungeons. Don't let a bugs ruin this magnificent masterpiece. BUY IT!!!!

I highly agree with Chrisking8613's comment... From what I've seen in order to fix the lag issues it seem to help by 1, creating several save files and making a new save each time (or overwriting if you have too many) or by 2, Updating your PS3/Skyrim. The update is most likely all that you need but I do both and don't experience any lockups or extreme lagging. So you will need both an internet connection and a large hard-drive, if you post a comment about "extreme lags" please specify if you've tried anything that I've suggested.… Expand

i already reviewed this but after seeing all the trolls on here i have to re-submit. me and many of my friends played this game for many, many hours on ps3. i played it over 140 hours myself. yes, there was some frame-rate and other minor stuff but considering how literally HUGE this game is it is just not that big of a deal. i'll bet at least half of these people giving the game 0 on here are just repeating what they've heard and not even trying the game. it's a great game, maybe the best ever. if you like rpgs you HAVE TO play this or you are missing out on the best. period. haters go get your platinum trophies (like me) and then tell me the game doesn't work.… Expand

I got this for Christmas and have spent well in excess of 60 hours playing thus far. There are bugs that mess up some quests. But if you save often and recognize what's going on then you can usually go back and remedy it. But that is a valid complaint against this game. I am not having lagging problems. My friends report, though I have not oft experienced, the game simply freezing up. I got that a great deal with Oblivion. Not so much in Skyrim. I never lower the difficulty of a game, but I have friends that like that feature of this game. But those flaws notwithstanding, Skyrim is a beautiful, expansive and amazing game. I know the main story is short and i have not resumed it since I identified it. There are great puzle challenges, difficult battles, the freedom to create any kind of character you want and a thorough method of gaining experience. I truly love this game, notwithstanding its flaws.… Expand