The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Review Round-up

In just a few short hours, one of the most highly anticipated releases in years will be set loose upon the world, and with it will be the end of productivity for just about everyone who plays it. In case that bit didn’t clue you in, we’re talking aboutThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim here.

As far of Western RPGs are concerned, the Elder Scrolls games are among the most beloved RPG franchises in existence, if not the most. It goes without saying, then, that an astonishing amount of hype is leading up to the release of Skyrim.

But if you look past the hype, is Skyrim worth the disturbing amount of hours you’ll likely sink into it? Well, going by the torrent of reviews that were released earlier this morning, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes”. A thousand times yes, even.

Of all the reviews released so far, very few have had much of anything bad to say about Skyrim. A few point out that, despite a new and improved engine, Skyrim is not without a few bugs to knock down your immersion level a bit. But all critics agree that any bugs encountered are easily forgotten thanks to the astonishing amount of content available in the game, from the limitless quests to the wide variety of environments to explore, and more still.

To see what critics are saying for yourself, you can check out a selection of five reviews directly below, ordered lowest to highest – and, as you’ll see in just a moment, the lowest score (so far) isn’t exactly low.

GameSpot – 9/10 (Read full review)

“It isn’t just that there’s a lot to do: it’s that most of it is so good. Whether you’re slashing a dragon’s wings, raising the dead back to life, or experimenting at the alchemy table, Skyrim performs the most spectacular of enchantments: the one that causes huge chunks of time to vanish before you know it.”

Edge – 9/10 (Read full review)

“You don’t play because you care about the fate of Skyrim’s people – no matter how many prophecies claim you must. You play for the moment a hidden switch unveils secret catacombs in what you thought was a ransacked tomb. You play for the moment a dragon’s silhouette fills the sky, backed up against the otherworldly colours of the northern lights. You play for the moment a diary clutched by a desiccated corpse sends you on a country- wide hunt for some ancient, forgotten loot. The illusion frequently falters – and sometimes completely breaks – but when it does you’ll want to conspire with the game to pretend you didn’t see.”

IGN – 9.5/10 (Read full review)

“The changes made since Oblivion are many, and result in a more focused and sensible style of play, where the effects of every decision are easily seen. Featuring the same kind of thrilling freedom of choice The Elder Scrolls series is known for along with beautiful visuals and a stirring soundtrack, playing Skyrim is a rare kind of intensely personal, deeply rewarding experience, and one of the best role-playing games yet produced.”

Giant Bomb – 5/5 (Read full review)

“Aside from the infrequent hard lockups and such, the oddities that tend to pop up in Bethesda’s games have almost become part of the charm for me, though you know yourself how much those things detract from your own experience. But it hardly matters. No other game I know of operates with this many moving parts to create such an immense world filled with this much choice in how you engage its excellent, endless fiction. It’s one thing when a game offers dozens of hours of gameplay; it’s quite another when that gameplay is good enough you’ll want to live in its world for that long.”

Destructoid – 10/10 (Read full review)

“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is every single reason to love a Western role-playing game, condensed into a single comprehensive experience with nothing lost in the conversion process. It is a game that will drown those who step into its absorbing, overwhelmingly detailed world, a game that will bury you and refuse to let go. Yet your submergence will be agreeable, your burial ecstatic, and the hands placed around your throat welcomed like those of a lover’s. To play Skyrim is to enter into a relationship, one that provides feelings of empowerment, yet demands total submission.”