Skyrim - Your Reviews and First Impressions

[Argonanza]

Reviews by our forum members go here. So do thoughts about the game after the first playthrough.

If you're going to describe what you did in your first playthrough as well, please put questlines and such in spoilers.

And another thing: if someone's views on the game differ from yours, DO NOT start an argument as it is all opinion.

[Broderic Nehrmarrk]

Love it, I'm very excited for it. Bethesda continues to amaze.

[JVElEven]

One day and six hours left.


The internal hype is killing me. I can't wait to see what other people think.

[Cornerman]

My first impressions on Skyrim after a small ten hours of playing. I tried to put no spoilers in it. If you've got questions, just ask:

1. Skyrim fixes what I felt was wrong in Oblivion:
- cities feel more alive: people are wandering and talking, children are playing, you can look around when you talk to someone, people are really doing something (playing music, chopping wood, etc.)
- cities really differ from each other and look much better. In Oblivion you where in a city outside the world; in Skyrim you still have the feeling you're in the world: you see the mountains in the distance and can look over the walls
- dungeons are much more exciting (I had a few good scares) and the map shows which ones you've cleared
- the fighting feels less like just button bashing and the combination of spells and weapons works splendid
- destruction magic (fire) works better; in stead of a single ball which easily misses you now have some sort of flamethrower. Next time I'll try other forms of magic.
- the main quest is really interesting, you just want to follow it to know what is happening. I really missed this in Oblivion.

2 Most important: the word looks great (on PS3), when you walk up a mountain and look back you have wonderful views (Riverwood at the river or Whiterun on the tundra). Sunsets look great, the clouds look impressive when they swirl around mountains, weather is really changing (rain, snow, sunshine all bring a different mood into the world)

3 Lots of quests to inspire you to visit new locations (radiant story) and they are really different from each other: collecting flowers, bringing an item, look for a lost item, killing people, visiting a shrine, etc.

I think that's enought for now. Back to work... Tonight it's Skyrim again!!

[JVElEven]

How can you already have played it?

You live in GMT 0 or +1.

You shouldn't be able to get the game before at least 12 and a half hours.

Unless you're one of those inconsiderate jerks who streamed it illegally.

[Cornerman]

It's not illegal. I bought a legal copy of Skyrim special edition. In the Netherlands some stores started selling Skyrim last Tuesday. Don't ask me why, but I'm grateful.

[Nocturnal]

My copy literally just came in the post, a day early! I will post my first impressions later this afternoon I got the guide with it as well, the layout and style of it is very similar to the Fallout guides.

EDIT: the map feels very nice and textured and looks bigger than my oblivion map.

[JVElEven]

This is so unfair.

[MARS]

I may be able to get it at 5 this afternoon (trololol).
However, I'm on PC so I can only start playing at midnight...at which time I probably won't be at home.

[Argonanza]

This thread is for reviews made by our members personally.

[FuzzyMage]

This thread is for reviews made by our members personally.

Whoops. Well, sorry. I'll delete what I posted.

[Nocturnal]

I'm about two hours in so far. There's no lag (but I did install it on my Xbox) the graphics look good and it runs pretty smoothly for me. The animations for women and men are different which was a good surprise and the combat seems solid, not sluggish in my opinion. I think the menus are slightly confusing but I'm sure I will get used to it. The game has a great start and I'm enjoying it so far.

I will say more once I'm further in.

[Conzeq]

First impressions after about 25 hrs of gameplay:
Will keep this spoiler free as possible and only comment on gameplay mechanics, and general behaviour of NPC's:

- Skyrim feels "alive". When you enter a town, there is always random chit-chatter about something. You end up being able to investigate the case, sometimes getting a quest.
- Choice. There seems to be a lot of choice with optional quest objectives, what faction you are joining, whether you want to do this or that - compared to Oblivion.
- Graphics. They are amazing, absolutely astonoshing for the Xbox 360. While they look awful at close range - in its full glory, there is no denying that this might be the most beautiful xbox game out there.
- Fights: Seem a lot better than Oblivion! Mainly used bows and arrows, and they seem to be easier to use - you hit where you aim.
- Clarity: It seems confusing and immense at start - keeps playing this way so far, and may I tell you, feels awesome.
- The world is huge, and I haven't even visited all of the major cities yet. I play and experience one thing at a time.
- Interface seems really easy to use. Though I'd love to be able to "sort" my inventory, so I can find stolen items easily.
- Main quest (no spoilers) feels alive and exciting. Really doesn't seem dull and is the most exciting questline so far. You can even ignore it from the start of the game!
A slight spoiler on main-quest, dragonwise:

Spoiler:

If you don't do the "Bleak Falls Barrow"-quest and the one after that, you can avoid Dragons spawning, just like Oblivion Gates weren't spawning until you reached Kvatch.

[Shanks]

I've put about 3 hours into Skyrim so far and I'm really enjoying it. Shame I have to work early tomorrow or I would stay up much later playing ( it's 2AM here )

[Bobblast1886]

Skyrim is disappoint.


I played it for four hours already, and its just an improved version of oblivion.

The graphics are so-so, like any other 5th generation game, but not what i anticipated.

The intro was kewl, but after that, the game became redundant. also, the quests don't seem all that un-scripted from what I could tell, as the NPC's seem to make predictable actions and were slightly buggy at times.

The Music was good, Jeremy soul never disappoints, and the environments were very fluid and felt realistic.

When I went into the first town and talked to some of the NPC's, It felt like i was having back flashes of oblivion, and once again, the voice acting is canned and computerised just as oblivion was :C.

Gameplay is also very "yawn", i wish there was gore in the game, because by hitting wolves with a sword, you'd expect blood to come gushing out, and their limbs being dismembered, but no, they just die a dry death.
I don't like that, because its not realistic (fallout did a better job, but it was overly-done gore-wise to the point it WASN'T realistic, on the other end of the spectrum).

Also, I'm not really fond of dual-wielding weapons, it just doesn't feel right in an elder scrolls game, but I like the improved critical hits system (reminded me of fallout, but with out V.A.T.S).

despite those those gripes, I think i can safely say that skyrim is worth the investment, but its really a noobed-down version of the elder scrolls games, so be warned.

[Argonanza]

Gameplay is also very "yawn", i wish there was gore in the game, because by hitting wolves with a sword, you'd expect blood to come gushing out, and their limbs being dismembered, but no, they just die a dry death.
I don't like that, because its not realistic (fallout did a better job, but it was overly-done gore-wise to the point it WASN'T realistic, on the other end of the spectrum).

It actually gets pretty bloody. And heads will roll.

[perylousdemon]

Gameplay is also very "yawn", i wish there was gore in the game, because by hitting wolves with a sword, you'd expect blood to come gushing out, and their limbs being dismembered, but no, they just die a dry death.
I don't like that, because its not realistic (fallout did a better job, but it was overly-done gore-wise to the point it WASN'T realistic, on the other end of the spectrum).

It actually gets pretty bloody. And heads will roll.

Gaaaaaah, why isn't it midnight yet?!

[Mehra Milo]

It was a great surprise when my girl friend told my there was package for me ! Skyrim has arrived one day earlier than expected ! (btw i ordre from CDON danish site)
Now i been playing for around four hours and im absolutely stunt, the look of everything from the game menues to the clouds in the sky and grass on the earth is just fantastisk. Controls feel really comfortable and logic.
When it comes to the experience i must say, that i got the chills just like i had with Morrowind after departing from the bout and Oblivion after exiting the sewers. You know, that speciel feeling of being a little bit scared and with out a friend in sigt, it just me against world now !

[JVElEven]

Gameplay is also very "yawn", i wish there was gore in the game, because by hitting wolves with a sword, you'd expect blood to come gushing out, and their limbs being dismembered, but no, they just die a dry death.
I don't like that, because its not realistic (fallout did a better job, but it was overly-done gore-wise to the point it WASN'T realistic, on the other end of the spectrum).

It actually gets pretty bloody. And heads will roll.

Gaaaaaah, why isn't it midnight yet?!

You just be quiet. I have to wait 18 hours still because I wanted the stupid disc.

Oh, the fail.

[NordFtw]

Played less than an hour but have a few instant thoughts-

-The jumpy is still a little floaty. But still improved from Fallout/Oblivion.
-The Races and characters all look amazing!
-The music is a masterful job
-Every clearing makes you want to stop and marvel
-DRAGONS ARE EPIC
-Swords look a lot less elegant, hoping to see some more rogue swords rather than the knight ones I have already seen
-EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL AND I WANT MOAR
-Rabbits are fast
-I'm faster

Thats about it...the rest of my opinions will probably change throughout the game.

[perylousdemon]

You just be quiet. I have to wait 18 hours still because I wanted the stupid disc.

Oh, the fail.

I got a hard copy of the game, too... No midnight release where you are?

[Axels15]

Gameplay is also very "yawn", i wish there was gore in the game, because by hitting wolves with a sword, you'd expect blood to come gushing out, and their limbs being dismembered, but no, they just die a dry death.
I don't like that, because its not realistic (fallout did a better job, but it was overly-done gore-wise to the point it WASN'T realistic, on the other end of the spectrum).

It actually gets pretty bloody. And heads will roll.[/url]

Yeah Yeah Yeah(s)

[dubq]

When I went into the first town and talked to some of the NPC's, It felt like i was having back flashes of oblivion, and once again, the voice acting is canned and computerised just as oblivion was :C.

"Canned" means pre-recorded.. were you expecting live voiceovers? lol

Not even sure what you could possibly mean by computerized... as if they were all speaking with Stephen Hawking's voice or something..?

[Lord Elvewyn]

I'm late to the party but my impressions so far, only a few minutes playing it, is confusion. It's just a bit off. The best example is switching gear. E to check out the gear on a corpse but instead of clicking what I want I have to E to grab the gear. I hit E to close, as per Oblivion and finds oops no it's tab to shut. The R to store didn't make any sense to me. Eventually worked out store didn't mean shop or sort it meant dump\off load.

Inventories not intuitive either. No sorting so I can't tell what's what unless I mouseover, and no paperdoll or anything to show what I'm actually using.

Seems to take a lot of energy to do anything. I wasn't sure where to go to begin with i.e. jump down into the attic to 'escape' rather than just heading in that direction so was jumping a bit to try and climb obstacles and stuff. My guy just couldn't jump! Similarly I swing the sword and a few swots later I'm out of power. Magic seems pretty sweet, and given I tend to like magic that'll probably be to my advantage though the lack of magic crafting sucks big time.

Game seems to be lagging a bit. Not sure if it's the game, my system or just me.

Oh, as for the gore, there's quite a lot. I wasn't expecting it. MA15+ for sure. Definitely not a kids game with blood spurting out of a decapitated body. What's wrong with old Golden Eye (N64) style red paint blotches?

More to come ...

Should I mentioned manual spelling errors? -

[dubq]

Just finished the install on my PS3 and am playing the intro. My god this game is BEAUTIFUL.