The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

What strikes you very early on in Skyrim is that the world itself is the story. As you work through the game, the discoveries and side quests that pepper the map become compelling explorations, and the world map that initially appears vast for vastness' sake simply comes alive. Focusing on the "main quest" becomes an exercise in futility -- everything feels connected and worthy of its place in the world. At its heart, the story of Skyrim is one of sadness, uncertainty and the selfishness that o...

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the big, bold, and beautiful sequel you hoped for and is sure to bewitch you for countless hours. The province of Skyrim burns with a fire few games possess. You take up arms against dragons, and your encounters with them are invariably exciting -- yet depending on where your adventure takes you, such battles may not even represent the pinnacle of your experience. A side quest that starts as a momentary distraction may turn into a full-fledged tale that could form...

Skyrim is one of the most fully-realized, easily enjoyable, and utterly engrossing role-playing games ever made. Part of what makes it so enjoyable has to do with how legacy Elder Scrolls clutter has been condensed and in some cases eliminated. The Elder Scrolls V pares down the amount of skills and cuts out attributes like Endurance and Intelligence altogether. Major decisions don't need to be made until you're already out in the world, emphasizing first-hand experience over instruction manual ...

A vast and gorgeous world of exciting possibilities, fascinating places, engrossing adventures and flying lizards. Even after spending hundreds of hours in Morrowind and Oblivion, the sense of freedom in Skyrim is dizzying. The vast mountains in every direction make the landscape seem limitless, and even after exploring it for 55 hours, this world feels huge and unknown on a scale neither of the previous two games did. Not all of the landscape is subzero, with exciting variety including ice cav...