Game: Elder Scrolls V Skyrim (2010

Platform Played: PC

Price: I bought it when it came out

Developer: Bethesda Softworks

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

[No Images Are My Own. Spoilers Ahead!]

Background: I and all of my friends were more than excited for this game back when it was nearing release. I adored Elder Scrolls III and IV. I played Elder Scrolls III for ages unsuccessfully until I learned a formula for success in the game. I played Elder Scrolls IV many a time and beat the main quest, expansions, and numerous add-on quests. Both of these games had great stories, fun gameplay, and an immersive feeling. The player was a part of an epic story. The player battled evil and liberated a people in Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

In Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the player saves an empire from hell (Oblivion) and preserves it’s line of succession. Unfortunately, the empire’s saving does not prevent it from being crippled in an international conflict.

 

In Skyrim, the Empire of Tamriel has a new dynasty. It is now in a bipolar world. The nation’s rival is the Aldmeri Dominion, a high elf nation state.

 

Morrowind, featured in the third game has suffered a natural disaster. It’s people are in a diaspora. And the province that is the namesake of the game: Skyrim is in the midst of a civil war. To make matters worse, there are dragons. 

In all seriousness, Skyrim is and was a great example of an open world game done well. There are still factions, albeit it different ones, and there are still consequences for actions made by the player. But the main quest is just ridiculously silly and without compelling rewards for the time put into it. Skyrim tells a decent story through good gameplay, and an immersive atmosphere.

Gameplay: The options are endless! You can go hunting, craft armor, improve weapons, build houses, fight monsters, become a vampire, become a wearwolf, become a thane, go to war, go to jail, and get married. Of course you can still delve dungeons. Skyrim is the realization of a table top role playing game’s immersive nature in electronic format. The complexity of Morrowind is wed with the accessibility of Oblivion. Unfortunately, some things are lost in translation. There’s no class system.

Yes, this allows for freedom, but the perk system tends to dilute the role playing aspect. I got used to it though. The gameplay does get repetitive though.

 

Let’s talk about the atmosphere. The mountains, the cities, the castles, the villages, the valleys, and the whole of the province from Riften to the Reach is breathtakingly beautiful. The taverns and inns feel like intimate gathering places where rumors and ale flow equally in abundance. The atmosphere is great. The gameplay is interesting. The last meme alluded to not finishing the main quest. I wouldn’t blame anyone for not. I finished it once. I never bothered with it again.

The two side quest trees of the Thieves Guild and The Dark Brotherhood are far more interesting. The Bard’s College’s Faculty has some interesting tasks for the player to complete as well. They’re more interesting than trapping dragons and learning ‘shouts.’

 

Skyrim’s main quest is it’s largest flaw. Instead of an epic adventure we get something akin to force powers from Jedi Knight. We get a lousy set of interruptions on doing interesting faction quests, we also get nothing in return. All in all, Skyrim was a decent game. It’s expansions: Dragonborn and Dawnguard made the base game’s shortcomings more tolerable. You are better off playing Oblivion. The game’s main quest is it’s “arrow to the knee.”

Get some mods for the game on nexus instead.