Skyrim Review

It’s no secret that Bethesda makes great RPGs. Between Fallout and the Elder Scrolls series, they have had many big hits. With the Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion being loved so much by fans everywhere, Bethesda had to pull out something really special to top it. And so on the 11th of November 2011 ( 11.11.11 ) we got presented with the Elder Scrolls V Skyrim.

All Elder Scrolls games take place on the continent of Tamriel, which is split into countries; each being home to a different race. Skyrim is the northernmost country in Tamriel and is home to the viking-like Nords. Some Nords want independence from the rest of Tamriel and so rallied behind a man named Ulfric Stormcloak, who murdered the High King of Skyrim, sending the country into a vicious civil war.

You wake up in the back of a horse drawn carriage with a gagged Ulfric and it becomes clear that you are on your way to execution. Before the execution is carried out, a big black dragon attacks and chaos ensues. You are able to escape in the mayhem and there your journey will have truly begun.

At this point the world is your oyster and you may go wherever you like and deal with things in any order you wish. Help end a civil war or find out more about the dragon or go explore and discover other crisis' that might need your help. It’s completely up to you.

Skyrim is the game that got me into gaming. Before Skyrim I was mostly playing linear games with very clear direction and having the vast openness of Skyrim opened my eyes to world of story telling. I’ve dumped hundreds of hours into this game across multiple playthroughs; it’s just that good. It’s often referred to nowadays as baby's first RPG but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. You can easily give this game to anyone who is thinking about trying some games out and they’ll learn a lot about game mechanics like levelling systems, skill trees, armour and damage values and what sorts of puzzles are common in gaming.

My only real gripe is that it’s been 12 years now and while we got some awesome DLC after the initial release, Bethesda has released Skyrim a few times with little changes. We did get some new content for the anniversary release but too little too late. We all are just ready for Elder Scrolls VI.

Skyrim will always be one of the GOAT's and even better than the world is the trailer. If that doesn’t hype you up for the game then nothing will.