THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM (2011) REVIEW

Engaging, enchanting and exceptional.

PC and PS3 versions reviewed.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an open world RPG published and developed by Bethesda for the Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.

GAMEPLAY
Now gameplay is something Bethesda have improved over the past Elder Scrolls titles from Morrowind to Oblivion and now given it a further upgrade in Skyrim. While It may not be the best combat system I've ever used it still gets the job done and serves up an interesting perk system to add to the experience, but I believe Bethesda have focused more on the exploring part of the game which I have no problem with, it offers something different to the so linear games we see dominating the market these days.

Continuing on gameplay, you can almost pick up and use anything in this game from buckets to tiny pieces of chalk, this is another great boost to immersion in this game but comes at the price of a few bugs here and there.

The menus in this game do what they're supposed to do and arrange the categories of the game nicely, it can be a pain to go through if you have a full inventory though. Loading screens are nicely thought out with facts and lore to slightly enhance the experience, perhaps one of the downsides though is how long some loading screen can be for consoles.

The game is packed full of things to do and places to see, the in-game world is massive and full of secrets to find. It's easy to say your just going on for a few minuets but then finding yourself still playing after unintended hours.

STORY


GRAPHICS

The graphics, while not among the best of 2011 are still very strong and only help in immersing you into the world of Tamriel even more, from the snow covered shores to the dark caverns under the ground. The variety of things to see is rich as well whether that's waterfalls, mountains or old ruined forts. The world really feels alive and handcrafted. If you own the PC version of the game you can even improve the graphics further with the help of the brilliant modding community. 

SOUND
The Soundtrack to this game is simply a masterpiece from the familiar Jeremy Soule. Just strolling in the plains or fighting in one massive battle, the music is always keeping touch with what's happening on the screen. Sometimes it's nice to just sit back or slowly walk around to absorb the fantastic world and brilliant ambient music. Jeremy Soule has truly outdone himself with these sweeping scores.

VALUE FOR MONEY
As for the game being worth the price tag, I couldn't recommend any game further more then Skyrim, no other game can come close to the 600 hours I spent in this game and it could be a while before another does. 

OVERALL
In my opinion Skyrim is the best Elder Scrolls game yet, improving on everything it's predecessors got wrong and pm right. 
While I doubt we will ever get a "Perfect Game" I believe TESV: Skyrim is the closest we may see for a while, I've loved my time in it and can't wait to see what Bethesda have to offer for TES6 so that's why I'm giving Skyrim a 10 out of 10 - I was wrong. There actually is a perfect game, it's called Okami.