So, I’ve borrowed Skyrim for a week, and while I’ve still got a lot more playing to do (I can’t buy it until I get a computer to run it - TES games are made for computer, I’m sorry they just are) I think I’ve played enough to get my first impressions out of it. The game has basically been heaped with praise by all the big reviewers, and I certainly have my share of praise to add to it. However, there are some things of a less positive nature that I feel it is my duty to point out as a gamer, to illustrate what things might be missing or need to be adjusted for the next title. Without further introduction, here are my impressions:
Negatives:
Maps: Don’t get me wrong, the world map is beautifully rendered. But it’s very difficult to see pathways leading to where you need to go. I’ve learned how to get around on the world map fairly well by now, but it was slow going, and I still sometimes head down the wrong path thinking that it will take me where I’m going. Far worse, however, are the area maps. When you are inside a labyrinthine dungeon that is three or four levels and loops back in on itself again and again, a two-dimensional map doesn’t cut it. I don’t know how long I’ve spent lost in the mazes of Dwemer or Nordic ruins, unable to determine which direction I need to go to find my way. The maps need to represent three dimensions, that’s all there is to it.
Creatures: There are a great many sentient creatures in Skyrim besides the playable humanoid races: Dragons, Giants, Falmer, Hargraven, Daedra, and potentially the Spriggans. Yet there are barely a handful of them that you can peacefully interact with. This has always seemed a weakness in TES games to me, but Skyrim in particular seems very lacking in peaceful nonhumans.
Weapons: The weapons are basically the same from Oblivion. They look much better, but they are the same categories we previously saw. Daggers, swords, maces, axes, hammers, bows. Basically the same as Oblivion, and the materials (Iron, Steel, Dwarven, etc.) are almost equally similar. In Morrowind we had halberds and spears, clubs, staves we could hit people with, and crossbows as well as all sorts of throwing weapons. It’d really be nice to see that stuff come back.
Skills: My biggest problem with Skyrim is in the new skill system. Unless you spend your one point per level on a perk within a skill, you see no benefit at all from increasing your skill. My alchemy level was above 60 by the time I completed the main quest, yet my potions were basically the same as they were when my skill was 15. It just doesn’t make any sense. There need to be passive bonuses to being skilled regardless of perks.
Positives:
World: The world makes sense. Skyrim is not an easy place to live in, and it shows in many of the characters’ rough looking faces. Moreover, racial diversity is pretty low, though certain areas are more diverse than others. The Argonians and Khajiit, enslaved in Morrowind, are here mistrusted and discriminated against: The Argonians are forced to live outside of Windhelm in a sort of ghetto area, and the Khajiit are made to wander around in trade caravans outside of the cities. The situations are bad, but the fact is that they flesh the world out and make it follow the rules that have been laid down. An imperfect world is more realistic, and a particularly bad one is one that needs a hero.
Elves: Elves aren’t perfect. And God, that’s wonderful. Tolkien’s elves were fine, but in fantasy they have become the rule and not the exception. Elves shouldn’t always be superior in morals, knowledge, and ability. As ancient a people as they may be, if they are mortal, they should act like it. Elves in Skyrim, especially the High Elves, are haughty, arrogant, and tend toward racism. They torture prisoners and sacrifice others for magical experiments. They are perhaps the worst of the bad, and that is fantastic. They may only be so exceptionally unlikable because of the amount of power they have, and that leads me to…
Empire: The Empire is crumbling. Black Marsh (Argonians) seceded some time after the Oblivion crisis and invaded Morrowind after the destruction of Vvardenfell by the eruption of Red Mountain. While the Dunmer flee to Solstheim and Skyrim, Hammerfell (Redguards) and Elsewyr (Khajiit) secede as well, and the Summerset Isle (Altmer) invade Valenwood (Bosmer). Now Skyrim is in civil war, and may secede as well. Ultimately, the only regions that remain entirely loyal to the Empire are Cyrodiil (Imperials) and High Rock (Bretons) and this could very well spell disaster for the Empire. This sets up a powerful possibility for further changes in Tamriel, and if we don’t see something major regarding the fate of the Empire in expansions to Skyrim, we will in TES VI whenever it comes about.
Dragons: The Dragons look great, and fighting them is epic. As they come swooping down from the sky, blasting fire and roaring, it gives a sense of excitement, every time. I have not gotten bored of fighting dragons on Skyrim, and I doubt that I will. I got lucky enough to have one attack in the middle of a city, and it was a completely different battle. The fact that they can attack anywhere is possibly the best touch, because it helps give the main storyline a true sense of dread.
Sky: I’ll leave you with this. When playing Skyrim, from time to time, look up at the sky. Bethesda has always created beautiful skies for TES games, or at least since Morrowind, and Skyrim does not disappoint. I’ve always thought/heard that the skies in TES III & IV were hand painted, though I have never found a reliable source which said so. I feel the same way about Skyrim. They look more like art in a gallery than a digital rendering. So, look at the skies. It is “Skyrim” after all.
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