Archive Review: Skyrim: Bringing the Sky to the Edge of the North

Written in 2011 unedited since.

As you enter the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim it suddenly hits you how breathtakingly detailed this game actually is. The amount of love and craft which has entered this game is unmatched; from the Nordic vistas of the cold hearted north land of the Empire, to the level of clarity reading one of the world's many books can bring. Skyrim, in its entirety brings you the atmosphere of a world that should exist.

Gameplay:

First and foremost, the control layout is reasonably simple and easy to
use, any gamer will automatically know how to fight, cast spells, loot,
open the menu and save the game. This helps to bring an effortless feel
when a player decides that now is the time to immerse themselves into the
game. In game, it is easy to forget yourself, as soon as you have finished
the introduction which helps to set the scene and get you on your way your
thrusted (but by no means kicking and screaming) into the fine landscape
which is Skyrim. Players are faced with a myriad of options: shall I go
find an inn and buy a drink? Perhaps I should investigate that ominous
looking structure on that mountain over there? OMG, a rabbit! (after five
minutes of running and wasting arrows I'm completely lost and the rabbit
is gone.) So far, on my journey into Skyrim it is clear that its not just
the big events that make the game, small things like seeing a goat walking
by your side, or having that pesky rabbit elude you deadly aim cause you
to realise how awesome The Elder Scrolls has become.
Fighting, spells, thieving, sneaking, finishing moves and quests have all
been tweaked to create a more streamline, fun and expressive system in
which to play. Being able to dual wield, and mix has created the ability
to really make who you are. If you don't like slow heavy weapons but you
still fancy great hitting power, rock out on dual swords. This removes the
ability to block but overall it makes for a balanced and realistic new
look at weapons the the series. On top of this, you can now wield spells
and use dragon shouts. Improvements to the magic system overall, including
the shouts now actually make mages feel like a real class, rather than
magic just being a tool on top of other weapons. Being able to hold spells
and use shout independently really adds to the ability to be who you want
to be. I myself use single handed sword and a spell in the other, with
fire breath dragon shout. This arsenal allows me to be versatile and
quick, with limited range attack and close hitting power.
Thieving and sneaking have also been slightly tweaked.now, there is a much
clearer system for sneaking, with the target reticule specifically saying
when you are fully hidden and fully discovered, there are still loop holes
to be used, such as the bucket on head exploitation, but even these only
add to the fun and experience within the game.
Finishing moves are a completely new addition to the series, taken from
fallout these exciting mini cut scenes show your character using their
hidden killer skills to being an end the opponent. These are really good
at bringing either relief, pride or distraught quickly. This is because
the way the cut scenes are constructed, they are very different from
fighting. Unfortunately they are very similar to the death camera, and so
going from low health to a finishing move can leave you panicked and
disappointed until you realise your character hasn't been killed by a
wolf, but is in fact gutting it, which is satisfyingly visceral.
The quest system has been revamped, and while in Oblivion everyone was
raving about radiant AI, we are slightly missing the significance of
radiant story. Of course, there are still many fully written and 'static'
quests such as the main story line, but there are now randomly generated,
game built articles. This is where, the game see's your in a town, not
doing a quest and so, it makes a whole new quest for you. Small errands
such as finding a lost ring, or carrying a message to exploration of new
areas, caves and dwellings. Even guild and faction story lines are
extended by the radiant story, with a new contract for the dark
brotherhood or some work with the thieves guild. This maybe small but the
game specifically picks places you haven't been and helps to further the
experience, and goodness forbid it, created an unending game.

Sound:

The sound in Skyrim is amazing, it has one of the best soundtracks I've
ever heard in a game. The way Bethesda have crafted the music to seemingly
fit into every scene you move into is quite astounding. Its almost as if
the music know's your on top of a mountain looking down on the world
below. The voice acting has improved tenfold, rather than just having 6
voice actors, there are 60 and it shows. So far, I don't think two people
have sounded exactly the same which for a game of this size is quite an
achievement. however, some times the acting can sound flawed as if they
are trying to create the accent they are using, or speech can cut across
another speech. Its now flawless but its getting there

Menus:

Todd Howard said how Bethesda tried to make Skyrim's menus more user
friendly, sleek and easy. If there is anything in my opinion which has not
exceeded expectations it it this. They have very much recovered the
simplicity they were looking for, but this has lead to a more stale and
artificial interface. You cannot see your character any more in the
apparel section, and while your appearance does not truly affect you in
session its always nice to see how you look and change with different 
equipment. The new map is lovely. being 3D and detailed doesn't detract
from the fact its a map, its easier to use than oblivion's not to mention
more beautiful. The use of star signs to change your perks and skill trees
is quirky, and it fits with the game well. I feel some of the
constellations could be better, and perhaps referred to more in-game but
aside from this there is no complaints.

Plot/Atmosphere:

What can I say here... The plot is excellent, you can easily follow the main
quest without erring from the path, and this will hardly detract from your 
experience. On the other hand, you have the opportunity, at all times, to 
start something different. There are so many different things to do, it is
plausible that Todd Howard was not exaggerating the unlimited game clause.
This is brilliant, the very epitome of the word. You can play exactly how you want.
Furthermore, the atmosphere inside the game, from the music and how it changes when the dragons about to go down on you, to when your just staring over the vast, dynamic and beautiful landscape of Skyrim. The variety of beasts and the way everything interacts and engages has created, the most deep and intoxicating environment since video games were invented. 

Playability:

Despite the perhaps daunting world and overwhelming array of tasks supplied for you, Skyrim is what every gamers heart is made for. The controls are intuitive and easily adapted to. The complete ability to play how you want is very attractive for all gamers. This, combined with the total amount of enjoyment you can squeeze out of the game makes for a very pliable and yet immersive experience. The glitches bring something for everyone, farmers can use the unlimited xp to do what they do best. Giants smashing people into space is totally hilarious, and watching a mammoth fly is so epic, I don't even know is Chuck Norris could out-epic that. 

Summary:

Skyrim is a very deep and exciting augmentation to real life, you can literally lose yourself within the world. The menus and controls are more sleek, tweaks have been made to magic and stealth to bring them into the fore. The atmosphere is the best ever in a game. You can play it anyway you want to, nothing holds you back, Bethesda have created a game in which only you can decide what to do as the game only stops itself from breaking by being totally awesome. 100% recommended to anyone who has the time to play, because it deserves it. 

Overall rating: 10/10