And in the world of "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim," the promise of another day is the greatest adventure of all.
The dragon circled menacingly overhead, like a hungry vulture eying its next meal. It had spotted me as soon as I made my exit from the cave, a wretched place that was now littered with the dead bodies of the necromancers that had been calling it home.
Sensing I had but seconds to make my move, I took a final look around the picturesque mountainside grove, hoping to spot something, anything to use to my advantage against the giant winged beast. I watched as butterflies floated on the breeze and a small herd of sheep grazed next to a river that poured down the mountain in a beautiful waterfall, unaware of the threat that soared high above.
This wasn't my first encounter with a dragon. I had slain one days earlier with the help of group of valiant soldiers from the town of Whiterun. Together we took down the fire-breathing behemoth, but it was no easy fight. As the beast let out a blood-curdling scream and began its descent, I thought of those men and how I longed to again have their trusty blades and bows at my side. But I was alone on this mountain.
The dragon slowly lowered itself in front of me, as if daring me to attack. I gripped my enchanted orcish mace and pulled my shield close, ready to oblige the beast. And then, with a mighty heave, I leaped ...
... Over the waterfall.
The plunge to the bottom of the falls seemed to take forever, and as the swift waters carried me far away from that mountain vista and the dragon that spoiled it, I hurriedly scrambled to shore, eager to continue on my way. For I had lived to fight another day.
And in the world of "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim," the promise of another day is the greatest adventure of all.
In "Skyrim," Todd Howard and his team at Bethesda have crafted a living, breathing world that simply engulfs the user from the introduction. You don't just play "Skyrim," you experience it through moments both epic (the aforementioned dragon encounter) and serene (admiring the glowing Aurora Borealis that dances across the night sky).
And the freedom you have to go about experiencing this vast open world is one of the greatest strengths of "Skyrim." It begins with the character creation screen, where I spent a solid half-hour tweaking my Nord until he looked like the love child of Viggo Mortensen and Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the real choices begin once you start leveling-up your character.
There are no predetermined classes in "Skyrim." Instead, you character's skills reflect the choices you make and the way you play the game. If you're constantly sneaking around and hiding in the shadows, your sneak skill will increase. Adorn your character with some fancy Elven gear and you will become more proficient in the use of light armor. Chose to attack your foes with a flame spell and it will become more effective over time. As your skills increase, your overall level will also rise, which allows you to invest one point in any of the skill trees you desire.
These skills work like the perks in "Fallout 3" - some grant bonuses to a given attribute (such as a 25 percent boost to your attack power when using a sword), while others unlock new moves (such as the ability to zoom in while drawing your bow). These skills trees are displayed via constellations, and as you make your choices you can see your character taking shape before your eyes.
The system works well and serves to eliminate much of the initial trial-and-error that plagued previous games in the series. No longer are you stuck with a character class that doesn't fit your style of play - simply use the skills you want to use and your character will naturally evolve based on your actions.
The dragon circled menacingly overhead, like a hungry vulture eying its next meal. It had spotted me as soon as I made my exit from the cave, a wretched place that was now littered with the dead bodies of the necromancers that had been calling it home.
Sensing I had but seconds to make my move, I took a final look around the picturesque mountainside grove, hoping to spot something, anything to use to my advantage against the giant winged beast. I watched as butterflies floated on the breeze and a small herd of sheep grazed next to a river that poured down the mountain in a beautiful waterfall, unaware of the threat that soared high above.
This wasn't my first encounter with a dragon. I had slain one days earlier with the help of group of valiant soldiers from the town of Whiterun. Together we took down the fire-breathing behemoth, but it was no easy fight. As the beast let out a blood-curdling scream and began its descent, I thought of those men and how I longed to again have their trusty blades and bows at my side. But I was alone on this mountain.
The dragon slowly lowered itself in front of me, as if daring me to attack. I gripped my enchanted orcish mace and pulled my shield close, ready to oblige the beast. And then, with a mighty heave, I leaped ...
... Over the waterfall.
The plunge to the bottom of the falls seemed to take forever, and as the swift waters carried me far away from that mountain vista and the dragon that spoiled it, I hurriedly scrambled to shore, eager to continue on my way. For I had lived to fight another day.
And in the world of "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim," the promise of another day is the greatest adventure of all.
In "Skyrim," Todd Howard and his team at Bethesda have crafted a living, breathing world that simply engulfs the user from the introduction. You don't just play "Skyrim," you experience it through moments both epic (the aforementioned dragon encounter) and serene (admiring the glowing Aurora Borealis that dances across the night sky).
And the freedom you have to go about experiencing this vast open world is one of the greatest strengths of "Skyrim." It begins with the character creation screen, where I spent a solid half-hour tweaking my Nord until he looked like the love child of Viggo Mortensen and Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the real choices begin once you start leveling-up your character.
There are no predetermined classes in "Skyrim." Instead, you character's skills reflect the choices you make and the way you play the game. If you're constantly sneaking around and hiding in the shadows, your sneak skill will increase. Adorn your character with some fancy Elven gear and you will become more proficient in the use of light armor. Chose to attack your foes with a flame spell and it will become more effective over time. As your skills increase, your overall level will also rise, which allows you to invest one point in any of the skill trees you desire.
These skills work like the perks in "Fallout 3" - some grant bonuses to a given attribute (such as a 25 percent boost to your attack power when using a sword), while others unlock new moves (such as the ability to zoom in while drawing your bow). These skills trees are displayed via constellations, and as you make your choices you can see your character taking shape before your eyes.
The system works well and serves to eliminate much of the initial trial-and-error that plagued previous games in the series. No longer are you stuck with a character class that doesn't fit your style of play - simply use the skills you want to use and your character will naturally evolve based on your actions.
Once you've molded your character to your liking, "Skyrim" offers no shortage of things to occupy your time. In addition to the main quest, which involves your connection to the mysterious reappearance of dragons, there are dozens of miscellaneous side quests to complete, multiple guilds to join (complete with their own never-ending assortment of missions) and scores of random dungeons to discover. Or you could spend hours collecting ingredients and experimenting with alchemy, or mining ore and gathering other raw materials to craft your own armor and weapons. Again, the choice is yours.
Graphically, "Skyrim" is an impressive accomplishment. The weather effects, especially the raging blizzards that assault the higher elevations, are a sight to behold. So, too, are the varied environments that make up the region. Snow-covered peaks, swampy marshlands, grassy plains and craggy mountainsides are just some of the terrain you'll encounter on your journey, and each area has a unique look and feel about it.
A lot of work went into improving the way the game looks when playing in third-person, and it shows. The camera has been moved closer to the player, which shows off many of the fine details captured in the different armor types, and the animations are much smoother and natural looking. There are areas that could be improved, most notably some strange lighting effects in which characters are blotted out and the apparent lack of some textures, but those are mere blemishes on an otherwise beautiful canvas.
As I look back on my time in "Skyrim," there are other things that stand out in my memory. The group of hunters enjoying a relaxing dip in the southern hot springs. The giant who chased me away when I got too close to his herd of mammoths. The strange little minstrel who only wanted to bury his mother (again). The werewolves and vampires. The list goes on and on.
I've heaped high praise on many games this year, and each was deserving of those kind words. But I can say without doubt that "Skyrim" is the single greatest game I have had the pleasure of playing this year. This is the pinnacle of modern role-playing games.
"The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim"
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Publisher: Bethesda Game Studios
Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($59.99)
Rating: M for mature
Score: 10/10
