Skyrim - 100 Hours Reviewed

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Hah
These aspects don't tend to get very effectively modded, which is why they worry me more than UI & gameplay shortcomings.

If you really want to get any mileage out of the faction quests you really have to follow the randomly generated 'go to map location A and kill B' quests that faction members give out

Fortunately there are plenty of serviceable side-missions. Notably, I guess, the rebellion & daedric quests. 170 hours in, 120-ish quests completed (not including misc objectives) and I've never perused the random quests, except the incidental ones.

All very true, but if you want to ignore the main quest and take up a successful career as a Mage - say - you'll find your career is over much quicker than in Oblivion and much, much quicker than in Morrowind.

There are a huge wealth of side-quests available, I'm not questioning that, but I feel that the faction quests could have been made longer. Indeed, it seems in places that they were meant to be. In the Companions for instance, after completing your Trial to become a member of the Companions you only do one Radiant quest (mine was to kill a Sabre Cat) and then you're initiated into the Circle - the highest echelons of, and leaders of, the Companions!

 

[Wierdguy]

Best tactic ever for a low level character to get past that frost troll: Sprint. Sprint like the gods damned wind. Run like your leggs were powered by a high-tech jet engine!

Anyway - one of the best reviews of Skyrim Ive read. Good job ^^

 

[Levethian]

All very true, but if you want to ignore the main quest and take up a successful career as a Mage - say - you'll find your career is over much quicker than in Oblivion and much, much quicker than in Morrowind.

Agreed. Although I found quests associatd with the Mage's College curious, like the quest-line about identifying the origin of the Dwemer, and the quests to unlock master level spells for (I think) each of the spell schools when your skill level reaches 90+.

I think I'd rather Bethesda had spent more time making the player feel important instead of adding more quests

I want tabloids to paste my face all over Skyrim! I want statues raised in my honor! I want to commission a mighty castle! I want Jarls to propose marriage to me! I want to be groomed to become the next Emperor (goodness knows the Empire needs one)! Tiber Septim became Emperor under similar circumstances, after all.

 

[Frost27]

Great read and fantastic review. Pretty much nailed things spot on with regards to the game's many quirks and stumbles. I was fortunate enough to catch the 7000 steps troll at a distance and managed to kill it with about 15 sneak attack arrows. I kept thinking, if I hadn't seen him first I would have been proper screwed.

Fortunately my experience has been relatively bug free overall.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I want tabloids to paste my face all over Skyrim! I want statues raised in my honor! I want to commission a mighty castle! I want Jarls to propose marriage to me! I want to be groomed to become the next Emperor (goodness knows the Empire needs one)! Tiber Septim became Emperor under similar circumstances, after all.

More long term evidence of your deeds would definitely be a step in the right direction, immersion wise, for the Elder Scrolls. I just wonder how feasible it really is. You look at a game like Mass Effect and how attempting to show even the slightest resonance for your efforts causes the plot to branch, and you quickly realize that any true cause/effect results in a dramatically truncated game. This, of course, does not mean a guy needs to say "I guess it was just my imagination" while wandering back to his spawn point with two of my arrows sticking out of his back.

Pity the primary quest lines are so short, overall. For a game so comically dense it seems like we could've done with 30 fewer Barrows and a few more story based missions, but I feel a little stupid attacking an Elder Scrolls game for "insufficient content".

 

[Kataskopo]

What a great review! And funny too. I agree with most of your concerns, altough I haven't found any bug (or maybe I haven't realized yet), just that one time I got stuck in between 2 rocks and had to fast travel to free myself.

Altough I had one big concern, when we are thrown in the world, there were a lot of things I didn't understood, and there was no explanation about them, and it took me like 5 min in the menu to get the items in the right hands (I put the shield, then a spell but the spell ends in the same hand as the shield...)

I haven't played other Elder Scrolls games, so I didn't understood some of the terms at first.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

What a great review!

Thank you!

I agree with most of your concerns, altough I haven't found any bug (or maybe I haven't realized yet), just that one time I got stuck in between 2 rocks and had to fast travel to free myself.

Give it time. It's no New Vegas, but you're certainly not going to have a bug free experience. If you're lucky, you won't run into anything TOO egregious.

Altough I had one big concern, when we are thrown in the world, there were a lot of things I didn't understood, and there was no explanation about them, and it took me like 5 min in the menu to get the items in the right hands (I put the shield, then a spell but the spell ends in the same hand as the shield...)

That's an interface problem. The interface is not very intuitive. I'm beginning to think Bethesda is just trolling us with these interfaces they keep coming up with.

I haven't played other Elder Scrolls games, so I didn't understood some of the terms at first.

There isn't a lot of arcane or unusual terminology going on, you should be alright. There IS a surprising amount of lore and backstory that will NOT be apparent unless you spend a lot of time reading the many books scattered around the land.

 

[Levethian]

More long term evidence of your deeds would definitely be a step in the right direction, immersion wise, for the Elder Scrolls. I just wonder how feasible it really is. (snip) This, of course, does not mean a guy needs to say "I guess it was just my imagination" while wandering back to his spawn point with two of my arrows sticking out of his back.

Indeed, those comical stealth elements need fixed first. Presumably the bewildered bandit should flee instead.

I wish when enemies asked for mercy, you could show them mercy. I feel evil cutting down crawling opponents pleading for their lives. The poor souls could be recruited to guard the massive castle I plan on building.

Amending dialogue to reflect multiple status updates would be torturous. Mods should help to some extent; I recall Oblivion had a decent newspaper mod, and another that let the player become ruler of Kvatch after the Oblivion Crisis. Post-main-quest evolution would be lovely. Not to mention post-rebellion evolution. I'd like to see Elisif proclaimed High Queen...

I wish, I want, I'd like... C'mon Bethesda, release the Construction Kit!

 

[EHKOS]

About the voices...I swear Arnold S. was voicing some of the male guards. They sound just like him.

EDIT: Also, I'm at level 40 with 58 hours....it's weird how it differs between so many people.

 

[DarkRyter]

Now that's a goddamn review.

Really see the work you put into it.

 

[enzilewulf]

Great review.... That was very very good.

as for the whole breaking the game part you nailed it with smithing. Once I had ebony armor (about 2 hrs in) I completely dominated for the rest of the game. I beat the Final baddy in deardic and didn't even break a sweat.

 

[The Pinray]

Damn, that was better than some "professional" reviews I've read. Sense of humor, too.

I hope you'll do some more reviews if it ever tickles your fancy.

Well done!

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Agreed. Although I found quests associatd with the Mage's College curious, like the quest-line about identifying the origin of the Dwemer, and the quests to unlock master level spells for (I think) each of the spell schools when your skill level reaches 90+.

I have yet to advance a character that far, so wouldn't know. I've had so many different character concepts running around in my head that I want to try I've developed quite a habit for ditching my current character after a week and starting a new one. I currently have four characters on the go, and am finding it hard to resist the urge to start a dual-wielding Orc Ranger-type.

I don't do 'one character does it all' playthroughs.

 

[Levethian]

I don't do 'one character does it all' playthroughs.

I've had 2 trail characters, but I'm intending to become more invested in my current one. I'm determined to play without use of fast-travel, waiting, training and on master difficulty. I'm not patient enough to do the same thing more than twice.