The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Xbox 360

    As the title might suggest, Skyrim is the fifth entry in the Elder Scrolls series, and the second of the series to appear on the Xbox 360. Just as the previous entries in the series, Skyrim can be categorized as a Western Role-Playing Game (WRPG). The Elder Scrolls V is created by Bethesda, which is arguably the best producer of WRPGs of all game studios. Skyrim has something to offer everyone that enjoys the fantasy/RPG genre. The game especially excels in what may be the most important aspect of a WRPG, that is, that players are highly encouraged to put themselves into the game as the main character.

The Elder Scrolls V takes place in the Tamrielic province of Skyrim. The story of the game takes place roughly 200 years after the events of the previous game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The political climate of Skyrim is a tense one as the game opens with news that the Empire-sanctioned High King of Skyrim has been murdered by the leader of a rebel faction, the Stormcloaks. This political tension plays a part in the story throughout the game. When the player gains some control of the game's character, he or she finds themself the victim in a case of mistaken identity. The character is held on an Imperial prisoner cart along with several members of the Stormcloak rebellion, including the King's murderer himself, Ulfric. Under suspicion of being a member of the rebellion, the character is forced into line for execution. After a surprising series of events, the character finds his or herself running for their life as a dragon (a race of creatures supposedly extinct in Skyrim) lays waste to the village of Helgen.

Alduin cooking his dinner.

 
    Upon escaping the village, the player is asked to look for help in facing the dragon threat. While looking for aid, another series of important events leads to the main character of the game discovering that he or she is what is known as Dragonborn, a mortal human with the soul of a dragon. This auspicious birth has granted the Dragonborn the ability to speak the ancient language of the dragons, a language with such power that the Dragonborn can produce magical effects simply by uttering words in the ancient tongue. Along with this revelation, the Dragonborn learns of a prophecy detailing the return of dragons to Skyrim heralded by Alduin The World-Eater, a great dragon king and self-proclaimed aspect of the divine Akatosh. This prophecy tells that Alduin brings with him the end of times for the world of Nirn. The prophecy also tells that the only way to avoid this calamity is for a Dragonborn to rise up and defeat Alduin, returning the dragons to their slumber.

    As previously mentioned, a large part of WRPGs is the idea that the player can create his or her own character as eyes to look at the game through while putting his or herself into the game as the character's mind. Skyrim enables the player to put themselves into the game extremely well. After a brief introduction to the game, the player is given the ability to create his or her character. Skyrim offers 8 unique races to choose from, each with its own lore and aesthetics. From there, the player can manipulate a myriad of facial settings to create his or her avatar in the world of Skyrim.

Skyrim, class of '11.

 
    Skyrim is played in either first-person or third-person view. Previous games in the series offered the same options, but the third-person animations were so horrible before Skyrim that practically everyone played in first-person. Skyrim has greatly improved on the series's past animations, however I feel that Skyrim is properly experienced in first-person. My feelings on the subject again go with the belief that a WRPG should allow the player to become the character in the game.

    Combat in Skyrim comes in a variety of flavors. One branch of combat is the ability to wield powerful magics. Potential mages can command fire, lightning, and ice, or use more utilitarian spells such as the power to increase your persuasion when haggling a deal at the market. Another choice is to become a master of arms. A large number of weapon types are present in the game including two handed axes, bows, one handed swords and maces, as well as enchanted items such as staffs which allow the player to cast spells without the necessary magical aptitude. As Dragonborn, the main character also has the ability to learn shouts which have various magical effects.

    In addition to combat, Skyrim offers a large number of activities to take part in. Whether you want to mine ore and create your own suits of armor and weapons, collect plants and other ingredients to dabble in alchemy, harvest the souls of monsters roaming the tundra and harness their power to create powerful enchantments, or take part in any of the other activities Skyrim offers, everything is enjoyable. There are also various guilds and factions in the game world that the player can join. Each group has its own storyline and quests and caters to a player with a certain skillset. The player can also choose to ally his or herself with the Empire or the Stormcloak revolution and experience a storyline related to the dispute.

    The efficiency of the Dragonborn in each area of the game is determined by the character's level in the respective skill. Skill levels are raised simply by using that skill. Want to get better at archery? Go out and fight using a bow. Want to learn to make more powerful potions? Collect some ingredients and practice combining them. Possibly the greatest feature of Skyrim is the fact that any character can learn any skill. Want to play as a mage that wears heavy armor, wields a spell in one hand, and a sword in the other? No problem. In addition to skill levels, Skyrim introduces a perk system. As you level up your character's level by leveling skills a specified number of times you gain perk points. Depending on your previously spent points and your level in a skill you will be able to unlock extra abilities within each skill. These perks are what really makes your character's skillset unique and customizable.

So wait, the constellation for Light Armor is a chicken leg?

Skyrim offers a massive world to explore. Exploration is likely to be the activity that the player spends the most time doing in the game. There are hundreds of quests to be found and completed throughout the game world, as well as a huge number of locations of interest to be discovered and explored. The province of Skyrim is extremely large and could take hours to walk across with the multitude of distractions one is bound to find on the way. This game is beautiful. There were many times that I found myself climbing to the top of a mountain just to see the grand vista below me. Skyrim is separated into different climate zones based on location in the province. Snowy mountains, hot springs, marshy bogs, and many other areas await scouting. The game offers numerous rewards to exploring out of the way areas of the province. Be it beautiful scenery or a powerful weapon, Skyrim's wilderness is definitely worth traversing.

One of the uglier vistas in the game...

    What I have found to be my favorite part of WRPGs is also what may turn many people off to Skyrim. Since WRPGs allow the player to create their own characters in the game world, there is usually little to no character development of the player character. There also tends to be little direction in exploration outside of quests. I feel that this is done purposely so that players can fill in these blanks with a story that he or she makes up for their character. On the other side of the issue, if someone is not a fan of this fantasy role-playing, he or she may find that the huge game world seems empty and boring. I definitely feel that Skyrim is a game in which you get out what you put into it. I have personally created many different characters with which to travel the wilds of Skyrim, each one with a different backstory/persona and skillset. I find that this use of imagination is what gives the game great replayability.

    Unfortunately Bethesda has come to be known for the multitude of glitches and bugs in their games. Skyrim at launch was no different. Patches have fixed most issues since the game's release but I still experience freezes and the failure of building interiors to load intermediately. Admittedly  though, as large and packed-full of content as Skyrim is, I'm surprised that there are so few bugs. The glitches are an annoyance, and sometimes hilarious, but they certainly aren't a game-ender.

Hammer Time claims another victim...

 
    At the time of this writing there are three downloadable expansions for the game. I will review Dawnguard, Dragonborn, and any significant story DLC in the future separately as I complete them. Hearthfire adds only the ability to build and decorate your own homes in the game world and, as such, will not be reviewed.

    Overall Skyrim is an amazing gaming experience. I cannot state the fact enough that this game is huge. There is so much to do in the game that it would take someone more than his or her moneys worth of time to experience it all. I have logged over 200 hours across multiple playthroughs and I am still finding new quests and locations that I have never seen before. I have been a fan of the series since the third game, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and Skyrim was no disappointment. I feel that this game will entertain me for many more hours to come and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre!

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