The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review

The Elder Scrolls series has held a special place in RPG history since 1994. The fifth game in the series, 2011’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is anything but an exception.

The most popular game in the series, Skyrim has gotten more DLCs and a 2016 special edition remaster. In 2017, it even came out in VR on Steam and PlayStation VR. So, let’s delve into what makes The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim so special.

History

In keeping with its fantasy setting, Skyrim’s main goal is for your character to save the world. Adluin the Eater of Worlds is back and legend has it that it is his destiny to destroy the world.

Fortunately for the world, you have appeared. You are a Dragonborn, a rare hero who can absorb the souls of dragons. This is the only real way to kill them, otherwise they simply rise again to terrorize people, towns and villages.

factions

While the main mission involves you trying to locate and defeat Adluin, there is a lot more in Skyrim to get involved in.

For starters, there are factions forming in the land of Skyrim. There’s Ulfric Storm Shroud, who leads the Storm Shroud faction. They fight for the freedom of the Nords, the native people of Skyrim. The Nords believe they should rule themselves rather than give in to the Empire’s yolk. They oppose the demands of the Thalmor, who forbid the worship of the northern god Talos. Joining their faction entails a series of missions that work to unseat the Skyrim Imperials and make Ulfric sit in his place.

Meanwhile, the Imperials view Skyrim as one of their children with a faction that is currently getting angry. They believe that unity is what makes the Empire great. Siding with the Imperial Legion takes you on a completely different set of missions. These make you work to mine and ultimately destroy Ulfric and the Cloaks of the Storm.

Shade

How nuanced is Skyrim? You can also join one faction and betray it to join the other. Do you run with the Storm Shrouds and decide you don’t support their cause? You have the option to turn them on once you have earned their trust.

And that’s just one example of many of the factions and complexities currently occurring in Skyrim. You can become a vampire or a werewolf. You can join a league of mysterious assassins or help a decaying guild of thieves return to their former glory.

During the game, your dialogue options also affect future missions and your relationships with others through the game. You can make connections that will give you an edge later on. Conversely, you could kill entire villages, which makes it impossible to finish missions.

Mod

You can do all this and more without ever touching any of the many, many mods available. Mods are the reason why many gamers choose the PC version over the console editions. However, consoles now also allow access to a huge library of mods.

And these mods become extended. For example, while Skyrim doesn’t have a multiplayer option, there is a mod in its beta test phase to change it.

Fight

The combat mechanics are also incredibly versatile. You can switch to first or third person mode depending on how comfortable you feel in the game and you can focus your battle style however you like.

If you are the type of person who prefers to sneak around and set traps, there is a specialization for that. If you’d rather use magic or become an archer who takes out your enemies from a distance, you can too.

Or if you’d rather put an end to it and defeat your enemies with swords and sticks, the game has a way for you.

Final verdict

Skyrim’s main story doesn’t take long to complete by most RPG standards, but getting involved with the rest of what’s going on makes most players spend more than 300 hours in it.

Technically, you could play forever and never stop. Some of the missions are radiant and repeat forever, with no real end. You can get married and have children, establish houses in various cities or build your own with one of the official DLCs. Skyrim takes open-ended to a new level with its fairytale-like ability to hold your interest long after the story is over.

It’s hard to underestimate how strongly this game is loved, and for good reason. It’s been out since 2011, which makes it relatively inexpensive to pick up. And with its availability on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, it’s available to just about any player. This is definitely one to pick up.