Well, its anElder Scrollgame, so were used to packing in the quest lines arent we?
The world of Skyrim, like Cyrodiil before it, looks great and is truly enormous.
As you begin the game you are, in trueElder Scrollstradition, a prisoner.
Youre on the way to be executed and during this the game skilfully weaves in the character creation.
Now, combat is much more visceral, and has more meat to it.
Each confrontation is a real fight, and the mindless button mashing you could employ inOblivionis all but gone.
Magic is handled differently too.
Its a flexible system, and one that makes for a much more well-rounded combat system.
This is a game that, for some, may simply never end.
These quests, especially main story and guild outings are some of the best of the series too.
Every corner of the totally hand-designed world is dripping with detail and atmosphere.
Its simply breathtaking in its scale.
Now theres a full crafting system for weapons and armour, and cooking.
I have the power
One area ofSkyrimthats changed quite a lot is the levelling system.
As always youll get better at all things as you do them.
So, the more you use a single-handed weapon, the better youll get.
Spend a lot of time defending in heavy armour and your heavy armour stat will rise.
As you level these up, your character level will rise and you might advance through the ranks.
Other skills are now reassigned to a perk system similar toFallout 3andNew Vegas.
Each level you reach gives you one perk bonus.
These are grouped into the usualElder Scrollscategories like Destruction, Stealth, Archery, Speehcraft and more.
Within each section are various perks, some restricted until a specified skill level is reached.
Blocking, for example includes an initial ability to increase the effectiveness of blocking.
This has always been a strength of the series, and is still going strong here.
Other improvements in the game include a better companion system.
Also taking a leaf out ofFallouts book,Skyrimlets you recruit followers that can aid you on your travels.
you’re free to rent or buyThe Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimatBlockbuster.co.uk.
Rating:
5 out of 5
