Skyrim

Like everyone with an Xbox, PS3, or PC, I was forced to try Bethesda’s new Elder’s Scroll game, Skyrim. After hearing it talked up by almost everyone I know, I went into this game with very high expectations, and I was not disappointed at all.
The first thing one notices the first second they start playing is the graphics. This is one of the few games I’ve played and actually notice how realistic the characters look. From the look on their face, to how the character models interact with the world, everything looks and feels real. Its not only the people that are breath-taking. The environment, from the trees, to the snow, to the mountains, everything looks better then any other game before it. These graphics get a player intrigued in the game before they even start to play.

Stories are what make RPGs so fun to play, and Skyrim has one of the most exciting stories ever. Whether you are trying to fight of dragons, help the Imperials (or Stormcloaks for that matter), or working for the thieves guild down in Riften, all the quests involve around epic stories that draw players into the world even more. The quests also make players feel like they have more of an impact on the world around them, something I feel has been missing from most RPGs. There is also so many quests to be done, for so many unique groups of people there is almost no way to run out of things to do. Many of these quest lines left me wanting to do more, which is always the sign of a well told story.
Though the graphics and stories of a game make them fun and engaging, the ability to customize your character is what makes most games epic. Skyrim brings this customization to another level. The fact that there are many different races and different ways to look is a huge part of the game, yet it is over shadowed by the amazing talent system. With so many different talent trees to put points into, there is nearly an infinite amount of different characters one can make. This allows you to choose every aspect of your character making the game even more enjoyable.
It is very hard to try to find bad things about this game, and anything you find bad is easily outweighed by the amazing things tenfold. However, this game is glitchy at some parts. It seemed whenever I was doing quests with other characters in the game, they would always block doorways for me, and I would have to back up quite a ways to get them move out of the doorway. This glitchy feeling was also felt in fighting some enemies, who were extremely predictable and easy to kite around. Also, the fact that skills like Speech could be upgraded by just talking to the same person over and over again made it feel silly. Finally, the crafting professions seemed difficult for me to get into, with no clear cut path to learn exactly what you want to learn, however I guess this makes the crafting more realistic. Like I said earlier, this game has a few flaws, but the good features strongly overcome the bad.

All and all this was an amazing game and I am so glad I let to take so many hours of my life away. Whether you are a long time fan of RPGs, or if you are just looking for a new game to past the time, Skyrim is a great choice to get. But be careful, Skyrim may take away more hours of your life then you intended.