User Score
8.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2599 Ratings

User score distribution:

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  1. Apr 9, 2012
    9
    Outstanding, a game you can and will spend hundreds of hours playing, and you can play it any way you want to, first or third person, do you go in stealthily or head first hacking and slashing, do you fight with a mace in one hand and shooting fire out of the other or do you choose the classic sword and shield approach, you can also choose your race and appearance, the leveling up system is fantastic, skills increase as you use them, focus on archery and your skill with it will increase, pick a lock and you get better at doing so, and it's just so much fun to play, it's easy to fall into the just one more quest trap because there are just so many of them, seriously almost every character in the game will give you one, this game also has what I personally believe is the biggest open world of all time that's jammed pack with content, and unlike most other open world RPG's this world feels truly alive and is a blast to explore, this game does have some flaws however, it's got quite a few bugs and glitches, the main quest is kind of short I completed it in a little under 17 hours and that was with me completing side quests, exploring, and just goofing around, and it has a kind of disappointing ending, but it's fun and after you complete the main quest you get to keep playing basically forever to complete all the side quests and just have fun, and when I first bought it (the day after it came out) the graphics sucked, but with all the updates from Xbox Live it looks good now, but if your not connected to Xbox Live you'll be playing an ugly game, it doesn't hinder your enjoyment of it, and it may have just been my copy but it's something to consider, but even with it's flaws this is still an outstanding and fun experience that you'll lose yourself in for several days, realize that you've played nonstop for days, grab a snack and jump right back into it for several days more, your truly getting more than your moneys worth, so go out and buy this, you wont be disappointed. Expand
  2. May 27, 2012
    6
    This game is really overated. Yes on a technical level, the game is extroadinary, but the combat is so bad and the look so bland, the fun factor level for me was a 6.
  3. Dec 12, 2012
    8
    Like almost everyone else I was enthralled when it first came out. My first experience with this game was amazing, it met my expectations and surpassed them a million times over. And 200 hours later, after doing and seeing every possible thing there was to do in Skyrim, I said: Now what? I tried to start a new game from scratch, and I did still really enjoy it, problem was the magic and wonder of exploring the game this time round felt more like a chore than an adventure. Skyrim is an absolutely great game, that is worthy of the praise that it gets. But I can not help but feel that it is the kind of game that you can only really enjoy the first time you play it through. So this lack of replayability is perhaps the only real critique I can give it. Granted the bugs were annoying, but forgivable and generally I rarely noticed them for long. So Overall a great game that perhaps tries far to much, a bit more diversity in playthroughs could have added morel life to this game. Expand
  4. Feb 3, 2012
    10
    This game is a classic. This game never ends which gives me more time to play and enjoy it. Dont buy MW3 Or SCV. This game will pass the time and u will love it. It takes 3000 hours to complete everything which will prob take 12-20 months or even more so ull enjoy it alot. It is worth $60.00
  5. Dec 8, 2011
    8
    It's great that an RPG to take itself as seriously as Skyrim has been so successful as it will ensure that we continue to receive more epic RPG in the future. Skyrim's Nordic setting is good, the vast scope and the depth of the quests and skills are also compelling. The character skills, progression and the amount of things to do in the game are fun and rewarding which does make Skyrim value for money and worth peoples time. Unfortunately I found the main story fairly lame and I felt disinterested in most of Skyrim's characters and skipped over most of the dialog which should not be the case in an RPG. I found myself only completing quests for rewards rather than any story purpose which is a missed opportunity. I also did not like most of the character models in Skyrim, the humanoid faces were awkward to look at. As I played Skyrim on PC I was disappointed that the UI was very console friendly at the expense of much keyboard/mouse support, which is something that is inexcusable for a game originating on the PC. Overall Skyrim is an epic game and one that has a lot of depth, its a pity that the characters and overall story of the game are not better but it is what it is. Recommended. Expand
  6. Dec 18, 2011
    10
    Bethesda has created an incredibly immersive and realized fictional world in the fifth game in the Elder Scrolls. NPC's interact realistically, with improved animation and voice acting. Although the total number of skill categories has been reduced, the game does not suffer. In fact, cutting away the excess fat of past games put Skyrim ahead of its predecessors. Combat has been streamlined and improved so that the player can switch between different weapons and magic easily. The menu and inventory systems have been given a similar treatment, with the primary focus being on making it easier for the player. The game is also very well balanced. Wielding swords, bows, magic or taking a more stealthy approach are equally emphasized and all seem like viable ways to play the game. Expand
  7. Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Skyrim is one those games for me it always give me that feeling like I i'm playing this for the first ever, and only one other game has done that to me! Sure it may not be popular as it use to be back in 2011 but I don't care what people say, Skyrim is my game of the year 2011 and best game of all time! The Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim 10/10
  8. Apr 1, 2012
    1
    As a rule i dont give games 0 ratings but if i did this would be one of them. Skyrim was the most overhyped game of all time hands down. Yeah the game looks good and is big which was an almost cert. However the game is broken. The combat doesnt work, it isnt fun to play, its repetitive, i could go on. Ill finish with the game is a buggy piece of crap that needs to be redesigned near enough immediatley in order to be as good as it was meant to be Expand
  9. Jan 23, 2012
    9
    Linear?....yes. Bugged?....yes. Repetitive?.....yes. However despite all the above this game is an absolute classic. The sheer size of the countryside and the fact that each area and character feels and looks different immerses you into the (weak) plot. With a huge number of side quests alongside the main quests and hundreds of different options and paths to choose (although most of these choices do not seem to change the plot much) be prepared to call work, your friends, your partner and anybody else you know to advise them they may not see you for a while! Expand
  10. Dec 15, 2011
    10
    Goddamn, this game is so awesome. This is my last game on my list for this year that I wanted to play and I am having an absolute blast playing this game. I was skeptical at first because Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion was a complete bore to me and I never got in to it even though I tried to. Skyrim, to me, is a complete revelation. Lush open world presentation, absolutely epic music, accessible but complex menu system , deep RPG gameplay and absolutely endless replay value. Though even with the awesome features that has been improved from Oblivion, Skyrim still has bugs and glitches that other Bethesda games suffer from but that isn't enough to ruin the experience that completely immerses you into this new world of epicness. From the first time I put the disc in to my 360, I was hooked straight away. This is one the best games I have ever played this year and I suggest buying it RIGHT NOW Expand
  11. Dec 4, 2012
    10
    It's a game that you will absolutely lose the time on. I played it for about 8 hours and only felt like 1. It's goddamn great. Graphics, voice acting, story. It's got it all
  12. Nov 17, 2011
    10
    What to say about a game,is this really a game,is it fiction,is it reality?Is it a dream,let me tell you without trying so hard not to go over the top.Perfection.Will you put this game in your console 10 years from now?Without a doubt I would put this game in my console for 20+ years if the good lord lets me.This game is deserving of a perfect 10 out of any other games I have ever played and I have played them all from donkey Kong on the Atari,when I was a kid waiting in line,to playing Dragon's Lair at the arcade to Halo, to this,ect...This is a gamer's dream come true and truth be said my favorite game, up to the point, was Mass effect 2 and I thought I would be at least saying that for the next decade.There are game companies with so much talent and innovation and there getting better and better but no one can touch Bethesda with a mile long stick.Not even the much loved Bioware,EA and Rockstar.Play this,live this, enjoy this, an epic masterpiece has entered the horizon my fellow ladies and gentlemen.We are not perfect as people,the world is not perfect but this really is. Expand
  13. Aug 8, 2012
    9
    I do enjoy playing Skyrim, I still play it to this day, (probably because its so long, which I don't mind) however one or two things did let me down, such as the static animations that almost every single character in the game shares, and the fact that you get sent into about 100 caves for a quest, it does get a little bit repetitive, that being said, I did enjoy the gameplay, and still do.
  14. Jan 2, 2013
    3
    The game features nice graphics, good sound, bad gameplay and very good longevity. When you play this game, you will get bored very soon: the gameplay doesn't have a point, a competition. You just play it for relaxing. You go and get some special object, but the game isn't competitive. It doesn't have a point. Very extended world, good graphics, but poor performance, and the game is full of bugs. Good plot. Gameplay 2/10 Graphics/Performance 2/10 Plot 5/10 Longevity 6.25/10 Average: 3.81 OVERALL SCORE: 3/10 (not an average) Expand
  15. Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Skyrim is a flawed masterpiece - a game that stands above far more perfect games in it's ambition. Most games lose some of their shine as they hit the 3rd or 4th in the series. What makes skyrim an exception? Elder scrolls started with an ambition, and with each game they take one step closer toward it. To create an interesting 'world' that a player will want to explore every inch of. And betheda are world builders like literally no other company on the planet. In this specific case, evolving a single cause creates a progressively more awe inspiring outcome. Skyrim is filled with quality content. Sometimes a short cave, sometimes a 2 hour journey into the heart of a unexpected tale. You never know what will lie around the next corner. And unlike all the previous elder scrolls game, this content is now more varied, more interesting, and more attached to story. And while skyrim never reaches some of the peaks in oblivion, and some of the world building imagination of morrowind - the consistency of it's high quality content - dwarfs those two games combined. Skyrim is magical, it's exciting, it's sweeping, it's majestic, and sometimes it's mundane. It's a fantasy life. And it's got 500,000 game bugs. I play skyrim, with it's 500,000 game bugs, and I enjoy it immeasurably more than games that are flawless and clean, and bug free. Because those games don't feel like realizing a grand dream. They feel like games. Expand
  16. Jul 30, 2012
    10
    this game is good love it it first bought it i was like oh my god fuking cool i did not stop playing the few bugs in it that kinda sucked but loved it
  17. Mar 19, 2012
    9
    I can't bring myself to rate this less than a 9/10. I would like to, as there are many problems with the game, but in the end I got hundreds of hours of gameplay out of this game. You can't say that about many other games.

    I didn't like several things. Firstly, dungeon delving was fun for a while, but became boring and repetitive (although you'll keep doing it for other reasons). Seco
    ndly, and probably most importantly, was interaction of story lines. It is feasible for you to become Harbinger of the Companions, Master of the Thieves Guild, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, and Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold in one play-through. Due to differing ideologies, this shouldn't be possible. I believe you should be the arch-mage and one other leader at maximum to preserve story lines and conflicts. But that's just me.

    All in all, amazing game. Only a few things to change, but hey, who wouldn't?
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  18. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    After seeing countless previews and gameplay vids,I was already expecting a magnificent game.But this!This has taken my already super high expectations and bashed me around the head with them while laughing maniacally like Cicero.Beautiful graphics,amazing audio,and the sheer amount of content make Skyrim the greatest RPG of all in my eyes and possibly the greatest game ever made.A special shout-out goes to the elegant menu system and awesome spells.Also,the excellent duel-wield system is the best I've used in any game. While I noticed occasional pop-up and low-res textures,as well as some melee issues,I simply don't care.A majestic GOTY from me. Expand
  19. Nov 27, 2011
    10
    If you were new to the Bethesda RPG games, this game would be a ten because you'll be amazed out how this game is so huge. If you have already experienced and loved the Elder Scroll series, then this game is a nine because basically it is Oblivion tweaked. Graphics aren't really that much updated or revolutionary; nothing we haven't seen since 2008 from other AAA games. The characters are not as hideous looking as before and the girls actually look attractive this time around. But I swear, Bethesda and Bioware must have a running bet on who can make the ugliest elves in their games. The storyline is just as long as Oblivion's, and the numerous sidequests are about on the same level and uniqness. The combat is as unimpressive as before with the exception you now get, more often than not, pretty cool finishing moves. That's kind of disappointing because today it is possible for some RPG franchises to blend in well the combat action into their RPG games without turning them into hack-n-slashes; Fable and the Witcher come to mind. I was really hoping for an epic battle against a dragon in this game, but it was not so. But those are just small issues considering how impressive Oblivion was five years ago that this game's overall experience is far from dissappointing. Expand
  20. Dec 19, 2011
    9
    Wow. No wonder the Elder Scrolls only comes out with a new game every few years. This is completley brilliant and well, virtually stunning. It has it's awkward moments, but that's nothing too strange. It's one of those games you will NEVER forget. The lack of multiplayer might break an easy addiction, but this is something that you must at least test. Skyrim is already becoming a big hit and will break sales records like the also recommended Modern Warfare 3, and perhaps Battlefield will catch up someday. Expand
  21. Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is a huge improvement over Oblivion in nearly every way. First the setting. The land of Skyrim is huge, beautiful, and varied, unlike the ultimately 'pretty but boring' Cyrodiil of the previous Elder Scrolls game. Gone are the copy and pasted caves, forts, and ruins. Every single dungeon is hand crafted and it shows. Just like the exterior lands the dungeons are gorgeous to look at and compelling to explore. The level of detail given to character and item models is a HUGE step forward. The animation has been given a complete overhaul and at long last characters move naturally and believably in a Bethesda game. The combat has been improved as well. The ability to bind spells and weapons to each hand creates a much needed depth and customization to combat. The spell casting is much faster, more powerful, and more spectacular to look at. The sound design and music are similarly amazing. I'm trying hard to find things to dislike about this game, and the only thing I can come up with is the interface. The interface isn't horrible, but it take some getting used to. I've played the game for about ten hours now, and I haven't seen a glitch or had my game crash, which is also a plus considering this is a Bethesda game. All in all, I'll be playing Skyrim for a very long time, and I think this is easily the game of the year. Expand
  22. May 19, 2012
    0
    All the other Elder Scrolls and Fallout games had one main feature that is missing in Skyrim no quick select slots. Pausing the game every 5 seconds to select a item totally breaks the immersion. The reason I don't buy bio-ware games is for the same reason. I brought the 360 version after the PC version and it is most unstable of the two. With some awful stuttering frame rates, freezing up and other quest braking bugs. Expand
  23. Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Skyrim is an amazing, jaw-droppingly vast RPG, with spells, swords, axes, quests and monsters galore. It isn't perfect (but what is?) thanks to repeated phrases and voice actors. And like all Bethesda game, it's got a crap-ton of glitches. BUT, Skyrim is very, very big, and it's only matched by it's quality. A trip down a forest with a talking dog. A quest reminiscent of The Hangover. Epic Dark Brotherhood questlines. Skyrim packs a lifetime of content into one game-giving astonishing value for money. The Xbox 360 game of the year. Expand
  24. Aug 25, 2012
    8
    Easily one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. The main plot is laughable, but the guilds have some interesting characters and writing. People may complain about low resolution graphics, but when it comes down to it graphics don't mean anything. This game has a great atmosphere. You can very quickly get sucked into this game and lose track of time. My problems with this game are the lack luster main story and the number of glitches, bugs, and breakable parts of the game. Expand
  25. Jul 16, 2012
    10
    Skyrim is an absolutely amazing game! It's filled to the brim with quests and side story lines. Also it has a huge free roam world that both looks amazing and is filled with interesting characters and places. Skyrim is a game that you can enjoyably put hours and hours into and still have lots to do. Pretty much everything in this game is good. The fighting is enjoyable, the story and side stories are interesting, and it looks amazing. Skyrim is a game that I'd recommend to just about anyone. Expand
  26. Nov 21, 2011
    10
    As a gigantic fan of Oblivion, I didn't think it was possible for a game to get any bigger, more detailed, and more immersive; Skyrim proved me wrong. The graphics are awesome, the fights are thrilling, the quests are interesting and fun and the dragons: Genius. This is about as close to a perfect game that will be made, and most definitely one of the best of all time. A masterpiece on every level. Expand
  27. Nov 24, 2011
    10
    Oblivion was the best game I've played and now Skyrim has taken over that title. I'm an RPG fan and the game offers an unparalled level of depth and immersion. The province of Skyrim is a beautiful place, with tumbling waterfalls and snow capped mountins. At one point I felt a lump in my throat as I stood looking out at a particularly awe inspiring view. Quests can be picked up from 80 percent of NPCs - even random nobodies. I don't want to rant on about why this game's so great as I'll be here all day - just go out and buy it. You'll be playing it a few years from now, especially as there's bound to be loads od DLC. Expand
  28. Dec 28, 2011
    10
    Having never played an Elder Scrolls game outside of a demo back when the 360 was released, I had only the reputation and high remarks for the game to set any kind of expectation. After around 50 hours invested into Skyrim, and having done only 7 of the main store quests at the moment, I can safely say Skyrim is the game of the year for me. Other titles were good this year, but for a single-player experience, Skyrim really knocks all the others out of the park when it comes to quality. Even with several noticeable bugs scattered throughout the game, it still supremely impresses over and over again. It may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy action/adventure games and are looking to get lost in a big world full of customization and plenty of bunny trails to divert from the main objective: Skyrim is more than worth a look. Expand
  29. Feb 6, 2012
    6
    If this equation - Fallout 3>Morrowind>Oblivion - looks right to you then this may well be the review you're after. Having now played through Skyrim for over 100 hours I'd say that it fits into that equation like this - Fallout 3>Morrowind>Skryrim>Oblivion. For me Oblivion was a sidestep from Morrowind as opposed to a step forward and Skyrim is no different. On the plus side Skyrim's melee combat is deffinately getting there - the extra weight and overall feel is far more satisfying than it has been previously. The asthetics are superb with immensely atmospheric music, some lovely graphics, and dungeons that are no longer cookie-cutter bland. However, once you actually get into the game it's not all that long before it really starts to drag and those asthetics can no longer cover up what is just a souless and often boring game. Morrowind's main appeal was in it's exploration and sense that you were out in this big wide world where you could stumble across anything at anytime. However, thanks to the reliance on fast travel and the return of the compass which magically shows you things which you have yet to find the feeling of exploration is killed dead, and the game feels more like a test of your organisational skills than anything - not fun. The encumberance system just means you spend hours trudging back and forth collecting and selling loot and it just gets tiresome. Bethesda either have to dump the encumberance and persist with Skyrim's setup, or dump the fast travel and make the game more about exploration. The story is very thinley spread out too, and often handled badly with dragons swooping out of nowhere in the middle of an important conversation or other NPCs spouting some random BS at you during them instead. In fact the whole RPG element is nothing short of dire, with your choices and actions affecting very little - with a lot of quests often prevent you with 2 choices - "yes" or "yes". Throw in an essentially broken magic system, and a leveling system which kills the joy of finding any rare weapons, and suddenly you become aware of what a mishmash of gaming genres this is and how badley the series as evolved. Whilst not as mind-numbingly dull as Oblivionis, it's still something I couldn't recommend to folk. It's kinda like the Lost In Translation or Blaire Witch Project of games - a lot of hype and a empty husk of an experience. All Bethesda have to do is give Morrowind Skryim's combat feel and asthetics and you'll have a far greater game than the one served up here, which is a damn shame as I was so hoping they'd learnt there lesson from Oblivion. However, they most certainly have not. Less size, more substance next time Bethesda please. Expand
  30. Dec 19, 2011
    10
    EASILY one of the best game to have ever come out in the past DECADE. Skyrim is a masterpiece of the video game and sets a new standard for future RPG or Action/Adventure games to come. Everything has been improved from the previous titles and this game has so much things in it it can be quite a challenge to know which quest you should do first. The combat is excellent, the magic is excellent, nearly everything in the game is great especially the music, oh the music so EPIC. The only thing that isn't great is the Voice-over, its better than oblivion and morrowind but not as good as Dragon Age Origins and the Mass Effect series.
    THIS GAME IS A MUST BUY OR YOU'LL BE MISSING OUT ON SO MUCH THINGS!
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  31. Nov 5, 2012
    10
    Simply put, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has raised the bar in the RPG genre, offering a plethora of engaging and unique content in one of the most immersive and beautiful game worlds ever created. Plus, any game that uses the word
  32. Dec 8, 2011
    10
    took me a while to get it, but I can now say that despite the weird game mechanics, and many strange flaws in this game, this is probably the best game ever made. If you are like I was, and you think its really boring and pointless, just keep playing it. Eventually the world of Skyrim will open up to you, and video gaming will never be the same.
  33. Nov 11, 2011
    9
    An honest 9 for what it deserves, yes it could Easley be more however, a few graphical issues. Not problems or anything to disrupt your playing experience but I have to say why it doesn't get my "10" score, this is one that I don't feel is "perfect" but very good. Anyway the story I was instantly taken by, and a game to grab your attention like that IS what a game is alllll about! Yes graphics add to it, but like a film it doesn't matter if it's avatar pretty it all comes down to the story. And also why I mention the story it is a lot better then oblivion! Oblivion i was always 50/50 with. Skyrim has no bugs from what I have seen, and tbh if someone experiences one it's going to be something stupid which on a game of this scale is NOT a problem. Lifespan...all matters on your imagination. And while I have scored this high, I can honestly say that an RPG of this size that gets scores of a zero are nothing but trolls! It's like someone watching one episode of lost and reviewing the whole series, it's just stupid not funny and created by morons who have nothing better to do! If you liked oblivion then this IS for you even if you didn't like I said I wasn't too sure about, it could STILL be for you. Great job Bethesda honestly. And talking about trolls and scores what is it with the real critics on metacritic now, there is always a ton of 100 scores on any page.... 10= fan ;) 0= troll O.o you know it but don't wanna show it!! Expand
  34. Feb 12, 2013
    9
    I will be honest, I began to really hate this game at first. The reason why is the first time I played it, I couldn't complete 1 quest because the 1st enemies were frustratingly hard. I do a simple trick to level up my character, but I still get killed more times than a Call of Duty game. Also, I really hated that friggin' Loading Screen. It takes forever, even when I'm killed all the time it takes me back to the Loading Screen. I was seriously about to get my money back....that is till I noticed that there is a Difficulty Setting, I never knew there would be one in a game like this. So I changed it, and now I finally got through the game much better. All I can say is THANK GOD I didn't return it! After completing multiple Quest's and powered up my characters armor and weapons, I became so addicted to the game for hours. The Quest's is great, the Side Quest's are great, the Design is great, the RPG Experience is great, the multiple character classes and stories were great.....everything is absolutely perfect in this game. The only thing that still pisses me off is the Loading Screen. I can understand that it's an Open-World RPG, and the game is HUGE! But still, the loading screen takes forever. Aside from that, this game is absolutely recommendable. If you never played this game yet, GET IT! Just be sure to change the Difficulty Setting just in case you get frustrated like I did. I'm glad I played it and looking forward to play more of it. Expand
  35. Jul 31, 2012
    10
    Bethesda really know how to make games don't they? A fantastic masterpiece of art that I firmly believe will last through generations. To get the negatives out of the way, my only complaint is that the story does not feel as personal as Oblivion, and I can relate to the characters and the world better in Oblivion than Skyrim. Nevertheless, the blindingly beautiful visuals, the brilliant combat system that allows epic battles to take place, and the interesting quests make this game a milestone in modern gaming. Expand
  36. Dec 15, 2011
    9
    Patch arrived and my issues are fixed. As promised, an updated review. Skyrim is just huge you can spend countless hour walking around and finding things to do virtually everywhere you go. The simplified systems make character creation fast and not nearly so easy to mess up. Visuals are stunning at every turn. The lack of acrobatics/athletic skill takes any reward from walking from place to place, but not everything is instantly lit up on the map either so you get in some good foot time and that's good for the immersion. Combat is refined and magic is now fixed. You even get your fallout combat moments every now and then, albeit they are less gory and explody but still epic. The thing that keeps this from a 10 (Perfect) is a coop. Because even with all that they add. There is always that thought in the back of your head of how many more times amazing it would be if you could blast a real player with magic or share with them your equipment. Expand
  37. May 10, 2013
    8
    For some reason, when I rate this game I have to compare it to Dragon Age, Originals. These two games are different, Skyrim overrides DA:O in so many ways, however, overall I still think DA:O is a better game, mainly because the feeling are different when playing these games. For Skyrim, the most fun part is to explore, the map/locations are massive, whereas DA:O is a more story-driven game. At the end of the day, I feel the only reason to play Skyrim for me is I want to find better loot or level up my skill points, and I consider it a let-down. Expand
  38. Nov 23, 2011
    8
    Honestly besides being rocketed to the moon every time a giant hits me and mild annoyance climbing mountains this games pretty great. Just be prepared to commit some time to it you'll be stuck with it for 30ish hours.
  39. Nov 13, 2011
    9
    I originally thought that this game was one of those stupid JRPG games that have medieval castles with motor cycles and faries, and I don't usually play Medieval style games but I gave Skyrim a try, and I was amazed, and surprised that a game like Skyrim was good. I was playing practically all day, and I couldn't seem to get myself off the game. It is really enjoyable, yes it will only last you roughly two hours if you stick with the main quests. However if you do the side quests there is about 50-60 hours worth of content in this game.

    I really love the enchanting the weapons and armor. It allows you to take a special effect from one weapon and apply it to another weapon.

    I really recommend Skyrim, even if you haven't played Oblivion before.
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  40. Feb 14, 2012
    8
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a magical, overwhelmingly beautiful and engaging gaming experience with some beautiful graphics and a masterpiece soundtrack, let down by some frustrating glitches and bugs. A player can easily put 40+hours into exploration of the world without making much progress in the true 'story' which relates to the return of dragons to the province of Skyrim. There are numerous caves, bandit camps, towns and holds (the larger towns) to visit with an exhaustive array of quests to complete and plentiful loot to collect along the way. The levelling system is very well executed and encourages a player to concentrate on one part at a time - ie levelling up conjuration or heavy armour or smithing. Although I have yet to complete the story, I have travelled to every corner of Skyrim (and beyond...) and feel it is time to review. Whilst it will find a place in my heart to be one of my top 5 favourite games ever, there are some minor issues with bugs and glitches, although hopefully with time these will be ironed out. It should be noted that I had never played an Elder Scrolls game before Skyrim, but that didn't prevent me thoroughly enjoying almost every minute of it. Expand
  41. Jan 20, 2013
    10
    I have had an infinite amount of issues. The combat. It's boring dialogue. Copy and paste dungeons. Lack of variety. Quantity over quality. Environments are repetitive. Disarm shouts making you lose your weapons permanently. Consistent freezing. Quests being impossible to complete due to glitches. Constant trips to sell/store items due to being overencumbered. Repeat voice actors. Won't let me fast travel even if there isn't an enemy near me. Too much walking. Lockpicking breaks don't reset my pick to where it was when it broke. No reason to care about my character's role in the story. Dragons become repetitive too after you've fought 10 of them. All the mountains in my way ... WHY CANT I CLIMB?! Also, no distance meters to show me how far target locations are. ...some quests I can't do because I need a key from another quest I haven't gotten yet. All of these glitches and issues...

    ...all of these glitches and issues....

    ...yet I love the game. It is very easy to overlook the technical hiccups due to just how immersed you can become in this wonderfully crafted world. I think they just tried to put *too much* in, and in doing so were unable to fix every little glitch. This game looks great, can be played however you want to play it, and is a definitive RPG for the ages.
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  42. Nov 12, 2011
    10
    Quite simply put, a masterpiece. An RPG that truly stands out and above the crowd. First: The combat is much improved. While adding much more strategy to the fights as well as an increased "weightiness," the combat is improved over oblivion's floaty combat. Second: Exploration, a major part of any elder scrolls game, is expertly paced. Exploring the game world is much more difficult, with dragons and difficult enemies to kill you if you get too far...or too confident. But it is much more interesting to explore compared to Oblivion's flat lands and rolling hills. Not to mention, visually gorgeous.

    Third, It is a stunningly crafted world. The detail in the world, NPCs, dungeons and lore is all something very special. It is a huge world to explore, with tangents aplenty.

    Minor pop in, low res textures and glitchy (very, very rarely) are the only flaws in my book. Nothing can stop me from loving this world, and every time I jump back into exploring the lands of Skyrim it feels perfect. Don't worry; Graphically, this game is ridiculous. The beautiful vistas coupled with the achingly beautiful soundtrack is stunning...It's so hard to explain because games just don't do what Skyrim does anymore.

    And a side note...This game has a sprawling and downright ridiculous amount of things to do. I won't spoil any of them for you, but don't worry. You won't be short of things to do. Forever, most likely. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, But it's mine. If you like adventuring, exploring, storytelling, lore, RPGs or anything in between, Skyrim has it for you. One question though...How on earth did they jam all of this stuff onto one disc?

    So what are you waiting for?
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  43. Dec 6, 2011
    6
    This game is loads of fun and there is a ton to do. That being said, after a few days of non-stop addiction this game grows very stale. Searching dead bodies, unlocking chest and selling goods starts to get real old. The combat interface is simply put "Awful." When you go to use your power move, there is no adjusting your aim. So you just will randomly swing hardcore at the air. Who would do that? Also, the glitches are funny when you first start playing, but they start to get very annoying after a couple day. If you need some comparison, it is Oblivion with dragons. Nothing else. 6/10. Expand
  44. Nov 22, 2011
    10
    Overall, This game is one of the most content packed, breathtaking, and superb games i have ever played. This game is much more improved and better than Oblivion, and I thought Oblivion was one of the best games ever released. The story mode, game world, and combat system is amazing, and it is obvious that the guys over at Bethesda have really put their time and effort into this. They don't care about money when it comes to the Elder Scrolls series, they care about the quality of the game, and how people think of it, and I really praise them for that. You will be playing this game for a countless number of hours, and it will always be exciting when you find a new cave, a new dungeon, or a new word wall. If you don't mind taking at least a couple of hundred hours out of your life, you will find that Skyrim will be one of the most amazing games you will ever play. Expand
  45. Apr 29, 2013
    10
    Bethesda has managed to create what only few games are able to do, Skyrim provides the player with a huge and interesting gaming world but also have fun and entertaining game mechanics with equally nice graphics. Elder Scrolls 5 is by far one of the best games on the current generation systems
  46. Nov 28, 2011
    10
    What a masterpiece! Skyrim has far surpassed my expectations and is one of my favorite games ever created. The main story is fun and interesting. There is also a great sense of scale and content in skyrim. Everywhere you look there is an interesting side quest or dungeon to explore. Oh and can i mention the random sidequests are actually really fun and interesting? Also all of the Factions are full of quality as well. Like the Thieves guild and Dark brotherhood two of my favorites! The soundtrack is beautiful as well i was so happy to hear the morrowind theme in Skyrim! Plus the whole game is around 300+ hours of quality. Bethesda has outdone themselves! Expand
  47. Nov 16, 2011
    10
    This game is the best and it rocks. It's the least buggiest game to come out at this time. With BF3 being buggy and populated by non existent team work and no voice users, then the appalling user score of COD this is the game for you. The dragon fighting mechanics is awesome. Give it a go. It has such an awesome score for a reason.
  48. Nov 21, 2011
    9
    I've been an Elder Scrolls fan since the third installment of the series, Elder Scrolls Morrowind. I've always enjoyed the open world and the shear expansive size of the games. Skyrim further continues my love for the series. The world is rich and expansive and I truly feel that you get your $60 worth when you buy this game. It is packed full of content and allows the player a lot of control on play style. For the most part the graphics are great with the occasional glitch and texture issues but overall is amazing to look into the distance and seen expansive mountain ranges. The game is an overall improvement from Oblivion in terms of menus, character customization, character models, and world. With Morrowind I always felt that the world had an awesome size and lots of mystery to it which encouraged exploration but the game had many technical problems. However with Oblivion I felt that it fixed those problems but lost the expansiveness of Morrowind. I feel like Skyrim is the perfect coupling of Morrowind and Oblivion! It's good fun! Expand
  49. Mar 6, 2012
    10
    I'll admit this game has problems, but they are so minor. I have put 180 hours into this game, gotten every achievement (cool, right?), and pretty much done every quest possible. First the problems: Some quests become un-completable because of glitches. Money is a little broken as in early is really rare and later you have nothing to spend it on. After the main Dragon quest is done the game loses a lot of the epicness. Also the voice acting is a little to repetitive and there are problems with having companions, and the map screen sucks.

    Those may sound like a lot of nitpicks, and they are. The game is hard to put down. Its incredibly addicting, an awesome plot, and really fun quests. It's really really beautiful, the dragon fights are awesome, and the civil war has interesting political ramifications. I really have a lot of great things to say, but don't feel like typing it all. Definite must but.
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  50. Nov 20, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is a real work of art. I've poured more than 20 hours into it and have barely scratched the surface. Anybody who says that Oblivion is better is just stuck in a nostalgic land. Skyrim offers an RPG experience like no other. Be who you want to be. That's exactly how Bethesda wants you to play it; and play it like that you will, because Bethesda perfected the Western RPG genre with this chapter in the Elder Scrolls Saga. Dragons, Draugr and Daedra. What more do I have to say? Expand
  51. Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Quite possibly the greatest game ever made. This isn't goty, this could be game of the freaking decade. I found myself completely immersed in a totally beautiful world with alnost not limits. The skill system is much improved, as you're no longer limited to a single class and simply get skill gains by putting them into practice, which is pretty awesome, not to mention using a spell while smashing someone in the face with an axe is pretty damn satisfying. Next up is the story, which is cool, but you can put it on permanent hold if you wish as there are more or less and infinite amount of side-quests to do with alternating storylines. Speech and interaction is better than in oblivion and graphics are far superior too. All in all, 10/10. Expand
  52. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Great game that is making the 360 show its age. My only real complaint is that everything is SO dark. I know they want you to use the torch but talking to dark elves when the sun is up makes it impossible to see their face. I would have appreciated a little more than just an overall brightness adjustment and I do have a nice TV. One thing that this game has which is very rare but amazing is the ability to map any button to any button like a PC game. Setting it up like Halo controls is amazing. Expand
  53. Mar 23, 2012
    10
    This is Skyrim, the best game ever in my opinion. I could go on and on about the different mechanics and quests and items and weapons and people and jobs and all of the other stuff in the game but to be honest, it would ruin the game. Skyrim is game you need to experience without previous inside knowledge on it, the simple fact is if you like Elder Scrolls or simply RPG's, no scratch that. If you like amazing games then you must play Skyrim, experience the wonderful world of Tamriel. Expand
  54. Nov 14, 2011
    10
    I'm not one to give out high scores for any product, with prices of games going up and the quality of games coming down, Skyrim is that rare gem that comes once a decade.

    I've never really played any of the Elder Scrolls, so I'm not familiar with the history, but mucking about Skyrim has given me a very good first impression.

    Customization is awesome and very well done. The infinite choi
    ces you could make for what probably amounts to a fraction of screen time. For some hard core enthusiast, it's a must have.

    The Game is huge, the puzzles fun, the conversations are not boring and thank goodness I'm not constantly hit upon or worried that a wrong choice could set me along the route of a homosexual relationship with an NPC.

    Combat is fun, I enjoy it in the 3rd person more than the first person. Namely because it's mostly melee, and first person views never worked for me when it comes to swords and sorcery.

    I've read threads about how Skyrim Graphics are bad. I'm not sure what people's expectations were, but Skyrim is beautiful. The atmosphere and backgrounds are lush and picturesque.

    The animations are a fantastic apart from the annoying skating of your character.

    The game is free form, so while you're travelling to a quest, there's that little path you spy on your right that leads to some darken woods....(from what i understand a trademark of Elder Scrolls)

    Pathfinding for your companions are quite horrendous, which brings me to the bad.

    The game is buggy, Boss mobs disappear after a fight and mobs randomly clip into terrain and disappear. I've had some weird lag spikes in the game, in one instance freezing the screen for about 10 to 15 seconds. But otherwise, the game is stable and I've not CTD once.

    My companion kept getting stuck, especially if you start exploring up craggy rocks. The AI just can't manoeuvre through rough terrain. At least he catches up with you and doesn't disappear when you move on. Expect to sink a ton of time into this game.

    I thoroughly hope Bethesda takes the RPG crown from Bioware. A solid RPG Offering and truly the Game of the Decade.
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  55. Dec 19, 2011
    10
    The game isn't flawless, but what game is? It's got its bugs, some small, some big, but even they can't take away from the experience I took away after playing this masterpiece. It's the first time I've ever seen a game live up to such hype. I love the combat, the plot, the lore, everything. Bethesda has raised the bar here and created the game that all RPGs will be judged by. It'll be tough to beat. Buy Skyrim. Expand
  56. May 15, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Featuring the same kind of thrilling freedom of choice The Elder Scrolls series is known for along with beautiful visuals and a stirring soundtrack, playing Skyrim is a rare kind of intensely personal, deeply rewarding experience, and one of the best role-playing games yet produced. Expand
  57. Nov 13, 2011
    8
    Its good, but its not as good as Oblivion or Fallout 3. There is a sense of streamlining (aka dumbing down) that is a bit disappointing after playing Beth's older games. No item degradation, uninspired clunky menus, inclusion of health regen makes healing items less useful etc. The FPV combat is better but its not as visceral and strategic as that seen in Dead Island, also with still not many weapon types to choose from it can get a bit repetitive. The removal of stats and some skills makes the game feel much less like an RPG than it used to. Kinda feels like what BioWare have done to their RPG's, in that they turned them into dumb action games for the masses. Much of the nuance is missing which means the game is less fulfilling to gamers who grew up playing these games. The game is good though, and it looks a lot prettier than Oblivion. The archery is a lot better, and the TP anims look great. The new setting and dragons are really cool. But overall its a bit less awesome than previous Beth games imo. Expand
  58. Apr 27, 2012
    10
    This game is a true work of art everything about this game is amazing from the stunning graphics to the smooth gameplay and let's not forget the amazing storyline.This is my favourite Installment by far this game is a Masterpiece and a must buy for any rpg fan.
  59. Jan 18, 2012
    9
    A masterclass in game design. Stunning graphics and just so satisfyingly ambitious. In a market saturated with COD clones, Skyrim is just a massive breath of fresh air. Okay Skyrim has a lot of bugs, but I think it's impossible to create a game like this without them. In comparison to other games companies Bethesda are very good at addressing post-release issues, so most of the major bugs will eventually be fixed. I personally had very little in the way of bugs - a few texture issues at first, some quests don't leave my quest list upon completion and some quest items are not removed from my inventory when I turn them in, but that's it really. So I have not taken the bugs into account with my review, as personally, I have found it easy to ignore them. There are many design choices in Skyrim which I'm not a fan of and the game does have a few balancing issues, but all those pale out of existence when I consider the scope of the game. This game is huge! At 180 hours of gameplay I have still got at least 150 hours of gameplay to go with all side-missions, guild missions and main quests etc. That's a lot of game and very good value for money. The interface is improved over Oblivion (on the 360 at least) and weapons and magic feel heavier and more satisfying to use.Voice acting has improved, and even though you do hear the same voice actor saying the same thing in different towns, it is much less frequent than Oblivion. The music is beautiful and really fits the dramatic landscape of Skyrim. Dragons are a welcome addition and add a new challenge to the way you fight. The locations you visit vary greatly from snowy mountains, to vast mammoth populated grassy tundras. A lot of criticism at this game will be at the bugs and the many low-res textures, but when one considers the vast amount of coding that must go into a game like this over, say, a more linear shorter title like Uncharted 3, and the fact that the xbox 360 is 6-7 years old now, you realise just how much work has gone into this game and just how lucky we are to be able to experience it. Skyrim is a real achievement and shouldn't be missed. Expand
  60. Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Skyrim is a difficult game to review, largely because your level of enjoyment will depend on what time of gamer you are. The game provides you with an enormous feature set and plenty of toys to play with in an impressive sandbox of a world. But if you don't have the time, patience, or interest to seek those things out, the game is never going to spoon-feed you reasons to keep playing. Also, there's rarely any sense of actual accomplishment, as the combat and questing rely more on diligence than actual challenge, and enemy mobs are surprisingly sparse. If you just like exploring and building your character, though, there is quite a bit of optional content that will keep you distracted for 100+ hours, but all that content will feel like filler for less adventurous players. The weather system, day-night cycle, enhanced social interaction, and housing are among my favorite parts of the game, and they go far in adding a sense of immersion. Practically everything is improved over Oblivion, and many of the most annoying aspects of that predecessor have been changed or entirely removed. Technical issues still abound, such as arrows getting stuck in your character and never disappearing like they're supposed to, horses and other animals getting launched into the air randomly, and corpses twitching eratically, but none of these are prevalent enough to kill the overall experience. My biggest gripe is actually against the combat, which is inexcusably loose and lacks any real innovation over previous Elder Scrolls titles, and it's fortunate that the enemies aren't any tougher than they are since you'll probably have a hard time landing a hit in close quarters. Overall, I have really enjoyed my time with Skyrim in spite of its drawbacks, and I'm sure that most role-playing fans will feel the same way. Just make sure that you have some time to devote to it before making the purchase. Expand
  61. Jun 20, 2012
    10
    This game is great, in almost every aspects. One negative point of the game is the nearly-dull-and-generic character, we can hardly find any noticeable character with memorable characteristics. But overall, if you are RPG fans, this is the MUST-HAVE game. Pay attention a little to your health since this game can force you stuck in it for endless hour without resting!
  62. Nov 24, 2011
    9
    Simly put: the pros outweigh the cons. Biggest pro: Aesthetics. Biggest con: Magic Constrictions. Theres more if you're willing to read. I will start by saying my vote is based on a scale of 0-10, 0 meaning "unplayable", 5 equal to Oblivion (not inherently bad, just to compare Skyrim respectively), and 6+ is an overall improvement from Oblivion. Voice Acting (+1) has been greatly improved from 12 to 70+ actors, meaning you can play longer before you are driven insane by the repetitive voice of Jauffre. Aesthetics (+2) are greatly improved over Oblivion. The map itself is slightly smaller than Oblivion, but it's designed to feel 4x bigger, and it does. Filled with flowing creeks, ice caps, mountains, snow, and A LOT more. Graphics (+1) are improved, not by much tho. It looks better, for sure, but that's thanks to the aesthetics. As for clarity and detail of models, it's only a slight, but noticeable improvement. Skills (+1) have a better setup. Many people like that the skills were directly related to your use of them like in Oblivion, but perks make the game feel more survival/strategic based. They're done nicely. Professions (+1) are a wonderful addition that are a tie between skills and aesthetics, but is prominent enought to be listed as its own plus. While the only real mechanical upside of professions relates to smithing, it's still wonderful to be able to chop wood, mine ores, smelt ores, and so on to improve your gear. Dragons (+0) are an interesting replacement to Oblivion Gates. That's exactly what they are, a replacement. While epic within the story line, and fun to battle with their random characteristics, they are also as repetitive as Oblivion Gates. No matter how epic they are, I find myself only wanting to kill them only for their souls, but after the first 10, it starts to get old. That's why it's a plus zero, cause they're epic, but repetitive. Number of Places (+1) have been increased by about double, and to top it off you never feel like you explore the same place twice, unlike Oblivion. Magic (-2) has been drastically reduced... I'm not sure the number of spells in either game, but I do know they REALLY trimmed magic. They completely did away with Mysticism, and got rid of the ability to craft spells. Bethesda combated the lack of spells with the ability to dual wield spells, but it's not enough... They dropped the ball on this one. User Interface (-1) has always been a core downside for Bethesda's most recent games, even on consoles. I would have not listed UI as a downside, however I hate that they replaced the D-Pad hotkeys with a pausable favorites menu. While it's nice at first, it really pulls you away from combat when all you want to do is unequip your shield and equip a spell. So, to summarize, Oblivion is a 5 on the scale (not inherently bad, just to compare Skyrim respectively), and the improvements include Voice Acting +1 (6), Aesthetics +2 (8), Graphics +1 (9), Skills +1 (10), Professions +1 (11), Dragons +0 (11), Places +1 (12), and the downsides: Magic -2 (10), and UI -1 (9), so overall Skyrim is a +4 compared to Oblivion. Expand
  63. Apr 15, 2012
    10
    The best game ever. Probably.
  64. Jan 3, 2012
    8
    Despite all the hours I'd put in the previous Elder Scrolls games (especially Daggerfall), I'd yet to finish one. I was pleased to see that this game gave me the momentum I needed to see things through. (Really, the main quest chain isn't very long, so if you're motivated to finish it, you can certainly do it.) Now, I still have plenty of side-quests to do, and I hope to finish lots of them. (No promises about finishing everything....I'm not ~that~ motivated.) One thing has stuck out since I started playing the game...it was just so dreary for so long. Early on I was missing the option of light-hearted snarkiness that was always available in Dragon Age 2's dialog. But once I found some Daedra quests, I suppose the humor in the game showed up. Still....I feel like the game takes itself awfully seriously.

    I like the controls. I've been playing as a strict caster for a while now, and dual-casting with the triggers works well. I've had plenty of reason to get used to a wide variety of my spells (as I can still get quickly trounced by a bear if I don't have stoneflesh up). My in-game wife tanks stuff for me....which I enjoy to no end.

    Since the last patch, the game hasn't frozen my xbox at all, which is nice. And I don't feel I've been hearing the same npc comments every few minutes. One down-side....my character's level is approaching 40 right now, and I don't feel like I've had a particularly difficult fight in a while now. I mostly just die when I can't find the archer that has line of sight on me, and two good shots later (without me bothering to heal), I'm down. I can't say I like the Sierra-style 'you can die a lot, then you get to reload and try again.' (Which I contend is why LucasArts won the battle of adventure games.) But without the peril, there wouldn't be any suspense. So I suppose the occasional seemingly-random death is how you keep a player on his/her toes, when the designers don't have a better way to do it.

    I dunno, I have mixed feelings about this game. The more I think about it, the less great is seems to me. Yet I'm still putting some time into it each day, working on side quests. I imagine that says something.
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  65. Jun 28, 2012
    0
    I was a big fan of Oblivion and Morrowwind but skyrim managed to never really be anything but terrible. When I first bought it crashed and manages to allmost every hour not matter what console, glitches dont help keep the experiance fun and the RPG mechanics aren't implemented well, pretty much a let down for many fans and allthough many people can play through through this buggy mess, I find that the game was ruined by all the technical issues and bad bugs. Expand
  66. Apr 7, 2012
    9
    Can't really say much more than what has already been said. A brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable game. Incredible graphics, thrilling gameplay and beautiful music.
  67. Mar 28, 2012
    10
    This is the first Bethesda game that I have played all the way through and I must say that I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship! The scale of this game is mind blowing! 100 hours in and I STILL have not completed a multiple factions. While the graphics are a little rough sometimes, none of that matters as you find yourself more concerned with your character and others that roam the world of Skyrim. It is no surprise that this won Game of the Year. It is OFFICIALLY THE BEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED. Expand
  68. Mar 3, 2012
    6
    As entertaining as it is, Skyrim has to be one of the most overrated games to come out of 2011. It's nothing more than a Fallout game with pretty scenery, dragons and a little more depth within the game. Don't get me wrong - I had fun! However, to say it's "the best RPG ever" is an insult to the many good RPG's out there. It's got an absolutely fantastic soundtrack that compliments the exploration of the amazing world Bethesda created. Unfortunately, the game feels a little too similar to everything else that Bethesda churn out and the constant glitching-although fun-takes you out of the immersive experience. Deserving of a 6, but nothing more. Expand
  69. Feb 9, 2012
    10
    This game was made with obvious passion. I've never had so much fun sneaking and poking about a world. I don't think it would be possible to make the game better with the current technology.
  70. Nov 21, 2011
    2
    I hate this game. In my opinion it is broken and unfinished. The voice acting is terrible. The script is laughable. If you don't have the camera angle just right you become transparent. The body looting doesn't always respond and the game crashed frequently. I don't understand how this game is getting such rave reviews. I personally can't get it out of my house soon enough. Huge, huge disappointment! Expand
  71. Jan 15, 2012
    7
    Skyrim is a good game and is should be played. But after a while I just found there wasn't much left to do. The Radiant quest system is a joke. The quality of the quests and side stories is decent though. The game looks lovely and I found combat a lot of fun. The user interface is horrible though. Having to pause every 5 seconds in the middle of combat to take a potion? Really? It's like a broken V.A.T.S system from Fallout 3. I feel the game really suffers from not waiting till the next generation of consoles arrived. But I get it from a economic point of view from Bethesda's side. Talking of Fallout 3 can't help but remind me of atmosphere, something which Skyrim has a had time at creating when it wanted to despite all it's major attempts. Any atmospheric moments I got from the game were moments that happened by accident.

    The shouts are fun, but the down time feels slightly too long. I didn't mind the bugs too much, it is to be expected with an open world game such as this, but the quest breaking bugs take some stomaching. The dungeons are very well done and much less cookie cutter than other Elder Scrolls game, but after a while they seem to become all the same again. The same few groups of enemies too. And I guess that's my main complain about the game as a whole, is that as much fun as the first 40 or so hours are, after that (least for me) there were no real new surprises or situations. Dragons just become an annoyance rather than an actually threat. With that said though, it's was worth purchase for those 40 hours, because you really do have a lot of fun within them. But, that's not an Elder Scrolls game for me. An Elder Scrolls game should be about spending hundreds and hundreds of hours building your character and mythos and immersing yourself. Skyrim just doesn't have enough content and there is really no excuse, since I spent 6 months on Morrowind and around 3-4 on Oblivion, there is no excuse why a game made 10 years after the former and 5 after the latter should have less to do. Everything feels a little forced and console feel never suited The Elder Scrolls series point blank.
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  72. May 1, 2013
    9
    I was having problems with the disk in my xbox,but after a while it got better.The weapons are awesome,the spells are cool and it is so much fun exploring the amazing world.
  73. Nov 13, 2012
    10
    This game is soooo much fun i love going around and attemping to kill any mofo that gets in my, this is a most have for any RPG fan, i ve already killed so many hours of my life in this game
  74. Nov 18, 2012
    10
    This game has no flaws whatsoever. It is the only perfect game in existence. It starts you off traveling on a cart as a prisoner. Then it gives you an amazing character customization system to get your character to look exactly the way you want him/her you want to. The visuals are breathtaking and the story is great. You can enchant and improve your weapons and armor to your liking and name them. There are 100's of quests and locations. Also this game gives you the power to be anything you want to be. You can be a thief, an assassin, a hunter, a bounty hunter, or a hero etc. The game isn't class based so you can combine any combination of weapons to use. The DLC makes this game even more perfect. Dawnguard introduces crossbows, mounted combat, and the ability to turn into a demonic-vampire! Hearthfire adds the ability to have children and build your own house. Expand
  75. Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Simply an amazing game. Skyrim is clearly not for everybody. If you don't have a lot of time for games, this is not a great choice. This game takes time and patience to get good. If you're a gamer who is expecting fast and easy mindless fun, go play Call of Duty, because this game will not please you either. But if you're looking for a truly immersive game, full of choices and a huge open world for exploration you'll love this game. Expand
  76. Nov 14, 2011
    8
    Skyrim is a good game, but it could have been much better. On the plus side the amazing A/V quality, the usual to-be-expected vast open world with loads of places to explore, greatly improved combat that finally feels good and dynamic, leveling and world scaling that doesn't punish you for not knowing how to do it right, but still offer a lot of fun and challenge. However there are things in this game, that could have been much better. Underlaying RPG-world is one of those things: there is simply nothing fun about it, there is no "magic" in it, that we grew to love about say Forgotten Realms. Same can be said about story and quality of npc interactions, dialogues, the overall script. No better is the RPG-system used in TES, which offers bland items, overly problematic crafting options that are best ignored and cumbersome console-oriented interface, that quickly shift your gameplay into few-tricks pony whack-em-all because doing anything more complex is just impossible. Have to say however, that current system is still an improvement over Oblivion. Expand
  77. Nov 17, 2011
    10
    Does this game even need a review? Negative reviewers obviously picked this game in response to the buzz this game acquired since it's announcement, and are probably expecting more, yet Skyrim delivers more than just what The Elder Scrolls have been all about. Dig deep into the Skyrim's tremendous world and you'll get your monies worth a thousand times over.
  78. Dec 11, 2011
    9
    I was going to wait until I finished to review but since I will evidently never finish I decided to do it now. This game is far superior to Oblivion in my view, there is tons to do and the stories for the side-quests rival the main plot-lines of most games. There are quite a few bugs but mostly they have been fairly minor and easy to overcome. As with any game so large it is difficult to avoid at least some glitches. Doing away with Oblivion's difficulty scaling was a fantastic decision. Hours of fun to be had. Expand
  79. May 23, 2012
    10
    The Elder Scrolls V splits gamers opinions, but no one can deny that Skyrim is a beautiful and incredible big game. It is true that the graphics are not top notch but very good looking for that engine. Bethesda really squeezed everything possible out of it and presents the whole world very detailed, you see the love they gave this game. Especially fighting the big dragons feels like you are a true legend. You can do really much here and this game will suck you in after some hours. The huge open world you will discover while listening to the epic soundtrack include so much quests and things to do, that you will forget you play a videogame sometimes. The character customization is truly big and you can decide if you want to do more magic, closecombat, defensive playstyle or shoot with bow and arrow. You can mix your playstyles together and do what you want. I never made quests with the quest-markers or help, i always ran free around the world and discovered tombs, castles, dragons, mystical enemies or even more quests. Expand
  80. Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Wow! This is really what I was hoping for. Great game. Excellent story with interesting characters. A significant improvement over Oblivion. You can also see that it pays off to not fall into a yearly schedule like Dragon Age.
  81. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    For the gameplay alone I'd say this is a leap forward. We haven't seen this mix-and-match system outside of Bioshock games and Clive Barker's Undying, and it really deserves more time in the sun. ...but its the detail of the world that sucks you in, I just spent 3 hours scouring mines for ore and making armors, sometimes picking flowers and catching butterflies for alchemy on the way... I can't remember having this much fun with the 'little things' in an RPG for a very long time. Its hard to express the feeling when a game lives up to all the expectations you've put on it. I am awed at this game. Sure, there are some flaws on the PC version with controls and the UI, but the patches are forthcoming in a day or two. I haven't even started any real questline and its already obvious that this will suck 100s of hours of my time. Well done Bethesda. 10/10, and I don't give that score lightly. Expand
  82. Apr 15, 2012
    10
    Without a doubt the best game ever made . It stand s out from the rest in a crowded market (and its even better on PC).Buy it and you wont be disappointed.
  83. Apr 16, 2013
    9
    Masterful. Truly one of the greatest gaming series of all time comes up with another one to add to any collection for any breed of gamer. Although I don't think this game was as good as Oblivion, it was still epic. The main story line was slightly underwhelming, but the rest of the game is why you play it, and it doesn't disappoint.
  84. Dec 7, 2011
    10
    'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' is a game that only happens once every 10-15 years. Like 'Ocarina of Time' before it, Skyrim sets a new standard in video games and blurs the line of "Virtual-reality". From the onset, you have the ability to change anything and everything about your character (except height and weight). The game starts off like previous games in the Elder Scrolls series, with you taking the place of a nameless prisoner. From there, you choose: the race, sex, origin, and name of your character. Then, the story starts; and it never stops. The game is massive, and every side quest, miscellaneous quest, and main-story quest all have their unique dialog, story, and characters. The game also doesn't take any shortcuts on content. Almost every chest is filled with goodies to loot, every person has their own personality, every city has a unique layout, and their are no two vistas that share common form. Everything in this game is detailed, from the buildings and roads, to the people and mountains; everything has been giving some area of uniqueness. The game will also keep you busy for a while; with the main storyline lasting about 10-15 hours and side quests/misc quests lasting well over 100 hours. It is possible to beat Skyrim in 10 hours, but chances are you won't want to. I am 50+ hours into the game, and maybe 10% through the main storyline. The game is massive, expansive, and highly detailed; which leads to some of the few flaws in the game. The game, very rarely will chug when multiple enemies (5+) are all fighting on screen. The game will also render in front of you and texture pop also happens. But, keep in mind; I have only experienced these issues 3 times in 50 hours.

    'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' is the ultimate game. A game for RPG fans, hack-n-slash fans, and action-adventure games; Skyrim is a game for everyone. And, like The Ocarina of Time before it, Skyrim is the best game this gen; and in my opinion, all-time.
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  85. Jun 30, 2012
    9
    Terrific. A must play for all rpg fans. I don't even like RPGs and I loved this game. Graphics are great, and there is so much to do. The world of skyrim is huge, and waiting for you. Played oblivion? It like 3x better. And oblivion was good! Please at least rent it. You won't regret it.
  86. Nov 22, 2011
    10
    It's worth every penny thst you should spend on it and every hour youu should put it into beating the game. There are no words in existence to describe how much fun Skyrim is so; orgasmazing.
  87. Nov 21, 2011
    10
    No other company EVER goes into this much detail and depth for content, that frankly, most players will never even see. I work in software and games and at every company I've worked at we always try to put the most stuff in front of the user so they experience it. It's like a 5-year-old child doing something and pestering his parents for attention. Bethesda, however, is more than content to put countless hours of attention and blood, sweat, and tears into the little things, the minutiae, the details that no one else cares about. All that stuff that we say "it's not worth it, only 1% of players will see this" they go after, and I have the utmost respect for them because of it.

    To be frank, this game is more of the same for anyone who has played Morrowind or Oblivion, just larger in scale. But what a game it is; the technology has finally caught up to Bethesda's vision. The mountain peaks are covered in mists, the land, the creatures, everything feels so real.

    Are there a lot of bugs? yes. My friend randomly had a dragon carcass fall out of the sky on his quest NPC, I myself have had plenty of issues of teleporting enemies and arrows hitting invisible walls etc. But honestly, when you do as much as this game does, it's easy to forgive things like this. They have just done so much and so much well that it seems like nitpicking to harp on things that would be core gameplay bugs in any other game.

    In my opinion, the RPG to beat this year was The Witcher 2, but Skyrim has edged it out. The Witcher 2 is an amazing game, especially for long-time Witcher fans like myself, but Skyrim has just humbled me. Sometimes when you see something great, you just have your mouth open, jaw slack, saying 'wow.' But when you play Skyrim, you are speechless. I was STUNNED by the level of detail and care woven into this game. Every single thing in this game, from each individual blade of grass, to the majestic dragons is a testament to the love that each Bethesda employee put into this game.

    In a genre where everyone is trying to rehash MMOs and the psychological gaming mechanics that WoW made so popular, it's always refreshing to see a purist.
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  88. Dec 29, 2011
    0
    Horrible and disapointing game. Skyrim is everything Elder Scrolls fans did not want. Its smaller,stripped,mainstreamed,buggy and ugly game. If this is the new direction of Elder Scrolls then this serie is dead for me. It certainly won my FOTY(Fail of the year) award this year.
  89. Jan 4, 2012
    9
    A fantastic game without a doubt, but with the bugs and slight lack of polish. This is what hinders its perfection. It is still a highly recommended game
  90. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Amazing GOTY. It made me **** This is better than Oblivion and it is the best RPG i have played, it does have some glitched but those glitched willl be patched soon.
  91. Nov 7, 2012
    6
    I would say this game is not one that will appeal to everyone, on one hand it looks amazing and has endless hours of gameplay but to me the game just doesnt feel as fun and sometimes it can be a bit of a chore, i found game like fallout 3 to be like this, they offer lots but i dont really find the game itself amazing to want me to do it, so if you want to complete this youll need an intravenous becasue it will take over your life trying to finish it Expand
  92. Nov 28, 2012
    10
    Currently on my 2nd play thru and have downloaded the add ons. With Dragonborn Expansion this is the best time to go thru the game again. By far the best RPG to date.
  93. Nov 15, 2011
    10
    I hated Morrowind and never got around to playing Oblivion so this game has been a revelation.

    It is simply magnificent. It would be easier to to list my few minor gripes: clunky and immersion-breaking console interface ported to the PC, Dragons seem a bit weak and there's a few CTD/minimizer bugs on the PC.

    99% of the time I am just marvelling at the brilliance of this game and struggli
    ng to stop myself playing through the night. Expand
  94. Jan 22, 2012
    10
    This game has everything. A virtually unlimited number of quests ranging from the lengthy main quest to the guild quests to a seemingly numerous amount of miscellaneous quests. And I haven't even started talking about the dungeons. The world itself is massive. I've only even neared the edge of the game border once...in all my 60 hours of playing so far! And yet despite its size, it is packed to the gills with stuff in each individual area of the game world. I can hardly go in one direction for more then a minute without stumbling upon a landmark, be it a miscellaneous quest opportunity and/or a dungeon or some other intriguing pastime. This game has more content then I have seen before...ever. Not even GTA4 came close to this. Each quest has been treated with a level of thought and detail that it hardly ever seems thrown in just for the sake of making the game longer. In each quest (be it main, guild, or miscellaneous) I always meet new characters who are colorful and diverse in personality, and a plot woven delicately enough to keep me engaged all the way through. And then there's the graphics. For the size of the game world, I am amazed to see the level of detail that each individual object of the game has been rendered with. The amount of detail, combined with how much there is detailed, is unbelievable. It has been six years since Oblivion came out, and I can easily believe that Bethesda has spent all that time perfecting every nook and cranny of Skyrim, from the quests to the graphics to the game world itself. This is a must buy, not just for RPG fans, but for any gamer out there. You cannot know what a perfect RPG is until you have played this game. Expand
  95. Nov 14, 2011
    10
    Astounding. Lifted to a work of art. A contender for the best video game ever made, this is stratospheric. I've never been so invested or enthalled. If in any doubt, just buy it
  96. Jun 10, 2012
    7
    If I were to define Skyrim in only four words, that is about what you could expect from me. For as interesting a world Skyrim is to look at, the developers seemed fine filling it with repetitious, "uninspired" quests, given to you by countless amounts of npcs', none of which in possession of what I would call an actual personality.
  97. Jan 6, 2012
    9
    Skyrim... Where to begin. Well lets begin with game play, the meatiest part of this game.
    The game play is very similar to other Bethesda games such as Oblivion, and the newest two Fallout titles. The game is an open world, fantasy, role-playing game set in the northern most province called Skyrim in the Elder Scrolls world known as Tamriel (and yes I am not only a huge fan of the series,
    but a major nerd as well). You play as a legendary character known as the "Dovahkiin" or "Dragonborn" which will be explained later in my review, and get to play as 1 of 10 races, each with its own perks, and weaknesses. There is also a clever levelling system where by you level up after increasing any number of skills X number of times, which allows you to be any type of class you wish, and allows you to change class without having to start a new game, a generous plus in the games favour. From the first person perspective you can use either hand to either cast magic, use a weapon or shield, use both for two handed weapons, or use a bow. This also adds for a multitude of choices, and allows more people to play the game how they want. One added feature, which I prefer to the other recent Bethesda games, is the removal of an item wear system, now instead of weapons and armour degrading from use, they can be improved rather then fixed. Combat is fun, but dragon combat is where the game strives, as the beasts feel like they have power, and advantage over you, and fighting them feels just about as epic, as the idea of fighting dragons is. This is one of the first times dragons have been done right, and given justice in games. I could continue on for days on end, describing the quests, numberless items, and millions of ways to play the game, and still not come close to finishing just the game play of Skyrim, so instead I'll say that you can do pretty much anything you want (except that you sick perverts!) and from what I've already described, there's a lot to do.
    On to the presentation of the game, the graphics are outstanding. It is clear that Bethesda had spent some time on the look of the game as everything has detail, items can be inspected (key to some quests), character models are attractive, and the world itself is full of endless beauty. The sounds of the game are fantastic, and all well done, and dragons roar with intimidation, and it wont be uncommon to feel a chill do down your spine, and you begin frantically searching the skies for the winged beast. It should be noted though that it is clear that they had a limited staff of voice actors as the same voice will be heard multiple times from different characters, and when in conversation with characters, although not directly in their face like in other Bethesda titles, they still stand there with little emotion. Now I wish I could give this game a perfect score, but being honest and fair, I cannot as all games do have some flaws. For Skyrim, as with open world games in general, there are some glitches, and bugs that while not necessarily game breaking, are frustrating. Numerous times you will end up trapped in a rock or wall, and if you're not saving frequently, can be frustrating to have to go back because the only way to get unstuck is to load a save. My only other major gripe with the game is the whole concept of being the Dragonborn character. What the Dovahkiin is, is a character that is able to kill dragons, then adsorb their souls into them, and harness the dragons ability to spew fire, ice, shock waves, esc... by shouting. Let me explain, in Skyrim, dragons don't simply spew fire down at their enemies, they have some magical power to scream, or shout, and the energy of fire, of frost, of what ever that particular dragon is capable of doing radiates out from that shout. That's right, the first dragon you kill in the game isn't really fighting you, it's yelling at you. And after you kill it, you now have the ability to kill your enemies by yelling at them, and if you get into a fight with another dragon, you can make it nothing more then a yelling match. While it fits appropriately with a Norse based society, it's ridiculous to think about, and wasn't very necessary to the game.
    All in all, Skyrim is a great game, and with the amount of fun you can have, as well as an exponential amount of content for a $60 price tag, Skyrim is a must buy. FUS RO DAH! MOTHA#$%&ERS! (play the game if you don't get it)
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  98. Feb 7, 2012
    0
    The most horrible game in 2011, this game contains all the bad aspects of an RPG, full of bugs, the game is not worth it and you must rethink before buying it.
  99. Jun 27, 2012
    9
    Skyrim is to the Western RPG genre as what the early Final Fantasy games/Chrono Trigger is to the JRPG. In short, a masterclass which is ambitious beyond measure and a complete labour of love from a studio which is rightfully being applauded for their commitment to a dying breed of game.
  100. Jan 21, 2013
    9
    I greatly enjoyed playing The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, it improves on Oblivion in almost every single way. First off the game is visually stunning and is really enjoyable to go walking around and look at the game world. Every region seems individually crafted unlike in Fallout 3. The regions are also nicely varied, you have snowy mountain peaks,(my personal favorite) forests, swamps and tundra. Onto the weapons and combat, the weapons are well done and look good but i do wish there were more types of armor and weapons. The combat is better but still a little stiff, but the addition of duel wielding an ax with a fire spell or a dagger with a healing spell or something of the like makes the combat more customisable. Technical the game deserves much to be desired, the textures especially on shade and snow is kind of blurry, also loading times are incredibly long. In my opinion the games biggest problem is its gear progression, by that I mean you'll be using near top tier weaponry by level thirty or so, that really can make the game dull in later levels. The story is quite good and its above average for a Bethesda game, along with the main quest you have guild quests, misc quests, side quests and faction quests. Over all this is a great game for any fan of video games, with its sprawling, beautiful landscape and addictive gameplay, The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim is truly a classic game. Expand
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 89 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 89
  3. Negative: 0 out of 89
  1. Feb 6, 2012
    100
    This epic role-playing game might be Bethesda's best game yet, and offers an unique and spectacular world filled with fun. The freedom ensures a great experience for both the casual and hardcore gamer, as you're free to play the game how you like.
  2. Dec 16, 2011
    97
    Skyrim is the largest, and most compelling work that I've had the opportunity to play this year. It's engaging, engrossing, and will take over your gaming life for many months to come. Not only is Skyrim among the best that 2011 has to offer, but for me, this is, without hesitation, the Game of the Year.
  3. Dec 16, 2011
    90
    Quotation forthcoming.