Skyrim: The Basic Rundown

I don't know where to start is a statement that sums up both this game and this review. Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is a ridiculously huge game that also happens to be exceedingly well done. It's entirely possible that I am too easily impressed, but this is one of the most fun, engaging and beautiful games I've ever played.

It's funny, because part of me wanted to hate it. Skyrim is the fifth in a string of successful first-person fantasy RPG's developed by Bethesda Studios and I agree with those that say we need more variety in video games. However when something is this finely crafted, who the hell cares if it's a little bit derivative? Yes there are Orcs and Elves and all of those other lovely Tolkien creatures, but there are also Mammoths which are herded by giants. There are dragon languages which result in awesome powers. There are seemingly and infinite amount of quests which I may never complete (especially if they are infinite. That's kind of how infinity works.) I've been unable to put the game down since I got it last Friday at midnight and it seems as if I've barely started.

In an attempt to tone down the fanboy in me, I do have to admit some problems with the game. There are glitches. Lots and lots of glitches, to be frank. Sometimes missions don't work or buttons don't work or mammoths just fall from the sky, which I believe is not supposed to happen. While this can be annoying, it can also be endlessly entertaining if you have friends in the room. A friend of mine fought a bear for twenty mintues or so because it kept using hit and run guerrilla tactics against him. Every time he tried to shoot it, it would run away only to return a second later from his side, claws slashing. Many posts have already been made on Reddit about the seeming indestructibility of the game's horses. Another small problem is that the voice acting isn't always the best. Really, though, that's it. I'm not very far into the game, to be sure, but those are the only real problems so far.

In terms of the good stuff, the short answer could be just about everything. As with the other Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim emphasizes exploration over combat. Of course, combat is a major part of the game, but walking will take up a much larger portion of the game. Part of the reason I love this game is my adoration for the beauty of cold climate. Every inch of this world has been lovingly rendered. I get a thrill whenever I wander through a snowstorm or a frosty forest. It's in my blood, I suppose. The combat is rewarding, the quests are entertaining and there simply isn't a moment wasted in this game.

I haven't mentioned the story because I'm really just around the beginning. I've killed my first dragon, but I immediately began wandering the snowy wastes after that. I know that the main conflict in the game is a civil war between the Stormcloaks, a Nord nationalist group, and the Empire. There is also a question about why dragons are coming back when they were all killed off one thousand years ago. However, there are also around five guilds to join, each with their own intense quest chain. There is a lot to keep a person going.

This has been a really short review because I really don't know what to say. Skyrim is a fantastic game. It's huge, and will take a long time to get anywhere near completion, so be ready to lose yourself in a large, detailed world if you buy this game. I plan on playing this for a while, so look for more articles on this game for the next...oh let's say month or two. I haven't even scratched the surface.