The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review

In an industry where sequels come and go like clockwork, it’s rare to see a sequel take its time, and what’s more, put work into the game’s depth and playability. With that being said, it has been five years since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion came out and the anticipation is high for the sequel, which is set to be one of the biggest role playing games of the current generation.

Is this vast, immersive RPG going to be a worthy successor to the critically acclaimed Oblivion and Morrowind? Or is the trek to the land of Skyrim one not worth taking? Let’s take a look on what’s HOT and what’s NOT in our review of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

HOT

The Continuation to the Elder Scrolls Lore
For fans who are following the lore in the Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim will tell another prophecy from the Elder Scrolls that will doom Skyrim and the rest of Tamriel. The game takes place in the land to the north of Cyrodiil, which is Skyrim. Following the events that took place in Cyrodiil (an era after Oblivion’s time), a new threat is upon Tamriel as the prophesized god of destruction, known as a Alduin, in a form of a dragon is said to awaken and destroy Skyrim and the rest of Tamriel.

The game takes place in the small town of Helgen where you, as the player, is a prisoner who is about to be executed for getting involved with the rebel group known as the Stormcloak, whom are responsible for the assassination of the high king. Just as you are about to beheaded, the prophesized dragon in the legends appears, thus destroying the town then giving you an opportunity to escape. This begins your epic adventure as you set out on a journey to find out the reason behind the reappearance of the dragons from the legends in Skyrim and discover what your purpose is in the game as a Dragonborn, a warrior that was told in the legends that will aid the land of Skyrim from the dragons.

Exceptional Visuals and Less Glitches
Let’s admit it, even though Oblivion was one of the games everyone considers as “epic”, a lot of gamers were annoyed on the glitches and the graphics the game offered. If you’re worried that Skyrim might have the same glitches that makes the game annoying to play, you will be pleased to know that they are less frequent here. From my 60 hour playthrough of Skyrim, I’ve noticed a couple of glitches and it’s the quest progression issues that doesn’t allow me to accept the quest, although this has now been fixed with the day one patch. With the game so massive, it’s impossible to have the game perfect with zero glitches. However, compared to Oblivion, you can see it less in Skyrim and most of the time, it’s unnoticeable.

Going into the visuals of Skyrim, I must say that it’s one of the biggest improvements that Bethesda did for Skyrim. If I were to compare the visuals of Oblivion to Skyrim, I would say that Skyrim could easily throw Oblivion out of the water. With the all-new game engine that Bethesda used for Skyrim, it makes exploring the game a better experience as you’ll get to see the beautiful lush trees with snowy mountains plus a very well detailed town. Character models look ten times better than Oblivion where you can now see their mouths syncing and witness all the emotions on their faces. The only downside to the visuals is that majority of the dungeons are reused throughout the game. In the end, Skyrim has a complete overhaul in terms of the visual department and it’s a treat for all Oblivion fans.

Expect Unlimited Hours of Gameplay; the Breakdown
The Elder Scrolls games doesn’t only shine due to its epic main storyline. Actually, a lot of gamers fell in love with the series because of the depth the game has to offer when it comes to character customization, the side stories it offers, the extra things that you can do such as enchanting weapons, hunting for the best weapon, or even marrying someone and have your own house. Pretty much, there’s a lot to do in Skyrim aside from questing.