There isn’t much I can add to the conversation of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that hasn’t already been said. What I’m going to concentrate on here is my experience with the game and how I enjoyed it.
First, I haven’t beaten the main storyline — heck, I haven’t even started it. And since I haven’t started the main quests, I haven’t encountered any dragons. A bit of a bummer, but I can go tackle the main story at my leisure.
As with all Elder Scrolls games, I play one type of class. Instead of levelling up and putting the points I gain into a typical warrior, mage, assassin skill tree, I create my own hodge-podge character. I love sneaking around, stealing things and causing general mayhem; I’m an “archer assassin.” What I hate about the typical assassin/thief character type is using lame daggers to cut people’s throats. They’re really annoying to use, and if you get caught you get your head beaten in by an angry guy with a mace.
Instead, I lurk in the shadows with a bow and snipe people with my arrows. Hitting creatures in the head, then darting back into the shadows? Very satisfying indeed.
To backtrack a little: what I’m describing above is just what I chose to do. I haven’t even scraped the surface of what Skyrim has to offer. There is literally that much content. I have focused only on a few guild quests and dungeons, and with that alone I have put about 18 hours into the game. I have hundreds of hours of game left to play and many different ways I can go about it. People are still playing Morrowind (Elder Scrolls III), which came out in 2002, and it took quite a long time for all the nooks and crannies of that game to be explored.
While Skyrim certainly looks great, there are some glitches to be found. When a game of this size is crammed onto a DVD — or in the case of the PlayStation 3, a Blu-ray — there are bound to be some issues. Just remember to save often — Skyrim helpfully auto saves for you — and reload if the game freezes.
If you are like me and are selective of the games you buy, or are just an old-fashioned fan of fantasy, you should buy this game and give it a spin. I have never had so much fun running around, doing whatever I felt like in a game.
David Krause, Manitoban sports reporter
To me, Skyrim is more than a role-playing game; it is truly a piece of art. Like Oblivion, the previous Elder Scrolls title, a large part of the satisfaction I receive comes from exploring the vast beauty of the landscape. The stunning detail of the game comes to life when you march through a valley only to see a mammoth drinking from a stream, which is fed by the imposing mountains in the distance.
There are significant improvements in game play over Oblivion. Some notable changes include the ability to dual-wield both magic and one-handed weapons, allowing players to choose to be a proper battle-mage. The most significant improvement I’ve found is that Skyrim has removed the feature whereby enemies level up with the player. This was one of the single most annoying aspects of the Oblivion game. Removing this feature allows you to improve periphery skills, such as smiting or stealth, without experiencing disadvantages in combat. This allows the player to become more involved in role-playing, which adds to the overall depth of the game.
All these additions and improvements only add to the immersive experience of what was already a deeply engaging role-playing series.
Phil Dunphy, Manitoban business manager
