The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was the first M rated game I ever bought. I don’t remember my exact age when I bought it, but I definitely remember it being in between the years of 2012 and 2015. I didn’t really understand how RPGs worked, so I treated the game like it was a fantasy-themed Grand Theft Auto game by just committing crimes and wreaking havoc. Even after all this time, I never actually beat the main story or completed any of the guilds fully until now.
I remember TotalBiscuit (May He Rest In Peace) saying that Skyrim was as wide as an ocean, but as deep as a puddle, and I honestly couldn’t agree more. This game is incredibly shallow and repetitive, as a large amount of it is spent clearing out Nordic ruins that all look and feel exactly the same. This repetitiveness not only plagues the gameplay, but it also plagues the quests and the guilds, as they all involve being granted high-ranking titles in each guild after completing only a few minor quests. Gaining all of these titles also doesn’t feel as important as the one-dimensional characters try to make me think they are, because no matter how many quests I completed and ranks I’ve earned, all of the NPCs treated me as if I was a complete stranger, and the world as a whole wasn’t affected in the slightest.
Despite all of this, I still had my fun with Skyrim, as doing things such as exploring the world and leveling up my character were fun in their own ways, but even these aspects of Skyrim have their flaws. Although the world is technically detailed and especially impressive for the Creation Engine to pull off, the drab, muted color palette and uninspired art direction made me feel like I was visiting a funeral rather than exploring a vast fantasy world. The level up system can’t really go anywhere but up, and some of the skills that are practically essential, such as Smithing and Alchemy, are a chore to level up.
Overall, I don’t think that Skyrim is a very good game, but I still had my fair share of fun with it despite that. I hope that other installments in the Elder Scrolls series, such as Oblivion and Morrowind, will captivate me in ways that Skyrim didn’t.
I remember TotalBiscuit (May He Rest In Peace) saying that Skyrim was as wide as an ocean, but as deep as a puddle, and I honestly couldn’t agree more. This game is incredibly shallow and repetitive, as a large amount of it is spent clearing out Nordic ruins that all look and feel exactly the same. This repetitiveness not only plagues the gameplay, but it also plagues the quests and the guilds, as they all involve being granted high-ranking titles in each guild after completing only a few minor quests. Gaining all of these titles also doesn’t feel as important as the one-dimensional characters try to make me think they are, because no matter how many quests I completed and ranks I’ve earned, all of the NPCs treated me as if I was a complete stranger, and the world as a whole wasn’t affected in the slightest.
Despite all of this, I still had my fun with Skyrim, as doing things such as exploring the world and leveling up my character were fun in their own ways, but even these aspects of Skyrim have their flaws. Although the world is technically detailed and especially impressive for the Creation Engine to pull off, the drab, muted color palette and uninspired art direction made me feel like I was visiting a funeral rather than exploring a vast fantasy world. The level up system can’t really go anywhere but up, and some of the skills that are practically essential, such as Smithing and Alchemy, are a chore to level up.
Overall, I don’t think that Skyrim is a very good game, but I still had my fair share of fun with it despite that. I hope that other installments in the Elder Scrolls series, such as Oblivion and Morrowind, will captivate me in ways that Skyrim didn’t.
3 Comments
@chandler I’ve been trying to find a way to buy those two games, but the Xbox marketplace won’t let me get them, for some reason. If I’m left with no other options, I’ll order physical copies from Amazon.
unfortunately the xbox marketplace is a pretty big pain in the ass nowadays and a lot of stuff is unlisted. lucky for you these games are cheaper than ever nowadays so i'd just recommend ebay
or y'know, steam if you have a pc. that's everyone's preferred way to play bethesda games in general
or y'know, steam if you have a pc. that's everyone's preferred way to play bethesda games in general
chandler
3 years ago