The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review
- Thread starter Steve Butts
- Start date
Just a fortnight ago, I still really wasn't that hyped about it even though I was intending to get it.
But now. Holy shit I can't wait. Been dispatched today.
This is gonna be my fighting dragons song:
But now. Holy shit I can't wait. Been dispatched today.
This is gonna be my fighting dragons song:
I'm glad to see someone still holding on to the old definition of "immersion" in RPGs.Steve Butts said:
Too often, newer RPGs think "immersion" has something to do with the story or the voice acting, or perhaps the believability of the plot. While these impact how we receive someone else's story, RPGs are (were) about how to create our own.
Immersion has nothing to do with how realistic the textures or animations are (otherwise, we could never be immersed in books). Immersion has to do with responsibility -- the degree to which I'm responsible for what goes on in the story. This can be from moment to moment (like in combat), or it can be more long-range (like major story decisions). The more I feel like I'm making decisions, and those decisions are upheld by the game world, the more likely I am to feel a part of the story.
It's not always about filling in all the right details. Sometimes it's about leaving out the wrong ones -- for instance, if the player doesn't get to choose his/her voice, just don't include one. Forcing a particular answer to a question is far worse than leaving it unanswered. You have less risk of the player feeling "corrected" by the game for imagining something wrong.
While visually-stunning games are fantastic to have, I'm glad to hear there is a game that is still going after emotional immersion. It's a force many people claim to miss, but few really understand what made it work to begin with.
That's my main concern as well. I fear many reviewers will simply gloss over all the technical troubles in favour of more exuberant gushing; it's been years since I last played a good fantasy game, and I do have a hankering for another one at this time, but Bethesda are not getting any of my sweet, sweet cash before I'm reassured about Skyrim's stability... which is why I'm waiting for user reviews.GonzoGamer said:
You're kidding right? I wish Bethesda would use motion capture. All of the Elder Scrolls game, including this one, have terrible animations for NPCs. The faces, the lack of expression, the dead eyes, they're all back and more annoying then ever.Ed130 said:
This is my biggest, and really only, complaint about the game.
Wait. What? Where did you get the impression that you're not supposed to play it in third-person?Stoneface said:
We included footage from both perspectives in the video review but, if it's up to me, I'm in third person unless I'm specifically trying to loot a particular item from a larger pile. I think showing the game in third person not does a better job of showing off the animations and graphics, but also helps you get into the character a bit more.
Oh well, different strokes. I just don't get this "not really supposed to play it in 3rd person" business.
How did it play in the third person? Is there co op or multiplayer of any sort? I'm just curious about whether I should stick to first person or try playing in third person which is a little less jarring, but didn't work very well in Oblivion which was kind of a turnoff.
Hmmm, i get what you're saying. I donno, i've always played the Eldar Scrolls games 1st person, i find it more immersive that way. I only zoom out into 3rd if i want to check out my armour or weapons and go "daaaamn!" (because all Nordic adventurers are secretly fashion conscious). Plus the devs for Oblivion said they were surprised when people tried to play it exclusively in 3rd person and I agree.Steve Butts said:
Also "annoyed" was a poor choice of words, I meant "puzzled".
This had been the death-blow to this game from the very beginning. Whoever knows TES-lore even a little bit knows how much of a franchise-backstab (TES-lore backstab) this is. In Oblivion at last you could not trigger the main story to ignore all the Oblivion portal crap but here you can't.
*hands crap-medal to this game*. Good job Bethesda on ruining your own franchise even more than you did with Oblivion. What useful is a game with nice graphics and cumbersome controls if the story (one of the important elements of an RPG) is total crap? Not much. Better wait for some of the other games coming up. Money better spent
EDIT: And no, retcon doesn't count... retcon is crap, and this game is the pinnacle of retcon <.=.<
