The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Published by Bethesda Softworks
Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Windows
If there is one video game that can single-handedly lower your grades and cause you to lose sleep and perhaps even a couple of friends, it’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Skyrim is the sequel to Bethesda Softworks’ 2006 hit The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Dating back to the 1990s, the series has long been a flagship of Western role-playing games due to their unconventional gameplay and ambitious design.
The setting of the games in the series is a particular high point, with all of them taking place in a reimagined Middle Earth, with intertwining stories and lore.
The game starts out with a Lord of the Rings-esque introduction, showing off its movie-like production value as you wake up on a wooden carriage with criminals awaiting their fate. Innocent, you were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and are therefore scheduled to be executed alongside the criminals.
Events take an unexpected turn. Just before you’re scheduled to be executed, a dragon sweeps into the town. It lays waste to everything around it, but amidst the chaos, you are freed and manage to escape the dragon’s attack. This is where the adventure in the snow-capped region of Skyrim begins.
The Elder Scrolls series doesn’t play like a traditional role-playing game. Skyrim is no different. The game is played through a first-person perspective, where everything is seen through the character’s eyes.
The freedom of choice in Skyrim is another aspect of the game that sets it apart from the others. While most video games these days take a linear, scripted route, Skyrim does the opposite by offering the player the option to play the game anyway they want. Gamers can choose to be a primarily sword-wielding warrior, a mage using spells and magic to defeat enemies, or even use zombies to complete tasks.
Another example of the variety of choices is where the game takes place. Skyrim is a vast area, with multiple cities and towns. You can complete sidequests by interacting with the citizens in the area, in addition to your main quest.
But the game is not without some imperfections. It will, at times, slow down when the action gets too hectic to handle. There is also a steep learning curve for some players, as many aspects of the game are not explained clearly. The difficulty spikes up harshly without warning, leading to an unexpected and frustrating death.
However, none of these issues should deter one from exploring Skyrim. The game is immersive, beautiful and addicting. It’s far and away the best video game this year.
Now if only school, life and sleep would stop getting in the way . . . .
— Jean-Adrien Delicano