Reviewing a game like Skyrim is a bit like reviewing an entire grocery store on the strength of a single orange. The whole game is so vast and so detailed that the context for your experience could be drastically different from mine.

I'm glad those were the two first sentences of the review. Yes, the quality TES games tend to be quite subjective at times, but I'm still psyched about this. Just a few more hours...

Also, good voice acting in an elder scrolls game? You, sir, must be joking...

gallaetha_matt:
It looks pretty cool so far. I'll have to wait a bit until I can afford to buy it like, but I'm looking forward to it.

Speaking of which, anyone wanna buy a kidney?

Although, one thing is making me nervous. I've seen a lot of promotional/trailer videos in the run up to this game, and I don't think I've ever actually seen a character blocking unless they're holding a shield. I'm planning on playing a dual-wielding rogue type character who'll probably be too busy skulking through shadows to learn how to use a shield. Will I still be able to cower behind my daggers and block enemy attacks when I invariably cock up the stealth?

You can block with a shield, 2 handed weapons and one handed weapons as long as your not dual wielding.

Put simply, blocking is dictated by your left hand in this game (left bumper/trigger or whatever the corresponding mouse button is). If your left hand is occupied by another weapon, or magic, then you can't block but your offensive power is doubled (roughly) so that's the trade off.

thethingthatlurks:

Reviewing a game like Skyrim is a bit like reviewing an entire grocery store on the strength of a single orange. The whole game is so vast and so detailed that the context for your experience could be drastically different from mine.

I'm glad those were the two first sentences of the review. Yes, the quality TES games tend to be quite subjective at times, but I'm still psyched about this. Just a few more hours...

Also, good voice acting in an elder scrolls game? You, sir, must be joking...

I guess that's down to the cast... some amazing actors are in the game.

But, as was also mentioned, the NPCs still seem stiff (Beth can't seem to get that straight sadly) so good voice acting will actually emphasise the notable lack of emotion in the characters.

I read somewhere that a good imagination is a boon for swallowing the dialogue, lucky for me. Yet it's easily overlooked with everything else on display, and at least there is more variety then in Oblivion (70~ voice actors lend their talents to skyrim).

Zhukov:
Five stars, eh?

So... about as good as Dragon Age 2 then?

Good to know.

I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Sorry, but that shit-stirring opportunity was too good to miss.

Ah, well seeing as DA2 was a brilliant game I should expect this to as well be amazing.

Great review and I'm already imagining the adventures that await in the land of Skyrim!

Ed130:

As for the facial animation, do Bethsesda use motion-capture? or is it all just animators?

If their using mo cap for the faces, where did they find the most boring actors ever?

Steve Butts:

Vault Citizen:
Where did you get that really, really cool glowing, purple flame sword?

It's the Bound Sword, a Conjuration spell. It has the benefit of not taking up space in your inventory and some massively powerful perks once you get your Conjuration skill up to a high enough level.

If thats a Bound Spell, what do normal enchanted weapons/armor look like?

Mmmm, Skyrim. My patience shall pay off. I have shot myself in the foot though, I'm working tomorrow and haven't shut up about this game to my gamer colleagues so if I fail to turn up at work I will get ratted out *sigh*

What's the betting I come in to work tomorrow and every other gamer is off work?

I'm curious, how did you decide who got to testplay the review copy? Office lottery? quake tournament? cagefights?

The Almighty Grigard:

Ruwrak:

draythefingerless:

Thats just stupid and silly......i mean, how are you supposed to know whats poisonous to a dragon?

Probably it's own blood. So ask him if he can donate some blood for the bloodless dragons fund. Then poison his complimentairy tea with his own blood.

Gah why don't people get this!

How can it's own blood be poisonous to itself? So it will die from it's own blood entering it's own bloodstream? In that case, we are all walking dead. :D

If dragons blood chews through things, and you would feed him his own blood. If you would drink your own blood you'd be sick too :P
(Just go along with it :V )

Ragsnstitches:

I guess that's down to the cast... some amazing actors are in the game.

But, as was also mentioned, the NPCs still seem stiff (Beth can't seem to get that straight sadly) so good voice acting will actually emphasise the notable lack of emotion in the characters.

I read somewhere that a good imagination is a boon for swallowing the dialogue, lucky for me. Yet it's easily overlooked with everything else on display, and at least there is more variety then in Oblivion (70~ voice actors lend their talents to skyrim).

Holy crap, that's 70 times the number of voice actors Oblivion had (excluding Sir Patrick, of course)! Awesome!

I found the miniscule number of voice actors in Oblivion far more detrimental to immersion than the stiff NPCs, or having conversations with them. I can overlook ugly polio sufferers, but I'm grabbing flamethrower if they, obviously a horde of clones possessed by alien parasites bent on world domination, all sound the same.

I love how there was an add for Skyrim before I could watch the video itself.

Steve Butts:

Vault Citizen:
Where did you get that really, really cool glowing, purple flame sword?

It's the Bound Sword, a Conjuration spell. It has the benefit of not taking up space in your inventory and some massively powerful perks once you get your Conjuration skill up to a high enough level.

Oh, that's really cool. I may actually use Bound Weapons this time around.

One other question: I gather that you didn't sneak too much, but did it seem like a viable option to you, or are there too many huge fights? Stealth is always sorta my thing (though it's good to know I won't be stuck on that path once I set off down it)

It's a nice upgrade from the generic daedric weapon conjurations =/
It actually -feels- ethereal.

Great review!
Once the game arrives in my mail box I'll disappear from the world, it seems.

bliebblob:
I'm curious, how did you decide who got to testplay the review copy? Office lottery? quake tournament? cagefights?

Funny. I can just imagine them playing rock, paper, scissors...

"Okay, 1, 2, 3 - I win"
"What the hell is that? Was that rock?"
"Chuck Norris. I win!"

By the way, if you find yourself in the reviewer's situation, and just can't get out of the room because of the companion, sprint into them. Yeah..it seems trivial but it took me a while to figure out :]

I think it is supposed to be a bound or summoned sword.

Anyone else notice the 'remixed' Morrowind Music? Me Gusta.

Steve Butts:

Vault Citizen:
Where did you get that really, really cool glowing, purple flame sword?

It's the Bound Sword, a Conjuration spell. It has the benefit of not taking up space in your inventory and some massively powerful perks once you get your Conjuration skill up to a high enough level.

I am totally having that spell. I was going to go pure mage anyway so it's nice to know I can do that and still get decent melee abilities.

Also this;

I decided to take advantage of the situation by letting them weaken each other before creeping in and finishing them both off. Unfortunately, I moved in too soon and found myself in a three way fight between a handful of enemy wizards and one seriously pissed off dragon.

Quite possibly quote of the week.

Steve Butts:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review

Bethesda's latest is a true RPG epic that asks you what you want and then gives it to you.

Read Full Article

Oh man, the Scrolls game is finally out? Awesome!

Wait a minute... Where are the cards? I'm confused!

Cool review. Pretty much what I expected then. Still not sure if I'll get it tomorrow though - probably not. I still want to kick some ass in BF3, finish Dark Souls, and start training my puppy lol.

Stabby Joe:
I've only read the Guardian review (prominent UK paper, 5 stars) and the main reason I'm looking into the reviews so much is not to know whether the game is good or not, I think everything can assume it is, but how annoying the bugs are.

From what I've heard so far, they're not New Vegas bad.

Yea. I know what the game is going to be like and I'm sure that on paper it's amazing.
What's holding me back from purchasing isn't the outdated elements, it's the technical problems. And mostly I'm worried for the ps3 port which is sure to be the worst. What I'd like to hear more about in these reviews for Skyrim are how many times the reviewers' games crashed on them.
I hope that we never again see a game with as many problems as New Vegas. That was a disaster. But this is the same publisher so you know they'll give anything the green light to go to the shelves.

So no simulated economies with almost real life NPC's... I guess Fable was just ahead of it's time. I was hoping bethseda would learn a thing or two about Economies, Titles, Lands, Taxes, Laws, and POWER!

Azure-Supernova:
Fuck work, I shall devote my life to the adventures of my retired Nordic hunter as he's once again dragged into a life of adventure!

HELL YEAH! SAME HERE! and i have to work a 6:30am to 6:10pm shift tomorrow while my game is being delivered and sitting in my mailbox...and my mind starts to wither away...Will I have enough energy to even play the best game in the world?

This stars ratings are pretty meh in my opinion, i definetly thought Dragon age 2 wasn't as perfect to warrant a 5 star rating...

Steve Butts:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review

Bethesda's latest is a true RPG epic that asks you what you want and then gives it to you.

Read Full Article

An FYI: The link to the written review from the video leads to your review of Arkham City. On the plus side, your lockpicking frustration made me lol. I've been there before, both with the Oblivion system and the Fallout 3/New Vegas system.

I can't wait to get started on Skyrim. I understand that making such a huge open world game with so many variables is going to some awkwardness in areas. I'll accept that and appreciate everything else the game offers.

And I am going to scour the hell out of this game for Squidbear references. I hope they put something in.

So, they re-introduced spiders? Damnit! No spiders were one of the reasons this arachnophic loved Morrowind and Oblivion.

Ah well, maybe some brilliant modder will find a way to remove them...

5 years ago I had to Study Hard and Play Oblivion Hard. Now I have to Work Hard and Play Skyrim Hard. Hopefully in another 5 Years I will be Retired Extremely Early, So I can play the next Elder Scrolls games with my kids all day long! (keep your expenses extremely low, and make your savings rate extremely high each month, than invest conservatively, and you shall be free of your "working" and "studying" shackles!!!!)