reaper239

[COLOR="#ADD8E6"]it's true, it showed up as i was leaving a building in morthal, so i got my boxed lunch (love to arthur) yelled at it a lot, and when it finally came down to see what i was screaming about i gave him my ring hand. so that sounds funny but it was actually a lot of work. and dragons are only one of the fantastical things you will find in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

[IMG]http://www.patentlyqueer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/skyrim01.jpg[/IMG]

so, i started playing the elder scrolls waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in morrowind, and at the time i totally didn't get it. i didn't follow the story at all and i just ran around doing what ever, but i loved the gameplay: the sword fighting, the magic, the freedom, it all made me giddy. yes, giddy. so then, i got oblivion and, while i never finished the actual story, i did put a lot of time into that game and the deep immersive world. especially the gorgeous realm of sheogorath. he's my favorite daedric prince. then i got skyrim and, wow. the visuals are beautiful, the gameplay is tight, and the world is the most immersive yet. this game is epic in the way that running around killing dragons is epic, any movie you've seen where the hero kills a dragon you've thought to yourself, "i wish i could do that, that would be cool." well, wish granted, now go forth and get your buns toasted.

[IMG]http://nerdtrek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Skyrim-Village-NERDTREK.jpg[/IMG]

so, we'll start with the graphics and the environment. in a word, beautiful, but i would honestly expect nothing less from the people who crafted the majestic and deadly realm of madness in oblivion. one of the most obvious ways the graphics will blow your mind is at night, when there is an aurora borealis:
[IMG]http://xaben.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2011-11-13-skyrim-night-sky.jpg[/IMG]
seeing it like this isn't quite as impressive, but i think you get te idea. the particle effects are amazing: if it snows too long i actually start to think that i'm getting cold, and holding fire hasn't looked this good since bioshock. i am slightly impressed with my characters ability to spew forth streams of fire (no he isn't going to the bathroom) because it just looks so good. the lightning looks like lightning, the ice looks like real ice, the snozzberries taste like snozzberries. the night sky is studded with stars, the water looks and acts like water should, waterfalls are a sight to behold. once i thought i could feel the mist on my face, turned out my kitchen faucet sprung a leak, but the effect was still cool. the architecture and stonework in the game are beautiful as well. the ancient nordic feel is... all encompasing. in short, if you just ran around admiring the art in skyrim, you could potentially be happy, if art was your thing.

[IMG]http://www.finestdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/The-Elder-Scrolls-V-Skyrim.jpg[/IMG]

i have no idea what this is, but it was on google images and it looks cool

[IMG]http://trubritar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/skyrim005.jpg[/IMG]

so then we come to gameplay. much like previous entries, the focus is on melee, bows, and magic. i am more aof a sword and shield, or mace and shield, or axe and shield, really a one handed kind of guy. i love running in, smashing faces, setting fires, maiming, killing, and destroying. but physical combat isn't the only thing here, there are shouts, plus magic to mix things up and really add variety. there's a lot of tactic to combat. for instance: when i face off with a troll i whip out the fire breath shout and fire magic and back pedal while i torch him. that sum gun hits like a freight train and my box lunch isn't big enough to keep me out of the ground. but if i'm plowing through a dungeon that's poorly lit and full of animals, i'll use a torch and fire breath shout and tear it up. or if there are a lot of people i'll use the disarm shout. or if i'm faceing a dragon i'll whip out some magic attack and the unrelenting force shout. there's a shout for everything, and they are powerful and infinitely useful in combat. plus, it's a lot of fun shouting and haveing things burst into flames. magic is your standard fare, but i love the raise zombie and fire spells (some call me a pyro). anyone who want's to be a heavy hitter with magic will have no shortage of spells to choose from. plus the ability to have one spell in each hand is mighty useful. i'm garbage with a bow, couldn't hit a dragon that was hovering in place, so unfortunately i can't really say much in the way of bows. this is where Reaper's Corner gets interactive: if there is anyone out there who plays with the bow, please post up your opinion and tell us what you think.

[IMG]http://www.maclife.com/files/u310631/skyrim-screenshot-gameplay.jpg[/IMG]


this is one of the cool cinematic finishers that will pop up from time to time
[IMG]http://newelderscrolls.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/SkyrimCombat2.jpg[/IMG]

besides fighting, there is a lot to do in skyrim: cooking, hunting, alchemy, enchanting, thievry (which could lead to combat),smithing, the list goes on. there is in fact such an abundance of things to do, that i've been playing since release and still haven't gotten nearly all of them done. which brings us to groups: i'm a member of the companions, which replaced the fighters guild, and i'm a member of the imperial legion, but there are at least dozens of groups to find and join. i'm also a thane of whiterun and morthal and have a home in whiterun. i'm looking for a wife (so ladies...) and i'm being hunted by the dark brotherhood. i have also heard that getting into a drinking contest can be bad for you, but i haven't tried it yet. there is so much to do that it can almost seem overwhelming, until you take a step back and look at it the way it was intended: freedom. you can do what ever you want, you want to take down the empire? do it. you want to go on a killing spree through skyrim? go for it (i don't know how long you'll last, but [URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FiNhXIv5StE/SR19-73Xn8I/AAAAAAAADbg/QrAa7-DMxXc/s400/GoTime.jpg"]it's go time[/URL]) you want to uphold the virtues of the empire, slay dragons, defend italian virginity (10 points if you get that reference), and crush all opposition? my man. th point is, there is nothing that you can't do in this game, provided you have the skill and strength to make it happen.

[IMG]http://nerdtrek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Skyrim-Combat-Trainers.jpg[/IMG]

so then we come to the miscelaneous section. whew, a lot to this review. the inventory system is simple and intuitive, a place for everything, and everything in it's place and all that. the magic is done the same way. the map is done up as an arieal view of skyrim, with points of interest, you're position, objectives, etc all marked. but the skill tree is a real treat to use. when you press up in the menu to go to the skills, you look to the heavens. all the skills you use are represented as constelations, and each star in the constelation represents a "perk" associated with that skill, so for instance, one perk associated with one handed lets you do 20% more damage with each rank. when you are a high enough rank in a skill stars turn blue and that perk is available. if you're not a high enough ranke the star is purple, and once you have unlocked a perk it burns orange.

[IMG]http://preorderskyrim.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/skyrim-skill-tree-screen.jpg[/IMG]

so, my overall feeling on this game is that it is epic, and will continue to suck up my time for months, perhaps years, to come. i give this game ten ring hands out of ten. 10/10

[IMG]http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/007/9/d/skyrim_by_cibernetic-d36mn9c.png[/IMG][/COLOR]

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