If there was one game that stood out in my mind as the most anticipated game of 2011, it was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Released on 11/11/11, the game had big shoes to fill; Oblivion, its predecessor, was a title that left its fans wanting more. It was released for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
The game begins with a character on his way to his execution. Not to give away too much, but somehow he escapes death, moments from being beheaded. From then on, he is on a quest to destroy Alduin, a dragon god who plans on destroying the world.
Although Skyrim has a varied environment, it is mostly a frozen land. Not just the environment, however, is frozen. When you start out, the game play is as smooth as possible. After completing the main storyline, the play lags, and gets increasingly worse. Glitches and malfunctions become a common occurrence. Some become such a nuisance that the game system has to be turned off for long intervals. The PC version works much better, but only if you own a high powered computer.
The game is captivating though, and provides many hours of enjoyment. With about 250 hours in the game, it’s sure to preoccupy a big chunk of time. If this hasn’t been stressed enough yet, the environment is massive. Skyrim seems endless; all the mountains in the distance are all places to explore.
While certain aspects of Oblivion were removed, others were equally added. For instance, though the player can no longer create spells, though more powerful spells have been added; Dragon shouts, which the player will find out as the game is played, are another added feature. While out adventuring, companions accompany the players. This is especially helpful when there are too many items in the inventory.
If you can get over the frustration of a lag, then Skyim’s the game for you. It’s a beautiful game, bringing a lot of entertainment to whoever decides to take up the challenge. Once you become a true Skyrim fan, you can honestly say, “I used to be an Adventurer… then I took an arrow to the knee.”