Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Xbox 360 Review - PAGE 1

So, Elder Scrolls – where do we even start? Few names command as much respect from the gaming world as Bethesda Softworks’ fantasy RPG, and to call The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim “the most anticipated RPG of 2011” would not be the least bit inaccurate.

Despite the respectable gap between Elder Scrolls IV and V, the transition from Cyrodiil to Skyrim isn’t too dramatic. New to the scene is Bethesda’s Creation Engine, bringing with it some spectacular visual effects and a more stable gaming experience. Key mechanics have been reworked and streamlined in efforts to modernize the new TES, but the core qualities of the game are left uncompromised. Anyone coming in from Oblivion or the newer Fallout games will feel right at home in no time.

200 years have passed since the Oblivion Crisis and the last Septim met his heroic end. While Tamriel was saved, the Empire was left without proper leadership and began weakening over time. After a devastating war with the Aldmeri Dominion, the Empire now tolerates a strong Thalmor presence within its borders. The unfair terms of a recently signed treaty between the two powers breeds civil unrest that eventually leads to a bloody civil war between the Nords of Skyrim.

This is where the game picks up. Customary of TES, players begin the story as a prisoner of sorts, whose crimes are never made known. Fate saves your unknown prisoner from the receiving end of an executioner’s blade, and a chain of seemingly random events soon unveil your true destiny. Turns out, you are the only known Dragonborn left in Tamriel – Dovahkiin – and your destiny is to prevent the world from ending. Your ultimate goal? To stop the Nordic god of destruction, Alduin, and his legions of dragons. No pressure.

Becoming Dragonborn

You may be Dovahkiin by birth, but your status doesn’t automatically make you the greatest warrior of all time. Like it or not, leveling is a big part of any RPG, and Skyrim has 49 levels to grind through before maxing out at 50. Fortunately, the whole process is fairly painless and goes by rather quickly just by exploring or doing quests. 

The new leveling system is one of a few major gameplay changes that really stand out from the beginning. When creating a character, you’re only given the opportunity to choose a race and customize his/her physical appearances – no signs or stats, unless you count racial benefits. The more traditional numbers system we saw in every game up until New Vegas has been done away with, replaced instead by a completely new method of distributing experience.   

Accessing the “Skills” section of the compass menu after hitting a new level brings up a small window prompting you to increase either your Magicka, Health, or Stamina pool; choose one, then move on. Skills are still used to govern your armor, weapons, magic, and other proficiencies, but instead of distributing a chunk of points into these skills, you’re given one point to spend per level on a perk. Every skill is represented by a constellation consisting of varying stars, and each star is a perk. Certain perks can be learned multiple times to increase effectiveness per level, and the rest are learned once for an immediate benefit. And believe it or not, navigating stars against a backdrop of celestial bodies is way more engaging than shuffling points across pages of numbers.

Preparing for a Fight

Another much-talked about feature is dual wielding, a first in the Elder Scrolls series. You aren’t limited to conventional weapons, with staves making their debut in Skyrim as one-handed ranged weapons. Surprisingly, staves can be some of the most powerful weapons you’ll find in the game, depending on how well-versed you are in magic. The enchantment on most staves is tied to a specific school of magic, and if you happen to be proficient in the same school (i.e. Destruction, Restoration), then you’ll be able to maximize the effectiveness of your staff. Certain unique staves are an exception to the rule, like good ol’ Wabbajack. 

All weapons and spells can be assigned to your right or left hand – main and offhand, respectively – but shields are restricted to the left. Each combination has certain advantages and disadvantages to consider, and it all comes down to preference in the end. Dropping a shield in favor of a second weapon or a little magic can significantly increase your damage output, but keeping both hands occupied leaves you unable to block. Two-handed weapons or a one-hander with a shield offer better defense, just at the expense of damage. A well-timed strike yields an impressive execution animation specific to weapon type, not to mention a swift end to the fight. Just watch yourself, because the enemy can pull off executions too.

Of course, armor is a major contributing factor in any fight, and in addition to picking between Light and Heavy gear, you get the option of wearing mage robes, which lack armor rating. No matter what you end up wearing, the armor and robes in Skyrim are absolutely gorgeous, and the Thieves Guild quest chain yields the coolest Light Armor set I’ve ever seen.

The same TES armor sets – Leather, Steel, Elven, and the like – appear in Skyrim and follow the same tiered progression, and a few extra types have snuck their way into both Light and Heavy categories. Expect to spend some gold this time around, if you’re looking for better armor and weapons. The bandit population of Skyrim rarely ever outgrows their low tier furs and steel weapons, with the exception of the occasional bandit chief. You can still get by relying on drops, but Skyrim’s merchants are pretty good about updating their wares. A first in TES, I know. Guess the vendors finally figured out how to earn money.

Shouts, Language of the Dov

As a Dragonborn, you are gifted with the innate ability to use Shouts, or Thu’um, as they’re called in actual dragon-speak. One Shout can be selected at a time and switched around whenever you please, like conventional weapons and magic. Their usefulness goes well beyond combat too, and you’ll find a Thu’um for just about every situation. “Aura Whisper,” for instance, reveals nearby life forces similar to Detect Life; “Throw Voice” displaces your voice to lure enemies away; “Become Ethereal” renders your body incorporeal for a time to escape damage; “Animal Allegiance” calls on nearby creatures to come to your aid. There are attack Shouts too, like “Fire Breath” and the trademark “Unrelenting Force." Unlike conventional attacks, however, Shouts abide by a separate cooldown bar, preventing players from spamming this special power too often. The more powerful the Shout, the longer you’ll need to wait between uses.

A single Shout is comprised of three Words, which can be learned from “dragon walls” found in the deepest dungeons and highest mountains, usually guarded by undead or a dragon. In most cases, Shouts are picked up one Word at a time, so expect to do a lot of exploring if you’re planning to complete your Shouts beyond the first or second Word. Incomplete Thu’um can still be used, but they’re infinitely more effective when all three Words are known.

The second part to learning Shouts is killing dragons. When you pick up a new Word from a wall, that newfound knowledge stays dormant until it's unlocked with a Dragon Soul absorbed from a slain dragon. And don’t worry, you’ll never run out of dragons to farm. These winged behemoths are randomly generated in the game, meaning their numbers are infinite. 

Followers and Marriage

Dragons can be damn tough, but you rarely ever need to fight alone in Skyrim. The newest Elder Scrolls adopts a party system similar to what we’ve seen in Fallout 3 and New Vegas, though not quite as robust. Bodyguards are awarded by each major town’s ruling Jarl for gaining their favor, and mercenaries can be found in every tavern, charging a modest fee for their services. Unlike the companion characters found in Fallout, however, none of the characters are given much of a backstory or a place in the ongoing plot, and conversational dialogue is extremely limited. Still, they’re a great asset to have in battle. Mercs come in several varieties, meaning you can choose a follower who suits your personal style of play, like a mage or tank.

What else are followers good for? Marriage. That’s right; you can now get married in Tamriel, regardless of race or sexual orientation. The idea is new to TES but isn’t a major part of the game, so the majority of Skyrim’s population is off limits, including quest NPCs and vendors. After getting married, your spouse will hang around your primary home and bring in supplementary income. Sharing a bed with him/her grants the Lover’s Comfort stats effect, over Well Rested or Rested, and your husband/wife will never object to following you. It’s a cute little novelty, if nothing else.

This new system does have its problems. If you have more than one follower, friendly fire becomes a major concern, because if one follower hits another by accident, they’ll turn hostile and fight to the death. The only way to fix this, as far as I know, is by teleporting to a different zone, whether through fast travel or a nearby door.